Elul-Fixing Midot

Parshat שופטים always comes with the beginning of the month of Elul. The first Pasuk of שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך, “Judges and policemen shall you place upon your gates,” has a classic Chassidic interpretation. The “gates” actually refers to the openings in our bodies, that we need to monitor. These gates refer to our senses, seeing, hearing, smelling, speaking, and touching. These “gates” can be used for Mitzvot or Aveirot. What we look at, listen to, how we speak, what we touch, and even smelling, can have positive or negative implications. The Netivot Shalom uses a play on words when the Torah says, לא תנאף, “Thou shall not commit adultery.” The wording should actually be, לא תהנה אף, that your nose should not derive benefit. (There is a Halacha that men should not even smell the perfume of women forbidden to them.) The Netivot Shalom continues by emphasizing that the month of Elul is meant to be the time when we work at improving our Midot, character development. The Prophet Isaiah says, יעזוב רשע דרכו, that the wicked should forsake “his ways.” This refers to negative character traits, and it can be learned from this Pasuk that someone with bad Midot, is called a רשע, evil person. So we are to begin to take advantage of the next forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur, to work on ourselves with the intent of achieving real דבקות בה׳, clinging to G-d. חודש טוב

Giving Charity

Parshat ראה has a discussion of the importance of giving Tzedaka. First we have the commandment of עשר תעשר, that we shall surely tithe. The classic interpretation is עשר בשביל שתתעשר, give your tithe in order that you become wealthy. We are given a kind of guarantee that we will not only become poor from the charity that we give, but we will also be blessed. The Parsha also addresses how we are to treat a poor person. The Torah tells us, לא תאמץ את ידך, that we should not turn away our hand. If a poor person reaches out his hand for help, we should not reject him. Contemporary authorities distinguish between the street, the synagogue, and our home. This is in response to the problem that “shnoring”or begging, no longer carries the shame it once did. We should never leave the one who comes to our home empty handed. But the street and synagogue are optional, and is up to our discretion. It is important to emphasize from time to time, the importance of the Mitzva of giving charity. Although there are three opinions as to what the Halachic obligation is regarding מעשר כספים, tithing of monetary income, this must not be taken lightly. (Some say מעשר כספים is a Torah obligation, others say it is rabbinic, and still others say it is מנהג, only a custom.) Just as Hashem is incredibly generous with us, we must emulate His ways, and be generous with the less fortunate.

King, Amalek, Beit Hamikdash

There is a reference in the Parsha that deals with the three Mitzvot we are commanded to observe when we enter Eretz Yisrael. We are to appoint a king, destroy Amalek and build the Beit Hamikdash. The Gemara asks whether or not there is a specific order to these three Mitzvot. It is obvious that the appointment of a king should come first. But it is not clear what follows. Can the Temple be rebuilt without Amalek being destroyed? The answer to this question comes from the description of the future in the Parsha. First we are told that we must remove our enemies from the Land. Only then will we be able to build a dwelling place for the שכינה, Divine Presence. Amalek represents all that is evil and impure in the world. The Temple represents what is sacred and pure. The two extremes collide and the קדושה cannot tolerate such impurity. It must be erased before the Temple can be built.

אתרוג שחיטה גט תפילין

Parshat ראה speaks about what is called, בשר תאוה, lust meat. This refers to the permission granted to eat meat outside of the בית המקדש. Originally, any meat that was eaten, had to be part of a קרבן. But when the land was settled, meat could be eaten everywhere as long as it was slaughtered properly. The Parsha speaks of ritual slaughtering with the words, וזבחת כאשר צויתיך, and you shall slaughter as I commanded. It is interesting that the word, שחיטה, is not found anywhere in the Torah. Similarly, the words, תפילין, גט, and אתרוג, are not found anywhere in the Torah. Yet, everyone, even with a minimum knowledge of Torah, knows what these four words mean. This is a very strong proof of the Oral Law, תורה שבעל פה. The meaning of these words, was handed down orally from generation to generation, just as the rest of the interpretations of the Torah were handed down orally. One must never say that he only observes the Written Law and not the Oral Law.

היתר במות

There is a reference in the Parsha to what is referred to as היתר במות, permission to offer sacrifices on private altars. This refers to a brief period of our history when there was no Mishkan or Beit Hamikdash. There was a period of time in a place near Jericho, called Gilgal, where there was a היתר במות, until they established the Mishkan at Shilo for 369 years. After Shilo, there was a היתר במות at נוב and גבעון. This was an interim period until Shlomo’s Temple was built. Once the בית המקדש existed, there was no longer a היתר במות. When the היתר existed, it was only for נדרים and נדבות, free will offerings. This is learned from the words, כי לא באתם עד עתה אל המנוחה ואל הנחלה, for you have not yet reached the inheritance or peacefulness. The word מנוחה refers to שילה, and מנוחה refers to ירושלים.

