שמחה

In many ways, the theme of פרשת כי תבוא, is שמחה. The beginning of the Parsha discusses the joy that was felt when one brought his first fruits, the Bikkurim.

In the תוכחה, the rebuke ends with the notion that none of these curses would take place, if we find a way to be in שמחה. This comes about when we have the realization that Hashem provides us with all of our needs.

In Chassidut, there is a great deal discussed about the power of שמחה. It is empowering when one is in this state all of the time. It energizes a person and definitely adds to one’s good health. And the most important factor to remember about שמחה, is that this is such a high level emotion that it brings great contentment and peace of mind in our service of Hashem.

Study with חברותא

There is a word used in כי תבוא, that is found only once in all of תנ״ך. This is the word, הסכת, that is usually translated to mean that we are to pay close attention to the Mitzvot.

The גמרא in ברכות says that the word הסכת means that we are to make כתות כתות ועסקו בתורה, groups upon groups and be busy with Torah study.

This is a source for the study of Torah in חברותות, in pairs or groups, and not individual study. Torah is better acquired in חברותא study. The Gemara goes further to say that we are sinning for lack of knowledge.

Many education experts have marveled at the Yeshiva system of study. When we are able to bounce off ideas with our learning partners, we are able to achieve greater clarity in understanding the material.

Torah study is important. But Torah study with a חברותא, is even better!

Diligence in Torah Study

Shavua Tov. Before the ceremony at הר גריזים and הר עיבל, Moshe Rabbeinu tells the people that on that day the people became a nation.

The Gemara in Brachot asks the obvious question. Didn’t we become a nation forty years earlier on הר סיני. The answer is to teach us that the Torah is beloved to those who study it each day, as if it was given anew on הר סיני.

The Torah Temima points out that Moshe was hinting that those who study the Torah diligently, like the Kohanim and Leviim, see the Torah as if given on Sinai. However, the masses who do not study, are unable to come to this level of appreciation.

The Torah is a treasure that needs to be unlocked. The rewards for its study are far greater than we are aware of. Let us all resolve to be more diligent in our Torah study during the coming year.

Fear

This week’s Parsha has the long תוכחה rebuke, of Moshe Rabbeinu. He makes it abundantly clear the reward that awaits us if we observe the Mitzvot. The punishment for not obeying is presented in vivid detail.

There is one Pasuk in particular that is very interesting and often overlooked. It simply says, ופחדת לילה ויום, that you will live in fear by day and by night. This is a very serious curse.

Rabbi Soloveitchik expands on this and says that the Torah is referring to fear that has no foundation. It is a fear of nothing tangible. Fear is good in small doses only. Large fear is harmful. The Rav goes on to say that fear is the source of all neuroses.

The remedy is to cleave and return to Hashem. When we are close to Him, we feel His protection and realize that there is nothing to fear at all. Shabbat Shalom

Things We Need to Fix

It is often very difficult to get into the Teshuva mode. Rosh Hashanah is fast approaching and somehow, we need to get motivated to begin working at self-improvement.

The חיי אדם helps us in this endeavor, as he points out areas that we are all a bit lax, and certainly need to work on.

One area is connected with speech. We are all guilty of speaking some kind of Lashon Hara. We probably have made oral vows and commitments we did not keep. We may have used bad language at one time or another. And, we have not been perfect in remembering to say a Bracha, before and after eating.

The next area would be in the way we conducted ourselves with others. Did we belittle someone? Did we cause shame or embarrassment to our fellow Jew? Did we violate our obligation to love every Jew?

The final category deals with our own character flaws. Were we unable to conquer our anger? Were we insincere in our interaction with others? Did we scoff or give insincere flattery? Did we act humbly or haughtily?

The חיי אדם wants us to know that we all have work to do. Hashem gives us this time of year to try and fix these flaws. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity!

The Zionistic Birkat Hamazon

The ברכת המזון that we recite after every meal, is a very Zionistic prayer. It is also known as שלוש ברכות, the three blessings.

In actuality, there are four blessings in Birkat Hamazon. The first three are from the Torah, and the fourth is from the Rabbis.

This fourth Bracha of הטוב והמטיב, was decreed by the elders of Yavne. It was a blessing of thanksgiving after the fall of Beitar, when the bodies of the fallen Jews, did not decompose.

The first Bracha acknowledges how Hashem sustains us. The second Bracha gives thanks for Eretz Yisrael. And the third, gives praise and gratitude for Jerusalem.

In essence, every time we “Bench”, we thank Hashem for our food and we give thanks for the beautiful land and Jerusalem that we were given by the grace of G-d.

Truth and Peace

In כי תצא, there is a Pasuk that says, מוצא שפתיך תשמור, that one needs to guard his lips. Rabbi Soloveitchik explains this to mean that the tie that bounds the heart and tongue, must not be loosened.

The heart and tongue should go together. We must be careful how to use speech. One of the great dangers is the lure of the tongue.

