Stand Up And Be Counted

The Book of Bamidbar begins with a census taking of the males between twenty and sixty. Rashi comments on this by explaining that we tend to count things that we cherish.

This is why there is another census after the sin of the Golden Calf. There needed to be an accounting of how many remained after this tragedy. It was Hashem’s desire that the Divine Presence would rest on the nation once again.

The Chidushei Harim makes an interesting observation about counting. He points out that among the Kashrut laws, there is usually the principle that a prohibited food is nullified with a ratio of sixty to one. At that point, the forbidden taste can no longer be felt.

However, there is a special law regarding דבר שבמניין, something that has such importance, that it is counted. The rule regarding such foods is that because of their importance, they can never be nullified, regardless of the ratio.

This was Hashem’s intent in counting the Jewish people. He wanted to be certain that His beloved people would never be canceled, and they would exist forever.

Perhaps this is connected to the slogan, “Stand up and be counted!” Each and every Jew must see himself as being part of Am Yisrael and our special destiny. When we are counted, we will not be nullified. Am Yisrael Chai!

Rebuke Before Shavuot

The great prophet and scribe, Ezra, made numerous decrees for the benefit of the Jewish people. He was the spiritual leader that helped rebuild Jewish life, when the second Beit Hamikdash was built.

One of his decrees was to set up the cycle of the weekly Torah reading, so that the two תוכחות, or rebukes, that are found in the Torah, would fall shortly before Shavuot and Rosh Hashanah.

These were the two times that we could use a little “shaking up.” On Shavuot, we celebrate the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. This isn’t something to be taken lightly. Each year, we are to imagine ourselves standing at Sinai and hearing G-d utter the first two of Ten Commandments. We are to renew the special bond and destiny that we have as Jews.

The rebuke that precedes Shavuot is meant to remind us why we are here. The task placed upon us is a great one. We are to declare the Oneness of our Creator, and make it clear that He is the King of Kings, that must reign over the entire earth.

The rebuke before Rosh Hashanah is to impress upon us the need for Teshuvah, and returning to G-d. It is a gift that we receive every year that Ten Days of Repentance are given to us, to clean our slate where all of our sins are forgiven.

It is understandable why it is said of Ezra, that if the Torah would not have been given to Moshe Rabbeinu, the next worthy candidate would have been him.

Surrendering to G-d

Rav Kook chose to speak about the nature of the Mitzvot, in his commentary on Parshat Bechukotai. He did this because there is an entire category of Mitzvot known as “חוקים.”

These refer to the laws in the Torah that do not appear to have a rational reason to them.The prohibition of milk and meat, the prohibition of wearing a garment mixed with wool and linen, and the offering of the Red Heifer, are three such examples.

Rav Kook quoted the Rambam who suggested that seeking the reasons for Mitzvot, should be done with great care. We should first view all of the commandments of the Torah, as גזירת המלך, the decree of the King. It is not within our capacity that which comes from Hashem, who is perfect in every way.

If we acquire true יראת ה׳, fear of G-d, we will not be troubled by any of the commandments that don’t seem to make sense. Instead, we will be in greater awe of such Mitzvot, that come from a very high place.

This is why the Rabbis emphasize that a greater reward is received for the Mitzvot that we are commanded to, rather than one who observes Mitzvot that he is not commanded.

This shows a complete surrender, הכנעה, to G-d. We accept that we cannot truly understand His ways, but we know that all that is demanded of us, is for our own good.

The חוק teaches us to be humble and have faith. We don’t have to understand the reason for everything we observe. But we must be firm in our commitment to follow the word of Hashem, down to the last detail.

Yom Yerushalayim

We must understand the context of what preceded the Six Day War. There was serious gloating among the Arab nations surrounding Israel. They boasted that they were going to drive Israel into the sea.

This took place only twenty-two years after the Holocaust. The State of Israel was only nineteen years old. The Jewish people around the world were gripped with terrible fear of the unimaginable. It was a very solemn and frightening time.

The Hand of G-d was revealed in as open a manner as the Ten Plagues in Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea. What took Joshua seven years to achieve, was accomplished in only six days!

