Pre-Messianic Leadership

Moshe Rabbeinu was very concerned that a dedicated leader would succeed him. He recommended that it be someone אשר יצא לפניהם ואשר יבוא לפניהם, “one who will go out with them, and will come in with them.” He was hoping for a leader thoroughly devoted to the people.

By contrast, Rav Yisrael Salanter commented on a Gemara in מסכת סוטה, that said that a sign that Mashiach is coming is that פני הדור כפני הכלב, that the face of the leaders of the generation will be like the face of the dog.

Rav Salanter explained that just as dogs run ahead of their masters, but wait at the crossroads for instruction, so, too will be the leaders, prior to the arrival of Mashiach.

These leaders will not truly lead. They will act as if they are leading, but when a big decision needs to be made, they will wait for public opinion, and then run ahead pretending that they were the ones that came up with the idea.

If Rav Salanter is correct, it looks like Mashiach is just around the corner!

Discipline and Consistency

The end of Parshat פנחס discusses the various sacrifices that were offered in the Beit Hamikdash on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and the holidays. In addition, there is a reference to the קרבן התמיד that was offered in the morning and evening every day of the year.

There is a Midrash that it is specifically the קרבן תמיד that cleanses the sins of Israel, and makes them free of sin, like a year old baby.

Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira asked why it was the קרבן התמיד that had that ability more than the other sacrifices. He explained that there is great importance to having consistency in one’s life. He noted that when great rabbis were asked their secret to longevity, they always began with the word, מימי, meaning, “all my days.”

This is also the great aspect of learning Daf Yomi, that is that of consistency. It is a consistent, daily, study of the daily page of Talmud.

The Chafetz Chaim once emphasized this point by describing one who begins boiling water, but starts and stops to the point where the water never boils.

This idea is found in Pirkei Avot where a person should never say, “When I have time, I will study, for perhaps he will never study.”

Judaism is special because of the discipline required in its observance. We are meant to establish a lifestyle that consistently allows us to observe all of the Mitzvot. This is the meaning of the Midrash regarding the קרבן תמיד. Mitzvot bear fruit when we consistently observe them.

Confrontations are Necessary

Parshat פנחס begins with the reward given to Pinchas for his act of zealotry in killing the Midyanite princess, Kozbi, and the head of the tribe of Shimon, Zimri.

He is told that he will be granted ברית כהונת עולם, the covenant of Priesthood, forever. This is a great promise knowing that his descendants will carry on his ideals for eternity.

All of this may seem strange when we consider that he took the law into his own hands, and killed two individuals. He put an end to the plague that killed 24,000 Jews.

What we can learn from this whole episode is that there are times when confrontations are necessary. Some believe that they can pretend that all is well and “sweep the dust under the carpet.”

If serious disagreements are ignored, they do not go away, but fester. In the short run, it may be unpleasant to put everything “on the table.” But when the dust clears, the issues will be settled.

There was great turmoil after Pinchas did his act. Many were upset and believed that he acted improperly. And it was Hashem Himself that needed to make it clear that he was a hero that would be given great reward. A great deal can be learned from the heroism of Pinchas.

Sobering Prediction

At the end of פרשת בלק, Bilaam spoke of how he advises what will become of the Jewish nation during the end of days. Some saw this as a positive reference to Messianic times when all will be good for עם ישראל.

Rabbi Twerski did not see this as a “happy ending.” The word יעשה, could be translated as either “what will be” ( Ya’aseh) or “what will be done to them” ( Yay’aseh).

This latter translation hints to the painful path many Jews will take over the centuries that would lead to assimilation and an abandonment of the Jewish religion. Our numbers as a people would have been so much greater if not for annihilation, in addition to assimilation.

This was a call for Jewish leaders to do their utmost to combat this plague. Children need to be educated from a young age to embrace the beauty of our religion. Torah education is the strongest weapon against the plague of assimilation.

Rabbi Twerski told of numerous experiences of patients or congregants of his who cried to him about their children having intermarried. One father said to him, “Had I known this was going to happen to my son, I would have kept kosher for sure!”

Assimilation is still plaguing us to this day. We, too, need to be aware and do our part to stop Jews from going astray.

