Author: Rabbi Milder

This week’s Haftorah is the combined haftorahs of the Torah portions of Re’eh and Ki Setzei from Yeshayahu perek 54 and 55:1-5.  We combine the Haftorahs in this manner when Rosh Chodesh Elul falls out on the Shabbos of Re’eh, as it did this year, two weeks ago. Within the haftorah is a pasuk which is quoted at the conclusion of many tractates of the Talmud including Brachos, Yevamos, Nazir, and Krisos: “And all your children will be students of Hashem, and your children will have peace” (Yeshayahu 54:13).

At the end of Ein Kelokeinu, which we say towards the end of the shachris davening and Bameh Madlikin which we say between kabbalas Shabbos and maariv we recite a paragraph which is the conclusion of Gemara Brachos: “Rabbi Elazar said on behalf of Rabbi Chanina: Torah scholars increase peace in the world, as it is said: ‘And all your children will be students of Hashem and your children will have peace’ (Yeshayahu 54:13) – do not read [בניך] ‘your children,’ but [בוניך] ‘your builders.’ There is abundant peace for the lovers of Torah, and there is no stumbling block for them’ (Tehillim 119:165). ‘May there be peace within your wall, serenity within your palaces. For the sake of my brethren and comrades I shall speak of peace in your midst. For the sake of the House of Hashem, our G-D, I will request your good’ (Tehillim 122:7-9). ‘Hashem will give might to His nation, Hashem will bless His nation with peace’ (Tehillim 29:11).”

The Maharsha explains why the gemara Brachos concludes in this fashion: “This paragraph was added for it would seem because this entire tractate, the prayers and blessings that are mentioned in it are rabbinic decrees, and the reason for them is to increase peace in the world which is done [through a relationship] between the Jews and their Father In Heaven. The reason why it says ‘do not read [בניך] ‘your children,’ but [בוניך] ‘your builders’ is because these prayers and blessings are what keep the world in existence in place of the sacrificial service. All the rest of the pesukim show this intent, and therefore with peace you shall place upon it more peace, Amen Selah!” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

The rabbis of the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, soon after the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash, enacted, for the most part, the blessings and prayers we have today in our siddurim. Each word and sentence was selected and crafted to effectively connect to Hashem in the most optimal manner possible.  For this reason the gemara in Brachos aptly concludes with these pesukim, that describe the peace that the rabbis imbued onto the world through prayer and blessings. This enhances the relationship between Hashem and His children, thereby keeping the world in existence; as if they are the builders of the world.

It is interesting to note that the Rabbis are called “builders” in the gemara: “and all ‘your builders’ will be students of Hashem, and ‘your builders’ will have peace.” But in actuality, according to the Maharsha, the Rabbis who created the prayers and blessings were the architects, and we, who say the prayers and blessings on a daily basis, are in fact the builders of the world. We keep the world running through our daily prayers and blessings. Why then are the rabbis called the builders?

It would seem that being the architects and creating the design to ensure the world is “created” optimally deserves credit as if they themselves built and sustain the world, even to this day.

If one were to think about the ramifications of this Maharsha, this means that we have a great responsibility to strive, to pray, and to says blessings with all our heart, with the greatest intentions possible, for it is a logical observation that the more one’s prayers or blessings are effective, the quality of the world’s existence is improved, commensurate to how much we show we care about our relationship with Hashem.

This is a lot to think about as Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur draw closer.

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In Kabbalas Shabbos we sing in the fourth and fifth stanzas of Lecha Dodi: “Shake off the dust – arise! Don your splendid clothes, My people. Through the son of Yishai, the Bethlehemite! Draw near to my soul – redeem it! Wake up! Wake up! For your light has come, rise up and shine; Awaken awaken, utter a song. The glory of Hashem is revealed on you.”

