Humility and Greatness

In the incident with Miriam speaking Lashon Hara against her brother, Moshe Rabbeinu, we learn a great deal about Moshe’s greatness. The Netivot Shalom points out that the Torah’s description of Moshe is connected with the words, ותמונת ה׳ יביט, that he was able to see the picture of Hashem. In other words, no human being ever knew G-d as intimately as Moshe did. The effect of learning of Hashem’s greatness, caused Moshe to be more and more humble. The more he understood, the smaller he felt. Despite his incredible achievements and his dismantling of Egypt, his focus was constantly at G-d’s greatness, and his own vulnerability as a human being. This shows the foolishness of those individuals who allow themselves to be conceited and arrogant. How could someone boast about anything when everything in life is so tentative. The conclusion of this episode clearly teaches that the greater the person, the more humble he is. And the more egotistical a person is, the smaller he is.

הצר הצורר אתכם

The חצוצרות, trumpets, that were mentioned in yesterday’s Parsha, were used for various purposes. They were to call the people to prepare themselves for travel. They were used to summon the entire nation to meet, and sometimes to call together the heads of tribes. There is also a reference to the time of war, where the חצוצרות would be sounded, and we would see salvation from our enemies. It is interesting to note that the enemy is described as הצר הצורר אתכם, the enemy that is oppressing you. The Rambam explains that the type of battle known as מלחמת מצוה, an obligatory war, involves Amalek, the Seven Nations, and הצר הצורר אתכם. The definition of this third category is that when a nation lives among us, and wishes to drive us out of the Land of Israel, they are הצר הצורר אתכם. The Malbim writes that the war the Torah speaks about, is the war of the end of days. He specifically mentions גוג and מגוג. This implies that the final battle before Mashiach, is against הצר הצורר אתכם. It seems clear that this enemy that wishes to drive us from our land, must be subdued, in order for Mashiach to come.

Lusts and Spirituality

The Parsha also speaks of the מתאוננים, complainers, who challenged Moshe for not providing the עם with watermelons and other delicacies. They were sick of eating the Mann every day of the week. The Torah further describes them as התאוו תאוה, that they had given into their lusts. There is a subtle reference to their complaints which included the strict rules of family purity. We see from this episode that which is emphasized repeatedly in books of Mussar as well as books on Chassidut. We must realize that we have a body and a soul. The body represents physical desires. The soul represents spiritual pursuits. Ultimately, real joy comes from controlling our physical lusts and tapping into our spiritual side. The Mann could have been appreciated for its miraculous nature. It could taste like anything they wanted and was so pure that it was consumed entirely. There were no wastes that needed to be eliminated. The spiritually focused individuals appreciated the uniqueness of this special food. Those who gave into their lusts, chose not to see the magic of the Mann. We must meet the challenge we are faced with and not give into physical lusts. The connection to spirituality is what gives us strength and happiness.

Eldad and Meidad

Shavua Tov. We read in today’s Parsha how Eldad and Meidad were giving prophecy in the camp. They were the odd men out who were not chosen to be part of the Sanhedrin. Six men were chosen from each tribe, and Eldad and Meidad were not part of the Sanhedrin but they did have prophecy. Yehoshua was particularly upset because they predicted that Moshe would die and he would be his successor. Yehoshua asked Moshe to restrain them. The Gemara in Sanhedrin said that Moshe actually told Yehoshua that he will give the two new prophets a position where they will be public servants. The pressure they will be under will be so great that they will no longer be in a state where they will be able to receive prophecy. The problem will solve itself!

שלך גדול משלהם

In this week’s Parsha, בהעלותך, we find Aharon a little disappointed that he did not have a role to play in the dedication of the Mishkan. Hashem tells him, שלך גדול משלהם, that your portion is greater than their portion. He was referring to the special Mitzva related to the Menora. Not only was the lighting of the Menorah reserved for Aharon, but what it represented was eternal. There were special instructions to hide the Menorah when the Temple was destroyed as it was important that it not find its way into Gentile hands. The Menorah represented the אור הגנוז, the hidden light reserved for the righteous. This was created at the time of the creation. It was also symbolic of the אור אלוקי, the Divine light that was given to the Jewish people. When a Jew is deeply engaged in Torah study, this special light is revealed to him. This light is what separates the holiness of the Jew from the non-Jew. All of this is connected to the Menorah that was given to Aharon. This is why he was told שלך גדול משלהם. He was given this very special gift of the Menorah.

