Author: Rabbi Milder

This week’s Torah portion of Tzav concludes the categories of personal offerings that were brought on the alter.  The last offerings discussed were the korban shelamim, the peace offering which includes the korban todah, the thanksgiving offering.

The Medrish Tanchuma (Parshas Tzav, paragraph 4) records an interesting discussion between Bilaam, the non-Jewish prophet, and the nations of the world. The nations of the world were jealous of the Jewish people, who were allowed to bring a peace offering, while   all the other nations were only allowed to bring burnt offerings to Hashem: “Another interpretation of ‘And this is the laws of the peace offering;’ This is what the verse in Tehillim chapter 85, verse 9 is referring to when it says: ‘I will listen to what the Lord, Hashem is telling, for he is speaking peace with his nation and with his righteous.’ The nations of the world said to Bilaam: ‘Why did G-D tell the Jews to bring sacrifices but not us?’ Bilaam replied to them: ‘The offerings are only for peace and those who accepted the Torah which writes about it, must bring sacrifices. You originally invalidated it [you did not want to accept the Torah] and now you are requesting to bring offerings?’ The one who accepted it brings the offerings as it says ‘Hashem gives strength to his nation, Hashem blesses His nation with peace’ (the last pasuk in Tehillim, chapter 29). That is why [the earlier quoted pasuk] says:‘I will listen to what The Lord tells…’ What does he tell? ‘And this is the laws of the peace offering.’ Why is it called a peace offering? Because it makes peace between the alter, the kohanim, and the rest of the Jews. How? The burnt offering does not have peace written by it. Neither does the sin offering or the guilt offering, only the thanksgiving offering [which is a subcategory of the peace offering]. Come and see, the burnt offering is completely burned in the fire. By the sin offering the blood and limbs are burned on the alter and it’s skins and meat are given to the kohen. But the yisrael did not get any benefit, nor by the guilt offering. But by the thanksgiving offering the blood and limbs went onto the alter, the kohanim received the cheek bone and thigh areas, and the yisrael kept the skins and meat. We find that it made peace between the alter, kohanim, and the yisrael; therefore it is called the peace offering, for it makes peace between everyone.”

The Etz Yosef explains this medrash as follows: “[Hashem’s] intention is to give the peace offering which makes peace in the world as a kindness only to His nation. For this reason the nations were jealous that they were not allowed to bring a peace offering like the Jews. Bilaam told them the reason which is because there is only peace for the Jews who accepted the Torah which is a Torah of kindness, as it is written, ‘and the Torah of kindness on the tongue,’ but the other nations of the world who did not accepted the Torah are treated with strict judgement, with G-D’s name of Elokim… And even though the Torah does allow non-Jews to bring sacrifices those are only burnt offerings not peace offerings as mentioned in a gemara in Menachos.” (Click here and here for Hebrew text.)

The Midah [attribute] of peace is one of the most important Middos in the world. Every day we pray for peace in kaddish, when we take our steps back in shemone esray, as well asat the end of birkas hamazon when we say: “He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace upon us, and upon Israel.” The Maalos HaMiddos in his chapter on peace says that peace is one of the loftiest attributes, for one of the names of Hashem is ‘Shalom,’ as it says in Shoftim 6:24: “And he called to Him, Hashem Shalom.” The Maalos HaMiddos recounts that peace is so important that the Torah even changed the words of conversations by Sarah and Yosef for the sake of peace. The gemara in Yevamos 65b says: one can switch his words for the sake of peace. G-D’s Holy name is burnt for the Sotah waters for the sake of peace between husband and wife. The last paragraph in shemone esray asks for peace, and the concluding blessing of birkas kohanim is: “And He shall place peace upon you.” The gemara in Berachos 17a even says one should be quick to greet another even non-Jews for the sake of peace. No one greeted Rabban Yochanan ben Zachkai with shalom, before he greeted them, even non-Jewish people in the marketplace. Even the dead need peace, as it says in Yeshaya 57:2: “May shalom come and he will rest in his resting place.” (This might very well be where the expression R.I.P – Rest in Peace comes from). There is also a mitzvah of making entreaties of peace before going to war against an enemy nation.