We must never minimize the power of speech. One of the themes of the High Holiday season is אמת and שלום. One cannot achieve complete peace of mind if he is not truthful. Truthfulness begins with speech. If one is always careful to tell the truth, it might help to face the world without delusions and rationalizations.

Not only is it healthier to face the truth about one’s existence, but it is the key towards achieving real happiness. And this happiness begins by being truthful with the tongue. One’s heart and one’s mouth must be the same.

Grounds for Divorce

Related to yesterday’s Parsha, the Mishna in Gittin gives three opinions as to what are grounds for divorce.

Beit Shamai emphasizes the word ערוה and says that a serious act of nakedness or infidelity must take place. Beit Hillel says that there must be a reason for divorce with emphasis on the word, דבר, something. Rabbi Akiva said that he doesn’t need a reason and as long as he no longer wants his wife, he divorces her.

Rabbi Soloveitchik commented on the reason of Rabbi Akiva. He said that the marriage bond must be pure and holy. If the husband no longer wants his wife, it is likely that he found someone else. The fact that he would even consider someone else, is a form of adultery. Such a couple, should not remain married.

Amalek

Shavua Tov. Today’s Parsha ended with the commandment to remember Amalek. Rabbi Soloveitchik has some harsh words for Amalek and those that behave like them. The Amalekites attacked Israel in the desert. They possessed no land and the only motivation to harm Israel was their pure hatred of עם ישראל.

The Rav went on to say that any nation that declares that it wishes to destroy Israel, is Amalek. Hitler and Stalin were Amalek personified.

Civilized men can become the personification of evil. The Jews of Shushan were surprised that Hamas turned into a satanic beast. Jews everywhere must realize that, “Yes. It can happen here.

Strong words from the Rav. Thank G-d we have Israel.

Message of יפת תואר

Rabbi Soloveitchik has a completely different take on the story of the יפת תואר. Instead of taking the case literally that we are referring to a non-Jewish woman taken captive in battle, there is an entirely different message here.

The Rav claimed that the יפת תואר alludes to a lesson in how we are to interact with other cultures, when we are forced to live among them.

Using Greece as an example, we are meant to carefully examine what we might learn from them. Gaining a greater insight into math, science, or architecture, could be beneficial.

However, when a particular culture lives with immorality, or other decadent practices, we must be vigilant to be certain that our own sanctity, is not harmed.

There is no shortage of egotism, vulgarity, and impurity in the world. The יפת תואר reminds us that we must never allow ourselves to compromise our sacred Jewish values. Shabbat Shalom

Submission and Vulnerability

Parshat כי תצא is filled with numerous miscellaneous laws-more than any other Parsha. There are more than seventy of the 613 Mitzvot in כי תצא.

A common idea that could be found in the Parsha, is man’s vulnerability and the need for הכנעה, submission to Hashem’s holy laws.

A simple law such as the construction of a מעקה, is one example. We must build a fence around our roof and remove all safety hazards from our home. The Torah says, “Lest the faller will fall.” This unusual language teaches that even if an individual was meant to die suddenly by falling, it should not happen in our home.

Man’s vulnerability is alluded to when we realize that one can perish in a second, if that is his destiny.

Rabbi Soloveitchik wrote that, “human pride and arrogance disappear, when one becomes aware of this vulnerability.”

Similarly, when we read in the Parsha of the difficult plight of the one labeled, “Mamzer”, or the עגונה, a woman unable to remarry for being unable to attain a גט, we feel compassion for their sorrow.

Nevertheless, we accept the yoke of Heaven, and submit to a Torah and its wisdom, that is far greater then our own.

Can we be so bold to believe that we have more knowledge than the Vilna Gaon or the Ketzot Hachoshen?

If we accept these lessons and accept our vulnerability and submit to Hashem’s Torah, we will succeed in life.

No Sorcery or Witchcraft

There is a Pasuk in פרשת שופטים that deals with the subject of sorcery and witchcraft. It simply says, תמים תהיה עם ה׳ אלוקיך, that we must remain wholehearted in our serving Hashem and act with perfect faith.

According to the Rambam, there are fifty-one out of the 613 Mitzvot that are related to עבודה זרה, idol worship. Many of these laws deal with all kinds of strange worship that involves all kinds of superstitions. It is easy to be lured into some of these practices as often, the practitioners are able to do impressive feats.

The problem is that they get their strength from כח הטומאה, from the side of impurity. We are to attach ourselves only to the holy and pure.

This is why there is a special commandment to serve Hashem without getting sidetracked by that which will distance us from Him.

Moshe’s Prophecy

Parshat שופטים speaks about the importance of listening to the words of a true profit. It describes how we are to see the signs revealing that he is chosen by G-d to deliver His message to the people.

Rabbi Soloveitchik raises a question regarding the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu. If Moshe transmitted the entire Torah, then every Mitzva not observed, would also carry with it the violation of not listening to the prophet.

