One Thing Leads to Another

The Torah gives a serious warning as to how one might get into a progression of one bad deed leading to the other.

Rashi emphasizes this by way of the order of events presented at the end of ויקרא. There is a warning to observe the Shmitta year and to have the faith that Hashem will provide for his financial needs. This is followed by one’s lust for money that will cause him to price gouge. As a punishment for his greed, he will first sell his movables, and then be forced to sell his field. Things could get so bad, that he might even be forced to sell himself into slavery, after being forced to take loans with interest.

Over the years, I have heard numerous stories, from a wide range of individuals, as to why they they stopped being observant. The recurring theme from many of these people, is that they really didn’t intend to stop observing. It just kind of happened.

Sometimes it was blamed on the army, where they gradually became lax in observance, because nobody else was doing it. The same story has happened to university students. Somehow they went along with the crowd, and before they knew it, one thing led to another, and their religious observance was no more.

I have also found that when people took the apparently trivial step of removing their Kippa in public, much more came off than the Jewish skullcap. The three pillars of Judaism, Shabbat, Kashrut, and Family Purity, all became compromised with the removal of the Kippa.

The realization must be that one thing leads to another. We must have a strong resolve not to compromise that which we hold dear. There are so many temptations that could lead us astray. We must not let this happen.

No Substitute for Hard Work

Rashi comments to the words, אם בחוקותי תשמורו, “If you will keep my statutes,” that we must be עמלים בתורה, “Striving for Torah.”

The message here is that we are not supposed to be passive in our observance of Mitzvot. We are to work hard and struggle to do the best that we can.

The Book of Job also has an interesting verse with the words, אדם לעמול יולד, “Man was born to struggle.” Life was never meant to be easy, and is filled with many challenges. We are to have the courage to meet these challenges, head on, without looking for short cuts.

This message of working hard and not looking for short cuts, is not only true in terms of how we serve G-d, but it is true in all aspects of life. The short cuts and lack of enthusiasm as to how we go about life will eventually come back to haunt us.

We play many roles in life, and the success of these roles, depends on how hard we work at it, and the love we put into it.

This is certainly true of marriage. From day one, we must be determined and driven to constantly see what can be done to improve the relationship. It cannot run on inertia. The relationship must be nurtured and there must always be good communication between spouses. This only comes about with love and hard work.

The same is true of parenting. Children can tell soon enough, just how devoted their parents are. As parents, we are given the task of instilling values in our children. If we don’t work hard and set the correct example, the results will not be what we hoped for.

This idea continues with the kind of children we are towards our parents. It demands that we respect and honor our parents, and care for them in their old age.

We must be devoted to our siblings and let them know we will always be there for them. And this is certainly true in our professions. We succeed with hard work and dedication and no short cuts.

Rashi, with his short little comment, tells us a great deal. We must take this to heart. As long as there is breath within us, we must struggle to do our best.

Taking Interest

The prohibition against the taking of interest, is viewed as a very severe violation of the Torah. The damage is not seen immediately, but in the long run, the recipient of a loan with interest, may never get out of debt.

This idea is seen in Pirkei Avot, where there are parallel positive and negative characteristics are mentioned.

There is the idea of a good neighbor and bad neighbor. A good friend and a bad friend, where one must always choose towards the good.

After this, there is another pair of good and bad. The good is רואה את הנולד, to always look ahead and see the consequences of our actions. The negative side of this is לווה ואינו משלם, taking a loan without having the ability to pay back this loan. This is very much connected to the prohibition of taking interest.

There are many instances where an individual gets deeply in debt, and goes on a spree where he continuously borrows from one to pay the other. The problem is even greater when interest is added to each loan. It becomes a bottomless pit of debt.

The Torah understood this reality, and, at least, tried to ease the burden by at least making it clear, that taking interest is out of the question.

Money-The Real Test of Religion

There is a classic question asked about the first Pasuk in Parshat Behar. The Parsha begins by telling us that the laws of the Sabbatical year was given on Mount Sinai. The question was, weren’t all laws given on Sinai?