These stanzas are based on three pesukim in this week’s haftorah for the Torah portion of Shoftim, which take place in the 51^st and 52^nd perakim of Yeshayahu: “Awaken, awaken, arise, Jerusalem, for you have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath; the dregs of the cup of weakness you have drained” (Yeshayahu 51:17). “Awaken, awaken, put on your strength, O Zion; put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem the Holy City, for no longer shall the uncircumcised or the unclean continue to enter you. Shake yourselves from the dust, arise, sit on your throne, O Jerusalem; free yourself of the shackles around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion” (Yeshayahu 52:1, 2).

This Haftorah speaks of the low points of exile and the hope of redemption. The Ibn Ezra in 52:1 is of the view that all the commentaries agree that this prophesy is still talking about the future (by the final redemption; which means the previous perek is also discussing the future).  In 51:17 Yeshayahu says; “Awaken, awaken… for you have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath.”  The Ibn Ezra says this is a form of a parable comparing the Jews to a drunkard who no one knows what to do with, since he is unconscious. In 52:2 when Yeshayahu says “Shake yourselves from the dust,” the Ibn Ezra again says this is a form of a parable; that is why he tells them to “sit on your throne;”  he is currently lying in the dust. Yeshayahu further tells the Jews: “free yourself of the shackles around your neck” because they will not be subjugated under the rule of the other nations anymore.

Yeshayahu is prophesizing of a time, may it come speedily in the near future, when all the Jews will be redeemed from exile. But currently we are like an unconscious drunkard who drank the wrath of Hashem, lying in the dust. We are also shackled under the rule of the countries in which we live. In the prophecy Hashem is encouraging us to, when the redemption arrives,  arise from the dust to adorn ourselves in beautiful royal clothes, sit on our thrones, and remove the shackles from around our necks, for the unclean and uncircumcised will no longer be in Yerushalayim. The whole world will be sanctified with the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash and the coming of Moshiach. The Jewish people under the leadership of the Moshiach will be the leading class of the entire world; therefore they should remove the shackles around their necks.It would seem that until that point the Jewish people will have a feeling of being trampled and shackled by the other nations, no matter how free the country they live in or how rich and powerful the Jews are. We can be the leaders of the economy, industries, Hollywood and, science. We are influential in the government; but we will still feel shackled, and Hashem will have to beseech us to remove the shackles when we are redeemed. Why is this?

We must say that for every Jew, no matter what state he or she is in, observant or non-observant, rich or poor, living in a free country, or under a dictatorship, all are subjugated under the shackles of exile. But it’s not only psychological. There is a halachic concept introduced by the rabbis called דינה דמלכותא דינא, the law of the land is the law, meaning the rabbis decreed that we have to follow the rules and laws of the country we are living in (as long as they don’t directly go against the Torah). The fact that the Rabbis decreed such a thing means it becomes incorporated into the law of the Torah, since there is a mitzvah to listen to the rabbis, as it says in this week’s Torah portion:  “And you shall do according to the word they tell you, from the place the Lord will choose, and you shall observe to do according to all they instruct you. According to the law they instruct you and according to the judgment they say to you, you shall do; you shall not divert from the word they tell you, either right or left” (Devarim 17:10, 11).

May the redemption and true sovereignty come speedily in our days!

This Shabbos and Sunday is Rosh Chodesh Elul, on which we read the Haftorah from the last perek of Yeshayahu. Towards the beginning of the Haftorah it states: “Listen to the word of the Hashem, O Charedim, ‘Your brethren who hate you, who cast you out, said, ‘For the sake of my name, Hashem shall be glorified,’ but we will see your joy, and they shall be ashamed.’ There is a sound of stirring from the city, a sound from the Temple, the voice of Hashem, recompensing His enemies” (Yeshayahu 66:5, 6).