If peace is such a lofty attribute, and so central for the existence of everything in the universe, then why doesn’t Hashem allow the nations of the world to bring peace-offerings? Why make them jealous of the Jewish people? Why not give them an equal chance to serve Him if they really want to? Why is it fair that only the Jews are given an opportunity to make peace with Hashem, and everyone else is left out? If peace and unity is so important, everyone should have an equal opportunity no matter their background, no matter what position they are coming from?
We see from here that true Divine Peace is a privilege, not aright. It has to be earned; there are strings attached. It is not an inherent, automatic right for every human being.

Pesach is upon us. Pesach commemorates the time when we became a nation, when we left Egypt. Hashem took us as his children and servants, and he became our personal Father and King. We then earned the right to be separate and special from the rest of the world, when in unity we accepted the Torah at Har Sinai. But this was not before Hashem went to every nation and offered them the Torah, and they rejected it. One might say: it is not fare;why wouldn’t the Jewish people accept Hashem’s Torah? Hhe just saved them from slavery!? However, this was not the beginning of when we earned our special relationship with Hashem. It dates back to Avraham Avinu, the first Jew, and the first person to recognize Hashem’s existence all by himself. He earned the right for his descendants to be Hashem’s holy and intimate nation, as Hashem promised him. No one else came to that realization. No wonder we are the only people allowed to sacrifice the peace offering to Hashem!

May we take this as a lesson on Pesach: to appreciate our roots, where we came from, who we really are and what we can be: a priestly nation, a nation of princes. Not slaves of Pharaoh, but servants of Hashem! We should feel proud of who we are, and use that pride as an impetus to serve Hashem in the proper manner.

We are living in different times than those that once were. The fine line between good and bad, sin and a good deed, are no longer as clear. Biblical punishment was clear; in the times of the Beis HaMikdash if someone spoke loshon hara [slander] he was struck with spiritual leprosy, starting on his house, then his clothes, and finally his own body, if he continued to sin. He was ostracized from society for a period of time until he repented and went through a process to spiritually cleanse himself. One can imagine that this must have been a major deterrent to motivate people not to slander one another. The Rabbis teach us that in the days of King Chizkiyahu, even the children were experts in the laws of tum’ah and tahara (spiritual impurity and purity). People were more cautious about transgressing certain sins because they did not want to receive lashes (the punishment if they sinned on purpose in front of two witnesses and were warned not to do so). Even more so, they were certainly careful not to flagrantly transgress capital crimes.

Just to paint a bit more of a picture of how much the Jewish People formerly appreciated the severity of sin, the Torah in this week’s portion of Vayikra exclaim: “And if a soul sins and does one of the things that Hashem tells him not to do, and he did not know [he did it] and he is guilty and carries his sin. And he shall bring a pure ram from the flock with your value as guilt to the Kohen and the Kohen will atone for him for his accident, for he did an accident and he did not know and we will forgive him. It is a guilt offering, he is certainly guilty to Hashem” (Vayikra 5:17-19).

The Sforno elaborates on these pesukim and explains that “Our Sages know from tradition that this pasuk speaks of a guilt offering for a doubtful transgression (אשם תלוי). He is not certain if he sinned or not, and regarding this it says, ‘And he shall bear his iniquity, i.e. in accordance with what is befitting for him, whether he sinned inadvertently or perhaps did not sin at all. But his transgression was that he was not careful and slipped into doubt, according to his iniquity he shall bear the punishment. Although at times this offering may be brought even though he never transgressed a sin, let him not think that he is bringing a mundane animal into the courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash for indeed it is nonetheless a guilt offering, even though he did not actually transgress the sin in which he is in doubt, because ‘he is certainly guilty to Hashem’ for not being more careful and putting himself into this position.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz summarizes the Sforno quite well: “One can be guilty of actually violating a precept of the Torah or one can be guilty of conducting himself in such a careless manner that he is unaware of his actions and cannot determine whether or not he transgressed. The latter heedless action requires atonement no less than the former overt act of transgression.”