Rashi explains the Torah specifies Shmitta, the year when loans are forgiven, as the example of a law given on Sinai. Just like Shmitta was given on Mount Sinai, so, too, were all Mitzvot given on Sinai.

The question still remains as to why, specifically, Shmitta is chosen as an example of a Mitzva given on Sinai. There is an important lesson to be learned here about how we observe Judaism.

It is relatively easy to represent ourselves as observant Jews. It is not that difficult to find kosher food, and Shabbat observance has become easier.

The real test of one’s religiosity is in his wallet. There are requirements to give ten per cent of our income to charity. We are not allowed to overcharge in our business dealings. We must act scrupulously in keeping our word, and acting in a totally honest manner. We are expected to purchase religious items such as Tefillin of excellent quality.

All of these examples require that we have the faith to realize that these expenditures are worthwhile. We can certainly save a lot if we weren’t given these expectations.

For many, this aspect of Judaism might be the most difficult. There can be numerous excuses why we cannot give charity. People are simply attached to their money.

The Shmitta laws teach that we must put our faith in G-d for our sustenance. Not only are loans forgiven in the seventh year, but fields must be left fallow as well.

It is not by chance that Shmitta was chosen as an example of a law given at Sinai. There is a very foundational lesson to be learned. We must have absolute faith in Hashem, especially when it comes to money.

Fairness in Business

This week we read the double Parshas of בהר-בחוקותי, which concludes the third book of the Torah, ויקרא. Parshat Behar contains many laws related to business transactions.

We are introduced to the concept of אונאה, that could be translated as price gouging. There are two types of monetary transactions. One is related to selling land, or קרקע, and the other, movable items known as מטלטלים.

There is a principle related to real estate, אין אונאה בקרקע. This means that according to Jewish Law, there are no restrictions on land deals. The seller may earn large profits, because the buyer sees what he is getting. It is assumed that he did his due diligence, and it is worth it to him, to pay well above the market price.

This is not the case with movable items. Here, we apply the principle of שתות, that is loosely translated as one sixth profit. In other words, we must be mindful of the retail price that is acceptable in the marketplace. We are not allowed to earn a profit of more than one sixth of this price.

If it is discovered that an individual was overcharged above this amount, he can cancel the deal and get his money back. This is called a מקח טעות, or mistaken deal.

It is also interesting to note that precautions were made in Talmudic times, to protect the consumer. It was decreed that the transfer of money to acquire something, was not sufficient to close a deal. There was a concern that once the seller received his money, he would not care for the merchandise he had not yet delivered. If he told the purchaser, that all was lost in a fire, the buyer had no recourse.

The Rabbis made a decree that the goods needed to be delivered before payment was made. This created a better method for buying and selling movable items.

The source for such transactions, comes from פרשת בהר. It is fascinating to study the Talmud to see how a fair business system was set up, based on the principles of the Torah.

Honesty At All Costs

The Orchot Tzaddikim speaks of many positive and negative character traits. There is a chapter on arrogance and another on humility. There is another combination of love and hate. And another about generosity and miserliness.

It is interesting that the subjects of truth, “Emet,” and falsehood, “Sheker,” comes near the end of the book. It appears that the author is leading up to these traits. One must first work on his character in these other areas mentioned, before getting to truth and falsehood.

One of the parting addresses of one of my beloved rabbis, as we graduated and entered the rabbinate, was surprising at the time. We were waiting for some pearls of wisdom from our saintly rabbi.

Rabbi Selig Starr taught three generations of students, and learned a great deal about life.

He simply told us, “Never tell a lie, not even a white lie.”

There was some disappointment that we received such a simple and obvious message. But now that more than forty years has passed since that talk, the realization has set in, as to the depth and brilliance of that simple idea.

Truth at all costs, and never telling a lie, is, unfortunately, not cherished by very many people. There are not enough people in this world whose priority is to be careful with their words. This applies to integrity in business matters as well.