Separate from Impurities

A point often overlooked in פרשת נשא, is the quarantine placed on the ritually unclean. The Torah speaks of the טמא מת, one who had come in contact with the dead. It speaks of the זב, a man with a private infection that oozes puss. And it also speaks of the מצורע, the leper. The camp in the desert had three levels. There was the מחנה שכינה, where the Mishkan was placed. This was followed by the מחנה לויה, where the Levite families lived. The third camp was מחנה ישראל, where the twelve tribes set their tents. The quarantine of the טמא מת was that he had to remain outside the מחנה שכינה. The זב had to remain outside the מחנה לויה as well. The מצורע had to remain outside all three camps because his condition was due to his sinful behavior. The separation from others was meant to give time to contemplate their condition and correct themselves. The message here is clear in that we are to separate from the impure and surround ourselves with positive, upbeat people. Negative influences only bring us down and get us off track from our connection to holiness and service of Hashem.

Shalom Bayit

In the תוספתא on מסכת מכות, there is a Halacha that one may not erase Hashem’s holy name. Yet, in connection with the סוטה, Hashem allows His holy name to be erased in order to bring Shalom between a husband and wife. From this episode, we get a glimpse at the nature of a Jewish marriage. Peace between husband and wife, or Shalom Bayit, is something to strive towards and cherish. There should never be a situation where husband and wife should become so distant as to get to a point where the husband feels his wife has been unfaithful. Many problems come about because there is a breakdown in communication. It can be very frustrating when a spouse feels they are not being heard. It is also a good idea to remember the advice from the book, “Men are from Mars, women from Venus.” Men want solutions and women want understanding. Women want their man to be in touch with their feelings. Men want appreciation. This is the biggest reason for most arguments. The Torah tries to help to bring a couple back together. And even Hashem allows an otherwise prohibition to be overlooked for the sake of Shalom Bayit.

Sotah Today

The case of סוטה, the woman suspected of being unfaithful to her husband, is the only Mitzva in the Torah that is decided by a miracle. If the woman is guilty, she drinks a strange concoction and her stomach explodes. If she is innocent, she is blessed with beautiful children. The סוטה case only applied at the time of the Temple, but there is an aspect of סוטה even today. If a husband has two witnesses testifying that they saw his wife go into a secluded room alone with another man, he must be careful how he handles the situation. If he officially warns her in front of two witnesses that she better not be alone again with this man, he may have a problem on his hands. The wife claims that nothing happened and she did nothing wrong. However, now that she has been warned, if she actually was alone again with the same man, and it was witnessed by two kosher Jews, he now has a סוטה situation on his hands. His marriage must be terminated because the only way his wife can prove her innocence, is by drinking the Sotah waters. And since there is no Temple, his formal warnings leave him with no recourse other than to divorce her. Women need to act more modestly and not put themselves in such a predicament. And husbands need to give the benefit of the doubt. If he is overzealous, he might have to give up on a good wife, who may have been a little careless.

Kohein Blessing and Love

The ברכת כהנים, which is recited approximately 450 times a year in Israel, and less than fifteen times outside of Israel, is a remarkable ceremony. The Kohanim are chosen to bless the nation with love, that they be granted material success, that their eyes be enlightened that they overcome their תאוות, lusts, and that HaShem should remove His כעס, anger at us. He should lift His face upon us and bring us peace. These are the three blessings that comprise the ברכת כהנים. It is interesting that love represents an important part of this ceremony. Therefore, a Kohein who is despised by his community, must not “Duchan”, do the Priestly blessing. In the section in the Shulchan Aruch that lists things that we must not do that endanger our health, a hated Kohein is included as one who is endangering his health by insisting in blessing his community. One of the things that makes ברכת כהנים so remarkable, is that love is such an important factor.

Kohanim and Wine

Shavua Tov. We, in ארץ ישראל, read פרשת נשא. In it, we have the discussion of the סוטה, the woman suspected of being unfaithful to her husband, as well as the נזיר, the one who abstains from drinking wine and cutting his hair. It is fairly well known that the Rabbis say that the connection between נזיר and סוטה, is that if one sees a סוטה in her ruin, should abstain from wine and become a נזיר. For it was the wine that allowed her to sin. The Gemara in תענית goes a step further and asks why ברכת כהנים, the blessing of the Kohanim followed נזיר. The Gemara’s answer is that just like drinking wine disqualifies a נזיר, so, too, does drinking wine, disqualify a Kohein from performing Temple service. From here we learn that one who is drunk, may not perform the ברכת כהנים, the Priestly blessing. This is the reason why we never have ברכת כהנים at Mincha, unless it’s a fast day. We are concerned that the Kohein may have drunk wine at lunch, prohibiting him for ברכת כהנים. The Gemara further recommends that Kohanim should never drink intoxicating beverages, for the בית המקדש might suddenly be built, and sober Kohanim will be needed for Temple service.

