Walk Humbly With Hashem

Shavua Tov. The Haftarah for today ends with an important message. The Prophet Michah deals with the question as to what is Hashem's definition of Good. The translation is as follows: What does Hashem require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your G-d.

The Hebrew for "Walk humbly" is והצנע לכת, adding the idea of צניעות in all of the ways that we conduct ourselves. It seems that this צניעות is the ingredient that binds one's good traits. Even when we are doing acts of kindness and justice, they should be done in a quiet, modest kind of way.

This is what is necessary for our Mitzvot to bear fruit. We quietly go our way trying to do what is right in the eyes of G-d without seeking honor and recognition. This is Hashem's definition of Good. Humility, ענוה, and not haughtiness and conceit, גאוה.

All is For the Best

The של״ה הקודש points out that Parshat Balak is teaching the idea that מעז יצא מתוק, "Out of the strong, came something sweet." This was a riddle connected with Samson and referred to honey that comes from bees, where one needs to be strong to get to it, but when he does, he is left with sweet honey.

The Midrash says that Hashem tells Bilaam, לא מדובשך ולא מעוקצך, not your honey and not your sting. Again, there is the analogy of a difficulty followed by something positive.

There is a third quote from the Midrash that says that Achashveirosh's removal of his ring and giving it to Haman, did more to encourage Teshuva than all of the words of the prophets combined.

We are to be reminded that it is often necessary to go through difficulties in order to appreciate the good that follows. When Hashem disciplines us, it is for our benefit. This is also the idea of turning the curses into blessings. We must have the faith to realize that all that Hashem does is for our good. Shabbat Shalom

Anti-Semitism

Parshat Balak seems to address the issue of anti-semitism. We see how Nations made an alliance against Israel that was motivated by their common hatred of the Jewish people. Bilaam was hired by Balak to curse Israel. Bilaam did not need much convincing as our rabbis tell us that he hated the Jews even more than Balak did.

Many people have a problem with the general rabbinic statement that עשו שונא את יעקב, Eisav, representing the Gentile, hates the Jew.

Jews are often accused of being paranoid in that we blame everything on anti-semitism. Aside from being justified in having that sentiment based on our long exile, we are cautioned to keep our eyes open, regardless of what appears to be very cordial relationships with non-Jews. And too often we refuse to accept this reality and are later proven wrong.

The only real hope is that in times of the Redemption, the nations of the world will not only change their attitudes about the Jews, but they will show real remorse for how we were treated throughout our history. Let us hope we are in that period of time.

Lessons from Death of Aharon

A great deal can be learned about the death of Aharon. It was referred to as מיתת נשיקה, or, the "kiss of death." It was a very sweet and calm departure from this world to the place where he was "gathered unto his people", who awaited him in עולם הבא.

What comforted Aharon as he left this world, was the knowledge that everything he lived for would be carried on by his children. He merited seeing his Priestly garments being placed on his son, Elazar.

Aharon was able to leave this world peacefully as he clearly made his mark on the world. The Torah tells us that the people mourned more for Aharon than Moshe, because Aharon was a lover of peace. He always found ways to create harmony between individuals.

At funerals in Israel, the Chevra Kadisha recites the Mishna from Pirkei Avot: מאין באת ולאן אתה הולך, that one must know from where he came and to where he's going. When one understands what is important on this world and what is not, and when one's priorities are straight, he understands how temporary this world is and the permanence of the next world. Such a person will merit the מיתת נשיקה of Aharon.

Oblivious to Miracles

A story from the Parsha that often is overlooked is called, "שירת הבאר", the song of the well. It is a celebration of a miracle where the Jewish people were saved from great tragedy.

The incident is only alluded to indirectly in the text of the Torah. The Jewish people were traveling along a little river with high mountains above them. The enemy was above them in the mountains and they were "sitting ducks" below, unaware of the danger above them.

Hashem, in his mercy, brought the two mountains together and crushed the potential attackers. The Jews realized what had happened when they noticed all of the corpses in the water. They sang praises to G-d when they realized what had transpired.

The message for us is that we, too, are often oblivious to Hashem's protection and miracles each and every day. If we were more aware, we would be much more calm and at peace knowing just how well we are being looked after by Hashem.

Yiftach

The Haftarah of yesterday's Parsha was all about יפתח הגלעדי, one of the judges of Israel. He was not considered such a saintly person. We say יפתח בדורו כשמואל דורו. Yiftach was the leader in his generation and he was like the Prophet Shmuel in his generation. This means that we get the leaders that we deserve.

If the generation is on a high level, they will get Shmuel. If not, they get Yiftach.

