The Synagogue

The attempt of Bilaam to curse the Jewish people, was not successful. All of his curses turned into blessings. The Talmud clarifies this by telling us that the curses did not come true at that time, but they did come true at a later time. He intended for the Divine Presence to leave Israel, and it eventually left Israel. His curse that the land should not produce, and that Jewish kings should not reign, all came true, later on in history.

The only curse that never came true was the one that wished that there would no longer be functioning synagogues, among the Jewish people. Thankfully, the synagogue always played an important role in Jewish life, throughout our history.

Rabbi Berel Wein spoke of our survival during our long and painful exile. When Jews needed to relocate to a new location, their success in their new dwelling, depended on their priorities. If the first thing they did was establish a synagogue as the central point, they would survive, and even flourish. When the priority was the material first, and spirituality later, it did not always end well.

The synagogue continues to play many roles in Jewish life. Aside from being a house of prayer, it is also a house of study. Torah study always needs to be maintained, and the “Shule,” is the place where this is done.

The synagogue also serves as a place of gathering. The community meets there to discuss the needs of that community. And it is also the place where the happy moments in life are celebrated. Bar and Bat Mitzvas take place there, as well as a Brit.

The synagogue gives Jews a sense of belonging and unity. It is clear how important it has been for us throughout history, and why Hashem did not allow Bilaam’s curse to apply to our sacred synagogues.

Just Do It

The Gemara in Masechet Sota teaches that it is even okay for an individual to be involved with Torah not for the sake of Heaven. For even if he does this with the wrong intent, it will lead to the correct intent.

This idea is learned from Balak. He offered forty-two sacrifices with the intent of finding favor with G-d, so that he could curse the Jewish people. You can’t have any worse intent than this.

Nevertheless, he was blessed to have Ruth the Moabitess, descend from him. King David and King Solomon descended from her, and the Mashiach, will also descend from this line.

Shlomo Hamelech rectified the insincere nature of Balak’s sacrifices, by offering one thousand sacrifices. He did this on the day of the dedication of the Temple that he built. There is even a Midrash that says that Ruth was still alive when Shlomo reigned. He even had a throne set up for her, near his own throne.

Sometimes people have difficulties in motivating themselves to do Mitzvot. Their Yeitzer Hara may play tricks on them, that takes away their enthusiasm. We need to push ourselves to go to Shule to pray with a Minyan. We need to get ourselves involved with Torah study and classes. Even if it does not start out for the right reasons, it eventually will lead to the right reasons.

Surprisingly, we learn this from Balak. He was far from sincere and was still rewarded. This is what is meant by the saying:

מתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה.

That which began not for the sake of Heaven, will be for the sake of Heaven.

Uniqueness of the Jewish People

Among the numerous blessings that Bilaam ended up giving the Jewish people, there was one that stood out. This is where he praised Israel as being, “A nation that dwells alone.” He is acknowledging the uniqueness of Am Yisrael, and how they stand alone among the nations.

The Rabbis explain this further by saying that when Israel rejoices, the nations of the world are sad. And when Israel mourns, they rejoice.

The Rabbis enacted certain decrees to be certain that the Jewish people not lose their special character. They must not assimilate among the nations. They wanted to prevent social interaction between Jews and non-Jews.

They were allowed to interact economically and politically, but not socially.

For this reason, there were prohibitions against drinking wine handled by Gentiles. There were similar edicts involving their bread, milk and cheese, as well as food cooked by a non-Jew, even if all the ingredients are kosher.

We must appreciate the uniqueness of the Jewish people. We have a special role to play in the world. We must teach the world morality, and all that is good. We do this by being, “a nation that dwells apart.”

Make Correct Choices

There is a lesson learned by Bilaam’s persistence to go against Hashem’s wishes, and attempt to curse the Jewish people. It seems crazy that someone would have the audacity to go against the King of the Universe!

The Talmud in Masechet Makot, comments on this phenomenon. We are told that the path that a person chooses to take, is where he will be led.

If one chooses the path of righteousness, he will be helped from Above, to achieve this goal. He will have holy people become part of his life, to help in his quest to get closer to G-d.

