No Shmitta-More Problems

The Gemara in קידושין further elaborates on the danger of not following the Shmitta laws. Such a transgression sets off a chain reaction of declining events. The outcome of such behavior is hinted to in the order of cases brought in פרשת בהר. If one doesn’t keep Shmitta, he will be forced to sell his מטלטלים, movable objects. If he doesn’t realize the cause for such a sale, he will be forced to sell his fields. The Torah spoke of one impoverished, because he sold his possessions. It them speaks about one forced to sell his home in a walled city. His poverty is so bad that he cannot support his young daughter and is forced to sell her as a Hebrew maidservant, אמה עבריה, in the hope that her master will provide for her and marry her off to his son. The final humiliation comes when he sells himself as an עבד עברי, hired hand. And he may only find a גר תושב, resident stranger, who is not Jewish, who is willing to purchase him. All of these misfortunes began by not observing Shmitta. Perhaps we should see this as a warning that we must put our faith in Hashem especially when it affects money and our livelihood.

Shmitta and Faith

Shavua Tov. Today we learned the importance of the Mitzva of שמיטה, the observance of the Sabbatical year and the requirement to leave the land fallow. In פרקי אבות it’s written that Galut comes to the Jewish people for four sins: murder, immorality, idol worship, and the violation of Shmitta. Shmitta was chosen as an example of the law given on Mount Sinai. This is because, it may require more faith than most of the Mitzvot of the Torah. We put our absolute faith in Hashem that He will provide us with a livelihood, even though we do not work the land. The Netivot Shalom says that we demonstrate this faith every single week when we observe Shabbat. On a smaller scale, we put our faith in Hashem by not working one day a week. It’s all about faith as the Prophet חבקוק says, צדיק באמונתו יחיה, that a righteous person shall live by his faith.

Living in Israel Securely

This week’s double Parsha of בהר-בחוקותי, each have the Pasuk that speaks of וישבתם לבטח בארצכם, “And you will live securely in the Land.” The Rabbis explain this verse and clarify, בארץ אתה יושב לבטח ולא בחוץ לארץ, “In your Land, you live securely, but not outside your Land.” The Gemara in בבא בתרא 91b, says that it is forbidden for a Jew to leave Israel, unless there is a terrible famine in the Land. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (of Lag B’Omer fame) explained the Pasuk in מגילת רות that said, הזאת נעמי, “Is this Naomi?” as proof that Machlon, Chilyon, and Elimelech were all punished with death because they were the heads of the generation and they left Israel. When the people of בית לחם saw Naomi, they were expressing their shock at what happens to someone who leaves Israel. She left a wealthy, beautiful woman, and came back a poor, broken old lady, in a very short time. We must pray that our Jewish brethren will come home so that they, too, can live securely in the Land.

Magic of Shabbat

In keeping with his ongoing theme of the importance of Shabbat, the Netivot Shalom connects this idea with the Mitzva of waiting eight days before an animal can be offered as a sacrifice. This was one of the many laws mentioned in פרשת אמור. The Torah tells us that a newborn animal must wait until at least the eighth day after birth, before it is viable and worthy to be offered on the altar. The Netivot Shalom connects this law with the law of Brit Mila, which is also on the eighth day. The reason for the eighth day, applies to both cases. Circumcision and sacrifices are holy rituals done to a Jewish baby boy and kosher animal. Both need to be prepared for their respective Mitzva, by living in this world for at least one Shabbat. The sacred nature of this day elevated and prepares the baby Jew and baby animal for the Mitzva they will be involved in. This is the magic of the effects of Shabbat. And this is why we must cherish the most special day of the week.

Lag B’Omer

Lag B’Omer represents a day of a great deal of hope. It is most appropriate today as we are dealing with this Corona Pandemic. At the time of רבי עקיבא, the epidemic of his 24,000 students dying, ended on Lag B’Omer. It symbolized a new beginning and an end to death and sadness, replaced by hope and an optimistic future. When we add to the equation, the influence of רבי שמעון בר יוחאי, Lag B’Omer indicates a new phase for the Jewish people. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was in lockdown for twelve years with his son, Rabbi Elazar, as they hid from the Romans. They did not pray in a Shule, and their isolation allowed רבי שמעון to reveal the deep secrets of the Torah as he wrote the Zohar. Even though Lag B’Omer is not being celebrated as usual, its message rings loud and clear!