Students of Avraham and Bilaam

The Mishna in Pirkei Avot makes a comparison between the students of Avraham Avinu and those of Bilaam.

The students of Avraham stand out by עין טובה, רוח טובה, ונפש רחבה, a good eye, meaning a positive perspective, a good spirit, meaning being optimistic, and a wide soul, meaning a generous spirit. The opposite was true regarding the students of Bilaam.

Rabbi Twerski sees a very deep message here. It may have been true that had one met Avraham or Bilaam, these two individuals may have had the appearance of being important and impressive.

However, looks can be deceiving. The real test as to whom these people are, is reflected by their students. If their disciples are fine, upstanding, G-d fearing individuals, they are a reflection of their leader. Similarly, if they lack manners and decency and show bad character, it is proof that their mentor is only special in his appearance only.

Bilaam spoke as if he was very pious by repeatedly saying that he will act only according to what Hashem tells him. But if you look at those who identify with him, you can understand who Bilaam really is.

The students of Avraham Avinu continue to shine with their exemplary Midot and devotion to Torah and Chessed. We must remind ourselves that, “looks can be deceiving.”

Walk Humbly

The Haftarah for Parshat Balak is from the Book of Micha. There is a similar Pasuk there to the one in Devarim which asks what Hashem wants from us.

In Devarim, the emphasis is on יראת שמים, fear of G-d, and the general observance of all of the Mitzvot.

The parallel Pasuk in Micha says that Hashem asks of us, כי אם עשות משפט ואהבת חסד והצנע לכת עם אלוקיך, that we are to do justice and love acts of kindness, and walk humbly with Hashem.

It is interesting to note that this idea of צניעות, modesty or walking humbly with G-d is rarely mentioned in Scriptures. The Torah does emphasize humility in terms of ענוה, but צניעות, meaning modesty, is more of a rarity.

Oddly enough, Jimmy Carter, who was not the greatest friend of Israel, used this very Pasuk in his inaugural address. He set the bar pretty high when he began as president and failed. We must set the bar high as Jews and succeed, and truly “walk humbly with Hashem.”

Bad Choice-Bilaam

We are introduced to the evil Bilaam, by being told that the nations of the world complained to Hashem. They claimed that if they would have been given a great prophet like Moshe Rabbeinu, they might have accepted the Torah as well.

Therefore, they were given Bilaam, who was a great prophet in his own right. The question still remains that they could still have protested and said that they were given a רשע, evil person, who was not on Moshe’s level.

The answer to this is that they also could have chosen Moshe Rabbeinu. He was available to all who reached out to him. But the truth was that they were satisfied with the choice of Bilaam, and stuck with him, with all of his flaws.

Rabbi Twerski saw this as a hint to what we are witnessing today among our youth. They go to far off lands seeking the meaning of life. They often gravitate to Oriental religions as a substitute to Judaism. He asked whether these Oriental religions ever produced anyone as great as the Vilna Gaon, Baal Shem Tov, or Chafetz Chaim.

How tragic it is that these young people travel so far to seek treasures, when there is a gold mine right here at home!

Balak and Fake News

Rabbi Twerski makes an interesting observation about Parshat Balak. The Parsha begins with, וירא בלק, that Balak saw what Israel did to the Emori. Moshe had slain their king and annexed their territory.

He did not see that the Emori provoked Israel into war. Moshe Rabbeinu asked to peacefully pass through their land, and offered to cover any expenses incurred as they passed. They ignored these gestures and attacked Israel.

Balak did not see that Emori had started the war and wished to destroy Israel.

He twisted his report and made it out as if Israel was the aggressor and the poor Emori, were the victims of this aggression.

“Fake news” already began during the time of the Torah, where Israel always gets blamed when it is only defending itself. If we are victorious, it is used against us.

Balak’s biased reporting worked to the extent that Midyan, an enemy of Balak’s Moav, joined forces in order to stop Israel.

Rabbi Twerski ended his observation by pointing out that nothing has changed, and the only One Israel can rely on, is Hashem. And that’s all we need.

Power of Words

Shavua Tov-

Rav Shlomo Mann used the case of Bilaam cursing the Jewish people, as a warning against bad mouthing others.