On the other hand, if one seeks wealth and fame, as Bilaam did, he will also be led in that direction. If his motivation is selfish, this will not end well. Either he will hit insurmountable snags on the way, or he will be given the wealth that he seeks. However, this wealth will torment him, and give him no rest. He will be suspicious of everyone that they are after his money, and he will learn that money does not buy happiness.

This is the main explanation of free will. We make the choice as to the direction we wish to take in life. We will be led in the direction of that decision, good or bad. In Bilaam’s case, it certainly did not end well for him.

Balak- Not Fake

The question was asked as to why we would name a Parsha of the Torah after a רשע, evil person. Balak, the King of Moav, was clearly an enemy of the Jewish people. He wanted to destroy Am Yisrael, and he somehow merits having a Parsha in his name.

The מעינה של תורה, also known as, “ Wellsprings of Torah,” brings a very important and practical explanation. Balak deserves some credit for making his feelings known. He did not try to cover up his animosity for the Jewish people, and we appreciate that.

One of life’s biggest challenges is learning to be able to see through people. We get hurt the most by those who pretend to love us, but later stab us in the back.

This is particularly difficult for children, who are innocent and trusting. Having manipulative and controlling parents, who claim to be doing everything because of their love for their child, can be very confusing. It may take a long time to realize that it isn’t true love they are getting, but a desire to dominate and dictate how to live, when the child’s true desire for happiness is put down.

The word “love” can be a highly dangerous word. If we assume the person using this word, means what he says, we might fall into a trap. Eventually, it becomes clear if this love is true. We see this by a person’s actions, not by his words, if this really is love. But it is so hard to know, because people are so good at being fake.

This is why we give Balak a little recognition. At least we knew where we stood with this guy. This is not something small. How much better life would be if we knew the truth about everyone with whom we come in contact.

Then and Now

The story of Balak and Bilaam is fascinating from the aspect that it is prophetic of the future. Much of what took place then, is occurring in our times.

The Baal Haturim wrote of how envious the nations of the world were of Israel. It was not only the miracles that took place, with the sun standing still for Moshe Rabbeinu, and his conquering the giants, Sichon and Og, and taking their territories.

They saw how Israel saw great success in all of its endeavors. They saw that Israel possessed men of great wisdom, and they clearly saw how the G-d of Israel was with them.

This filled these nations with great fear and awe of Israel. It even led to two archenemies, Moav and Midyan, to make peace. Perhaps they would be able to neutralize Israel’s power, if they worked together.

We are witnessing similar phenomena today. Israel is both respected and hated for its incredible success. It is known that there are outstanding minds leading the world in science and technology. And more importantly, leading in Torah, and in teaching morality, to an upside down world.

Despite the dominance of a secular, leftist media, Israel is growing by leaps and bounds, in spirituality. Only blind scoffers are unable to see the guidance of the Al-mighty. He neither sleeps nor slumbers, in His protection of His chosen people.

This script that played before in Bilaam’s time, is happening again in our time. It did not end well for Bilaam. The world must never forget his own words, when he realized too late, that “Those who bless us will be blessed. And those who curse us, will be cursed.”

Fences

The Orchot Hatziddikim makes a very important point about human nature and knowing oneself.

The Torah gives many restrictions as to how one should conduct oneself. The Rabbis often include such safeguards, as they have a good understanding of basic human weaknesses.

We are speaking here of another aspect needing emphasis. That is, there are people who have stronger than average lusts in certain areas. These people might need to take upon themselves additional fences, to keep themselves in check.

Typically, one might have a stronger than average drive when it comes to sexual urges. There could be a problem controlling anger, or the pursuit of money.

In situations such as these, one must go beyond the letter of the law, and add additional restrictions upon himself, even more than is laid down in the Torah and the Rabbis.

This involves a constant awareness of such weaknesses, and a serious desire to overcome them.

This is another example of how studying books of Mussar, can help us in so many ways. Self improvement never end. We can all use help in getting there.

Ingratitude

After the death of Aharon, the people began complaining again. This time, their focus was on being tired of eating the Manna, and they called it, “לחם הקלוקל,” that is loosely translated as “miserable food.”