Holy places and lands that had not been in the possession of the Jewish people for nearly two thousand years, were returned to their rightful owners. The Kotel was in our hands!

Anyone who is unable to see this as a Divine miracle is blind. There is no other explanation. Things changed dramatically after 1967. The Jews were no longer seen as weak pushovers. They are tough and they are not afraid to confront their enemies.

There was clear proof that we were living in the time of Redemption. Jews could come home from all corners of the earth. Any claim that the Jewish people were rejected by G-d was disproven during this brief war.

Since 1967, we have witnessed the emergence of the Baal Teshuva Yeshivot. There was a religious awakening among our people, as there was a strong desire to return to their Jewish roots. At the same time, the number of converts desiring to join the Jewish people, has increased dramatically.

It is clear that Yom Yerushalayim is a worthy day of celebration and giving thanks to the Al-mighty for bringing deliverance to His people. We are living in incredible times. We only need to open our eyes to appreciate how special these times truly are.

Mistreatment and Fraud

The Torah has two verses in Chapter 25 of Vayikra in regards to the words, “לא תונו,” do not mistreat your fellow Jew.

In verse 25:14, it is written, ולא תונו איש את אחיו, that one must not mistreat his brother. And in 25:17 it says, ולא תונו איש את עמיתו, one must not mistreat his counterpart.

Both verses speak of mistreatment of some kind. The only difference is that אחיו is used in the first instance, and עמיתו, in the second verse.

It is interesting to note that the word “אונאה” is used in spoken Hebrew. It can mean “fraud” or “embezzlement. The police department in Israel has a מחלקת אונאה, where matters of fraud are examined.

The explanation as to why there are two separate verses is to teach two different sets of laws. The first Pasuk speaks of אונאת ממון, improper behavior in money matters. There are very strict rules related to taking advantage of consumers. There are limits as to how much profit is allowed to make. If he passes that limit, he has transgressed. One must not take advantage of his brother.

The second verse speaks of אונאת דברים, mistreatment with words. One must not belittle his counterpart with words. He might only be an acquaintance that you do not see as your brother. But you must not insult any Jew. You must not remind a convert of his origin, acting as though you are better than him. Similarly, you must not make a Baal Teshuva feel that is he inferior to you, because he was not always observant.

The Torah uses different examples to remind us that we must act ethically, with kindness and compassion, in our treatment of our fellow Jew. We must never forget the need to “be a Mentch” in all of our interactions with others.

Tithes for Charity

There are two terms related to our handling of money matters. One is called, שמיטת כספים and the other is known as מעשר כספים.

The first term is related to the Sabbatical year. The Shmitta of money, refers to the forgiveness of loans on that year. The great Tanna, Hillel, instituted the Prozbul document, that we still use today, to bypass this obligation of forgiving loans.

The second term refers to a tithing of money. This means that we are to keep track of our income, and give ten percent to charity. This is also observed today by G-d fearing Jews who follow the Torah.

The reason Hillel instituted the Prozbul was to encourage lenders to continue lending. He felt that he had the authority to make such a decision, because Shmitta laws were only rabbinical.

The rule was that Shmitta becomes a Torah law, when Yovel, the Jubilee year was from the Torah. Some say this will happen when all of the tribes are situated in their respective lands. The majority of the Jews in the world, must be living in Israel.

While there doesn’t seem to be any argument regarding the Shmitta laws, that they are rabbinical, there is some debate regarding our tithing our income.

There are three opinions in this matter. There are authorities who say that this tithing remains a Torah law. Others say it is rabbinic, and still others say it is only a custom. Nevertheless, there is no question that it is a huge Mitzva to give charity and hear the cries of the less fortunate.

This is clearly what defines as Jews. We are a compassionate people that love doing acts of kindness. In the time of the Torah, the fields were tithed. Today, we tithe our income, showing gratitude to Hashem for His abundant gifts.

Mutual Responsibility

Parshat Behar begins by Hashem speaking to Moshe Rabbeinu on Mount Sinai. This is followed by the laws of the sabbatical year, known as Shmitta.