We must be so careful with speech, and if we speak badly of others, we can bring great harm upon ourselves. Bilaam sealed his own fate, and he was slain by the sword as punishment for his evil intentions.

In Mishlei it’s written in 3:6, שומר פיו ולשונו שומר מצרת נפשו. King Solomon is making it very clear that one who guards his mouth and speech, protects himself from troubles of the soul. He is hinting to the fact that such negative speech, on a more mystical level, draws certain negative, destructive forces to him.

Sometimes a person can act in an improper manner. He is deserving of discipline from above. These higher forces might incite him to anger, that will lead to negative speech. At that point, he’s in big trouble.

Bilaam thought he could get away with cursing the Jewish people, and bring about their destruction. All of his curses did, was bring about his own demise.

The power of words, must never be taken lightly.

Power of Chessed

Moshe Rabbeinu was the first to conquer parts of the Land of Israel. He did this by personally doing battle with the giants, Sichon and Og. Upon his victory, their territories, some of which are known today as the Golan Heights, now belonged to the Jewish people.

When Moshe fought עוג, he needed special assurances from Hashem that he would be victorious. He was afraid that עוג had special merits, because he informed Avraham that Lot was taken captive.

This is pretty surprising when we consider that he had an ulterior motive. He was hoping that Avraham would die in battle, and he would marry Sara.

Nevertheless, עוג still gets credit for having done a meritorious act. The same is true when we perform the Mitzva of שכחה. We did not intend to give those particular stalks to the poor. It is only because of our forgetfulness that this meritorious act came into play.

Rabbi Twerski pointed out based on a Rashi and Midrash, that even if a person lost money, and it was found by a poor person, he is rewarded for having given צדקה.

We must remember that the donor of an act of charity, is the greater beneficiary of the Mitzva than the recipient. Moshe knew this and was concerned that עוג had an advantage over him. Hashem needed to tell him that it was time for the giant to fall.

Conquering Anger

The tragic story of Moshe Rabbeinu hitting the rock is in פרשת חוקת. There are many interpretations as to why Moshe was punished so severely, in being denied entry into Eretz Yisrael.

One of the interpretations involved Moshe’s inability to control his anger. A person of that stature should not have allowed himself to be overcome by this negative character trait.

The Ramban, in his famous letter to his son, known as אגרת הרמב״ן, tells him that the key to success in life, is to conquer anger. If he can do this, it will lead to many positive character traits. He will be able to achieve humility, because anger is a sign of the opposite of humility.

The angry person has the arrogance to feel that he doesn’t deserve to be treated a certain way. He shows this dissatisfaction by losing it and getting angry.

It is important to recognize the losses that come with anger. We end up saying things that we later regret, and the damage of these words, is often irreparable.

A person can lose his job by getting angry at his boss, and he can even lose his marriage by not being able to control his fits of rage.

A great deal has been written in our holy books on the subject. It takes a great deal of עבודת נפש, working on our souls, to overcome angry.

One way to start is to realize that the losses are so much greater than the gains. It’s just not worth it to hold on to this negative emotion.

The Torah is teaching us that Moshe paid a heavy price for his anger. We must avoid having to learn this the hard way. We must get to work right away at conquering anger.

Struggle for Torah

It is important to mention the classic teaching of the lesson learned from the positioning of words in the Torah.

The subject under discussion are the laws related to ritual purity for having come in contact with the dead. The emphasis is on the hidden message.

The Pasuk reads, זאת התורה אדם כי ימות, translated as, “This is the teaching connected to a person passing away.” Even though the continuation of the verse gives specific details related to such impurity, Chazal decided to end with those words, because of the importance of the message.

The homiletic license used by the Rabbis would explain the Pasuk as follows: This is the essence in acquiring Torah study. One must make great sacrifices (ימות) for it. Because it is so precious, one must go to great pains to merit the treasures found in Torah study.

It is not something that is meant to come easy. One must make it his absolute priority, and work hard with great diligence, to acquire its teachings.

But there really is a treasure that awaits the individual who delves into it. The rewards are immeasurable, but probably the greatest thing is how it gives a person perspective and peace of mind. He knows what is important and what is not. And he has a defined purpose in this world. It is definitely the most worthwhile pursuit one can have.

