Avoid מחלוקת

The Gemara says that one who causes מחלוקת and divisiveness, has violated a negative commandment. As it’s written in Parshat Korach, ולא יהיה כקרח ועדתו, that one should not act like Korach and his congregation. The Gemara adds that one is liable to even contract leprosy. This is learned from the word יד is used here and is also used when Moshe put his hand in his chest and it became leprous. So since יד is used in both cases, we apply leprosy also in the case of creating divisiveness. The forces of evil are known as the סטרא אחרא. Another name for this in the Zohar is כח דפרודא, the forces of divisiveness. It is also interesting that the Netivot Shalom says, קליפה של מחלוקת כמין נגיף רוחני, the shell of מחלוקת, is a kind of spiritual pandemic (same word used in describing Corona, נגיף הקורונה ). We must never underestimate the power of אחדות, unity. And when there are forces that disrupt this unity, they are the forces of evil.

Korach-קנאה וגאווה

There is a debate between בית שמאי and בית הלל as to whether or not it would be better if man was created or not. Perhaps it would be preferable for a baby to die at birth. He would get his עולם הבא and not need to deal with life’s difficulties. The debate was concluded that both opinions were correct. If a person managed to live with ענוה ושפלות, humility and lowliness, it would be better for him to be born. But if one is consumed with גאווה, conceit and haughtiness, it would be better for him not to be born. The גמרא in סוטה says that one who is מתגאה, conceited, Hashem says that he and I cannot live together in this world. Korach gave into גאוה and קנאה, jealousy. This is what ultimately brought about his demise. We must work hard to stay far away from קנאה and גאווה.

Korach and Soros

Shavua Tov. It struck me how there are similarities between Korach and George Soros. The תורה תמימה explains that ויקח קרח, meant that Korach made a bad purchase. He spent his great wealth to bribe people to join his cause. He gave them food and drink and won over the 250 men to protest against Moshe. He also solicited Fake News to try to make Moshe Rabbeinu look bad. Because Moshe pitched his tent outside of the camp, he was accused by his detractors of being guilty of being with married women. It seems that it’s not that difficult to create a movement under the guise that it’s for a noble cause to right a wrong. Sometimes people are so gullible that they can be drawn into foolishness. The episode of Korach was meant for all times, to warn people to take great care when joining a cause. They must be clear that the cause is purely לשם שמים. If it creates divisiveness, it cannot be for the sake of Heaven, we must not get involved. This is the lesson of Korach.

Seven Positive Thoughts

The ארחות צדיקים has a very long chapter on שמחה, and being in a state of joy. The book lists seven מחשבות, thoughts, that if we remind ourselves of them, it will put us in a happier frame of mind.
1. We must remember that Hashem is the ultimate מרחם, Merciful One. It is not possible for there to be any other being in this world, more merciful than Him.
2. All gifts that we receive in this world are from G-d; even if they come by way of relatives or friends. They are only acting as G-d’s messengers.
3. Everything we have in this world is a gift from Hashem. Nothing is deserved.
4. We cannot change what is predestined. We must do our part, but it is Hashem that determines what we will receive or not receive.
5. G-d knows man’s thoughts. If we are sincere, He sees and appreciates our good intentions, even if others don’t.
6. In order to expect Hashem to fulfill our will, we must fulfill His will by observing the Mitzvot.
7. We are meant to work hard in this world. Nothing of value comes without a struggle and hard work.
These are seven very important thoughts that we need to give regular, serious consideration.

אפיקורוס

We had previously explained that the הכרת תכרת, he shall surely be cut off from the Jewish people, applied to the one who cursed Hashem. The Gemara in Sanhedrin says that the words of the Torah were, כי דבר ה׳ בזה, that he despised the word of Hashem. This refers to the אפיקורוס, the one who mocks the Torah. The Gemara goes on to explain that such a person does not accept that the Torah is from Heaven. This could even refer to one who accepts the Torah, but even says that one word is not from Heaven is an אפיקורוס. Rabbi Meir includes one who studies Torah and does not teach, as being in this category. And רבי נהוראי even includes one who is able to study Torah, and chooses not to. We learn from here how we must cherish our Torah and completely accept its Divine nature down to the last letter.

