Be Like a Kohein or Levi

There is a well known Rambam from משנה תורה in the laws related to שמיטה and יובל, the special role of the Leviim. The Rambam praises their incredible devotion and untiring service on behalf of the Jewish people.

He continues by saying that this type of service is not limited to the Leviim. But any person who gives generously of himself, and separates himself from the mundane world, and devotes himself in knowing Hashem, and walking in His path, he is following the path of the Levi.

Such a person throws off the yoke of materialism, and G-d becomes his portion. He becomes elevated with the highest levels of sanctity.

He will merit all of the contentment and joy merited by the Kohanim and Leviim in their sacred work in the בית המקדש. This is an appropriate goal for all of us to attain, now that Shavuot is behind us and we have been raised up by its sanctity.

מסורת סייג לתורה

Moadim Lesimcha-

There is a Mishna in Pirkei Avot in the name of Rabbi Akiva that says, מסורת סייג לתורה. We generally translate מסורת as “tradition.” The statement would then be that tradition is a fence or protection for the Torah.

There is a very important lesson to be learned from this teaching of Rabbi Akiva. When one studies a book of Torah, he should not see it as merely trying to fulfill the Mitzva of learning Torah.

He should see himself as connecting to this chain that began on Mount Sinai with Moshe Rabbeinu, and continued with the prophets and judges, to the Tannaim and Amoraim, to the Rishonim and Acharonim.

When one sees his own Torah study in the context of this chain, it has a definite impact on his study. He realizes that he cannot stray too far, and he must do his part to continue that chain through his children and grandchildren.

This also explains why Rabbi Akiva and the other nine martyrs were able to give their lives for the sanctification of Hashem’s name, with the confidence that future generations will carry on their teachings, and keep the chain of tradition going. This is now clear why the Mishna says, מסורת סייג לתורה.

Creating a Desert to Receive the Torah

Shavua Tov. The Jewish calendar is set up so that פרשת במדבר always comes before Shavuot. Rav Shlomo Mann, זצ״ל gives an interesting reason why this is the case.

A מדבר, desert, is a desolate place. There is very little growth there. Weather conditions don’t make it so conducive to habitation.

This idea of a מדבר is connected to how we are meant to receive the Torah. We are to make ourselves like a מדבר, in the sense that we are to clear ourselves of all kinds of obstacles that might prevent us from accepting the holiness of the Torah.

We are to rid ourselves of our obsession with materialism and pettiness. We are to also clear ourselves of unwanted baggage that blocks us from being able to trust and have faith.

We then become like a desert in the sense that we are now able to become a כלי, a vessel to receive the precious gift of the Torah.

When we rid ourselves of haughtiness and other negativity, our ״מדבר״ that we have now cleared, has left space for the Torah to penetrate our lives.

This is the reason why פרשת במדבר is meant to prepare us for celebrating the great day of the Revelation at Mount Sinai, and the giving of the Torah.

Stand Up and Be Counted

This Shabbat we begin the Book of במדבר, which is also known as חומש הפקודים, the Bible of Counting. This is why במדבר is called, “Numbers” in English.

Several times after the exodus from Egypt, are the Jewish people counted. The reason why Hashem asks for this counting, is because of His deep affection for the Jewish people.

Generally, we count things that are of value, as each unit is significant. There is even a section in יורה דעה that deals with Kashrut laws, that puts דבר שבמניין in a special category.

Normally the rule regarding a sixty to one ratio is enough to nullify that which is forbidden. However, it is something of such importance that it is counted, it is not nullified even if it is at a ratio of a thousand to one.

We are to see ourselves as significant enough to stand up and be counted. As Shavuot approaches, we are to reflect on how we can contribute our utmost on behalf of the Jewish people.

Stages of Decline in Faith

The תוכחה, rebuke, in פרשת בחוקותי, speaks of how the decline in faith comes in stages. It begins gradually, and gets progressively worse.

The קול התורה of Rabbi Elie Munk, speaks of seven stages.

The decline begins first with an abandonment of the study of Torah. This is followed by a cessation in the observance of Mitzvot. The next stage is rejecting others who do observe Mitzvot. This is followed by hating rabbinic leaders. Stage five involves preventing others from observing Mitzvot. This is followed by a denial of the relevance of the commandments. And the final stage involves denying the principle of Hashem’s Divinity.

I am not sure when this list was compiled, but it sounds painfully familiar as we hear of many who foolishly leave Torah observance.

Shavuot is meant to be a renewal and reinforcement of Torah principles and that which we hold dear.

Man Was Meant to Struggle

Parshat בחוקותי begins with the words, אם בחוקותי תלכו, “If you listen to my statutes.” Rashi’s comment is that we need to be עמלים בתורה, struggle for the study and observance of Torah.