This particular complaint was incredibly ridiculous. This “food from Heaven,” that was sustaining them throughout their years in the desert, was magical. It could taste like anything they thought of, and it was fully absorbed by all 248 limbs of the body. There was not even a need to eliminate wastes, as there was no waste.

The Talmud in Masechet Avoda Zara, tells us that Moshe Rabbeinu reprimanded the people as כפויי טובה, ingrates. How dare they speak badly about such a generous gift? It’s Bracha was, המוציא לחם מן השמים, that Hashem drew out bread from the Heaven.

Ingratitude, is a horrible personality trait. It represents an attitude that everything I have, I deserve. Such an individual only sees himself and cannot get over that feeling of entitlement.

The Orchot Tzaddikim reminds us that we must remember that we deserve nothing. Everything we possess, is a gift from Hashem. We are owed nothing.

It is so important that we be able to appreciate and cherish what we have, rather than what we don’t have. This attitude allows us to be positive, upbeat people, rather than bitter, negative people. The bread was not miserable. It was miraculous and wonderful.

Evil Disguised

After the death of Aharon, the ענני הכבוד, clouds of glory, no longer protected the Jewish people. They had been there for forty years in the desert, in the merit of Aharon.

The Torah tells us that וישמע הכנעני, that the Canaanite heard. This means that they heard of the lack of protection and vulnerability of Am Yisrael. Rashi tells us that in actuality, they were Amalekites pretending to be Canaanites, in order to catch Israel off guard.

Thankfully, after Israel made a vow of loyalty to Hashem, they were victorious in their battle against Canaan/Amalek. There was a great lesson to be learned here.

We have an ongoing battle with evil in our lives. We must constantly be on guard in its efforts to infiltrate. Sometimes it pretends to be someone else. Other times, it plays with our minds and causes confusion.

This is exactly what Amalek tries to do. The numerical value of the word, “עמלק,” is “ספק,” meaning, doubt. We become unsure of ourselves when Amalek, or Ayin Hara, or Yeitzer Hara, come to entice and confuse us.

These are all forms of evil that are cunning and deceptive. We must be aware of individuals who have allowed themselves to fall to such a point, where they wish harm on others. We must not allow such people to be a part of our lives.

We see how the Amalekites that were complete evil, tried to do this to Israel. They saw weakness and tried to pounce on it. We must be victorious over our Amalekites in our lives, just as the Jewish people were in the desert.

Moshe’s Anger

The Torah describes the sin of Moshe Rabbeinu when he hit the rock, instead of speaking to it. Most commentators go with the text, and felt that Moshe did not sanctify the Name of G-d by not fulfilling His command.

But there is also an opinion that says that Moshe’s real sin was that he gave in to anger. He should not have said, שמעו נא המורים, “Listen you rebellious people.” The emphasis from this story is to show how detrimental כעס, or anger, can be to an individual.

In the Iggeret Haramban, the Ramban’s famous letter to his son, he emphasizes this point.

This was fatherly advice to a young son going off into the world. He told his son that the key to finding success in the world, is the ability to remove anger, from his personality.

He even equated anger with Gehinnom, or hell. The reference to both anger and Gehinnom uses the word, רעה, or evil. Removing anger is like removing evil from a person.

If one conquers anger, all good things will be able to come. An individual will be able to achieve humility, which will lead to fear of G-d, as well as closeness to G-d.

Much has been written in the holy books that talk about how detrimental anger is to a person. The proof of this can be found with Moshe Rabbeinu. He paid the heavy price of not being able to enter the beloved Land of Israel.

Greater Spirituality-Greater Understanding

The commandment to take the Red Heifer, includes burning it, and using its ashes to purify an individual who has come in contact with the dead.

What makes this case, the most difficult to understand, in the entire Torah, is the paradox involved. On the one hand, it purifies the impure. But, on the other hand, those who prepared the Para Aduma, who were previously pure, now become impure.

Nobody, except for Moshe Rabbeinu, was able to understand the true meaning of this law. King Solomon expressed frustration when he confessed that despite his wisdom, this knowledge of the reason for the Red Heifer, alluded him.

The explanation to this, is very important to understand. If one wants to truly understand the wisdom and reasons for the laws of the Torah, it does not depend on wisdom alone. It depends on the level of spirituality that the person possesses.