It is very frustrating when there is so much Sheker in the world. We do not trust the media or politicians, and we simply do not know who we can believe.

It is understandable why the Orchot Tzaddikim chose to emphasize the importance of Emet and the dangers of Sheker. Clearly, this lesson must be desperately learned in this chaotic world.

Marrying a Kohein

Another method of deriving Torah laws is the concept of Kal Vachomer. This is a type of logic known as a fortiori reasoning. If something light is true, then it would certainly apply to the more severe.

An example of קל וחומר would be that if something was forbidden on Yom Tov, it would certainly be forbidden on Shabbat. This is because, the penalty connected to Shabbat violation is more severe than Yom Tov violation.

A more complex Kal Vachomer would be how it is learned that a Kohein may not marry a Jewish girl who had relations with a non-Jew.

The reasoning is as follows: at the time of the Torah, a daughter of a Kohein who had such relations, was disqualified for life, for ever being allowed to eat the sanctified food designated for Kohanim, known as Teruma.

A daughter of a Kohein, who was married to a non-Kohein, is not allowed to eat Teruma, as long as she is married. If she is childless and divorced, she may go back to her father’s house, and eat Teruma again. However, since she is a divorcee, she may not ever marry a Kohein, as a Kohein is forbidden to a divorcee.

The קל וחומר would then be, that if a divorcee, the daughter of a Kohein, who is allowed to eat Teruma, but is not allowed to marry a Kohein, then certainly (קל וחומר) a daughter of a Kohein who is disqualified from eating Teruma, may not marry a Kohein.

Two examples were thus given as to what Kal Vachomer means. One example was light, and one was more heavy, or complex.

Ten for a Minyan

There are thirteen methods used to derive various laws of the Torah. There is a daily morning prayer in the name of Rabbi Yishmael, where he lists these various method.

All of these methods were given on Mount Sinai, and were passed on from generation to generation.

An example of such a derivation is in the form of a גזירה שוה. This refers to numerous situations where a connection is made by the use of the same word in two different places.

The word, “תוך״,” meaning, “in the midst of, is found in connection with the ten brothers of Yosef. The Pasuk says that the sons of Yisrael were “בתוך” those arriving in Egypt.

The word, “תוך” was also used in this week’s Parsha, when it said, ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל, “I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel.”

This גזירה שוה is the source for the need of ten men to make a Minyan.

Words of sanctification, such as Kaddish and Kedusha, can only be said with a quorum of ten men. This would be an example of an Halachic Gezera Shave.

There are also examples of Aggadic Gezera Shaves, that help us understand the narrative and deeper meanings of the Torah.

As one delves deeper into his Torah study, he learns to appreciate that the Torah is the absolute book of truth.

Kindness to Animals

Parshat Emor has sixty-three of the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah. Only Parshat Ki-tetze, has more, with seventy-four. While the main topics are the rules for Kohanim, and the proper observance of the festivals, other subjects are also included.

There are two laws that involve our treatment of animals. The Sefer Hachinuch makes the point that we cannot truly know the reasons for the commandments. Specifically, treating animals with dignity, seems to be a priority of the Torah. The Chinuch agrees that such care is laudable. But if we were really kind to animals, we wouldn’t eat them! This is why we don’t know the true intended reason.

The two laws are אותו ואת בנו, that we may not slaughter the mother and offspring on the same day, and that an animal must be at least eight days old before slaughtering.

Included in the law of “mother and offspring,” is the prohibition of not doing the slaughtering when the mother can see it taking place. This certainly seems to be a gesture of compassion.

It is an interesting fact that calves do not nurse for a very long time and are weaned very early. The Torah still gives the mother seven days before taking her baby from her. Another possible act of compassion, to show that we must not be cruel to animals.

The Chinuch reminds us that this is speculation, for the depth and wisdom of the Torah belongs only to G-d.

The High Priest

The position of Kohein Hagadol, High Priest, is very fascinating. Aharon was the first Kohein Gadol, and he was followed by his son, Elazar.