To bring a sacrifice in the Beis HaMikdash was a very serious matter, and to bring one for no reason was a severe transgression. Therefore the Sforno was bothered by how the Torah can obligate one to sacrifice an offering in the Beis HaMikdash if it is possible there was no wrongdoing. He answers that it must be there is an inherent flaw in a person who puts himself in the position where he might have sinned, which in and of itself requires atonement.

But what did he do wrong? It was obviously a mistake; he initially didn’t even realize he might have done anything wrong. Why is it fair to fault someone who wasn’t even conscious of his wrongdoing when he did it?

We therefore see from here how responsive and sensitive a person must be for even putting himself into a position of possibly breaking Hashem’s Holy Torah. One is disturbing the purity of the world he was placed in and putting it on very shaky grounds. For that, even if in reality he did nothing wrong, he is still held accountable, for having potentially compromised the sanctity of the world.
Today we live in a world where there is no universal moral compass, and there is certainly very little sensitivity towards sin. Indeed, there are certainly no feelings of consequence for putting oneself in a position of possibly sinning. One of the tragedies of exile is that we lost and don’t deserve this security system of divine safeguard from disobedience.

Hope for a better future is not lost, however. Hashem endowed us with an intrinsic intellect and imagination. He gave us the ability to toil and to delve into the profundity of his Holy Torah, the instruction book for life.

We will be reading in the Haggada soon, at the seder on Pesach night, that “in every generation man has an obligation to look at himself as if he personally left Egypt.” HaRav Reuvain Trop zt”l explains that every person is obligated to feel that Hashem made wonders and miracles for him and took him out of bondage to freedom. Certainly if one truly feels this he would speak more and more about the story, over and over again, for one enjoys telling stories of what has personally happened to him. This is what the Haggada means when it says: “the more one speaks about the redemption from Egypt the more praiseworthy it is.” It is therefore a mitzvah to elaborate the telling of the story of the exodus from Egypt, since by doing so a person is showing that he feels as if he actually left Egypt. (See the end of Chiddushei HaLev on Sefer Shemos).

We see from here that it is within our ability to imagine and make real the past, but only through learning about it and knowing what it was. Only then can we internalize it and live by it. By using our intellect and imagination we have the ability to become more attuned to right and wrong and to act accordingly, in order to make our world a better place for everyone and everything.

The Beginning of this week’s Torah portion of Ki Sisa discusses the half shekel used for the census and yearly contribution towards the daily offerings. The Torah calls the shekel a holy shekel (Shemos 13:13). The Rabbeinu Bachye asks asks a basic question: why is the shekel referred to as holy?

The Rabbeinu Bachye answers: “That it is called holy because all the mitzvos are the essentials of holiness and some of the mitzvos need this coin, for example redeeming the first born which is done with five shekels, also the mitzvah of erechin (donating one’s self value to the Beis HaMikdash) which are called holy, needs shekels. For this reason we call the language of our Torah Loshon HaKodesh, the holy language, since it is a language of holiness which includes many types of holy things. All sorts of holiness is used with it for it is the language that Hashem used to tell the Jewish people the Ten Commandments and He also speaks to prophets and angels [in this language]. Hashem has 70 names all of them are from Loshon HaKodesh. Also the names of the angels are in Lashon HaKodesh, for example Gavriel is called for his mightiness and Rephael means healing, and many angels’ names end with the letter E-l, one of Hashem’s names to teach us that His name is partnered with them…. This is the language with which the world was created as our rabbis have taught, ‘The world was created with Lashon HaKodesh as it says, ‘For this she is called isha (woman) because from ish (man) she was taken’ (Breishis 2:23, See Breishis Rabba 18:6). The proof to this is from the naming of Adam, Chava, Kayin and Hevel which are all Loshon HaKodesh as well as all the other names [in the Torah]. This will be the language that all the nations and different dialects will use in the future in the times of Moshiach as it says ‘And then it will change for the nations, a clear language for all to call out the Name of Hashem, to serve Him in unity’ (Tzefania 3:9).” (Click here for Hebrew text.)