Moshe Rabbeinu reached the highest level of spirituality, known to man. As he went higher and higher, the secrets of the Torah became revealed to him.

When one takes a look at Judaism, from the outside looking in, he will find many of the Torah’s laws perplexing. Contrast this to one who lives the Torah and learns about it through experiencing it. He is able to better understand the Torah’s wisdom, and everything makes sense.

Shabbat observance is the perfect example. Experiencing the holiness of this special day, allows one to appreciate its beauty. The outsider sees this day as one of numerous laws and restrictions. Someone once said, that explaining the beauty of Shabbat, is like describing a beautiful sunset to a blind man.

If one wishes to understand the depth and specialness of Judaism, he must live it. And as one goes higher and higher, like Moshe, more and more will be revealed to him.

Absolute Faith

The commandment to take the פרה אדומה, the Red Heifer, is classified as a חוק, a Mitzva whose reason is unknown to us. It is considered the most difficult Mitzva of the entire Torah.

There are other laws categorized as a Chok, such as the prohibition of wearing a Shaatnez garment, made of wool and linen. And it also applies to the obligation to separate meat and milk.

The important point to note here, is that laws that are חוקים, are not meant to be understood by man. This is the essence of our religion, that we do things strictly because of our faith.

Rashi explains laws like these with the words, “This is a decree before Me. You are not permitted to wonder about it.” We also have the rabbinic statement that גדול המצוה ועושה משאינו מצוה ועושה. The one who performs a Mitzva because he is commanded, receives a greater reward than one, who was not commanded.

We must not be afraid to take leaps of faith, and trust in Hashem wholeheartedly. We demonstrate this faith by enthusiastically fulfilling G-d’s commandments; especially the ones we do not understand.

Pidyon Haben

The Mitzva of Pidyon Haben was mentioned in Parshat Korach. The “redemption of the first born,” is still applicable today. A first born baby boy after thirty days, must be redeemed by a Kohein.

The rationale for this Mitzva is that the first born must acknowledge that they were saved in Egypt. The tenth plague that took the lives of every first born Egyptian, did not apply to Jewish babies. It must never be forgotten how Hashem “passed over” the Jewish homes and saved the Jewish first born.

The ceremony today, involves the father of the baby, presenting him to a Kohein. He is asked by the Kohein whether he prefers to redeem his first born son, or have him sanctified to G-d. The father answers that he wishes to redeem him, with the presentation of five silver coins. The Kohein waves the coins over the baby, and announces that the coins succeeded in redeeming the baby.

This ceremony does not apply if the baby is the son of either a Kohein or Levi, on either side of the family. The exception to this rule would be where the mother, a daughter of a Kohein, becomes pregnant by a non-Jew. Her first born baby requires a Pidyon Haben, because she has been disqualified as a Bat Kohein, with her union with a non-Jew.

Similarly, a regular Jewish woman becomes pregnant by a non-Jew, her first born needs a Pidyon Haben.

The obligation of Pidyon Haben falls on the father of the baby. Therefore, if one’s father is not available, the child needs to redeem himself.

There must be numerous first born Jews out there, who have never had a Pidyon Haben. It is never too late. This ceremony can even be done on an adult first born. If you are a first born male, or if you know one, they should be urged to perform this important Mitzva of Pidyon Haben.

The Levite

One of the 613 Mitzvot, is the commandment that the Leviim serve in the Beit Hamikdash. Their primary role was to physically guard the actual building, as well as singing to accompany the Tamid sacrifice, morning and evening.

There was a rotation organized where specific Leviim had their day to sing. Those who could not sing, because they had bad voices, served by doing guard duty.

The idea was to give honor to G-d, and the Place, with a known tribe, who were placed their permanently.

A Levi could be disqualified from serving if he did not personally observe all the Mitzvot of the Torah. There always needed to be a minimum of twelve Leviim to sing at any given time.

The instruments played in the Temple were not done exclusively by the Leviim. Their main task was to sing. Those who played instruments had to make sure that they did not drown out the singing.

The Torah spoke of the Leviim working between thirty and fifty. This was strictly related to the Mishkan and carrying it, and dismantling it. They could work in the Temple, as long as they still had a good voice. He could still do guard duty even if their voices were gone.