The classic question that is asked is why is Shmitta given as an example of a law given on Mount Sinai. Aren’t all the laws of the Torah given on Sinai?

Rav Kook connects this question with an explanation that these laws and its covenant were given again in the Ohel Moed, Tent of Meeting, of the Mishkan, and again at Arvot Moav, before the Jewish people entered Israel.

Some say that the Mitzvot were given in a general manner at Sinai, and the details were given when the Mishkan was constructed.

The Mitzvot needed to be given again forty years later at Arvot Moav. The word, “Arvot” could also be connected with the word, “ Arvut,” which means, a guarantee, or taking responsibility.

The giving of the Torah actually began at Sinai, but wasn’t completed until Arvot Moav, when the nation needed to learn, כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה, “All of Israel are responsible for one another.”

The connection to the Shmitta laws is that all loans are forgiven during the seventh year. The ability to avoid demanding payment of an outstanding loan, is a clear demonstration of unity and mutual responsibility.

Shmitta was given as an example of a law given at Mount Sinai, because it carried the message of brotherly love and responsibility.

Could this be the reason why the Liberty Bell, that contains the passage from Parshat Behar, describing freedom during the Jubilee year, is housed in the “City of Brotherly Love?”

Benefits of Humility

There is a section in “Duties of the Heart,” that discusses the importance of acquiring humility. This applies in our service of Hashem, as well as our interaction with our fellow man.

This section ends with a description of the benefits that a humble person has in this world. If a person is humble, he attaches no special importance to himself. Whatever he attains in this world suffices him for his sustenance and other needs.

This gives him peace of mind and diminishes anxiety. He eats what is available, wears what he finds, and is content with very few worldly goods, because of his humility.

As for a proud person, the whole world cannot fulfill his needs, due to his inflated ambition. Pride and self importance destroy a person.

Being happy with one’s on lot, is a key to peace of mind and humility. Competitiveness and jealousy have the opposite effect. They prevent a person from being happy, because they are always looking at the possessions of others.

It is clear that a great deal of work goes into achieving humility. But the benefits and rewards are so great, that it is well worth the effort to try to achieve true humility.

Showbread

The לחם הפנים, or, the showbread that existed in the Temple, was quite an amazing phenomenon. It allowed people to witness miracles every single week.

The Lechem Hapanim was changed once a week during Shabbat. At that time, there was a changing of the guard among the Kohanim. They worked in shifts that lasted one week.

When the new Showbread was put in its place on the Shulchan, with its twelve loaves, the old bread was shared by the outgoing and incoming shifts of Kohanim. The miracle was that the bread remained hot and fresh the entire week!

Since non-Kohanim were not allowed to enter the Heichal, the building that housed the Menorah, Shulchan, and Holy Ark, the Kohanim would sometimes lift the table that contained the לחם הפנים, and bring it to the entrance of the Heichal, so that others would witness the miracle as well.

The message here was to teach that “man does not live by bread alone.” One’s livelihood and possessions all came from G-d.

This was an incidental detail of what went on when the Temple was standing. This is why people loved being there, as it allowed them to feel, from up close, the Presence of Hashem. It helped keep everyone focused on what was real and permanent and what was unimportant and temporary.

Blemishes

We learn from the instructions related to the Temple, the importance of maintaining a high level of beauty and dignity.

There was special responsibility given to the Gizbar, the Temple treasurer,

to see to it that there was regular refurbishment of the holy vessels and the overall appearance of the residence of Hashem.

This also explains the concept of the ״Moom” or blemishes that might be found in the Kohein himself, or on potential sacrifices. The Rambam lists a total of ninety blemishes that might nullify the ability to offer an animal as a sacrifice.

He listed 140 blemishes that could disqualify a Kohein from being able to perform Temple service.

An animal with a blemish is only forbidden as a sacrifice, but can still be permitted to eat. The Kohein with a blemish is still allowed to partake of holy foods and other gifts designated for the Kohanim.