Book of Ruth on Shavuot

On Shavuot, it is customary to read the Book of Ruth. There are three reasons why we read this book. The first is that the story takes place at the time of קציר החיטים, the harvesting of wheat. And one of the names of Shavuot is חג הקציר, the harvest holiday. The second reason is that Ruth was a convert and accepted upon herself the observance of all of the Mitzvot. On Shavuot, we received the Torah on Mount Sinai, and the entire Jewish nation accepted upon themselves the observance of all of the Mitzvot. And the third reason is that King David died on Shavuot. We end the book by being told that Ruth was the great grandmother of David. Just to throw in a little Zionism, the Gemara in בבא בתרא has a novel interpretation to the words, הזאת נעמי. The usual interpretation is that the people of בית לחם were shocked to see how Naomi had aged and lost her wealth. They asked, “Could this be the same Naomi that we once knew? The Gemara explains הזאת נעמי, to mean, “Is this what happens to a Jew who leaves Israel to seek comfort in a foreign land?” חג שמח

Role of the Levite

This coming Shabbat after Shavuot is unusual in that we will be reading the regular Torah reading of נשא in Israel, but outside of Israel, it will be the second day of Yom Tov. For several weeks, this will go on, until a double Parsha will get things on track. Parshat Nasso speaks of the special role of the Levites and their service to עם ישראל. They were to maintain a high level of sanctity. It was their job to teach the masses, the paths of justice and righteousness. For this reason, they did not inherit land and they were to remain separate from the rest of the nation. The Rambam, at the end of the Shmitta laws, gives a Shavuot-like message. He writes that every Jew is capable of reaching the same spiritual heights as the Levi. He only needs to apply himself by connecting to the world of קדושה, and separating from the mundane, material world. He will feel Hashem close to him just as the Kohanim and Leviim, were able to merit. Certainly, Shavuot is the time to re-think and re-connect to the world of holiness and service of HaShem.

חג הביכורים

Shavuot has three other names: זמן מתן תורתנו, the time of giving the Torah, חג הקציר, the Harvest Holiday, and חג הביכורים, the Holiday of First Fruits. The offering of first fruits needed to come from the seven species: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranate, olives, and dates. They were to come from the first and choicest fruits. They were placed in a basket and brought to Jerusalem during the Shavuot holiday. People would sing and play instruments to accompany those bringing their ביכורים. This was an extremely joyous ceremony as each individual would feel how fortunate was his lot. They realized that they were living the ultimate Jewish dream. Not only were they living in Israel, but they were blessed with an abundant crop from their own land. They shared this joy with the Kohein in the בית המקדש. The section in the Torah describing ביכורים, ends with the words, ושמחת בכל הטוב, that you should be happy for all of the good that Hashem has bestowed upon you. All of the חגים were very happy. But Shavuot and ביכורים made it uniquely a holiday of Divine bliss.

Rebbe Like a Father

In פרשת במדבר, we learn of the special role of the teacher of Torah. This is pointed out when it is written about the generations of Moshe and Aharon. Only the sons of Aharon are mentioned, and not Moshe’s own sons. This is explained in מסכת סנהדרין where it says that when one teaches Torah to the son of his friend, it’s as if he fathered him. One’s parents bring a person into this world, but a Torah teacher brings him into the next world. We see this that the Prophet Elisha referred to his Rebbe, Eliyahu Hanavi, as אבי אבי, my father my father. Although Moshe Rabbeinu taught Torah to all of Israel, he gave special attention to his nephews. And he was considered like a father. This tradition is carried on today in a special Rebbe-Talmid relationship. It is very common for students to see their rabbis as real father figures. Moshe was the first to fulfill that role.

תפקיד

The word related to פרשת במדבר, is תפקיד. This refers to an individual figuring out what his purpose is in this world. The three Levite families of גרשון, קהת, and מררי, each had their specific תפקיד in transporting the Mishkan in the desert. Gershon carried the curtains. Merari were in charge of the קרשים, the wood beams. And Kehat carried the holy vessels of the Mishkan. The Talmud points out Hashem’s brilliance. He places in the hearts of each individual to choose his respective occupation. This is how all of the needs of society are taken care of. We need specialized craftsmen such as plumbers, electricians, just as we need doctors, engineers, and accountants. Aside from what we decide to do for our livelihood, we must also do our best to reach our full spiritual potential in serving Hashem and the Jewish people. This is our תפקיד in this world.