The dialect of Hebrew used by the Torah, called Lashon Hakodesh, makes sense to be called a holy language since it is literally Hashem’s language, which he used to write the Torah, create the world, talk with others, and to name His creatures, as well as his own seventy names. It will also be the universal language when all the nations repent and return to serving Hashem, speedily in our days. Such a divine means of communication and vehicle of creation naturally deserves to be called holy. However the shekel, which is used specifically for only a few mitzvos out of 613; and not to take any value away from these mitzvos, but they are not major mitzvos which are constantly done or of obligatory nature. The half-shekel was given once a year for the ages of men 20 and up; pidyon haben, redeeming the first born, is only for those who are a first born male, yisrael (a non levi or kohen) and not born via a c-section; erechin is an optional mitzvah. So why was the shekel singled out to be called the Shekel HaKodesh, the holy shekel?

The Rabbeinu Bachye said that mitzvos are the essentials of holiness. We must internalize and appreciate what that means. It must be that the mark every mitzvah has on creation makes such an impression that it can transform a regular coin into a holy coin even if it is only used for a few types of mitzvos.

The lesson to inculcate in ourselves is the appreciation of the opportunity of serving Hashem with His mitzvos, and how we can use them to change ourselves and the world, imbuing everything with holiness.

In the spirit of Purim I found a Baal HaTurim in this week’s Torah portion of Tetzaveh that ties into the holiday of Purim, which takes place this coming Sunday. The Baal HaTurim observes that there are three times in all of Tanach where the word “Vinishma” is written. (1) In this week’s Torah portion, by the description of the מעיל (coat) of the Kohen Gadol which had bells on the bottom of it, “ונשמע קולו בבאו אל הקדש” “And its sound was heard when he went into the Kodesh” (Shemos 28:35), (2) “כל אשר דבר ד’ נעשה ונשמע““All that Hashem said we will do and we will listen” (Shemos 24:7), (3) “ונשמע פתגם המלך” “And let the verdict of the king be heard” (Esther 1:20). This is what we say in Tractate Megilla daf 3b: “Rava said, ‘If there is a choice between reading the megilla or learning Torah, megilla is better. If there is a choice between the service in the Beis HaMikdash or reading megilla, megilla is better.” This is what is referred to when it say “All that Hashem said we will do and we will listen,” which refers to learning Torah and by the service in the Beis HaMikdash it says “And its sound was heard,” “And let the verdict of the king be heard,” which refers to reading the megilla and right afterwards in the megilla it writes “for it is greater,” which implies reading megilla is more better. Besides this hint of juxtaposition by the word “vinishma” being written three times in Tanach, Rava himself said megilla is better. (Click here and here for Hebrew text)

The Rashba says that even if there would be enough time during the day to complete the sacrificial service of the daily offering in the Beis HaMikdash and then read megilla, never the less it is better to push off the service and to listen to the megilla with the congregation (Rashba in Megilla df 3a).

Let’s take this into perspective; the Rabbeinu Chananel, depicting the grandeur and royalty of the  daily offering, says “that as soon as they sprinkled the wine libation on the alter the head Kohen would wave his kerchief, Ben Arza would then ring a bell, and then the Leviim would start singing the ‘Song of the Day.’ When they got to an end of a portion, the trumpets would blow and the nation would bow down. For every portion there was a blow and for every blow they bowed down…” What majesty! What show of royalty and honor! All this was done for the sake of the honor of Heaven (כבוד שמים). (Click here for Hebrew text of Rabbeinu Bachye.)