לשון הרע

Parshat שלח serves to emphasize the severity of the sin of Lashon Hara, evil speech. The Gemara in מסכת ערכין, says the following: Come and see how great the power of לשון הרע is. The spies brought a bad name on trees and stones, as it’s written, “דיבת הארץ,” bad speech against the Land. How much more so, when one lies with evil speech against another human being. The point of the Gemara was that there really was no need to repeat the reason why the spies were put to death. Those extra words of דיבת הארץ, served to emphasize the gravity of לשון הרע. People may take negative speech lightly, and may not be aware of the harm it can do. Words can absolutely destroy a person. They can take away someone’s hope and can totally demoralize. We are to also learn from the spies, how careful we must be with our words. We must use our words to encourage, compliment, and give hope. It is always our task to turn the negative into positive.

הכרת תכרת

One of the less noticed subjects in פרשת שלח is the subject of blasphemy. The Torah tells us that one who curses G-d, will suffer a very serious punishment. The language of the text is very harsh as it says הכרת תכרת, that such a transgressor shall surely be cut off from the Jewish people. The Ramban notes that there are three types of כרת that are mentioned in the Torah. It’s written ונכרתה האיש, and that man shall be cut off. It’s also written, ונכרתה הנפש, and that soul shall be cut off. The most severe is הכרת תכרת. Some sins come from the weakness of controlling one’s lusts and result in ונכרתה האיש, that could be related to sexual transgressions. The ונכרתה הנפש, might be cases where one violates the prohibition of eating Chametz on Pesach, or not fasting on Yom Kippur. Repentance is a realistic possibility to atone for such sins. But directly cursing Hashem is the most serious offense of all. It is evident from the language of הכרת תכרת.

Iyov and Spies

Job or איוב, is a very enigmatic figure in Judaism. Although one of the twenty four books of Tanach is named for him, his origins are not clear. The Talmud in בבא בתרא gives a number of theories regarding איוב. There is some debate as to whether he was Jewish or not, or whether he ever lived at all. The whole Book of Job could have all been a story that never actually happened. The תורה תמימה chose to quote the opinion from the Talmud that he was not Jewish, and his death occurred as a diversion, so that the spies would not be caught spying out the land. This theory is learned from the words, היש בה עץ, meaning literally, “does the land have trees?” Iyov is described as coming from the land of עוץ. The closeness between the words עץ and עוץ is hinting that Moshe told the spies of the death of the one whose years were as long as an old tree, and protected his generation like a tree. He would no longer pose a threat to the Jewish people.

The Spies and גאוה

Shavua Tov. Rav Shlomo Mann זצ״ל attributes the fall of the spies to their fear of losing their high positions when the Jewish people would enter Israel. They were heads of tribes in the desert, but they were not sure if they would keep their jobs in the future. This fear led them to גאוה, haughtiness, that took them away from קדושה, holiness. Rav Mann described קדושה as למעלה מן הטבע, being above nature, while טבע referred to being brought down into the physical, material world. The מרגלים, spies, now viewed everything from טבע. According to טבע, we would not be able to conquer Seven Nations, which led them to say more derogatory things about Eretz Yisrael, and destroy the morale of the people. This is why גאוה is such a negative character trait. It takes us away from faith and humility, which is critical for our well being. There are many lessons to be learned from the incident of the מרגלים. Removing גאוה, may be the most important one.

Kippa and Tzitzit

The end of פרשת שלח discusses the Mitzva of ציצית. There are certain Mitzvot that are given special recognition. For example, Shabbat, Brit Mila, and living in Israel, are described as being equal to all of the commandments of the Torah. Placing fringes on a four cornered garment is also added to that list. Perhaps more than any other Mitzva, the wearing of Tzitzit is a reminder Mitzva. The Torah says, וראיתם אותם וזכרתם את כל מצוותי, and you shall see it, and remember all of the other Mitzvot of the Torah. Over the years, I’ve seen that when one stops wearing his Tzitzit all of the time, and he stops wearing his Kippa in public, much more is compromised by such an unwise move. Because the Kippa has gained in importance as a symbol of showing that one is proud to be a Jew, the combination of its removal with Tzitzit, causes one to be lax in other Mitzvot. Inevitably, the three pillars of Judaism, Shabbat, Kashrut, and Family Purity, are also compromised. Tzitzit and Kippa keep us grounded and focused on our need to be diligent servants of Hashem.

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.