Removing Idol Worship

Shavua Tov. Parshat ראה speaks of the importance of removing from the Land of Israel, all symbols of עבודה זרה, idol worship. The idea here is that the Land was defiled by those who worshipped foreign gods, aside from their immoral behavior. Any symbol of such defilement had to be eliminated from Eretz Yisrael. The Rambam in הלכות מלכים clearly points out that although Christianity and Islam are false religions, it is better that the Gentiles worship something rather than nothing. This way, they will be better prepared for the real Mashiach when he comes. Therefore, it appears that until that time, we must respect and tolerate the religious freedom of the other religions. We should view this as a temporary situation and see things as the Rambam did. When the time is right, all symbols of idol worship will, indeed, be removed from the Land.

תפקיד

This week’s Parsha is ראה. The Netivot Shalom points out that the very first Pasuk of ראה אנוכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, “See that I am giving you today, a blessing and a curse.” The problematic word in the Pasuk is “נותן”. Usually, the word נותן would mean a מתנה, a gift. A blessing could be a gift, but how could a curse be a gift? The Ari ז״ל is quoted here who explains that there is a very definite message to be learned. The ברכה mentioned here, refers to one who fulfills his תפקיד, purpose, in this world. The קללה refers to one who does not put his G-d given gifts to work in this world. This is a very serious question we will need to answer when we leave this world. Did we reach our potential and try to achieve all that we could. One of the stories that already came out regarding Rav Shteinzoltz, זצ״ל, is that he said on numerous occasions that he realized he was blessed with a brilliant mind. He was merely trying to use this gift fully, when writing and sharing his Torah with others. This is what is meant by ״נותן״. Blessings if we fulfill our תפקיד, and curses if we don’t.

Success

Parshat עקב has a very stern warning about becoming complacent and taking things for granted. Moshe warns that one must never think, כוחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה, “My strength and the strength of my hand, has brought me this success.” Such thoughts come with arrogance and a lack of recognition that all of our success is not ours, but is Hashem’s kindness. We may come up with brilliant ideas that seem not only promising, but look like a definite success. However, Hashem may decide things differently. There are absolutely no guarantees of anything in this world. It does not matter how much it looks like the, “sure thing.” There is no such thing as a sure thing. Often something we might view as trivial in comparison to what we see as the big money maker, but it is the trivial or incidental, that becomes big. Moshe Rabbeinu wants us to be clearly aware that Hashem controls our success and it is only because of Him, that we succeed or fail.

ערלת לבבכם

There is a strange Pasuk in פרשת עקב that needs explanation. Moshe Rabbeinu says, ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם, “And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart.” The Netivot Shalom says that this refers to one who is אטום, or closed up. It is very difficult to reach such a person. All of the proofs in the world, will not move such a person. The circumcision of the heart opens a person’s eyes and allows him to see. The word for fear of Hashem, is יראה. And if we change around the letters of this word, we get ראיה, which means, “to see.” Moshe Rabbeinu was privileged to see the greatness of Hashem. This is what made him so humble and in awe of G-d. When one is not אטום, and is able to marvel at all of the wondrous acts of G-d, he will acquire true יראת ה׳. When we circumcise our hearts, our eyes will be open to see the difference between good and evil, and the holy and the profane.

Bircat Hamazon and Zionism

The commandment to recite ברכת המזון is mentioned in פרשת עקב. Many do not realize how Zionistic the benching really is. There are three Torah blessings connected with Bircat Hamazon. The first Bracha is praising Hashem for giving us sustenance. But the second blessing is all about Israel. We thank G-d for giving us the Land of Israel. It is referred to as the ארץ חמדה טובה ורחבה, a nice, good, and spacious land. We bless Hashem for the food and the land. The third blessing focuses on the rebuilding of Jerusalem. We ask Hashem to have pity, רחם, on Israel, Zion, and on Jerusalem. We conclude this blessing with a request to rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem. So if we pay attention to what ברכת המזון is saying, we see how strong the emphasis is on Israel and Jerusalem.