It may seem a little unfair that such laws exist, when it is not the Kohein to blame for imperfections that were not his doing. Nevertheless, the highest level of holiness and decorum needed to be maintained in the holiest location on earth.

These laws come directly from the Torah and G-d. They represent perfection and truth, even if we are unable to totally understand them.

Torah’s Punitive System

The 613 Mitzvot of the Torah are divided into positive and negative commandments. There are 365 negative commandments, known as לא תעשה, “do not do,” and 248 positive commandments, known as עשה.

The system is set up where punishments are given only for the violation of the negative commandment. The only time a punishment is issued for the non-fulfillment of an עשה, is not performing circumcision, and not offering the Korban Pesach.

The 365 negative Mitzvot contain 207 instances where the penalty is lashes. There are several Mitzvot that are left to Hashem to deal with. There are others that give a monetary fine as punishment.

There is a concept in Jewish Law that says, לאו הבא מכלל עשה, עשה. This refers to a case where the negative commandment is learned by way of the positive. An example comes from the law that says that a sacrifice cannot be offered unless the animal was eight days old. This is a positive Mitzva to offer a sacrifice when the animal is at least eight days old. The negative Mitzva derived from this is that it is forbidden to offer an animal less than eight days old.

The system of Torah laws are very detailed. Upon studying them, one realizes that they are Divine and come directly from G-d.

Laws of Eating Teruma

There is an interesting Halacha related to the divorced or widowed daughter of a Kohein. If she has no children when her marriage is terminated, she is permitted to go back to her father’s house, and continue eating Teruma again.

There is a case brought in Masechet Yevamot that speaks of a divorced Kohein’s daughter, who gets Halachically engaged, known as Erusin, to another Kohein.

Since this marriage is forbidden from the Torah, as a Kohein is not allowed to marry a divorced woman, her Teruma rights are terminated as soon as she is engaged.

If this potential marriage is terminated at this stage of Erusin, she may still go back to her father’s house and eat Teruma. If it is terminated after marriage takes place, and this marriage was consummated, she may never eat Teruma again.

If she was a widow married to the Kohein Hagadol, which is forbidden, and this marriage ends with the death of the High Priest, she is still a widow.

However, since she transgressed a negative Torah commandment, she becomes a Chalalah. This is the same name given to the offspring of a forbidden Kohein marriage. She can never eat Teruma, and never marry a Kohein.

We see that there was a special level of sanctity that the Kohein needed to maintain as a servant of Hashem.

True Servants of Hashem

Parshat Emor has many laws but is focused on the role of the Kohein. There are specific laws that apply only to him. The Prophet Isaiah, calls the Kohanim, משרתי ה׳, servants of G-d.

In recent years, they discovered that the Kohein had a recognizable DNA. This was known from biblical times that a Kohein was born with a special sanctity.

This explains why they must distance themselves from coming in contact with the dead, and being limited as to which women qualify to be the wives of a Kohein.

There is an interesting argument among the Rishonim regarding a Kohein who had served in the Temple, and offered many sacrifices, only to learn that he was a Chalal, a disqualified Kohein. He came from a forbidden union to Kohanim, where his father married a divorced woman or convert.

Many of the Rishonim felt that all of his sacrifices were retroactively nullified. The Rambam disagreed and only forbade him from future Temple service.

He reasoned that his essence was still holy. He served in good faith, which was enough for his previous work to be validated.

It is a privilege to be a descendant of Aharon the High Priest. There are responsibilities and restrictions that come with it. All of this is necessary in order to be “true servants of Hashem.”

Sudden Wealth

The “Duties of the Heart” speaks about a situation where Hashem bestows great wealth on an individual. Great wealth in this world serves one of three purposes.

It can come as a blessing granted by the Creator. It can be as a trial and test; or as a punishment and stumbling block.

The sign that it is a blessing is that its possessor is too preoccupied with the fulfillment of his duties towards Hashem, rather than concern himself with his wealth. He spends his money doing Mitzvot and helping others. He never loses focus on G-d and acting in a way that is pleasing to Him.