I remember, on one of my trips to Ottawa, Ontario we visited the Parliament and watched the changing of the guards for the royal keys to the parliament. Hundreds of soldiers, a marching band, guns shot into the air, a whole half hour ceremony –  just to hand over the symbolic keys from guard to guard for the English Queen’s governmental satellite in Canada. Royalty and majesty demands that respect. All the more so, and in greater abundance, one can imagine the scene in Hashem’s Sanctuary everyday by the daily service; yet the Gemara in megilla says that the reading of the megilla is better than the Holy Service in the Beis Hamikdash.
There is nothing like the study of and toil in Torah. The gemara in Shabbas (daf 127a) says: “and the study of Torah is equivalent to them all,” referring to all the mitzvos. The study of Torah should ideally be done throughout the entire day and night, and should be done for the sake of making Hashem’s Torah great, and to glorify it (להגדיל תורה ויאדיר). Hashem gave us His blueprint of creation, as a handbook on how to live our lives. It is of course priceless, and the more time one spends struggling to understand it, the greater the Torah is honored, and the greater the respect we are showing to the honor of Heaven. Yet the gemara in megilla tells us we should stop learning to listen to the reading of the megilla.

The Gemara in Megilla says that the reason why the reading of Megillas Esther is so important is because of the publicizing of the miracle. It would seem that publicizing Hashem’s miracles is a greater show of honor of Heaven than either the daily service in the Beis HaMikdash or the learning of Torah. (Click here for Hebrew text of the Gemara.)

However the gemara in Megilla then goes on to say that there is one thing greater than reading megilla, which is the burying of the dead. If there is someone who must be buried, that should be done before the reading of the megilla. The reason being, says the gemara, because the honor of people (כבוד הבריות) is greater. The Orchos Tzadikim in The Gate of the Fear of Heaven says: “The soul is the resource for wisdom, and it resides in the brain just like a king residing over his battalion, and is comparable to the honor of its Creator in a miniature way.” Later he says: “That because the soul came from above, from Hashem’s ‘Throne of Glory’, therefore the body which it rests in, is a miniature world. Therefore man is called a miniature world, (see the Zohar Bamidbar 257b and Medrish Tanchuma, Pekuday, parsha 3.) The soul is compared to its Creator and the body compared to the world below on this earth and above in the heavens.” (Click here and here for Hebrew text.)

Man was created in the image of G-D; we are the prince and Hashem is the king. There is a certain regality to us, gadlus Ha’Adam, the greatness of man; however, Hashem is still the king and we are only His children – so how can the honor of people trump the Honor of Heaven?

We must therefore say that the preservation of man’s honor is the Honor of Hashem. Showing respect and honor to one’s fellow, acknowledging the greatness of man in each individual, a prince to the mighty King Of All Kings, is Hashem’s greatest honor, and trumps even the publicizing of Hashem’s greatness through recounting His miracles.

If we imbibe this message into our psyche, we will, without a doubt, have an even greater appreciation of fulfilling mitzvos between man and his fellow man and between man and his Creator.

This week’s Torah portion of Terumah discusses the preparations for building the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Torah, when discussing the walls around the Mishkan, says: “And you shall make the planks for the Mishkan of acacia wood upright” (Shemos 26:15).

The Medrish Rabba asks why Hashem used acacia wood. It answers that Hashem is teaching proper manners for all generations; if a person wants to build his house out of fruit trees, tell him: ‘Just as The King Of All Kings which everything is His, but when He said to make the Mishkan He said only to make it out of trees that do not bear fruit, all the more so [you should do the same]’ (Shemos Rabba 35:2).

The Maharz”u, a commentary on the Medrish, explains the Medrish’s question and answer by saying that for many mitzvos, Hashem commands us to spend and essentially lose money –  for example the sacrifices. So why by the Mishkan did Hashem ask strictly for acacia wood which does not bear fruit? To this question the Medrish answers that Hashem was teaching a lesson when building normal buildings.

The Yafeh Toar takes the Medrish’s message a step further. He says that the Medrish was asking that since there are seven types of cedar wood why did Hashem specifically choose acacia wood instead of one of the types of cedar. The answer is because acacia wood does not produce fruit at all; therefore Hashem chose it to teach a lesson in manners to all mankind. (Click here for Hebrew text.)