Who are Charedim? Rashi says Charedim are “the righteous who hasten through trembling to draw near to His word.“ “Your brethren” that Hashem warns the Charedim about, Rashi says are the ‘transgressors of Israel’ mentioned above, who said “Turn away, unclean one” (Eicha 4:15). Who also told them: “Keep to yourself, do not come near me” (Yeshaya 65:5). These transgressors of Israel, Rashi says, tells the Charedim: “For the sake of my name, Hashem shall be glorified;” meaning, “With our greatness, the Holy one Blessed be He, is glorified, for we are closer to Him than you are.” Rashi concludes his explanation of the pasuk by saying: “The prophet says, ‘What they are saying is not true, for “we will see your joy, and they shall be ashamed.” Why? For sound of their stirring has come before the Holy One Blessed be He, from what they did in His city, and a sound emanates from His Temple and accuses those who destroyed it, and then the voice of Hashem, punishes His enemy.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

At this time of history, Yeshayahu recounts two groups of Jews during the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash: the Charedim, those who zealously and fervently kept Hashem’s Torah with a deep sense of Yiras Shamayim [fear of Hashem], and another group, who thought they were close to Hashem, and even seemed to be the upstanding citizens of the time, the higher class. But, in Hashem’s eyes, they were transgressors of Israel, who will be paid retribution for their misdeeds. This “higher class,” in their haughtiness, claimed that the Charedim were extremists, unclean people who should keep to themselves and stay away from everyone else, and that, to the contrary, they are closer to Hashem than the Charedim.

Hashem, who can look into the depths of the heart of man, is clearly able to differentiate between good and evil. But how can a person, searching for the truth, in order to do what is right, with only the naked eye, be able to see through the façade of the upper echelon of society who claim to be close to Hashem, while absolutely denigrating  the real righteous people?

The sign to perceive who is right from who is wrong, and to know who to emulate, is within Rashi’s definition of what Charedim are: “the righteous who hasten through trembling to draw near to His word.“ Rashi does not say the Charedim draw close to Hashem; that is what the sinners of Israel claim they are doing, but in their own way. Rather, they “draw near to His word;” the Charedim scrupulously follow the word of the Torah, Hashem’s blueprints of creation and handbook for mankind. They do it with precision and deep heartfelt fear of Hashem. Not for their honor but for Hashem’s honor. A righteous person truly close to the King would surely run to meticulously follow the King’s rules and laws, especially if he knows it is in his best interest to follow them as well.

The acuity and passion coupled with trembling in awe to observe Hashem’s Torah, to walk in His ways and do His will is the sign of a true Charedi.

This Shabbos is called Shabbos Nachamu based on the opening pasuk of the haftorah: “Nachamu, nachamu ami…” It is the haftorah of consolation read the Shabbos after Tisha b’Av. The first two pesukim of the haftorah state: “Be comforted, be comforted my nation, says your G-D. Speak to the heart of Yerushalayim (referring to the Assembly of Israel) and call to her for her days are filled for her sin is finished for she accepted from the hand of Hashem double [suffering which was given to her through the nations] for all her sins” (Yeshayahu 40:1-2).

The Ibn Ezra, according to his own understanding of these pesukim, says that they refer to our current exile. He points out that the repetition of “nachamu, nachamu” is speaking to the prophet or the leaders of the nation in a quick fashion, or second after second, meaning this is an emotional statement intoning: ‘may you be comforted quickly or constantly’. (Click here for Hebrew text.)

The Ibn Ezra then says on the beginning of the next pasuk that “one should always speak to the heart in order to remove depression and worry that passes through another.” That is what the pasuk refers to when it says: “Speak to the heart of Yerushalayim”.

The Ibn Ezra is making a bold statement that one should always speak to the heart in order to remove depression and worry. It sounds as if taking successful action to remove the depression or to speak intellectually to the issue in a way that would seem to resolve the worry would still not take care of the problem for anyone – even men of tremendous intellect, sages and leaders of the generation. Why, seemingly, is this the only method to get rid of depression, or at least always must be included in the formula of removing depression and worry?
In context, Yeshayahu’s prophecy is referring to Hashem talking to the Gedolim, rabbinical leaders of the generation, at the end of days. It will be a time in history when the redemption will have come or is undoubtedly imminent. The sense of depression and worry through the generations of exile should therefore be erased; yet this heart to heart conversation is needed for every single Jewish individual.