The sign that wealth is sent as a trial and test, is that its owner is preoccupied with his concern to retain his money and increase it. He gets nothing out of his money but continual worry, and the headache of protecting it.

Wealth is a punishment and stumbling block when it is used strictly for one’s own pleasure and self gratification. He forgets that Hashem was his Benefactor and fails to realize that he owes a debt of gratitude to Him. His life becomes one of, “Eat,drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” His wealth has made him arrogant and haughty. He has lost his direction in this world. This is certainly a punishment.

This is an example of the sage advice given by our Rabbis. There are times when we need to be careful what we wish for. As long as we keep our closeness to Hashem as our top priority, we will not only be able to see wealth as a blessing, but we will recognize and appreciate all of the abundant blessings that we receive from Above.

Half Jewish

Jewish Law makes it clear that we follow matrilineal descent. A person is considered a Halachic Jew if his mother is a Jew. There is no such thing as being half Jewish when it comes to identifying who is a Jew.

There is an exception to this rule that applied in the days when it was acceptable to possess what is defined as “slaves.” They were not exactly slaves as we might think. They were considered more like live-in help.

It was possible to have both Hebrew and Canaanite servants living in one’s home. The Hebrew variety were usually there because of financial difficulties and sometimes as a form of rehabilitation for becoming a thief.

The Canaanite variety were only allowed to live with a Jewish family if they took upon themselves the same Mitzvot that a woman was to keep. They immersed in a Mikva and the men were circumcised. If they were freed, they were instantly considered full fledged Jews.

The example of being half Jewish could occur if the שפחה כנענית was owned by two Jews. If one owner freed her, she would be considered half Jewish and half slave.

She would be in a very bad predicament. She could not marry a Jew because she’s still part Shifcha. And she can’t marry another slave or even a Hebrew slave because of her Jewish status.

The second owner would be highly encouraged to free her as well, to get her out of her limbo status. But until this is done, she is technically half Jewish, even according to Halacha.

Sanctity of the Jewish Home

The sections in the Torah that discuss proper sexual behavior are found in the two Parshiot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. The warnings are found in Acharei Mot, and the punishments are listed in Kedoshim.

The subject is first introduced in the context of the behavior of the surrounding nations of Canaan and Egypt. They were two nations that were extremely decadent in their pagan worship and immoral behavior.

The Rambam wrote that Egypt was so decadent that men married men, and women married women.

The Ramban wrote that the way to achieve holiness is by separating from forbidden sexual relationships. This is the reason why strict laws were enacted to make a fence around these laws.

There are so many instances where people can ruin their lives in a moment of indiscretion. One can’t take back a foolish action. It can never be undone completely, and could take years to achieve some kind of repairing.

The anchor of the Jewish people is the Jewish home. When the laws of Family Purity are meticulously observed, there is sanctity in the home. One can sense the deep love between husband and wife, and the kindness and mutual respect they have for one another. It sets a certain special mood in the home.

All of this comes about because of the clear boundaries that are set in the Torah. This probably explains why the punishments are so severe for violating these laws.

We have a special role to play as a “Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation.” We achieve this by carefully following the laws related to sexual morality.

After Death-Holy

The Parshiot of Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, are usually read together. Some say that the names together reflect an attitude we have about people. Acharei Mot, means, after death. And Kedoshim means, they are holy.

Put the two together and you get, after one’s death, he becomes holy. Sometimes the greatness of a person is not realized until he dies. There is an expression that when one is standing next to a mountain, one cannot appreciate how high it is.

But there are also people that weren’t so special when they were alive, and they are deified after their death. This is how some religions have developed. With individuals, it might ease the burden of the loss of a loved one by remembering and glorifying them, in an exaggerated manner.

It is certainly interesting how the Rabbis pick up ideas from even a slight nuance from the Torah. They had a very keen understanding of human nature. They saw it as their role, to give direction to their students in constantly seeking truth and staying on a path that would avoid delusions, and stay in touch with reality.

Entering Holy of Holies

There is a dispute among the Sages regarding the permission granted to Aharon to enter the Holy of Holies. Some say that he was unlike any other Kohein Hagadol, and he was allowed to enter any time he wanted.