יראה

One of the most famous verses of the Torah is מה ה׳ אלוקיך שואל מעמך כי אם ליראה את ה׳ אלוקיך, “What does Hashem, your G-d ask of you but to fear Hashem, your G-d.” We learn from here the importance of fearing Hashem. The Netivot Shalom describes different aspects of this Mitzva. Aside from יראת ה׳, there is also יראת החטא, יראת העונש, and יראת הרוממות. The first type of יראת החטא, refers to where an individual is in a state where he tries to be conscientious in avoiding sinning. He tries to pay close attention to his actions so that he does not come to transgress. The יראת העונש is an awareness of the consequences of violating the Torah. There is a very definite punitive system in the Torah, that serves as a deterrent to sin. It appears that the highest level of יראה, is יראת הרוממות, fear of Hashem’s exaltedness.This is where there is a clear recognition of where we stand in relation to G-d. When we are aware of our own vulnerabilities, and the greatness of Hashem, we can truly fulfill the Mitzva of יראת ה׳.

Don’t Take Mitzvot Lightly

Shavua Tov. Rashi, on the first Pasuk in today’s Parsha, points out the importance of not taking any Mitzvot lightly. One must view the seemingly less significant Mitzvot in the same manner as the more serious Mitzvot. This is stated clearly in Pirkei Avot that we should act in this manner, for nobody truly knows the reward of Mitzvot. The Netivot Shalom describes the light Mitzvot as the ones that we tend to take for granted. The מסילת ישרים says that two examples of Mitzvot taken for granted are אהבת ה׳, love of G-d, and יראת ה׳, fear of G-d. Virtually every Jew will say that loving and fearing Hashem, are very important commandments. But ask them when the last time was that they did a self check on how well they were doing in these areas, and they will admit that it’s been a while. This is what the Parsha is saying. Don’t take any of the Mitzvot for granted. Protection is granted to the one who diligently observes all of the Torah.

קדש עצמך במותר

This week we read פרשת עקב, which is filled with moral lessons of discipline. One of these lessons comes from the word, “עקב” itself. The Netivot Shalom points out that we must change around the letters of this word to “ק” then “ע” and then “ב”. What we are left with is the idea of קדש עצמך במותר, sanctify yourself with what is permitted. This coincides with the teaching of the Rambam, that it is wrong not to partake of the pleasures of this world. We are encouraged to fall in love and get married. We are allowed to live in a nice house, and where nice clothes. The message here is that these apparent worldly pleasures are permitted to us, when we sanctify them. This sanctification comes when we do everything in line with the Torah. Every mundane act becomes holy when G-d becomes part of the equation. We don’t sleep or exercise only because we enjoy sleep and exercise. We sanctify these two activities so that we will have healthy bodies, to “walk” and not crawl in the ways of Hashem . This is the lesson of עקב, to find a way to sanctify Hashem with what is permitted, by never forgetting that we are in this world to serve Him in all that we do.

Sleeping Late

There is a Torah commandment to recite the שמע when we lie down, בשכבך, and when we rise up, ובקומך. This refers to the nighttime שמע and the morning שמע. There is great discussion in the Gemara as to the exact times to perform this Mitzva. The evening שמע is less problematic as it can be said as long as it is night. It is preferable to say it from צאת הכוכבים, when the stars come out until midnight. But the Mitzva can still be fulfilled as long as it’s before עמוד השחר, daybreak. The morning שמע is based on the time that most people wake up. And since most Jews were farmers, it was common to arise early in the morning. Only a king was afforded the luxury of sleeping late, which was three hours after sunrise. We do follow this three hour rule, but it is calculated in a more complicated manner. The זמן קריאת שמע is clearly available on most Jewish calendars. What all of this means is that a sincere, religious Jew, can never sleep late unless he wakes up briefly to say שמע and pray. This is an important Mitzva but not as easy as it looks!

Torah Study

The first chapter of קריאת שמע has numerous, important Torah commandments. There is the Mitzva of תפילין and מזוזה, as well as the Oneness and love of Hashem. We learn from the words, ושננתם לבניך, “And teach your children,” the Mitzva of studying and teaching Torah. If we don’t study Torah ourselves, how will we be capable of teaching our children. The Rabbis learn that the word בניך, can also refer to תלמידיך, your students. And we also find that תלמידיך, are also referred to as “your sons.” When one studies, he will learn more about the ways of Hashem. The חינוך says that an unlearned person is not much higher than a בהמה, an animal. Torah study is such a cornerstone of Judaism, that we teach a child the first sentence of שמע, and תורה צוה לנו משה, as soon as he can speak. Nobody is exempt from Torah study. Both the rich and poor must study. And this obligation to study Torah is with us until we die. We must be disciplined to study by day and by night. We must have definite time periods for the study of Torah. The Rabbis say that one must not say כשאפנה אשנה, when I have time, I will study. שמא לא תפנה, for perhaps, he will never have time. Our love for Torah study, is the main reason Judaism has been kept alive through our long exile. We must be diligent in our Torah study, and share our knowledge with others. Torah study is indeed a pillar of Judaism.