Shabbat

We have now completed nearly three of the five books of the Torah. Our primary commentator this year has been Netivot Shalom. It seems that wherever possible, the Netivot Shalom inserts the holiness of Shabbat in numerous commentaries. Apparently, it was felt that sincere observance of Shabbat, leads to all kinds of great things to the individual and the Jewish nation. In פרשת אמור, there is a long section related to the מועדות, festivals. The surprising aspect of this section, is that the first of the festivals is Shabbat! Shabbat is a pillar of the Jewish people. Everything centers around Shabbat. Each week we are rejuvenated spiritually, as we spend one day refraining from our daily activities. Instead, we focus on family, prayer, and Torah. The festivals are centered around Shabbat. There are thirty-nine מלאכות that we are forbidden to do on Shabbat. Yom Tov also has the same prohibitions of מלאכה as Shabbat. There are a few exceptions because of our being allowed to cook on Yom Tov. The Netivot Shalom certainly realized the importance of Shabbat observance. This knowledge should motivate us to give this special day more emphasis, so that we fully reap its benefits.

Judaism’s Varied Demands

It is interesting that in last week’s Parsha, we had the word’s וחי בהם, “and you should live by them.” And this week we had the Pasuk of ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל, “And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel.” In the first instance, we learn the laws of פיקוח נפש, that where there is a potential danger to one’s health, that takes precedence over the potential violation of a Mitzva. The demands of קידוש ה׳, on the other hand, sometimes requires us to give our lives for the sanctification of Hashem’s name, rather than violate a specific commandment. This just shows the diversity of Judaism and its varied demands. There is a time and place for everything. This only shows the importance of intense Torah so that we are clear as to what is expected of us. It is very easy to error and make erroneous conclusions due to lack of knowledge.

וקדשתו

Shavua Tov. Today we read פרשת אמור that has over sixty of the 613 Mitzvot. The beginning of the Parsha discusses specific laws related to Kohanim. Aside from the Halachot that deal with whom a Kohein is allowed to marry, and how a Kohein must not serve in the Temple if he has one of 140 blemishes, (מום), we also learn of the positive commandment of וקדשתו. The מצוה of וקדשתו, “and sanctify him, requires to treat the Kohein with a greater amount of respect. The obvious ways we do this is by giving the Kohein the first Aliya to the Torah, and we ask the Kohein to lead the “Benching”, ברכת המזון. It is also written that when sitting down at a meal, the Kohein is served first. When I studied at Mercaz Harav in 1971, my roommate was Eliezer Chirqui, the brother of Rav Chirqui of Machon Meir. He used to say to me, “If you weren’t a Kohein, and I didn’t have the Mitzva of וקדשתו, I would tell you to clean up your part of the room.” I got the hint.

Sefira Purifies

This week, we read פרשת אמור. A big section of the Parsha, deals with the various festivals in the Jewish calendar. Upon discussing Pesach and Shavuot, the Torah also discusses ספירת העומר. The Netivot Shalom describes how the counting of the Omer was meant to be an act of purification. He writes that ספירה comes from the word, ספיר, sapphire, a precious stone. The proof that Sefira purifies comes from the prayer that many say each night after reciting the ברכה. We say say the following: Master of the Universe, You commanded Your servant, Moshe to count Sefira in order to purify us from our Klipa (shell), and impurity, as Sefira’s intention is to purify עם ישראל from its pollution. We pray that we be cleansed from our own impurities, and will merit receiving the שפע, abundance from above. The goal of the purification process is to prepare us for receiving the Torah on Shavuot. Clearly, Sefira is meant to elevate and purify.

ערלה

Parshat קדושים also spoke of the Mitzva of ערלה. This law forbids us from eating the fruit of a tree during its first three years of growth. The fourth year, the fruits are holy and must be brought and consumed in Jerusalem, just like מעשר שני. The fourth year fruits are called נטע רבעי. There is a Halacha regarding ערלה outside of Israel that is called הלכה למשה מסיני, that this is a Halachic tradition from Moshe Rabbeinu. This tradition states that there is a different standard outside of Israel as opposed to the Mitzva of ערלה in Israel. In Israel, we are more strict with this law, and even when there is a doubt if the fruits are within the first three years or not, we must not eat such fruit. In חוץ לארץ, the tradition is that when in doubt, we are lenient. We do not need to inquire when purchasing fruit, if they are within the first three years or not. It is only when we are certain that they are such fruit, that we must not eat such fruit. This is a little known Halacha as to the difference between ערלה in Israel, and ערלה in חוץ לארץ.