Because Torah is such a precious gift, it is not meant to come so easy. We have to be diligent and work hard to acquire it.

Pirkei Avot suggests פת במלח תאכל, that we should be satisfied with bread and salt and refrain from focusing on materialism. The focus should be on spirituality and involvement with Torah.

There is a Pasuk in the Book of Iyov that says, אדם לעמל יולד, that man was meant to struggle. This could mean that this is the nature of this world, that to attain anything of value, it comes only with hard work.

Rav Ovadia Yosef said that the word לעמל reflected another lesson. It represented a mnemonic saying ללמוד על מנת ללמד, that we study in order to teach.

Perhaps the knowledge that we live in a generation where there is so much ignorance of Torah, it should motivate us to study more. This way we will be able to do our share in educating those who know so little about the beauty of our religion.

It’s time to get into Shavuot mode, where we show our appreciation for Torah.

אונאה

Parshat בהר contains many practical laws related to settling Eretz Yisrael. Not only are there laws connected to Shmitta, the Sabbatical year, and יובל, the Jubilee year, there are also rules connected to acquisitions.

The Talmud establishes these rules into the categories of land, קרקע, and מיטלטלין, movable items. The act of acquisition, as קנין, is different for קרקע and מטלטלים.

We are also introduced to the concept of אונאה, which represents price gouging, or overcharging for sales that have been made.

The definition of אונאה, means that one is not permitted to profit more than a שתות, which equals one sixth or around sixteen per cent above the going rate for movable objects.

Regarding קרקע, the Rabbis established that אין אונאה בקרקעות, there is no overcharging regarding land deals. There could be numerous factors why one might be willing to pay a hefty price for a simple piece of land. He might own an adjacent piece of land, or simply that the location of a particular property is worth a great deal to that person.

Regarding every day movable items such as food and basic goods, there needs to be more of a standardized price for the consumer. This is not the case by land.

This is how the laws of אונאה were established by our Sages as reflected by פרשת בהר.

Messianic Animals

There is a fascinating disagreement between the Rambam and Ramban related to the status of animals in Messianic times. The subject is related to a Pasuk in yesterday’s Parsha, that says, והשבתי חיה רעה מן הארץ, that Hashem is promising that evil animals will be “rested” in the land.

The Rambam felt that when Isaiah said that the wolf will lie down with the lamb, it is only a metaphor for a peaceful time, but animals of prey, will remain.

The Ramban disagrees and wrote that animals were never meant to attack other animals. Their consuming other animals was directly related to Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. At that time, nature changed. The prediction for the future is that animals will return to their original nature before Adam’s sin. We will never need to worry about the threat of dangerous animals.

Two very different takes on what will happen in the future.

Produce and Redemption

Shavua Tov-

This week’s Parsha speaks about the תוכחה, the rebuke, with it’s numerous curses. Among them, is the promise that the land will refuse to produce as long as the people continue to turn away from Hashem.

The Gemara at the end of מסכת סנהדרין, gives us an amazing promise of hope. The prediction that in the time of Redemption, is not anything small at all.

The connection between the Jewish people and the land, is very powerful. Not only would the land refuse to produce for the Jewish people, it would also not produce for the nations of the world.

The Gemara says that one of the strongest signs that the Galut is coming to an end and the Redemption is near.

The fact that we are living in a time when we are privileged to enjoy the produce of Eretz Yisrael, should encourage us each day of how the שכינה, the Divine Presence has returned to Israel and Mashiach. From the curse, there is hope!

Absolute Faith

This Shabbat we complete the Book of ויקרא with the double Parsha of בהר-בחוקותי. The first Parsha begins with the laws of שמיטה, the Sabbatical year.

The classic question is why is שמיטה given as an example of a Mitzva given on Mount Sinai. Aren’t all Mitzvot given on הר סיני?

Shmitta is unique in that its laws were not repeated in the Book of דברים. It becomes a Torah law when the majority of the Jews in the world live in Israel. This could explain why we will experience certain leniences when Shmitta begins this Rosh Hashana as the laws are rabbinical.

Most commentators felt that Shmitta stands out above all Mitzvot because of the complete reliance on Hashem that is expected of the Jew. Imagine an entire year where work is not done and we are not supposed to worry about Parnassa during that entire time. We are to have the faith that Hashem will provide. This is a big נסיון, test, to have such faith.

This is why Shmitta is so unique and it is a reminder that we should always place our faith in G-d and never worry about Parnassa.

Ten People-Sanctify G-d

The Mitzva of קידוש ה׳ and חילול ה׳, sanctifying Hashem’s name and not profaning it, was mentioned in פרשת אמור. Rav Elie Munk calls these two Mitzvot, the Bible in miniature as they are such foundational commandments.