Nowadays, we view all Leviim as having the status of being acceptable and kosher Leviim. Today, they are given the honor of receiving the second Aliya to the Torah. They wash the hands of the Kohanim before the Priestly blessing. Their first born males are exempt from the Mitzva of Pidyon Haben.

In the desert, the Leviim had to shave all the hair on their bodies. Over the years, I have met numerous Leviim who are bald, but sing beautifully. They are true Leviim, and I think all Leviim are very pleased that they are Leviim!

Guarding the Temple

The end of Parshat Korach is filled with laws related to the Kohanim and Leviim. They also serve to give us a glimpse of their service in the Temple.

There is a positive commandment to “guard the Temple.” This refers to the specific ongoing duties to fulfill this Mitzva.

There was a requirement for twenty-four Levites to be posted at twenty-four entrances and locations to the Temple. Three Kohanim needed to guard the entrance to the Heichal. This was the building that housed the Holy Ark, the Menora, the incense altar, and the Table and showbread.

They were on duty all night long, and were visited by a monitor, who walked around carrying a torch, to be certain everyone was doing their duty. If one of the guards fell asleep, he might set their clothes on fire to wake them! If they were doing their job properly, they would greet this man known as איש הר הבית, the man of the Temple Mount, with the words, “Shalom to you, Temple Mount man.”

The purpose of this guarding was to impress upon the nation, the importance of this holy place. When any building is surrounded by armed guards, it is clear that this must be a special. This created reverence and awe for the holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Jealousy Takes Away Joy

An important lesson can be learned from the personality of Korach. We need to learn how damaging the negative trait of jealousy can be.

I have been telling my students the three qualities to look for in a potential mate. They must show an appreciation for Torah study, so that it becomes a foundation of their new home. They must realize the importance of self improvement and working on oneself. As a couple, they should help one another rise to greater heights of spirituality.

The third quality of a potential spouse must be, no jealousy. This is a deal breaker, for the jealous person can never be happy no matter what they have. The marriage will suffer because of the inability to appreciate what they have.

This was Korach’s problem. He had Elon Musk level wealth, but was not happy. I have seen so many people over the years, who are miserable only because they cannot overcome their jealousy.

If only people would study the lessons of the Torah, and make these lessons become part of their nature, they would be so much more better off. We can clearly see the wisdom of the Mishna that said, “Who is wealthy? The one who is happy with his lot in life?”

Korach’s Refusal to Compromise

The rebellion of Korach and his congregation, appears to have a striking resemblance to what we are witnessing today.

When Moshe Rabbeinu learned of the outrageous accusations against him, he fell on his face. He was accused of bringing the Jewish people to the desert, to die. There were charges against him of nepotism. And there was even a claim that he had relations with married women.

Despite the incredible audacity of Korach and his comrades, Moshe still reached out to Korach. Rav Shlomo Mann wrote that Moshe attempted to come to a compromise for the sake of peace. He told Korach that if he wasn’t satisfied with his position, he was willing to negotiate an even more prominent position. He was showing real flexibility and desire to come his way.

It didn’t take time for Moshe to realize that Korach didn’t want to reach a compromise. He wanted nothing less than to see Moshe fall and be removed as leader.

The parallel to the ridiculous demonstrations of the last several months against Judicial Reform, is identical to Korach. There is no interest in compromise, and the claims against a government that wasn’t given a chance to govern, are ridiculous.

It is clear that the fall of the government is the goal. Like Korach, the demonstrators convince themselves of how righteous they are in their cause. The Talmud tells us that truth always wins in the end. Creating disharmony among our people, and fighting with such bitterness and viscousness cannot be right. It just resembles Korach too much-and that rebellion didn’t end well.

Money is a Curse

The Book of Kohelet, written by King Solomon, has two verses that speak and warn about money. There can be a great stumbling block in one’s attitude about trying to accumulate wealth.

One verse warns that one who loves money, will never be satisfied with the amount he has. אוהב כסף לא ישבע כסף. And the second verse says, “Wealth is guarded to its owners, to their detriment.” עושר שמור לבעליו לרעתו.