The other opinion suggests that Aharon was only allowed to enter on Yom Kippur, just like every future High Priest. The reason for this latter opinion is taken directly from the text of the Torah. It says that Aharon should not enter at any time to this holy place. He must only enter when accompanied by the offering of a bull on Yom Kippur. The question bothering the Rabbis was whether “Aharon” was a general term synonymous with Kohein Hagadol, or it actually meant Aharon.

In any case, we see how the Torah transitioned from the death of Nadav and Avihu, to a discussion of some of the laws of Yom Kippur service.

We learn from this discussion that even though Hashem’s Presence is everywhere, He has chosen a place from where the Divine Presence emanates.

He chose Eretz Yisrael as the holiest land in the world. He chose Jerusalem as its holiest city, and he chose the Beit Hamikdash as the holiest location for this emanation.

It is the responsibility of every Jew to work on his own personal spiritual elevation. There must be a recognition that a person is more likely to succeed in this mission, if he places himself in the best spiritual environment. Eretz Yisrael has the benefit of its positioning where one is surrounded by its holiness.

Isn’t it interesting that the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, repeatedly speaks of his first visit to Israel at age seventeen in such glowing terms. He sensed that there was something special about this land. He has been back over one hundred times to Israel. We need to open our hearts and gravitate towards Kedusha. A good place to start, is to come to Israel and absorb its holiness.

Iyov’s Concern

Parshat Acharei-Mot begins by making a reference to the death of Aharon’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu. There is a strange Midrash where Iyov, Job, relates to this story.

The Midrash tells us that when Iyov heard of the death of Aharon’s two sons, he said, “Even for this, my heart trembles.” In essence, he came to the realization that he was in big trouble.

There is an explanation given by Nachal Kedumim for this strange comment of Iyov. He heard that the reason the sons of Aharon were killed was because of a conversation between them.

They were walking behind Moshe and Aharon one day, when Nadav said to Avihu, “When will these old guys die, so that we can take over?” Hashem said to them, “We’ll see who buries who!”

Iyov realized that Avihu only listened to Nadav’s inappropriate statement, and was equally punished. He realized that he was guilty of merely listening to Pharoah’s decree of throwing Jewish babies into the Nile.

At that moment Iyov understood that when a wrong is being done, and one does not protest, it is as if he was complicit in this wrongdoing. It took the life of Avihu for his silence. He could only imagine what suffering he might be forced to endure, for his own silence.

We must feel the pain of every Jew. If they are wronged or treated badly, we must do all in our power to stop it. Parshat Kedoshim has the verse, “Do not stand idly by, when the blood of your brother is spilt.”

Conquering the Evil Inclination

The “Duties of the Heart,” has a long section discussing the various tricks of the Yeitzer Hara. It gives numerous examples as to how cunning and deceitful the Yeitzer Hara can really be.

We are supposed to train ourselves to drive out any negative thoughts that come our way. We are to realize how giving in to worry, is counterproductive and only serves to deny us of our joy and happiness.

After we have conquered the Yeitzer on one level, it will devise new tricks, to make us stumble. An example brought in Duties of the Heart, speaks of one who has attained a high level of scholarship. He has found success in his studies. The Yeitzer Hara will tell him that he needs a break today. He should cut himself some slack and spend the day reading poetry, or involving himself with a hobby. This will be a distraction and he will need extra time to get back to the level of learning that he previously possessed.

This reminded me of how distracting the internet, You Tube or Facebook or social media can be. We might want to sit down for a few minutes to catch up on the latest news. The Yeitzer will encourage us to spend much more time than needed, and we might feel justified in having a bigger break. Before we know it, we will not have fulfilled the task at hand, because of all the time we waste

Discipline and awareness is required to do everything in our power to overcome the tricks of the Yeitzer Hara. It is an ongoing battle that we must win. It never leaves us alone, but once we see it, we will have the upper hand. It is worth the struggle, because we need to succeed in reaching our goals in life. Conquering the Yeitzer, will help us achieve our goals.