It would seem that talking emotionally to one who has depression or worry is the only means to get through to them, because you are addressing the emotion with an emotion; you are speaking their language. Hashem showed us how to do this by saying: “Be comforted, be comforted my nation,” in a tone which conferred a sense of consistency or swiftness. A statement which intoned a sense of care and compassion with whom he was talking. May this comfort come speedily in our days.

This Shabbos is called Shabbos Chazon after the beginning of the haftorah: “Chazon Yeshayahu ben Amotz”. Yeshayahu bemoans the state of the Jewish people in his time: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken; Children I have raised and exalted, yet they have rebelled against Me. An ox knows his owner and a donkey his master’s trough; Israel does not know, my people do not concentrate. Woe to a sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, evildoing seed, corrupt children. They forsook the Lord; they provoked the Holy One of Israel; they drew backwards” (Yeshayahu 1:2-4). A very apropos selection for the haftorah before we fast in mourning over the destruction of both Batie Mikdash (Holy Temples).

The Ibn Ezra points out that the Jews are specifically compared to an ox and a donkey because they were always found around people. The lesson of the posuk being, “that these animals are better in knowledge than them… because I raised them (the Jews) and they don’t recognize me” (Ibn Ezra on Yeshayahu 1:3). (Click here for Hebrew text.)

Yeshayahu seems to be specifically comparing the Jews to an ox who knows his owner and a donkey who knows his master’s trough because they can most relate to the lesson that he is trying to teach them. He is saying that the ox and donkey recognize their owner and master, follow their commands, and trust  in the way they take care of them. However the Jews are not good servants following their Master and trusting in His care; rather, they have forsaken Hashem and forgot who raised them and turned them into a nation.It would be understandable if the Ibn Ezra pointed out how the Jews act differently than how an animal acts towards its owner; however the Ibn Ezra says that  animals are better in knowledge than the Jewish people. How can that be? Even if a human being is rebellious he can still talk, has free choice, and thinks on a more complex level than any animal. So how can the Ibn Ezra say that animals were more knowledgeable than the Jews just because they instinctively follow and don’t disobey their master who trained them and raised them?
We must say that of course the Jewish people were more knowledgeable and smarter than animals. Butin respect to the natural, basic instincts of one trusting and following their master,  they were inferior to animals.

Domesticated animals have the innate ability to bond with their owner. They know their owner will always feed them and give them shelter. They always know where to go back to, how to return home. They follow the commands of their master once they are taught and instructed to do so. A human being also has the ability to be trained to act on instincts. It is called habit. There are good habits and bad habits. If a person does not train himself to trust in Hashem and follow in His ways then his knowledge of his Master in Heaven is worse than an animal’s knowledge of its master.

An animal does have an easier time  following its owner because it is programmed to do that, especially if it has incentives like food or a leash. But a human is endowed with free choice and Hashem purposefully makes it more challenging for one to do the right thing so that he will earn a greater reward for serving Hashem properly. Hwever it seems that we have the ability to and indeed are expected to, reach the level of having complete faith in our Master in Heaven and fulfill His will, just like an animal does and more so. The fact that we have to put in more effort to serve our master makes us greater than any animal. It is just that if we don’t trust and follow our master, the knowledge the animal has of his master is better than our knowledge of our Master.

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Why is it that the Jewish people are considered the Children of Hashem? Isn’t everyone created by Hashem, and therefore wouldn’t Hashem be the father of all of creation?  The answer to this question is found in the Radak on the last pasuk of this week’s haftorah. The haftorah is the second of three special haftorahs read during the Three Weeks, culminating in Tisha B’Av. It is mainly from the second perek of Yirmiyahu, but the last verse for Ashkenazim is in Yirmiyahu 3:4 and says: “Will you not from this time call Me, ‘My Father! Master of my youth are You!”