Humility and Inheriting the Land

Shavua Tov. The Netivot Shalom makes a distinction between במספר שמות, according to the number of names, mentioned in today’s Parsha, and בית אבותם, the houses of the fathers, mentioned in Parshat Pinchas. The first census related to the generation that left Egypt, and the second census to the generation about to enter Israel. The term מספר שמות alludes to Jews who thought a lot of themselves. Because of their lofty status, they were not worthy to enter Israel. The name כנען, represents הכנעה, or surrender. Only someone from the old crowd was worthy of entering, because of his humility. He referred to Israel as טובה הארץ מאוד מאוד, that it was a very, very, good land. One of the only other times we say מאוד מאוד, is from פרקי אבות that says one should be מאוד מאוד שפל רוח, be very, very, humble. The message of the נתיבות שלום is that only those with great humility, are worthy of living in this land.

Strive for Torah

This week we begin the fourth book of the Torah, במדבר. The Jewish calendar is set up so that we read this Parsha on the Shabbat before Shavuot. Last week’s second Parsha, בחוקותי, had the message of תהיו עמלים בתורה, that we are to struggle with the study of Torah. This was an important lesson about how to acquire Torah. Because it represents such a precious gift, it is not meant to come easy. One must not only make Torah a priority, but he must also be prepared to make sacrifices, in order to be worthy of this gift. Bamidbar teaches that one needs to make himself desolate like a מדבר, desert, in order to be a כלי, receptacle for Torah. The message here is that humility is a prerequisite and necessity in order to allow Torah to become an integral part of our lives. Shavuot is a celebration that we were chosen to be the people to receive this precious gift, called Torah. We must cherish it and struggle to acquire it.

Nature Will Behave

The Netivot Shalom has an interesting explanation to פרשת בחוקותי. He asks why the Torah tells us of all of the rewards for keeping the Mitzvot. It seems to be clear that all kinds of great results will come to one who carefully follows all aspects of the Torah. The Netivot Shalom is bothered by the apparent contradiction to what we are promised over and over again. That is, that true justice and real reward is in the next world and not in this world. The contradiction is answered by looking more carefully at the specifics of the promise. We are told that if we do as we are instructed, NATURE will act as it is supposed to. There will be rain in its proper season and there will not be any plagues or epidemics. In other words, the rewards we will see in this world, is that nature will behave as it is supposed to. This implies that epidemics in the world come from abandoning the way of the Torah. Hopefully, with the current epidemic nearly behind us, we will learn the valuable lessons taught in the Torah.

Taking Interest

Parshat בהר speaks of the prohibition to take interest from another Jew. Aside from calling interest, ריבית, it is also referred to as נשך. The word נשך also means, “to bite.” When one charges interest, it takes a bite out of the person paying back his debt. The שערי תשובה of Rabbeinu Yona, points out just how grievous this sin really is. A Pasuk from יחזקאל says that one who takes interest, לא יחיה, shall not live. This is not to say that one receives the death penalty for taking interest. But what it does mean is that when one is in need of an angel in Heaven to defend an individual and his worthiness of deserving עולם הבא, and he has the sin of interest taking on his record, that angel will not be inclined to speak on his behalf. One needs to be very careful with this Mitzva and be certain he does not take interest on any level.

אונאה

In פרשת בהר, we are taught the Mitzva of אונאה. This refers to a form of mistreatment of another individual. There are actually two types of אונאה. One is called אונאת דברים, that refers to mistreatment of another individual with words. It includes belittling another person with insults, calling him by a nickname that he does not like, or reminding him of his embarrassing past. One may not call a person a Baal Teshuva or convert, in a derogatory manner. The second time of אונאה, is אונאת ממון. This refers to monetary fraud and price gouging. One should not earn more than a sixth of profit in the sale of movable objects. One must take great care to be honest in all of his financial dealings. A story is told of Rav Safra, who negotiated selling a certain item to a non-Jew. The Gentile made an offer to Rav Safra that was acceptable. The Rav couldn’t accept the offer because he was in the middle of reciting Shema. The Gentile thought his offer was too low and offered more money. When Rav Safra finished Shema, he insisted on accepting the lower offer. In his mind, he agreed to that offer. He did not wish to be guilty of אונאה in any form. He performed a great Kiddush Hashem in his behavior.