We are always meant to act in a way that brings honor to G-d, and not act in a way that makes Him look bad. There are numerous examples of חילול ה׳ that should be pretty obvious.

There are times when we are commanded to violate a Mitzva in order to live, as we are to live by the Mitzvot and not die by the Mitzvot.

The exception to this rule is if there are ten people present when being asked to do something wrong. For example, if someone tells you to eat a ham sandwich or be killed, you eat the sandwich. However, if ten people observe this, you should allow yourself to be killed. Otherwise, you would have violated חילול ה׳.

This is learned from a גזירה שוה, using the word, “תוך” in two different contexts. Regarding Kiddush Hashem, it’s written, ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל, and I shall be sanctified “in the midst” of the Jewish people. And regarding the ten evil spies, the Torah says, הבדלו מתוך העדה הרעה הזאת, separate from “the midst” of this evil congregation.

Just like one case speaks of a congregation equaling ten, we apply the same principle regarding Kiddush Hashem.

Nourishment to the Soul

In Parshat Emor, we learn the special prohibition for a Kohein to defile himself by coming in contact with the dead.

A corpse is the highest level of טומאה, known as אבי אבות הטומאה. Rav Elie Munk explains that in essence, this טומאה is caused because the נשמה, the soul has left the body. A body without a soul is impure and requires burial as soon as possible.

The obvious lesson here, emphasizes how obvious it is, the essential role the נשמה plays in every human being. This awareness should make us realize that just as the body requires its nourishment for survival, so does the soul.

One who never gives food for the soul, by feeding it a large dose of spirituality, is a very weak person.

One whose life is filled with Torah and acts of kindness, will be strong. We need to be aware of this and strengthen our souls with the spiritual food of Torah and Mitzvot.

Special Qualities of High Priest

Parshat אמור speaks of the special laws related to the כהן גדול. Aside from the restrictions that apply only to him, regarding who he can marry, and never defiling himself for the dead, there are other lesser known obligations.

The High Priest needed to be outstanding in several areas. The first was נוי, which meant that he had to have a comely appearance. He needed to be handsome. The second was כח, in that he needed to be physically strong. He needed to have עושר, wealth, so that the wealthy would not feel superior to him. He needed to have חכמה and שנים, wisdom and years. He could not be too young in order that he be respected.

It is strange that the כהן גדול had to have all of these qualities and assets, in order to serve. These things would normally make a person haughty and conceited.

This is the very point according to Rav Mann. His worthiness for the job was that he displayed true humility despite having all of these special traits.

This is the goal for all of us. We are to remain humble and realize that all that we have is a gift from Hashem, and is not because of us.

Moving Forward After Tragedy

Rav Mann זצ״ל wrote about Lag B’Omer and the message to be learned from it. He described how Rabbi Akiva had the resolve to continue after the tragedy of losing his 24,000 students.

Despite the tragedy, he recognized that there was no choice but to pick up the pieces and move forward. He would learn the lessons and continue to spread his Torah teachings.

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai hid in a cave for twelve years and a thirteenth. He was on the run from the Romans. He turned that difficulty into an opportunity to write the Zohar, revealing the secrets of the Torah.

One of the fathers whose teenage son perished in the Lag B’Omer tragedy in Meron also spoke about dealing with tragedy. He said that there was no point in blaming anyone. This was a decree from Hashem that we must accept. Moving forward means bringing about unity among the Jewish people.

He has been deeply moved by our coming together as a people in such a difficult time.

The lesson here is that we must have the strength to take adversity and tragedy, and convert it into greater unity and a higher level of serving Hashem.

Appreciation and Respect

Shavua Tov-

It is a difficult week ahead as we deal with the horrible tragedy of Lag B’Omer. It is so difficult to understand why such things happen, and especially on Lag B’Omer which represents an end to the plague.

If there is a message that could be helpful, it would be the following that I heard yesterday from Rabbanit Mann, a very saintly lady.

She was speaking about trying to comprehend why the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva perished because they did not show respect to one another. She said that respect for another individual can only come when it is preceded by appreciation of that person.

If there is no appreciation for what that individual stands for, there will be no respect.

This was not only true regarding Rabbi Akiva’s students, but this is true of every relationship. Husband and wife will get along and respect one another when they first learn to appreciate what their spouse stands for and accomplishes. The same is true in a parent-child relationship, or just about every relationship.

Respect cannot come if there isn’t appreciation. Wise words from a wise lady.

Moshe Asked for Help

There are four instances in the Torah that we are taught that Moshe Rabbeinu forgot the Halacha and needed to ask Hashem for direction.

The קול התורה of Rav Elie Munk explained that Moshe thought he wasn’t able to be impartial, so he was not able to state the law.