As The King Of All Kings, King of the Universe and Beyond, we say in our davening three times a week from the beginning of Tehillim chapter 93: “Hashem will have reigned, He will have donned grandeur…” The Medrish Shochar Tov (as quoted in the Artscroll siddur, page 169) expounds that “the concept of grandeur represents Hashem’s revelation as mightier than any force in nature. In man, grandeur, or arrogance, is a contemptible trait, because man’s power is limited at best. But to Hashem grandeur is becoming because all forces owe their existence to Him while He is dependent on nothing.” Indeed, Hashem deserves the best of the best for His dwelling on earth, but for the sake of teaching a lesson to mankind He felt it was worth diminishing His natural honor to teach us this lesson.

It would seem from the Yafeh Toar that cedar wood would have been the ideal type of wood to be used for the Mishkan. It would also seem that cedars don’t really produce a fruit normally eaten by people, but since it has some type of fruit as opposed to the acacia wood, Hashem, all knowing and understanding of Human psychology, made sure to show by using extreme example of something which does not bear fruits at all. We learn from here that when someone wants to teach a lesson he has to be as clear as possible. And a leader should even lower his honor to be sure the lesson is clearly brought across. On the contrary, understanding the message and applying it will give more honor to Hashem in this case.

What is interesting to note is that we see in this week’s haftorah that cedar wood was used in the building of the Beis HaMikdash (the Holy Temple): “And he built the house, and finished it, and he covered the house with paneling and joined planks of cedar. And he built the chambers against all the house, each five cubits; and he covered the house with timber of cedar” (Melachim Alef 6:9, 10). Is Hashem, G-d forbid a hypocrite? How can He use cedar wood for the Beis HaMikdash, His permanent dwelling place on earth, but use acacia wood for the Mishkan to teach mankind not to use wood from fruit bearing trees? The answer, obviously, is  that once Hashem already taught His lesson to mankind in the times of the Mishkan, He of course then deserves and demands the best wood for the Beis HaMikdash.

Leaders at any level are messengers of Hashem to guide their followers, whoever they may be. Hopefully they will be stirred to the right path of service of Hashem. Though the Ramban says in his famous letter to his son: “And now know and see my son, for one who is haughty in his heart towards people is rebelling against The Kingdom of Heaven, for he is glorifying himself with the heavenly majestic clothes as it says “Hashem will have reigned, He will have donned grandeur…” however a leader is still a leader and must be treated with proper respect. A leader, in whatever position of leadership, knowing himself and his responsibility to the people he leads, can also expect to a certain extent the proper respect in order to be a successful leader. However it makes sense that at times he might have to lower or change his standards to send a message across to his people but then he goes back to his normal standards and that is not hypocritical, because teaching lessons and making sure people abide by them is part of his responsibility. People recognizing that and abiding by his word is the ultimate honor.

Besides the weekly Torah portion of Mishpatim, this shabbos we read the first of four special Torah readings leading up to Pesach. The first special portion is Parshas Shekalim, which the Mishna Berura says is designed to remind us of the mitzvah of the half-shekel, which was an obligation for every adult jewish male to donate to the treasury of the Beis HaMikdash each year, at this time, in order to pay for the Korban Tamid –[daily-offering] (Mishna Berura 685:1:1).

The Rabbeinu Bachye says that Moshe, as the king of the Jewish people, enacted a currency based on a silver coin, which he called the  shekel. He called it a shekel because the coin was a pure weight of silver without any disparities.

The reason why a half-shekel was the amount required in contribution, says the Rabbeinu Bachye, is because the Jewish People transgressed all Ten Commandments by the sin of the golden calf and a half-shekel is equivalent to ten gerahs, since a full shekel is twenty gerahs. Therefore, each and every Jew was required to bring ten gerahs as atonement for transgressing the Ten Commandments. Only those over twenty years of age were required to bring it, because the Heavenly Court does not punish people less than the age of twenty.