Take Stock of Ourselves

Another play on words from פרשת חוקת comes from the words, בואו חשבון. Literally these words mean to come to a place called חשבון.

Homiletically, the Torah is telling us to make a חשבון, or calculation as to how we are doing as observant Jews. There are many Mussar books that advise making daily self examinations as to our עבודת ה׳. We need to monitor our love and fear of Hashem, and take responsibility for valuable time wasted.

Rabbi Twerski spoke of how Western Civilization is into “seizing the pleasure of the moment,” without taking into account the price paid for momentary indiscretion. It is a kind of “buy now, pay later” mentality. If people thought a little more, they would not get into spiritual debt.

Pirkei Avot tells us, איזהו חכם? הרואה את הנולד. Who is wise? the one who takes into account the consequences of his actions.

This is the meaning of בואו חשבון, that we are constantly doing self checks, to be certain that we are on the right path in how we function as Jews and individuals.

Biblical Abortion

In addition to the Pasuk in פרשת נח that lets us know that abortion is murder, there is another similar Pasuk in פרשת חוקת.

In נח, murder is defined as שופך דם אדם באדם, the spilling of blood of a human, inside another human. This clearly refers to a mother carrying her baby, and killing it would be forbidden as one of the Seven Noachide Laws, that apply to both Jews and non-Jews.

In פרשת חוקת it is written, הנוגע במת בנפש אדם, which refers to becoming defiled by having come in contact with the dead. This Pasuk is telling us that if a tragedy occurs, and the fetus dies, and the mother becomes aware of this situation, the dead fetus causes the same defilement as being under the same roof with an actual corpse.

This painful case is described in מסכת חולין, where Rabbi Akiva quotes this second Pasuk and clarifies that טומאת אבל occurs even by an עובר במעי אשה, a fetus inside a woman.

As unpleasant as it is to raise this subject, it is important to be aware of biblical sources, as the subject of abortion has become a big news item subject to great debate.

Man Doesn’t Know That Much

Parshat חוקת begins with the discussion of the laws of the פרה אדומה, the Red Heifer. The Rabbis say that the mother cow comes to atone for the sin of the baby. This is a reference to the sin of the Golden Calf.

Rabbi Twerski has a unique explanation as to how the פרה אדומה atoned for חטא העגל. The Golden Calf was a misapplication of human logic. People thought they could figure things out, and it made sense to them that this form of worship was correct. The sin was giving too much credit to man’s ability to reason and make proper decisions. This warped thinking led to great suffering for the Jewish people.

The פרה אדומה was an atonement because it was impossible to understand its reason. It even alluded the wisest of all men, Shlomo Hamelech. The message here was to emphasize that man is incapable of devising a system of right and wrong. Only G-d can teach morality and what is right and wrong.

By the Golden Calf, there was a gross exaggeration of man’s ability to make such decisions. The פרה אדומה teaches that man is not that smart, and it would do him good, to submit without hesitation to Hashem and His holy Torah.

Jewish Unity

A final word about the saga with Korach. There is a Pasuk that says, ולא תהיה כקרח וכעדתו, that we must not be like Korach and his congregation.

The Torah is telling us how important it is to avoid divisiveness among our people. Rabbi Twerski that factionalism has forever been our undoing. This message should be so obvious, but is not emphasized enough.

The חפץ חיים was well known for his efforts to do everything possible to avoid מחלוקת, disagreements. There once was an effort by a group of individuals in his town of Radin, who wanted to create their own חברא קדישא, burial society.

The חפץ חיים was very upset about this, he made an impassioned plea to prevent this from happening. He said that all merit would be lost because of divisiveness. A separate חברא קדישא would harm the potential for Jewish unity. He would not allow this to happen.

It is quite shocking that such a basic concept as אחדות, unity, could allude so many people. We have witnessed the strength of the Jewish people when they are united. When this happens, power on earth has dominion over us.

The work that Chabad does is to be praised. They welcome Jews of all backgrounds without discrimination. I was recently told that the Chabad House in Boston does not even restrict the entry of non-Jews. As a result, the Chabad rabbi discovered many lost Jews that didn’t even know they were Jewish, had they not been welcomed to the Chabad House.