The Radak says that based on how the pasuk is read, Yirmiyahu is telling the Jews: ‘Isn’t it that now that the rain has stopped and there is a drought you should have returned (repented) to Me and call Me, ‘My father, Master of my youth are You’ who raised them in their younger years which refers to the exodus from Egypt which is when the Jews entered under the wings of the Holy Presence and they were taught the knowledge of Torah and wisdom.’ (Click here and here for Hebrew text.)

In the first paragraph of the Shema we say at least twice a day: “You shall teach them to your sons” (Devarim 6:7). Rashi on that pasuk says that the sons referred to are students, and we find in many places that students are called sons. In Bamidbar it says: “These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe” (Bamidbar 1:3). Rashi there points out that Moshe’s children aren’t mentioned, only Aharon’s. This teaches us that one who teaches another’s son Torah is considered as having given birth to him.

This is why the Jewish people only are referred to as Hashem’s children. Since Hashem gave us the Torah and taught it to us, he transformed us, His students, into His personal children.

However there is a blaring question on the Radak. The Radak, mentions (based on the previous perek which we read in the Haftorah), that there was a famine in the land, and it should have aroused the Jewish people to do teshuva and return to their Father In Heaven, and they would all proclaim “‘My Father! Master of my youth are You!” Wouldn’t it make more sense that a famine would stir up repentance out of fear of the Almighty, All Powerful Hashem Elokim, and they would proclaim ‘Master Of The Universe, King Of All Kings are You?’ Why would they turn to Hashem out of His attribute of being a father and teacher through their punishment of famine, rather than Hashem’s attribute of royalty and power?

It seems that an act of rebuke more likely elicits a response of fatherhood and love as opposed to kingship and awe. We see from here what a profound and impactful impression a teacher can have on his students to the extent that he is viewed as the student’s own father and is the natural response when faced with Divine reproach.

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This week we read the first of three Haftorahs that discuss the downfall of the Jews in Israel during the first Beis HaMikdash, ultimately culminating in the Babylonian exile and Tisha B’Av. The first Haftorah takes place in the beginning of Yirmiyahu. The Haftorah concludes: “And the word of Hashem came to me saying: Go, and cry in the ears of Yerushalayim saying, Thus says Hashem, ‘I remember to you the lovingkindness of your youth, the love of your nupitials, your following Me in the desert, in a land not sown. Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His grain; all who eat him shall be guilty, evil shall befall them,’ says the Lord” (Yirmiyahu 2:1-3).

Rashi on pasuk 2 teaches us that when the pasuk says “I remember you,” it is saying “were you to return to Me, I would desire to have mercy on you for I remember the loving kindness of your youth and the love of the nuptials of your wedding canopy, when I brought you into the wedding canopy… Now what was the ‘loving kindness of your youth’? Your following My messengers, Moshe and Aharon, from an inhabited land to the desert without provisions for the way since you believed in Me.” (Click here and here for Hebrew text.)

Hashem the Almighty and infinite who does not need our kindness; yet innate in the definition of His being is the natural desire to give and love. Yet Hashem knows that it is only truthful and appropriate that we show that we deserve it. Indeed, once we show even the smallest hint, the size of a pinpoint, that we desire Him, Hashem reciprocates with a plethora of love and kindness. He does this because He focuses on all the good that we showed Him in our youth, when we first came out of Egypt and accepted the Torah on Mount Sinai. Like a man and woman getting married, we followed Hashem like a kallah who is in love and enraptured with her chosson.

What was this kindness? We didn’t give Him anything, and we didn’t do anything for Him. What did the Jewish people do? They just left with enough food to last them thirty days, knowing it would eventually run out. They did leave a place that though was rampant with much grief and strife was still called home. They were settled and had plenty of food to go around. When they left that place of turmoil which they called home to blindly follow Hashem’s messengers, Moshe and Aharon, they followed them into an utterly barren desert where there was no food and drink to be naturally found. What kind of kindness is that towards Hashem?