The first instance was the story of the מקלל ה׳, the Blasphemer, who cursed Hashem. Some say he was the son of the Egyptian who raped Shlomit. This was the same Egyptian that was hitting a Jew. Moshe couldn’t be impartial because he killed the father of the מקלל ה׳. He was put to death.

Regarding פסח שני, Moshe thought it was a passing Mitzva and it was not for him to decide.

Regarding the inheritance of בנות צלפחד, Moshe felt that he couldn’t be objective, because צלפחד did not rebel with Korach. This could have clouded his objectivity.

Regarding the מקושש עצים, the one who gathered wood on Shabbat, Moshe forgot the law because he may have been too upset that just two weeks earlier, he taught the laws of Shabbat, and already it’s being violated.

Some say there could have been a fifth time when Pinchas killed Zimri and Kozbi, and Moshe forgot the law. This case was placed in its own separate category.

Even the great ones forget, and should not be ashamed to ask for help.

ערלה

One of the Mitzvot mentioned in קדושים is the Mitzva of ערלה. This refers to the prohibition of eating fruits of a tree during the first three years of their growth.

The interesting aspect of this commandment, is that it is described as הלכה למשה מסיני, given by Hashem to Moshe at Sinai. It seems to be a very clear cut Mitzva.

The answer is that there is a difference between Israel and the Diaspora. In Israel, this law must be followed meticulously. This is why wineries have a Mashgiach on the premises, to be certain there is no ערלה violation.

Outside of Israel, tradition teaches that only known ערלה is forbidden. Therefore, when buying fruit there, one need not ask if it is ערלה fruit or not. It is only when it is known to be definite ערלה, that it is also forbidden in חוץ לארץ. This is what is meant by הלכה למשה מסיני.

Loving Rebuke

Parshat קדושים is filled with a number of ethical laws. One of them teaches that aside from the commandment to love every Jew, we are also commanded not to hate another Jew.

The suggestion of the Torah to avoid these feelings of hatred is to rebuke our fellow Jew if they have wronged us. Whether if we wronged in money matters, or caused bodily harm, or shamed by our friend, when we rebuke and make them aware of what they have done, it will allow these feelings of hatred to subside. It is now up to the other side, to rectify the situation.

What might even be more important about this subject of rebuke, known as תוכחה, is how we learn to accept rebuke.

In פרקי אבות we are told that one of the ways of acquiring the Torah is to be אוהב את התוכחות, to love rebuke. When someone wishes to offer constructive criticism, we should accept it with love, and not get insulted.

A priority for us should be to always improve ourselves. If someone offers us suggestions that can turn us into better people, we should show gratitude for such help, rather than get offended. Obviously, we would rather receive praise than criticism, but we must have the humility to receive such constructive תוכחה.

King Solomon said it best in Mishlei, with the words, “Rebuke a wise man and you gain a friend. Rebuke a fool, and you gain an enemy.”

Mystery of Shaatnez

The Mitzva of Shaatnez which prohibits wearing a garment mixed with wool and linen, is a very mysterious one. It is classified as a חוק, which means that it is not intended that we understand its reason.

It appears that there is emphasis in the Torah to separate various species. Wool represents the animal, and linen grows from the ground. This is somewhat of a superficial explanation.

There are strange stories connected with Shaatnez. One such story told of a plague in a certain town that only killed the non-Jews, but not the Jews. Upon investigation, deaths from the plague was connected with the heavy mixture of wool and linen in the non-Jews’ clothing. The non Shaatnez of the Jews, created an immunity to the plague.

There are also names of negative spiritual forces that could harm with the names גץ or עז. This makes the name שעטנז, a combination of שטן עז, which adds the additional force of Satan.

This explains why Shaatnez free clothes are a protection from evil. It also explains why there is a tradition that the letters שעטנז גץ, are the seven letters in the Torah that have תגין, or crowns.

So we see that Shaatnez is indeed a mysterious Mitzva.

Upper Floor in Lod

Many are familiar with the concept of יהרג ואל יעבור, that one should allow himself to be killed rather than violate the Mitzva. These apply only in three cases: idol worship, murder, and immorality.

We also learn from the Parsha, וחי בהם, that we are to live according to the Torah, and not die. In this case, if we are threatened with death for lesser violations, we violate the Torah and live.

It appears that this separation between the situation where we give our lives and die על קידוש ה׳, for the sanctification of Hashem’s name, and violate and live, was not written in the Torah.

The Gemara tells us that this was discussed and voted on by the Rabbis. There are several cases mentioned where the Rabbis got together in the Aliya, upper floor of a building to discuss matters. Here, this important vote and decision was reached at the house of Nitza in the city of Lod.

The Rabbis fulfilled a crucial role in maintaining Jewish life and insuring the continued existence and strengthening of the Jewish people.