So much good could come to our people if we only found ways to be unified. Learning of Korach’s rebellion was meant to be one of those moments where the important subject of Jewish Unity would come up.

Stealing

A statement of Chazal suddenly flashed before me. In reference to the Flood, the Rabbis said that לא נחתמה גזר דינם אלא על הגזל, that the fate of the generation of the flood was sealed because of theft.

During my present stay in the United States, my children witnessed outright theft. They watched an individual walk into a store with a bag. He filled the bag with various items and walked out of the store without paying. Many watched, but nobody said a word.

In another incident, my daughter forgot her sunglasses in a cart for a very short time. When she came back, the glasses were stolen.

It is very frightening in view of the above mentioned Chazal, what the future brings to a society that condones stealing.

We say that the law of one פרוטה, a penny, is the same as a hundred. They say that it’s not a punishable offense unless the theft exceeds a certain amount.

Rabbi Twerski pointed out that the concept of “the pursuit of happiness,” is really misinterpreted to mean “the pursuit of pleasure.” There is a huge difference between happiness that comes from self indulgence, and happiness that comes from giving to others as we perform Mitzvot.

It is very upsetting to see the state of America today. So much of the reason for its decay is the lack of G-d and belief in Him, that is substituted for doing whatever feels good.

The real tip-off of the seriousness of the situation is גזל. If people paid attention to the words of our Sages, they would realize that tolerance of theft leads to disasters as great as the Flood!

Accepting Rebuke

Another interesting factor in the Korach episode was the initial reaction of Moshe Rabbeinu. The בעל התניא said that when the Torah tells us that Moshe fell on his face, he was actually doing some serious soul searching.

Despite the absurdity of the accusations against him, Moshe contemplated the possibility that maybe they were right. This was another example of his greatness. The typical reaction when one is accused of wrongdoing, is to respond with, “You’re not so perfect yourself.”

Often people criticize with malice and the criticism is not justified. Nevertheless, our own ego should not get the better of us, where we immediately dismiss the criticism as out of hand.

Moshe Rabbeinu is teaching us that we should still consider what is being hurled our way. If there is something in it that will make us better people, then we will still benefit from this unpleasantness.

This is why one of the forty-eight ways that we acquire Torah is אוהב את התוכחות, to love rebuke. And this can even apply when the rebuke comes from an unworthy person like Korach.

Feelings of Superiority

A further analysis of Korach’s behavior is necessary in order to understand how one’s distorted thinking can lead to very grave consequences.

It is interesting that Rabbeinu Yona, author of שערי תשובה, and lived during the thirteenth century, had an amazing insight into crooked thinking. Using one’s intellect, and not letting one’s emotions get the better of him, is usually the correct way to function in this world. It would have allowed Korach to recognize beyond a doubt, that Moshe Rabbeinu was the chosen leader of the Jewish people.

Rabbeinu Yona pointed out that there are people who try to compensate for their feelings of inadequacy and lack of worth, by thinking that they are superior to others. And when one thinks he is superior, he will seek honor. It all begins by failing to recognize that such feelings of superiority, really come from subconscious feelings of inferiority.

If someone had good feelings about himself, and accepted exactly who he is, without delusions, there would be no need to seek honor and recognition.

This was what led to Korach’s downfall. He allowed himself to believe that he was superior to Moshe, and he was deserving of honor. What a brilliant observation of human nature from Rabbeinu Yona, and what an important lesson this is for us.

The Danger of Envy

It is actually astounding that there could be any kind of rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu. There should have been no doubt that he was chosen by Hashem to be the leader of עם ישראל.

Many commentators point to the power of envy and how it causes a person to lose his ability to think logically. It is for this reason that in Pirkei Avot it’s written that קנאה תאווה כבוד מוציאין את האדם מן העולם, envy, lust, and honor seeking, remove a person from the world.

The passion of envy can remove all rational thought from an individual. Every individual must recognize just how damaging jealousy and envy can be.

The remedy is to constantly remind ourselves how fortunate we are to have what we have. We must learn to be שמח בחלקו, happy with our lot in life.

There will always be people that have more than us. But there will be many, many, more that have less. The story of Korach, the richest man in the world, shows how destructive envy can be. We must all learn to overcome it.