Yet by leaving their homes and guaranteed food with only blind faith and unquestionable trust in Hashem, that was the chesed they did. We see from here an added dimension in doing acts of kindness. One does not have to do a physical act for someone else; just trusting another is a form of kindness, because you are making them feel good that they are trusted. Granted, Hashem doesn’t need us to make Him feel good by trusting him, but He is teaching us a valuable lesson that we should apply in all circumstances: that when we trust someone else, we are doing to him or her an act of kindness.

So next time you are thinking about trusting an employee, a friend, or a child, remember you are doing a chesed, and act of kindness, if you do so.
(Note: Granted with human beings your choice to trust him or her must be taken with a grain of salt because no one is perfect but if you don’t perceive anything that could go wrong, rather you are just nervous, remember it’s a chesed. However certainly knowing you are getting double reward, for a chesed and for trusting in Hashem, should be an impetus to grow in faith and trust of the Almighty.)

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The Gemara at the end of Makkos, daf 24a, is the first written source of the age-old knowledge that there are 613 mitzvos in the Torah. The gemara goes on to discuss how King David listed 11 leading virtues to focus on in order to help one follow the Torah.  Micha reduced it to 3 leading virtues as the gemara states: “Micha came and reduced them to three [principles], as it is written, ‘It has been told to you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord has require of you: [1] only to do justly, and [2] to love mercy and [3] to walk humbly before Hashem.’ ‘To do justly,’ that is, maintaining justice; and to love mercy,’ that is, rendering every kind office; ‘and walking modestly before your God,’ that is, walking in funeral and bridal processions. And do not these facts warrant an a fortiori (kal vachomer) conclusion that if in matters that are not generally performed in private the Torah enjoins ‘walking modestly,’ is it not ever so much more requisite in matters that usually call for modesty?” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

The attribute of modesty which Micha has as his third virtue, says the Maalos HaMiddos, is one of the most important and virtuous attributes one can attain. This is demonstrated by the fact that it was one of the three virtues listed by Micha. Not only that, but it also protects a person from the evil eye, and saves a person from sin (Maalos HaMiddos, in the beginning of the Attribute of Modesty).

These three virtues in Micha are mentioned in the last pasuk of this week’s Haftorah for the Torah portion of Balak. In the Haftorah, we find that Hashem is very upset at His people for straying from Him, but has not totally given up on them. Indeed, he gives them these three virtues to focus on in order to rebound, namely: “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your G-d” (Micha 6:8). Click here and here for Hebrew text.)

Rashi there says, in his second interpretation: “Another explanation: ‘And walk discreetly.’ The standard of flesh and blood is not like the standard of the Holy One, Blessed Be He. The Standard of flesh and blood is: If one man embarrasses his fellow and comes to placate him, the fellow says to him, ‘I will not accept your apology until so and so and so and so, before whom you disgraced me, come.’ But the Holy One Blessed Be He, desires only that the man’s return to Him be between the two of them (based on a Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 163b).”
Rashi is trying to explain the third virtue of “walking discreetly,” which normally means to be modest, and how it fits, in context, with the flow of the Navi.

However, what does accepting an apology in private have to do with modesty? It fits better with the lesson of not bearing a grudge or not taking revenge, as the emphasis seems to be not to embarrass the one who is apologizing. So what does this have to do with modesty, which normally means to do things in a manner which does not garner any, or at least minimal, attention to oneself?

Elsewhere, in the Maalos HaMiddos, it says: “They asked a wise man what is modesty, and he answered one should always ascribe to the Torah, take care of his monetary business, do what he is obligated to do, and act with humility when observing the Torah, wisdom, acting properly, how one eats, and deals with harsh circumstances. Someone else said modesty is distancing oneself from sin because a person is not modest if his ‘clothes’ aren’t white… Included in the ways of modesty is being a giving person, and accepting loved ones with a smile in a joyous fashion, showing them love, fulfilling what they desire, and feeling their pain.” Click here and here for Hebrew text.)

What does all this have to do with modesty? On the contrary, smiling and showing emotion could attract more attention? Revolving one’s life around the Torah and having honest business dealings is fundamental to truth and doing Hashem’s will; what does that have to do with modesty?