This position was passed on from father to son, provided that they were worthy. Other than the Second Temple era, the High Priest did maintain very high personal standards.

In all of Jewish History, there was a little over 1300 years that the Temples or Mishkan were functioning. This means that there was about 300 years where this special role was abused. Shimon Hatzaddik was High Priest for forty years, and Yochanan served for eighty years during the Second Temple. The remaining 300 years had no less than 300 High Priests in that occupation. These were the ones who were unworthy.

During the thousand years that the Kohein Hagadol was fitting for his job, they fulfilled the requirements as explained in the Torah. They needed to be extremely righteous and holy, to be able to enter the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur.

He was also qualified to wear the eight garments earmarked for him. Among them was the Choshen Mishpat, the breastplate. It contained the Urim Ve’tumim, that revealed G-d’s intentions in the world.

He needed to possess five special qualities. He needed to be handsome, wealthy, wise, possess physical strength, and be older in years.

The most important aspect of his position, was his officiating the Yom Kippur service. He was awake all night, and worked the entire day offering sacrifices. He uttered the holy Name of G-d, in order to achieve atonement for the Jewish people.

There is a description of the radiance of the face of the Kohein Hagadol as he successfully left the Holy Holies unscathed on Yom Kippur. May we merit seeing that radiant face in our lifetimes.

Holy Kohanim

This week, we read פרשת אמור. It contains the special rules that apply to the Kohanim, and how they are to be treated.

In Temple times, they had a larger role to fulfill, as they were responsible for Temple service. They also needed to be available to receive their twenty-four gifts, as enumerated in the Torah. The most common gift was Teruma, where they received a portion of one’s harvest. They also received Bikurim, the first fruits, and others that were mainly related to sacrifices.

Technically, there are still animals, or parts of animals that belong to the Kohein today. The first born male Kosher animal belongs to him. Similarly, the זרוע לחיים וקיבה, the limbs, cheek bone, and parts of innards, also belong to the Kohein. These are not given as it involves issues of purity and impurity.

The one gift that a Kohein does receive today are the five silver coins he receives for Pidyon Haben. (I usually give them back as a gift to the first born baby.)

There are other laws that make being a Kohein, a special privilege. The Torah says, regarding a Kohein, וקדשתו, that he should be sanctified. He gets called to the Torah first, leads the Bircat Hamazon, and is supposed to be offered the first portion, when food is distributed.

In Israel, the Priestly blessing is recited 450 times. Outside of Israel, around ten times.

Because of the Kohein’s special spiritual role, he has other restrictions. To maintain his sanctity, he must not come in contact with the dead or visit cemeteries. He also has restrictions as to who he is allowed to marry.

Now that we know these details regarding the Kohein, special care needs to be taken to show respect for “the sons of Aaron.” And the Kohanim, themselves, should behave in a way that makes them worth of such respect.

Truth and Peace

It is a well known principle in Judaism that in order to achieve Shalom, peace, there must be Emet, truth alongside it. This is a true on a national level, but especially true on a personal level.

It is necessary that one must distance himself from all types of falsehood. This a verse in the Torah that verifies this with the words, מדבר שקר תרחק, urging every Jew to stay away from lies.

King Solomon made this point numerous times in the Book of Mishlei. He made it clear that Hashem, Himself, despises lies and falsehood. He said that he would forfeit great wealth rather than accept such dishonesty and deception.

Courage is required to be prepared to admit that specific individuals who have been a part of our lives, are not what they pretend to be. This can even include relatives that try to pass themselves off as loyal and caring, when it is not truthful. These are the most difficult situations when we realize that the best thing for us is to cut off ties with the insincere, that really want to harm us.

There are even morning prayers where we ask for Divine help that we succeed in being able to stay far away from bad people, bad neighbors and bad friends.

Looking at truthfulness may not be easy, but it will ultimately lead to real peace. Honesty is the best policy, and through it, we will be able to attach ourselves to holiness and all that is good in the world.