The answer proves that Moshe stood alone as the greatest of all profits. He, alone, had his teachings considered actual Torah. Things learned from other prophets are defined as דברי קבלה or דברי מסורת. We are obliged to follow these teachings as well, but they do not have the status of the teachings of Moshe Rabbeinu.

כהן משוח מלחמה

A lesser known point mentioned in this week’s Parsha is the subject of the כהן משוח מלחמה, the Kohein anointed for battle.

This Kohein had the special role of motivating the troops before going to battle. No doubt that fighting in a war can be a frightening experience. The morale of the soldiers was essential towards achieving victory.

The key point that the כהן משוח מלחמה had to get across was that ultimately it was Hashem doing the fighting. As long as their faith in Hashem was strong, they would be victorious.

Rabbi Soloveitchik claimed that the charge that Yehuda Hamaccabee gave to his troops was so moving, that it was later recorded in the writings of Josephus, the historian.

Likewise, we must always remember that it is Hashem that is fighting our battles as well. If we put our trust in Him, we, too, will emerge victorious.

Why Women Don’t Testify

Shavua Tov. Rabbi Soloveitchik has an unusual explanation as to why women are not allowed to be judges or witnesses in a Jewish court.

He says that his answer is connected to the rules related to a king, discussed in today’s Parsha. A king is also not allowed to judge or testify. The Rav felt that there is a certain degree of degradation involved in having to go to court.

A witness is cross examined and accused of not properly relating facts. Judges often take abuse from the litigants as well.

Just as a king is protected from being dishonored in a court situation, so, too, we protect the honor of our women from being shamed or dishonored in any way.

Loving Your Occupation

The Gemara in Brachot 43b, makes an interesting observation. There is a Pasuk in Kohelet that says, את הכל עשה יפה בעיתו, that Hashem made everything beautiful in its time.

This teaches that G-d made everyone’s craft appear beautiful in his eyes. Rashi adds that even the tanner is content being a tanner. This is despite the fact that his job involves working with horrible odors.

Hashem’s wisdom is amazing that He created a situation where all occupations for the betterment of society, are filled. And each respective individual who does his respective job, is happy doing it. He did all of this so that no specific craft is lacking.

The Gemara is articulating how vast Hashem’s wisdom and loving kindness really is. He truly looks after all of our needs. Shabbat Shalom

אמת and שלום

An obvious theme of פרשת שופטים is the justice system according to the Torah. Judges are expected to be highly scrupulous in exercising justice.

The Pasuk says, צדק צדק תרדוף, which means that we are to pursue justice. Rabbi Soloveitchik points out that in an ideal world, אמת and שלום would be the outcome of a court case between two Jews. The judge would figure out who the guilty party was, and the two litigants would part as friends, after the decision was reached.

But because we live in an imperfect world, it is not possible to achieve Peace and Truth. Compromise is desired before litigation even begins.

When there is compromise, there is שלום, but there isn’t אמת. Compromise meant that each party sacrificed the potential of achieving truth in order to achieve. Nevertheless, we are promised that in the time of Mashiach, there will be absolute שלום and absolute אמת.

The Elul Opportunity

The month of Elul is meant to be a time of introspection. We are to view this period of time as a time of renewal. We are able to clean our slate and be offered a new beginning.

The symbolism of this idea is a group of men in prison. They dig a tunnel to get. This whole group of people escape the prison except for one person. He goes back to his cell and to his prison life. To his surprise, he gets beaten by the guard. He tells him that he’s a fool for not taking advantage of his opportunity to leave.

This is Elul. We are given an opportunity for forgiveness and closeness. We should not miss out and we should do the right thing.

Elul Shofar

The ספר התודעה, also known as “The book of our heritage,” gives explanations to various Jewish customs.

There are two reasons given for the custom of blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul. The first is that the Shofar arouses trepidation. It is to arouse us to do Teshuva. It is to “awaken us from our slumber” and return to Hashem.

The second reason for Shofar originated in the desert. Moshe went up again to הר סיני to receive the second לוחות. He went up on Rosh Chodesh Elul and came down on Yom Kippur.

The Shofar was sounded on Rosh Chodesh Elul to announce to the people that Moshe ascended the mountain. They were being careful to avoid another miscalculation of the forty days which led to disaster with the sin of the Golden Calf.

Destroy Enemies and Then Build Temple

The Gemara in סנהדרין mentions that there are three Mitzvot that we are commanded to observe when we enter Eretz Yisrael.

We are to appoint a king, destroy the seed of Amalek, and build the Beit Hamikdash.

It is not clear whether we are to build the Temple first or destroy Amalek first. We have our answer from the order of the Parsha. It is first mentioned that we are to push aside our enemies and then build the Temple.

Rabbi Soloveitchik wrote that Amalek represented pure evil. There was nothing to gain by attacking the Jews in the desert. They did not have their own land at that time. The Rav said that anyone who wishes to destroy Israel, is Amalek.

It is understandable that our enemies and evil must be destroyed before the light of the Beit Hamikdash is kindled.

It is not clear if we are to first bui