It would seem from this Rashi and Maalos HaMiddos that the proper definition of modesty is doing what is right for the sake of what is right whether anyone is watching or not. When one steps over the line and does something inappropriate like trying to embarrass the person who is asking forgiveness and repenting, or one who looks and feels sad around loved ones for no apparent reason, or dishonest business, or a lack of humility, all are signs of immodesty which just happens to attract more attention than just doing the right thing.

Every day when thanking Hashem for giving us the ability to learn Torah we make the blessing “…to engross ourselves in the words of Torah.” Why don’t we just thank Hashem for letting us learn Torah; what is so special about being engrossed in the words of Torah?

We find an illustration that answers this question, in this week’s haftorah for the Torah portion of Chukas, which takes place in the Navi of Shoftim. Yiftach was a tzadik (righteous person) who eventually became the leader of the Jewish people and Hashem even endowed him with the special strength and bravery needed to defeat the nation of Ammon. Before the battle he swore to Hashem that if he was victorious he would sacrifice the first living being that he sees come out of his house on the way home from battle. What came out of his house, to his horror, was his daughter singing and dancing for joy over his victory. In the end he felt he must fulfill what he swore and he sacrificed his daughter (Shoftim perek 11).

The Yalkut Shimone paraphrasing a Medrish Tanchuma in Bechukosai relates that four people made a request in an inappropriate manner. One of them was Yiftach, and because he wasn’t a ben Torah he lost his daughter. This is what the pasuk in Mishlay meant when it said: “The fruit of a tzadik is the tree of life and one who takes souls is wise” (Mishlay 11:30). A person could be righteous but if he is not engrossed in Torah he has nothing, for from within the Torah he learns how to “take souls.” Yiftach’s daughter said to him: “Lest one might think the Torah writes that they can sacrifice souls, doesn’t it write ‘from a domesticated animal from the flock”? Yiftach said to her: “I made an oath and you came out!” She said to him: “Yaakov our forefather swore, ‘and all You will give to me I will tithe to you’ and Hashem gave to him 12 tribes do you think he sacrificed one of them, and we never heard about it?” She continued: “Leave me alone and go to court, maybe they will find an excuse to annul your vow.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

The Zayis Ra’anan observes that he really didn’t need to find an excuse to annul his vow, but rather she just said this hoping he would go to court and they would tell him he does not have to sacrifice her. (What is interesting to note is that he did go to court and the way a decision is made is largely based on how one formulates his or her question, so Yiftach asked his question in a form of wondering if they can find an excuse to annul his vow, and they could not find one).

What should Yiftach have done? The Yalkut Shimone goes on to list an argument about what he should have done: Rebbe Yochanan says her monetary value was sanctified and had to be donated to the Mishkan. Reish Lakish says Yiftach wasn’t even obligated to donate her value.

In any event, the Etz Yosef on the Medrish Tanchuma says that Yiftach should have been more specific when making an oath or he should have been more knowledgeable when making this type of oath that in the event he might have to sacrifice a person it is giving the person’s value to the Mishkan and not literally sacrificing the person as Yiftach mistakenly thought. (Click here for Hebrew text.)

We see from here an incredibly eye opening thought. Yiftach must have been a Torah observant Jew who did learn Torah, at least every once in a while, because the Medrish said that he was righteous. He would never have become the Jewish leader in the times of the Judges or have Divine powers endowed upon him if he did not observe Torah and mitzvos. Yet, because he wasn’t engrossed in Torah, he made a deadly mistake which caused the loss of his daughter.

A person can be known for his righteousness, but if he isn’t engrossed in his Torah study he essentially can make up his own religion, to the extent that he would execute his own absurd idea of physically sacrificing his own daughter!
We see how important it is not just to live by the Torah and mitzvos, but our attitudes must also be that the Torah is our guidebook to life. We must totally immerse ourselves in its, understanding in order that we can live our lives in a healthy and proper manner.