Synagogues and Houses of Study

Shavua Tov. We read today of how Bilaam’s curses turned into blessings. We see from the blessings a hint to the curses that he intended. One of the most famous verses of the Parsha is מה טובו אהליך יעקב, “How goodly are your tents O’ Jacob.” Aside from the standard interpretation that Bilaam was impressed with the modesty of the Jewish people, that no tent faced the other, there is a second explanation. In essence, the strength of the Jewish people in the Exile, are their synagogues and houses of study. Bilaam reluctantly praised Israel for these בתי כנסת and בתי מדרשות. These holy places are what kept the Jewish people alive during their bitter Galut. The Gemara adds that in the future in the time of Mashiach, if these places of worship and Torah study were for the sake of Heaven, they will be transplanted to Israel. There will be no other remnants of the Exile. Bilaam understood this but Hashem turned his curse into a blessing.

Bilaam’s Strategy

The Netivot Shalom gives an unusual explanation as to Bilaam’s strategy in harming the Jewish people. His ultimate goal was to prevent עם ישראל from ארץ ישראל. Bilaam realized that the שלימות, completeness or perfection, of the Jewish nation was only in the land of Israel. If they would lose their merits to enter the Land, it would also prevent Hashem from having a דירה בתחתונים, a dwelling place in the lower world. This entire evil plot was not to allow goodness, holiness and spirituality, to exist on earth. The Jewish people would then not be able to fulfill their ultimate purpose of teaching morality to a very mundane world. We see that the real strength of the Jewish people comes when they are dwelling in ארץ ישראל, and serving Hashem in His dwelling place on earth.

Conquering Sichon

The incident of conquering Sichon came about after they had conquered מואב. Israel was not supposed to attack מואב, because they descended from Lot. But once they were out of the picture, Sichon was able to be taken over. The city that was conquered was called חשבון. The story tellers predicted Sichon’s attack of מואב and taking over of חשבון. They did not anticipate Israel’s victory over Sichon. There is a play on words of the words of the story tellers. The Pasuk reads על כן יאמרו המושלים בואו חשבון, the מושלים were story tellers who would give a משל. They said to come to חשבון. The homiletic interpretation was that the מושלים referred to those who rule their Yeitzer. And the חשבון referred to a חשבון הנפש, of doing serious soul searching. The end of the Pasuk hints that one who does so, will have prepared himself for this world and the next. So much is learned from an incident that seems to have been written in code.

Fear of עוג

The end of Parshat חוקת tells of how Moshe Rabbeinu fought singlehandedly, the two giants, סיחון מלך האמורי and עוג מלך הבשן. The Gemara asks why Hashem needed to reassure Moshe before he fought עוג, but did not need such reassurance when he fought. The reason why Moshe feared עוג and not סיחון, was because he thought that עוג had special merits. He knew of the incident back in Avraham Avinu’s time when Lot was taken prisoner in the battle of the four kings verses five kings. It was עוג who informed Avraham of the capture that allowed him to save his nephew. We see how no good deed goes unrewarded. Hashem told Moshe not to be afraid and this is how the Golan Heights became part of Eretz Yisrael.

Complaining for Nothing

The incident of the attacking snakes, was a situation of מידה כנגד מידה, measure for measure. The evil nature of snakes is such that they bite and place their venom even when there is no gain. Most animals of prey kill for food. The snake kills for the sake of killing. Similarly, the complainers of being sick of the Manna, complained for no real gain. It was complaining for the sake of complaining. The Manna was literally soul food. It could taste like anything they wanted. Complaining that brings no benefit is counterproductive. We are taught to work on ourselves that we be שמח בחלקו, happy with our lot in life. This brings us to אהבת ה׳, as we feel so grateful to the One who provides us with all of our needs. We are always meant to strive to go higher, and there is no contradiction if we try to make our present situation even better. But we must know that complaining for the sake of complaining brings evil upon us in the form of snakes.