Get Involved

There is often an accusation that Jews often hold back from getting involved in Jewish activities. Sometimes it’s just apathy that prevents them from being more active. Other times, there could be a fear that being outspoken or taking a position, could make them unpopular or harm them. There is a Pasuk in קדושים that forbids us from standing on the sidelines, when we could make a difference. The words are: לא תעמוד על דם רעך, that we are not allowed to stand by our brother’s blood. The classic example is where a woman is drowning and a “religious” man sees this and ignores the woman both because he doesn’t want to get involved or touch a forbidden woman. He is called a חסיד שוטה, a righteous fool. There are times that going to public prayer or even a demonstration, would require us to participate. Not getting involved might cause us to violate this negative commandment of לא תעמוד על דם רעך.

Remaining Separate and Distinct

After reviewing numerous laws in last week’s two Parshiot, the Torah tells us that one of the purposes of these laws, is that Hashem made a separation between the Jewish people and the other nations. Rashi elaborates on this idea by explaining that we remain separate and distinct by submitting to the demands of the Torah, whether we agree with them or not. This is where this most important principle is brought. גדול המצוה ועושה משאינו מצוה ועושה. This means that it is far greater to do a Mitzva that we are commanded, rather than a Mitzva we are not commanded. One might think he gets more credit for doing something voluntarily, that he didn’t really have to do. But the reverse is true. We get more credit for observing those commandments that we disagree with, than agree with. We are not meant to observe the Torah because we agree with it. We observe the Torah because it is Hashem’s wish that we observe it. When we submit our will to Hashem’s will, only then will we remain a separate and unique people among the nations.

Egypt and Canaan

The two Parshiot of אחרי מות-קדושים, are known as discussing the עריות, forbidden sexual relations. The first Parsha discusses the warnings for such relationships, and the second Parsha lists the punishment. On Yom Kippur at Mincha, we read the section on עריות from אחרי מות. The section is prefaced with a warning not to follow the practices of Egypt from where you are leaving, nor should you follow the practices of Canaan, to where you are going. If we look closely at the various prohibitions, we also see that we must not offer our sons to Molech, which was a form of עבודה זרה. The connection between Egypt and Canaan, is that Egypt was known for its sexual decadence, and Canaan known for its idol worship. These were two areas, idolatry and sexual misconduct were potentially the most damaging to the Jewish nation. They were the primary obstacle to our national goal of achieving holiness. And it is a further warning not to be influenced by those around us who do not see serving Hashem as their first priority.

With a Little Help from His Friends

Shavua Tov. The Netivot Shalom gives a novel explanation of the Kohein Gadol and the secret to his being successful in his mission. It was definitely not a one man show , but he depended on “a little help from his friends.” He depended on the prayers of the other Kohanim and the others in the עזרה, the area outside of the Heichal, main Temple building. The word, “Azara” could also be learned as “Eizer”, meaning, helpers. The Netivot Shalom goes on to explain that when the Kohein Hagadol would enter the Holy of Holies, he hoped to see a white light. If he saw a reddish light, he would give a signal to those outside, that they needed to pray a little harder. When they did, the red light turned white. In addition, we are told that the Kohein Gadol made a party for אהביו, those who loved him. These אהביו, were the ones who helped make him successful in his mission.

Preparing for Entering the Holy of Holies

This week we have another double Parsha of Acharei Mot-Kedoshim. The first Parsha deals with the Temple service on Yom Kippur. The question asked by the Netivot Shalom is why the death of Nadav and Avihu begins the Parsha. We already dealt with this tragedy in פרשת שמיני. He answers that the entrance to the Holy of Holies by the Kohein Hagadol had to be perfect with no flaws. The fate of the Jewish nation was at stake on that day. The success of the mission of the High Priest, would bring atonement, forgiveness, and hope for the people. Therefore, they needed to be reminded of potential pitfalls and obstacles to the success of the mission. By carefully examining what went wrong with נדב ואביהו, it would allow for the correct mindset and preparation for entering the Holy of Holies. This would serve to help guarantee that the Kohein Gadol’s prayers would be answered.