The connection with the Parsha also proves that no deed goes unnoticed. Yiftach rebukes the Emori for their cruelty to עם ישראל when they were in the desert and were not able to pass through their land.

Yiftach was given the task of destroying the Emori, both as punishment for what they did in Moshe's time and for their general evil behavior that made them one of the Seven Nations needed to be removed from our holy land. We must never forget that in the end, there is justice.

Protection

Shavua Tov. Today's Parsha discusses both the death of Miriam and the loss of water in the desert, and the death of Aharon and the loss of the ענני הכבוד, the Clouds of Glory in his merit.

The ענני הכבוד represent the idea of Hashem's constant protection. In the desert, these magical clouds were a source of literal protection from any enemy of Israel.

The Torah says that when the כנעני heard of Aharon's death, he saw it as an opportunity to attack Israel. The Talmud in Rosh Hashana says that the כנעני was a euphemism for all evil. This included Satan, עין הרע and יצר הרע, and throw in עמלק for good measure.

The message is that Evil saw an opening to come and try to harm עם ישראל when there was a breach in protection with the loss of the ענני הכבוד. We must learn from this to constantly insulate ourselves with the proper thoughts and action and eliminate all negative thinking. If we don't, we leave ourselves open for bad stuff, חס ושלום. Be strong and we will keep Evil far away from us.

Moshe's Sin

The sin of Moshe hitting the rock and not speaking to it, is mentioned in the Parsha. There are many interpretations as to why he was punished so severely that he was not allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael.

The simple explanation is that Moshe did not listen to Hashem's instructions and could have sanctified Hashem's name, but did not. Desecrating the name of G-d is very severe.

The Rambam says that the main sin was that Moshe allowed his anger to overtake him. One who gets angry is as if he has no faith in G-d. Many say that conquering anger is possibly the most difficult negative personality trait to overcome.

The Kli Yakar says that at the beginning of the forty years in the desert, Moshe was commanded to hit the rock because the people were a tough generation as they were used to being slaves. However, the generation were a "pampered" generation where all of their needs were taken care of. Moshe showed by his behavior that he could not lead the people into Israel. He needed to adjust to the new personality of the people by being kinder and more gentle.

All of these reasons give us something to think about in applying to today. We must sanctify Hashem's name and conquer our anger. And our leaders must understand the nature of the people in order to lead them. Shabbat Shalom

Parshat Chukat

This week's Parsha, Chukat, seems to have as one of its themes, the concept of a חוק. Unlike the משפטים, that we view as rational laws, such as murder, stealing, and adultery, the חוק is very difficult to understand.

The של״ה הקודש suggests that we begin with the premise that תורת ה׳ תמימה, the Torah of Hashem is perfect. Rabbi Aharon Rakefet likes the following quote: The Torah is perfect. Those who practice it, are not.

We are asked to show our faith by observing specifically those Mitzvot that we don't understand or comprehend.

There is a Midrash that says that Satan chose four commandments in particular to mock and belittle: The notion that one is forbidden to marry his sister in-law at one time, and at another, namely יבום, he is commanded to marry her. The second is how irrational Shaatnez is where one cannot mix wool and linen. The third is the scapegoat of Yom Kippur, where the goat is thrown off a cliff carrying the sins of the people. And the fourth is the פרה אדומה, the Red Heifer mentioned in the Parsha.

This Parsha reminds us that we must view all Mitzvot as גזירה היא מלפני, it is a decree before Hashem, and we must observe all of the Mitzvot with perfect faith.

Power of a Woman

A final point learned from Korach, is the power of a woman. The Rabbis say, הכל בידי אשה, all is in the hands of a woman. She has the biggest influence over her husband. If she is a righteous woman, her husband will be righteous. If she is evil, her husband will become evil.

The examples were from the wife of Korach and the wife of און בן פלת. Korach's wife incited him to rebel against Moshe and Aharon. The wife of און, convinced her husband that he had nothing to gain by joining the rebellion. She saved his life.

The most moving story was when Rabbi Akiva returned home with 24,000 students and was greeted by his wife, Rachel. He told his students, שלי ושלכם שלה, "all that I am and all that you are, is because of her."

The Aguna 2

There is a second type of Aguna mentioned in Halacha. This is a woman left stranded by her husband who refuses to release her by giving her a גט. Usually this is done because of bad feelings and trying to cause his wife pain.

Obviously, this behavior is frowned upon by the Rabbis. The husband can make a conditional גט which becomes official when the condition is fulfilled. For example, he can ask for money in order for him to divorce her. (A woman is allowed to make her marriage conditional that her husband also do something to make it worthwhile to marry him.)