Moshe’s Hitting the Rock

The episode of Moshe Rabbeinu hitting the rock is very puzzling. The Netivot Shalom has a different take from the traditional view of Moshe’s sin. There is a quote from חז״ל that says regarding Tzaddikim, אין הקדוש ברוך הוא מביא תקלה על ידם, that Hashem will not bring misfortune to the Tzaddik, as they are protected. For this reason, the Netivot Shalom is of the opinion that Hashem never intended that Moshe enter Eretz Yisrael. Had Moshe built the Beit Hamikdash, it would never have been able to be destroyed. Knowing that the Jewish people would ultimately sin, their punishment would have been much more severe. It was actually Hashem’s mercy that He took out His wrath on a building of wood and stones, instead of on His people. So it looks like the hitting of the rock was part of Hashem’s ultimate plan to protect עם ישראל. It is interesting how there are so many ways to interpret the Torah.

Attach to Holiness

Shavua Tov. The Netivot Shalom speaks about selfishness, materialism, and arrogance, as three distinct negative traits, that create distance between the individual and Hashem. He also clarifies that there are two distinct forces in the world. There is the כח הקדושה, the force of holiness, that comes with cleaving to G-d, and the force of evil that attaches itself to the סיטרא אחרא, or, the Dark Side. These forces are not so apparent to the average individual, but they are there. When one gives in to his Yeitzer, and becomes selfish, materialistic, or arrogant, he attaches himself to these negative forces. This is why we say that evil people, even in their lifetime, are considered as if they are dead. They are no longer able to contribute anything positive to the world. We must place ourselves in the best possible position to grow in spirituality as we attach ourselves to righteous individuals and focus on doing Mitzvot and serving Hashem faithfully. We will then be protected by Hashem’s great love, that will bring us a great feeling of joy and contentment.

Lessons of פרה אדומה

There are many lessons to be learned from the פרה האדומה, the Red Heifer. We are well aware of it being the most difficult law of the Torah to understand, but much can be learned from this law. The Red Heifer purifies from the highest level of טומאה-coming in contact with the dead. When one is in a state of impurity, he becomes separated from his דבקות, closeness, to Hashem. The Netivot Shalom says that the 613 Mitzvot, are actually 613 עצות, pieces of advice, as to how a person can achieve this דבקות. Therefore, not only does טומאה distance a person from Hashem, but עבירות, sins, also create such distance. Another lesson learned from פרה אדומה, is how one must strive to acquire Torah with great diligence. There is a well known play of words when it’s written, זאת התורה, אדם כי ימות באהל, “this is the Torah regarding one who dies in a tent.” From this we also learn that this is the essence of Torah. When one dies for Torah by pushing himself to study in trying circumstances, he will be able to see its fruit. A final lesson is that death represents an end to our ability to accumulate Mitzvot. We must use our time on this earth wisely, so that we will merit the rewards that await us in the next world. פרה אדומה is, indeed, a very special Mitzva.

Tough Being a Leader

We learn from the incident of Korach, how difficult it is to be a public figure. Anyone in a position of power, is open to a great deal of scrutiny. His every move is examined with a fine tooth comb. We see this to hold true for two of our greatest leaders, Moshe Rabbeinu and Shmuel Hanavi. Both made statements that everything that they did, was above board. They did not use their position for personal gain in any way. This is why it’s written in Pirkei Avot, אהוב את המלאכה ושנא את הרבנות, love the work, but hate the leadership. Aside from having to deal with detractors, who are constantly looking to find flaws, the leader has to work extra hard to remain humble. He must not let his power get to his head. And on top of all of that, the Jewish people are a tough, stiff necked nation. We must tip our Kippas to our truly, great leaders.

תרומה ושליחות

Parshat Korach lists some of the special gifts given to the Kohanim and Leviim. One of the Kohein’s gifts is תרומה. This is given directly to one’s favorite Kohein, and it usually represents two per cent of one’s crops. We also learn from the laws of תרומה, that there are certain Mitzvot where one can appoint a שליח, messenger, to act on one’s behalf. This is learned from the words, כן תרימו גם אתם, so shall you and also you, take off Teruma. This awkward, repetitive, wording teaches us about the שליח. The extra word, ״גם״, teaches that שליחות only applies between Jew and Jew. It also means that a Jew cannot be a שליח for a non-Jew, either. Once a non-Jew asked a Jew to buy him חמץ on Pesach. The Jew assumed he could make the purchase because he would not own the חמץ. However, since a Jew cannot be a שליח for a non-Jew, he did, in fact, violate the prohibition of possessing Chametz on Pesach. All of these laws of שליחות, are learned from תרומה.

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.