Righteous Israelis

There are certain instances in a person’s life, when his slate is cleaned of all his previous sins. The wedding day is such an example, when there is a fresh start.

The Torah also gives people a new start when the Sabbatical year arrives. All debts are forgiven, which allows a person to get out of financial difficulties.

There is reference to the fresh start that one is given when he moves to Israel from Parshat Kedoshim. The positioning of a verse that speaks of atoning for a specific sin, is adjacent to the verse that speaks of, “when you shall enter the Land.”

The Rabbis derive from these two verses that one who lives in Israel, will achieve atonement for all previous iniquities. There is another reference that implies that one who lives here, is a Tzaddik.

This is derived from the double mentioning of the words, “And the Land shall not vomit you out.” Those who are not worthy are not tolerated by this holy place, and they do not achieve the special merit of being able to live in Israel.

We must repeat regularly that we are so blessed to have been given the gift of the State of Israel. And those of us that live here, need to constantly give thanks that they are able to be part of this Jewish dream.

Democracy and Torah

We learned this week of the Torah’s commandment of וחי בהם, that we are to live by the Mitzvot and not die by them. This is a source for the concept of פיקוח נפש, that if there is danger to an individual’s physical well being, he may violate the Torah obligation. For example, Shabbat may be transgressed if someone needs to be taken to the hospital.

The Talmud in Sanhedrin, tells of a significant meeting in the town of Lod, where members of the highest ruling body, the Sanhedrin, had an important vote. The issue discussed was whether or not they should establish exceptions to the rule that other laws may be violated as well, if one’s life is threatened.

It is interesting that such an important matter came to a vote. The decision on that historic day was that in three matters, one must allow himself to be killed rather than transgress. These include, murder, idol worship, and sexual immorality.

Based on this ruling, countless numbers of Jews gave their lives, sanctifying the Name of G-d. The Rabbis established by a vote, and were given this authority by the Torah from Mount Sinai. The reverse, חילול ה׳, the desecration of G-d’s Name, is the most difficult sin to achieve atonement. This applies in these three areas, if one does not sacrifice his life.

Judaism does support the idea of democracy and the majority rule. This held true when a great deal was at stake.

Nevertheless, the Torah and democracy part ways if there is an attempt to change basic principles of ethics and morality. Hashem, Himself, has the final word in these areas. We must never forget this.

Religious Jews Are Not Deprived

Parshat Kedoshim begins with the words, קדושים תהיו, “Be holy.” The Rabbis comment on this by saying, קדש עצמך במותר לך, “Sanctify yourself with what is permitted.”

Many believe that when one chooses to live the life of an observant Jew, he is depriving himself of many of the joys of life. This statement of the Rabbis, proves the contrary.

The Rambam in Hilchot Deot makes this point very clearly. He wrote that it would almost be sinful not to partake of worldly pleasures. The goal is to elevate and sanctify them.

For example, it is strongly recommended to marry and fall in love. A religious couple learn to express their love in different ways. When the laws of Family Purity are observed, the times when a physical bond is permitted, it is considered a holy union.

We are allowed to partake of delicious food. We only need to be certain that this food is kosher. We add additional sanctity to our food, by making a blessing, before and after partaking of this food.

There is nothing wrong with living in a beautiful house. We make our house a home, by putting Mezuzot on our doors. We make it a special home by welcoming guests, and creating an atmosphere of warmth and love.

This is what is meant by sanctifying oneself with what is permitted. Religious Jews do not feel deprived. They learn to take even mundane activities, and add some Godliness to it.

A student once came to me the morning after learning this valuable lesson. He told me that when he brushed his teeth that morning, he did it with the intention of having a fresh and clean mouth. This would be the respectful way for him to say his morning prayers. He got the message.

G-d, Woke, and Morality

We are living in very tumultuous times. The representation of truth and morality, has very different extremes. The “woke” culture, borders on nothing less than insanity. Everyone has their own definition of right and wrong.