Beit Din may get involved to "encourage" the husband to give a Get. This is a tricky situation because on the one hand we say if they literally beat him up to convince him to give the גט, we are helping him overcome his יצר הרע. His evil inclination is what is preventing him from doing the right thing. But, on the other hand, they need to be careful because a "Get Me'useh", written with force against the husband's wishes, is not valid.

The best solution is to learn how to get along and stay married. Divorce seems to bring out the ugly side of people. The Aguna problem is a serious one indeed.

The Aguna

The subject of Aguna, the stranded woman, is one of the most difficult subjects in Judaism. We are speaking primarily of a woman whose husband has gone overseas and has not returned for a long time.

On the one hand, the Rabbis feel for the עגונה, and will be more lenient with her than in other cases. For example, if one witness testifies that her husband has died, the Rabbis will free her to remarry without a second witness.

This special permission comes with a warning. Despite the Beit Din's permission, in the event that the testimony about her husband proves incorrect, and her original husband appears after many years, she is in big trouble. If she remarried, that marriage is canceled and her children from that second marriage are considered Mamzeirim. This marriage is voided retroactively and she must get a divorce from both husbands.

This is a very sensitive and potentially painful subject.

Rav Ovadia Yosef, זצ״ל, dealt with 950 Aguna cases during the Yom Kippur War. He permitted all of these women to remarry and in all of the cases, he was correct. The 951st case was one that Rav Ovadia was troubled with and he did not permit the one to remarry. A short time after issuing his decision, the woman's husband was found healthy!

Often there are Mitzvot that are beyond our comprehension. But as much as we are required to have faith in Hashem, we are also supposed to have אמונת חכמים, faith in the Rabbis.

הכנעה

Shavua Tov. Korach tried to undermine Moshe Rabbeinu by taking various laws in the Torah and showing their foolishness. An important lesson is to be learned from this.

It appears that Hashem intended for us to observe specific Mitzvot that do seem illogical or not to make sense according to our intellect. He wanted to teach us the importance of הכנעה, or surrender.

Unlike Greek culture that believes there is great power in one's intellect, Judaism emphasizes that we must be constantly aware of our dependence on Hashem. We must also be aware of our own vulnerability. We may have the greatest plans, but they will not come to fruition if Hashem doesn't want them to.

It's easy to laugh and make fun of our system of laws and customs. And it is far more difficult to observe them. However, if we are able to submit with הכנעה, we will be elevated spiritually as we show that our dependence is on G-d and not man.

We have another day of Rosh Chodesh. Chodesh Tov.

קנאה תאוה כבוד

The של״ה הקודש divides the players in the קרח rebellion into three parts with three different motivations. Korach was driven by קנאה, jealousy. He felt that he was deserving of Aharon's position which caused him to make fun of the Mitzvot.

Datan and Aviram, were among the few individuals who were childless in Egypt. This was when most families were having multiple births. This contributed to their greediness or תאוה. They joined the rebellion because they were desirous of personal gain.

The 250 men that joined Korach were motivated by כבוד, honor. They wanted the glory of being able to offer incense similar to Nadav and Avihu. They were seeking a certain spiritual high but they were unauthorized to do so.

Only Korach and Datan and Aviram were swallowed up by the earth. The 250 were burned to death like Aharon's two sons.

Behind all of this we see the statement of the Mishna proven true. That is, קנאה, תאוה, כבוד, מוציאים את האדם מן העולם, jealousy, lust, and honor, remove a person from the world. Shabbat Shalom

Jealousy

The message of פרשת קרח that seems to really stick out, is the danger of what jealousy can bring. Korach had wealth and honor but did not have the position held by Moshe and Aharon.

The אור החיים הקודש speaks about how one should focus on love and stay away from שנאה, or hatred. He explains that there are many reasons why one may be overcome with hatred towards another person. Most of them are not justified and some are able to be remedied. For example, if one caused another monetary loss or bodily harm, he can fix it with compensation for the loss or an apology. But in the words of the אור החיים,  a שנאה מחמת קנאה, hatred because of jealousy, is by far the most difficult to overcome.

One needs to realize how קנאה, jealousy, is a horrible, negative, character trait. It prevents an individual from being happy. No matter how much he has and how content he should be, the focus and obsession with another person, gives him no peace of mind.

We must learn from the mistake of Korach, and not look at others and learn to be content with what we have.