Yom Ha’atzmaut

Today is Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day. This is a great day in Jewish History. It is a celebration of the miracle of the State of Israel. There is a statement that applies today. “When one is standing next to a mountain, it is difficult to see how high it is.” We are living in such miraculous times, that we seem to take this for granted. Two of the obvious miracles are related to Israel’s population and the ingathering of the exiles, קיבוץ גלויות. The Jewish population in the year 1800 was only 7000. Today in 2020, the Jewish population is 6.8 million. These numbers boggle the mind. This is all in a relatively short period of time. The ingathering of the exiles has seen Jews returning from all corners of the world. On numerous occasions in Machon Meir, I might teach a class of ten to fifteen students and each student is from a different country. There are many more prophecies that have been fulfilled during the past seventy-two years. But the biggest reason to celebrate יום העצמאות is that it represents a קידוש ה׳. Israel has answered the challenge of the nations of the world, that G-d has rejected the Jewish people. The incredible growth and development of Israel in such a short time, proves without a doubt, that Hashem has returned together with His people. We certainly do not look very rejected today. Israel is קידוש ה׳ and Israel proves that Judaism is the one and only true religion. חג העצמאות שמח!

Leprosy and גאוה

A final idea related to the case of צרעת, leprosy, is that there must be a realization of the danger of גאוה and גסות הרוח, haughtiness and conceit. This is the main reason why individuals are led to sin. The Rabbis remind us that הרהורי עבירה קשה מעבירה, that contemplating sin is worse than sin itself. It is part of this overwhelming feeling of superiority and greatness, with no accountability. Hashem has very little tolerance for the conceited individual. The Gemara in סוטה points out that Hashem says that he and I cannot live in this world together. Either he is running the world, or I am. The leper in particular, must overcome his גאוה, and accept that he acted wrongly, and repent. Only then will he be cured of his disease. Today is יום הזכרון, the day we remember our fallen soldiers. I saw a great quote that says it all: “Jews have two memorial days. יום הזכרון reminds us the cost of having Israel. יום השואה reminds us the cost of not having Israel.” May the memory of our brave heroic soldiers, be for blessing.

The Role of the Kohein

An interesting idea that was learned from last week’s Parshiot, was the role of the Kohein at the time of the Beit Hamikdash. He did much more than perform Temple service a few weeks of the year. Regarding leprosy, the Kohein needed to be a kind of dermatologist. He needed to have knowledge of various growths, sores, and wounds on the body. He knew which of them were insignificant and which represented not only leprosy, but the need for the patient to do some serious soul searching. After diagnosing the disease, the Kohein would serve as a rabbinical figure who would try to inspire the leper, to mend his ways. In general, the Kohein was an educator. He was instructed to maintain a high level of Kedusha by separating himself from death and funerals. He was able to inspire and elevate people. The Kohein fulfilled this role wherever he lived throughout the Land of Israel. People gave their תרומה to their favorite local Kohein. And the כהנים were constantly blessing the עם. So we see that the Kohein fulfilled his various roles every day of the year.

Longer Separation for Baby Girl

Another question that is asked related to פרשת תזריע is why there is double the time of impurity and separation for a woman who gives birth to a female, than when she gives birth to a male. The Torah describes how initially there is a seven day separation for the birth of a male, and fourteen days for a female. Following this, there is a thirty-three and sixty-six day period for male and female respectively, regarding the recovery period following the birth. Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch attempts to explain why there is such a dramatic difference. He wrote that giving birth is a major ordeal for a woman with a mixture of emotions, and highs and lows. The spiritual experience of bringing the baby boy into the holy ceremony of Brit Milah, speeds up the rehabilitating process. The joy of bringing a boy into the Jewish world who will carry on another generation of Judaism, is so uplifting, that the new mother is more prepared to end this period of separation and get things back to normal. This is a purely subjective interpretation to a troubling segment of the Torah.

Wealth in Leprous Homes

Shavua Tov. The Meam Loez answers the question as to why were Jews blessed with finding treasures when they had to take apart the stones of a leprous house. We are told that when the כנעני would be driven from the Land, they would leave treasures in the walls of their homes. They would be discovered by way of leprous homes. The מעם לועז says that if we examine the texts, we will notice that the wording is very different regarding leprosy on the body or on one’s clothing. Regarding leprosy of the home, the Torah prefaces the case with, כי תבוא אל ארץ כנען, “When you enter the Land of Canaan.” It has a tone of good news with it. Although the leprosy does come with sin, Hashem does Chessed even at a time of punishment. The other forms of the disease were not accompanied by any hopeful news. Another answer is that כנעני homes were built with stones dedicated to עבודה זרה. Such stones would pollute the home and prevent the שכינה, Divine Presence from entering that home. Hashem sent these blemishes on the walls of the house so that those impure stones would be removed, so that holiness could now enter that home.