Some believe that “if it feels good, it must be right.” Others believe that as long as it’s not racist, it is probably okay. And still others would say that one’s view must reflect democratic principles. What remains, is a chaotic situation.

The Al-mighty G-d, in His abundant wisdom, recognized the need to give His version of right, truth, and morality, in His book, known as the Bible. Because of His perfection, these principles were meant for all time. They could not be undone by a democratic vote, that passed laws deciding on a “new morality.”

The arrogance or ignorance that allows people to believe that they could be more compassionate than G-d, is astounding. The rules laid out by G-d for all mankind, are not necessarily easy to follow, but they are right.

We are witnessing what happens to a world that has no such yardstick. People have shown that they are capable of believing the absurd to be right. When G-d gave the Jewish people the Torah, He warned that if it was not observed, the world would return to תהו ובוהו, the chaotic state before creation.

Many people are down on religion, because of those who pervert it. A tremendous number of deaths have occurred in the name of religion. And there are many turned off to religion, because it was misrepresented, or “stuffed down their throats.”

Despite all of that, we must remember that the Torah is perfect. Those who practice it, are not.

Like it or not, as Jews, we pray and believe that the day will come when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.” Perhaps the world first needs to hit rock bottom before we get there. Sadly, we are almost there.

Army of Hashem

It is not a coincidence that the double Parshiot of Acharei-Mot- Kedoshim follow Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. If we translate the names of these two Torah portions, it means that after death, they are holy.

Some explain this to mean that only after a person dies, does it become revealed, how holy and great they were. We are often surprised and even ashamed, that it took someone’s death, for us to realize just how special they were.

This cannot be overstated when we remember the heroes who gave their lives, so that we can have a homeland. Rav Nachman Kahane often mentions that we should see the army uniform of an IDF soldier, as having the same sanctity as the priestly garments of the Temple.

The common factor between the two is that both the Jewish soldier, sanctify the Name of G-d. There can be no greater sanctity than being prepared to die for the sake of one’s Jewishness.

I believe it was the Lubavitcher Rebbe who was once asked the following question by one of his disciples. The question was regarding his custom of visiting the graves of Tzaddikim, to ask for their blessing. His problem was that he was in Eilat, and there were no known graves of the righteous there, as he would normally find in Tzfat, Tiberias, or Jerusalem.

The Rebbe suggested that he should go to the military cemetery in Eilat. These fallen soldiers had similar sanctity, as they died sanctifying the Name of G-d.

Chabad always had a slogan saying, “we are the army of Hashem.” The fact that we have a real army of brave, proud, Jewish soldiers, is also the fulfillment of a Jewish dream. It is a symbol that our long and bitter exile is coming to an end. There is a new spirit and a new hope that the Redemption is near. All we need to do, is open our eyes, and we will see it. G-d willing, great things are ahead for the Jewish people.

Loving the Land

There is such an amazing contrast today, in terms of how Jews of all backgrounds, view the State of Israel. Israel’s Independence Day, is a day of reflection and appreciation.

Part of the celebrations in Israel, involve an air show, sponsored by the IDF. Fighter jets fly over the parks all over the country, where families are enjoying their barbecue picnic. Any Jew who is not moved and filled with a sense of pride, when these jets fly overhead, does not understand Jewish history. It is a clear statement that maybe in the past it was okay to persecute the Jews, but today, “You better not mess with the Jews.” We have come home, and we feel Divine protection both spiritually and physically.

The inability to grasp the miracles that take place daily, and literally seeing the Hand of G-d, means that either that individual is highly ignorant or blind.

Those of us who are blessed with the fulfillment of the Jewish dream, of living in Israel, must never take this for granted. Rabbi David Magence, in his book, “Magen Banim,” tells the story of a Rabbi Binyamin Leon.