Guard Your Tongue

When the spies gave their evil report, they began by saying, "Yes. It is a land flowing with milk and honey and here is its fruit." The Talmud in סוטה says that in order for Lashon Hara to be accepted, it must begin with some truth.

The Talmud in סנהדרין says that when someone gets a reputation as a liar, he's not even believed when he's telling the truth. All of this is to emphasize the importance of guarding our tongue.

Speech can be a very powerful and harmful tool. This is why the Rambam categorizes three types of bad speech. The first is called רכילות, which refers to idle gossip that is true and not necessarily negative. The second type is לשון הרע which is also true but very derogatory. And the third is called מוציא שם רע. This is where one lies about another individual that is most harmful.

The Chofetz Chaim said it best with his simple admonition, "Guard your tongue."

Good Intentions

There is an opinion based on the Midrash, that during the time that the spies were scouting the land, a major funeral was taking place. The claim was that there was major mourning for the saintly gentile known as איוב or Job.

Hashem's intention was to protect the spies by having the masses being preoccupied with the loss of a great leader. This way, they would not be discovered spying out the land.

They took this act of protection by Hashem in the wrong way. They spoke badly and said that it was a land that devours its inhabitants and everywhere they went, there were funerals.

The lesson here is that often we experience similar frustrations. Our good intentions are misread and are looked at in a derogatory manner. We are accused of having selfish motives when we sincerely wished to do an altruistic act.

The ארחות צדיקים reassures us by saying that even when our good intentions are seen in a negative light, Hashem knows. This knowledge should actually bring us joy because the truth wins in the end.

A Very Very Good Land

Kalev tried to quiet down the spies with their evil report with the words, טובה הארץ מאוד מאוד, that Eretz Yisrael is a very, very good land. The question asked was why "very very" and not just "very"?

There is an interesting Chassidic interpretation I heard from my good friend Rabbi Chaim Richman. The usage of this language of מאוד מאוד is also found in Pirkei Avot where it's written, הוי מאוד מאוד שפל רוח, "Be very, very humble."

The connection between the two מאוד מאוד's is the following: Only one who is exceedingly humble is able to fully appreciate the goodness of this land. His humility allows him to take in its beauty and holiness.

When one is haughty and arrogant, he is blinded and only focuses on superficialities and comforts. When comparing Israel with other places on a material level, Israel's uniqueness is not so apparent.

Being humble allows one's spiritual eyes to open and he realizes that there is no place on earth that compares with Israel, because it is a "very very" good land.

Don't Cry for Nothing

Today's Parsha discusses the tragedy of the sin of the spies. When the evil report was heard, the Torah tells us that the people cried that entire night. The commentators tell us that Jashem said," You cried for nothing. Now I will give you a reason to cry every year on this date. The date, of course was the 9th of Av, the original 9/11. ( It was on the ninth day of the eleventh month.) This was the day when many tragedies occurred in our history aside from the destruction of the two Temples.

We are to learn a lesson from this whole story. It is a terrible thing for a person to be filled with self-pity. We must always learn to look at the bright side of every situation. The idea of crying for nothing has very detrimental effects on us.

Negativity has no place in Judaism. We are to work on ourselves to drive away all of our negative thinking. It is interesting that the ארחות צדיקים views worry as the opposite of happiness.

The lesson of the spies is to always look at the positive and that we must be grateful for what we have-not what we don't have. And we must never forget that Hashem is watching over us and will never forsake us.

Blasphemy

Parshat שלח discusses the procedure for atoning for sins done unintentionally. Generally, if it was an infraction of a serious offense that carries with it a punishment of death or Karet, the atonement is a sin offering given with proper intent. This offering allows the person to be totally forgiven.

However, if one sins in a brazen, intentional manner, he has blasphemed G-d. The Torah's words are כי דבר ה׳ בזה, "for the word of G-d he has despised." The Torah goes on to explain that such a person will הכרת תיכרת, shall surely be cut off. This is the most severe Karet. He is both cut off from this world as well as the next world.

The Talmud in סנהדרין says that the Torah is referring to an אפיקורס, or heretic. Such an individual openly expresses his doubts that the Forah came from Sinai. He may also claim that some of the Torah was written by Moshe himself, without Hashem's authorization.

The description of this blasphemer, sounds very much like today's bible critics. They have the audacity to openly question the validity of the Torah. They use weak arguments by attempting to take the etymology of specific words in the Torah, like טוטפות, for example. They try to show that the word evolved hundreds of years after Sinai.

The Torah teaches that Hashem has no tolerance for such people who undermine the truth and authenticity of our holy Torah. Such people shall surely be cut off from the face of the earth. Shabbat Shalom