דבקות

Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Jewish nation, ואתם הדבקים בה׳ אלוקיכם חיים כולכם היום, “And those that cleave to Hashem are alive today.” Here we have a reference to the term, “דבקות”, cleaving to G-d. One explanation of how we achieve דבקות is by marrying off our daughter to a תלמיד חכם, or by being close to a תלמיד חכם. This is as though we are cleaving to the שכינה. the Divine Presence. The Netivot Shalom says that when one believes that even when one has a sharp sword on his neck, and he does not despair from Hashem’s mercy, this is דבקות. The אבן עזרא adds his definition of דבקות by saying, “The root of all of the Mitzvot is to get to the level of loving Hashem with all of one’s soul, and having דבקות בה׳. The goal of the commandments is to get to דבקות. When we get to this level, we are really alive!

Mitzvot Only Observed in the Land of Israel

Shavua Tov. The Gemara in מסכת סוטה says that the reason why Moshe Rabbeinu pleaded with Hashem to enter Eretz Yisrael was simply because there was the potential to observe more Mitzvot there. The תורה תמימה points out that this was the reason why the great leaders of Israel, likewise desired to enter Israel. It was because of the opportunity to fulfill more Mitzvot. We also see this idea regarding the Canaanite slave. He takes upon himself the observance of the same Mitzvot as a woman. If his master takes him out of Israel, he must immediately be freed. Even this slave, does not wish to be deprived of the Mitzvot that can only be observed in Israel. There are still many laws today that fall into this category. Many are related to the laws of planting and תרומות ומעשרות, laws of tithing. But the most obvious Mitzva, is the Mitzva to live in Israel. This is what Moshe Rabbeinu prayed for.

Shabbat of Comfort

We are now entering a new phase in the Jewish calendar. Aside from being fifty days away from Rosh Hashana, we begin the שבעה דנחמתא, the seven weeks of comfort. This Shabbat is known as שבת נחמו, the Shabbat of comfort, as this Haftarah begins with the words, נחמו נחמו, be comforted. There are six more Haftarot of comfort that follow. The Netivot Shalom calls פרשת ואתחנן, the heart of the Book of Devarim. This is mainly because the Ten Commandments and the first chapter of שמע is found in it. On Tisha B’Av, we read a section from ואתחנן, beginning with the words, כי תוליד בנים, that was a warning from Moshe Rabbeinu of what might take place in the future if the Jewish people forsake the Torah. He implores the nation to stay strong and never forget all that they had witnessed. No religion began with the signs, wonders, and revelations directly from G-d as the Jewish people saw with their own eyes. They were also assured that no matter what happens, Hashem will never forsake us. It is clear that this a Shabbat of comfort.

Embracing Cherubs

There is an interesting Midrash that says that when the Babylonians came into the Holy of Holies when they were destroying our Temple, they saw an amazing sight. The כרובים, Cherubs, that were affixed on the Holy Ark, were seen embracing one another. This was puzzling because the כרובים would not face one another when the people were not fulfilling the will of G-d. If we were now going into Exile, it was obvious that we were not doing G-d’s will. The Netivot Shalom explains this strange phenomenon in that it was to be viewed as a sign that despite our going into Exile, His love for us would not falter. One of the messages of Tisha B’Av is the realization of Hashem’s abundant kindness. Our survival these past 1950 years, is nothing short of miraculous. There were those who said that a greater miracle than the splitting of the Red Sea, was our survival. We are now more ready than ever for Mashiach and the Third Temple, when Tisha B’Av will become a festival. Meanwhile, fast begins at 7:40 p.m. and ends Thursday at 8:00. צום קל

Arrogance of Spies

In פרשת דברים, Moshe spoke about the tragic episode of the spies. Their betrayal of Hashem which led to בכיה של חינם, crying for nothing, took place on Tisha B’Av. This is one of the reasons why we fast. But the real lesson to be learned from the spies, is that despite the fact that those who cried, admitted their sin, it was not enough. The Torah tells us that shortly after this episode, a group of Jews, against Moshe’s wishes, decided to try and conquer the land prematurely. They were known as the מעפילים. They were ambushed and killed, as it was not the correct time to enter Israel. Many commentators point out that their apology was meaningless. We see this by their believing that they could enter early. This showed that they never truly abandoned their arrogance. This is what got them in trouble in the first place, and led to their ultimate downfall. Our Rabbis constantly warn us of the detrimental aspect of arrogance. It is a very horrible Midah, character trait, that is far more destructive than we realize.