Rabbi Leon pointed out that living in Israel is not only the fulfillment of a dream, but it is also the fulfillment of one of the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah. He, therefore, composed a prayer, that he vowed to recite every day, for the remainder of his life. Here is a part of that prayer: “May it be Your will, our G-d and the G-d of our fathers, that You help me to honor Your holy name, and cherish the Land of Israel with all my heart, at all times, at every hour, and every moment. May I be perpetually joyful in dwelling within the Land, with great longing for her, as one who longs for his mother. I express my appreciation that I have been able to enter the place which Moses and Aaron could not enter.”

This prayer demonstrates that their are those who deeply cherish our one and only Jewish homeland. This gap between those who lack this appreciation and those who are passionate in their love for this Land, should no longer exist. Every Jew should wake up and come home and join his 7.15 million Jewish brethren, in our miraculous State of Israel. Chag Atzmaut Sameach!

Acknowledge the Miracle of Israel

It is very difficult to understand how Jews worldwide fail to appreciate the miracle that is the State of Israel. It is even more difficult to understand how many religious Jews lack that same appreciation.

It has been said that when one stands next to a mountain, he is unable to see how high it is. The days of Yom Hazikaron, where we remember our fallen soldiers, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, are meant as a time of reflection. We acknowledge the sacrifice that was necessary in the creation of the State. And we should be filled with awe and amazement of what has transpired over the last seventy-five years. We say the Hallel prayer to praise Hashem for making this miracle come into fruition.

Who could have imagined that in such a relatively short time, that out of the ashes of Auschwitz, there could emerge a Jewish homeland of over seven million Jews? Israel has taken its place among the nations, and is a leader in so many areas.

What might be the most amazing, is the return of so many to their Jewish roots. The number of Yeshivot, and the amount of Torah learning, has not been seen since the period of the Second Temple.

This lack of acknowledgement can only be attributed to blindness and a bit of stubbornness. Some dismiss these great fulfillments of prophecy, by rationalizing that the country is still not religious enough. And some feel justified that they will only be convinced that this is part of a Divine plan, when the Mashiach comes.

It is interesting to note that as far back as 1962, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, bemoaned the fact that religious Jews in America were not willing to align themselves with Religious Zionism.

In an address at a Mizrachi convention, he made a very direct request of the religious community. He said that it was clear that he was constantly approached with requests to render Halachic decisions, on a wide range of subjects. He said that if he could be trusted to decide difficult matters of Halacha, he should be trusted when he says that all religious Jews should be Zionists and do everything possible to strengthen the State of Israel.

This appears to be, without a doubt, the right thing to do. Israel is an incredible gift from G-d. We longed for it for nearly two thousand years. Now that this dream has come true, we must embrace it and cherish it, and appreciate it with all our hearts.

Proper Speech

When we discuss the illness known as צרעת, or leprosy, it is always connected with the subject of Lashon Hara, evil speech. This is explained as the number one cause of the biblical leprosy.

We must never underestimate the power of speech. A great deal has been written on the subject in the Torah and in Scriptures. The Rabbis also repeatedly warned about guarding our tongue.

The well known phrase, “sticks and stones may break my bones,” is not a Jewish belief. Judaism believes that words can be more harmful in the long term, than being physical harm. The damage from insults and slander can last a lifetime.

The Rambam identifies three categories of forbidden speech. The first is called, רכילות, or gossiping. This refers to things said about another person that are true, but could still be harmful.

The second type of forbidden speech is Lashon Hara. The Rambam defines this type of talk as also being true. But in this case the speech tells of negative things about another individual. This is obviously going to hurt that person.

The final category is known as מוציא שם רע, bringing a bad name. In this case, the things spoken are lies against that person. It becomes difficult to disprove such damaging falsehoods.

One must be careful not to listen to such negative speech. If the slanderer does not have an audience to listen to him, he will not speak so negatively.

If the Torah lets us know how such speech can cause the serious illness of leprosy, we should take greater care with how we speak.

The solution is to realize the value of silence, or not speaking at all. The sign of a wise man, is how carefully, he chooses his words. The sign of a fool, is one who just speaks on and on, and does not think about the consequences of his speech. Every now and then, we need to be reminded about our speech. It is too easy to forget how important this is. We cannot take back our words.