These two verses say a great deal about the way one should view the acquisition of money. This teaches that having great wealth, could actually lead to one’s downfall. He might become so obsessed that it becomes just like any other addiction, similar to drugs and alcohol. It can consume an individual to the point that this is all he thinks about.

The Orchot Tzaddikim says that money can be a blessing, a curse, or a test. If one appreciates all that he has, and believes that all of his needs are met, it is a blessing. He has an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to Hashem, for the abundance he has received.

For others, money is a test. They do not have peace of mind all of the time. They might feel insecurity in wondering if their wealth will last. They know they should have more faith, but they are not at ease.

The third group are the Korach type. No matter how much they have, it is never enough. They feel that everyone is after their money, and they are not getting the honor they deserve, because of the token charity that they give. For such people, who become bitter and miserable, their money is a curse, and to their detriment.

Korach was not satisfied being the wealthiest man in the world. He needed more honor to go with his wealth. His challenge of Moshe Rabbeinu, led to his demise.

This is a very strong example of how we need to work on ourselves. We need to learn to have the proper perspective when it comes to our own sustenance, and livelihood. Strengthening our faith in G-d, and the realization that He provides us with our basic needs, will begin to give us peace of mind. When we get to this point, our money will only be viewed as a blessing.

Pedestal

It has been said that you can tell a great deal about a person, by the friends that he has. If his friends are good, upright people, then there is a great likelihood that you are the same. And the reverse is true if such friends do not possess good qualities. You are a reflection of them.

The same is true of a society. When one looks at who is put on a pedestal, and gains the most notoriety, it is a reflection of the values of that society.

If politicians, rock stars, or sports figures, attract the most attention, it might point to a certain degree of vanity of that society.

There are many reasons why living in Israel is such a privilege, but one of these reasons is overlooked or forgotten. There have been numerous occasions over the last twenty-five years, where, for at least a moment, Israel society pauses to put on a pedestal, those who rightfully, deserved that honor.

I am speaking of the honor given to several saintly rabbis, who were respectfully, sent to their graves, escorted by hundreds of thousands of people attending their funerals.

Men such as Rav Ovadia Yosef, Rav Kaduri, and Rav Mordechai Eliyahu in the Sephardic community. The Ashkenazi community parted from such holy men as Rav Kanievsky, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, and most recently, Rav Edelstein.

In the case of Rav Auerbach, there were approximately 300,000 people present. The secular Israelis could not understand what the fuss was, over an elderly Jew wearing a black suit with a black hat. The media did explain the brilliance and greatness of this man. All of Israel was taught for that brief moment, the respect given to a great Torah scholar, and how he had affected the lives of so many people.

G-d willing, we are getting closer to the time when these moments will stop being moments. It will be the norm to look to our spiritual leaders for direction. We will see a transition that will be the correct one. Those truly deserving to be put on the pedestal, will be there. When that happens, it will be a sign that Mashiach is knocking on the door.

The Megadef

After the Torah describes the sacrifice offered for one who sins inadvertently, it talks about one who sins in a brazen manner.

This particular individual is known as the מגדף, or blasphemer. He has despised and belittled the word of G-d. The Torah says that such an individual shall surely be cut off from the Jewish people, in this world and the next world.

There are many interpretations as to why this is viewed so seriously. One opinion is simply that he is an idol worshipper, or Jew who openly practices other forms of worship, that are not Judaism.

Others describe the “Megadef” as one who denies the basic principles of Judaism. He might say that the Torah is not from Heaven, or that Moshe Rabbeinu made things up, as he saw fit. He might deny the idea of the coming of Mashiach, or the resurrection of the dead.

Aside from this applying to heretical ideas, this can also apply to what appears to be less severe. Rabbi Meir, in the Talmud, says that “despising the word of G-d,” could apply to one who has Torah knowledge and doesn’t share it with others.

Rabbi Natan says this applies to one who does not review the Torah that he has studied. And Rabbi Nehorai adds that this includes one who is able to occupy himself with Torah study, and fails to do so.

We must not forget the gift known as our Torah. We must embrace it, and study it diligently. We will then have a better knowledge of the word of G-d. We will be able to experience its beauty, and love it and all of its teachings, the very opposite of the Megadef.