The Rabbeinu Bachye later asks that, logically, since Moshe was designating the worth of this new currency, the Shekel, he could have made it worth ten gerahs, requiring the donation of a full shekel.   Why did Moshe create the  currency in this fashion?

The Rabbeinu Bachye answers that this odd currency valuation was done in order to hint that it is befitting for any intelligent person to weigh his actions equally, and to dedicate within himself to give of both his body and soul, each one equally and completely. The right and befitting thing to do is to push one’s body to serve Hashem and to go after its soul, which is the main part of existence. But at times one must also push his soul after his body for certain requirements, like food, drink, and clothing, which one cannot live without. As our Sages have taught us: “By Yom Tov the Torah writes, ‘It shall be a holiday for Hashem your G-D’ (Devarim 16:8). The Torah also writes, ‘A holiday it shall be for you’ (Bamidbar 29, 35). Rebbi Yehoshua says that Yom Tov should be split, half for Hashem and half for you” (Pesachim 68b). It is befitting for one’s efforts towards his bodily needs to be channeled for the sake of his soul. We find this by Yaakov Avinu, who put all of his efforts into his soul for fourteen years, learning in the House of Ever. He then put equal effort for his physical self, by engaging in manual labor for fourteen years, in order to marry the two daughters of Lavan. The purpose of his physical work was to serve his intellectual soul, which the half shekel represents; to figure out what is for the sake of Hashem by weighing all his deeds and actions in an equal manner, so that each one gets what is befitting for it. 

This piece delivers  a very profound message about how we must live our lives. It is easy and perhaps fun to live a care-free lifestyle, doing whatever one pleases, whenever it pleases, with no boundaries, enjoying the physical world to its fullest, partying, acting spontaneously, working off of gut feelings and simply believing and doing whatever one wants; indulge, indulge, indulge.  On the opposite extreme there are those in this world who believe that to reach the ultimate in spiritual heights one must be celibate, living in silence, subsiding on stale bread and water, or by secluding themselves from society.  However we see from here  the Torah outlook is that the middle ground is the optimal.While the main thrust of life is spirituality, the soul, and one’s physical actions should be for that sake, physical needs and wants should also be taken care of, with the attitude that they are being done out of G-D’s will – the point being there is a defined purpose for everything. Hashem wants us to dress nicely at all times, elegantly conservative, and even nicer on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Hashem wants us to eat heartily if needed, and healthily to be strong, to serve Him as well as to have lavish feasts on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Hashem wants us to get married and raise a family, bringing the next generation up to continue a lifestyle of Torah and mitzvos.

In fact ,this might be the ultimate challenge in life, as well as the most difficult. The last Mishna in chapter five of Pirkei Avos says: “Reward is earned according to one’s efforts.” To figure out exactly what Hashem wants of us at any given time, to weigh the options and make the exact proper decisions, is very hard to do. To be able to figure out how much time should be spent on one’s physical needs versus on one’s spiritual needs, and to execute it in exactly the way Hashem wants of each individual, is the ultimate test.

The suffering, pain, and effort one puts into this drive  towards perfection, for the perfect split in meeting one’s spiritual and physical needs, is what Hashem ultimately rewards. This is the lesson of the half-shekel.

What makes a person change course in life and make a lifetime commitment to something different than that with which they grew up? Is it simply inspiration, or must there be an intellectual component to something  seen or heard?

The Torah in this week’s portion of Yisro says: “Yisro, the priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moshe, heard all that G-D did to Moshe and his nation of Israel when Hashem took Israel out of Egypt” (Shemos 18:1).  The Mechilta at the beginning of this torah portion gives three version of what exactly Yisro heard that prompted him to come and visit Moshe: 1) Rebbi Yehoshua says he heard about the battle and victory over Amalek. 2) Rebbi Elazar Hamodai says he heard about the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people (according to him Yisro came to the Israel camp after the Torah was given). 3)Rebbi Eliezer says he heard about the splitting of the sea. (According to him Yisro came before the giving of the Torah.) (Click here for Hebrew text.)

In the subsequent pesukim the Torah relates: “Moshe told his father-in-law about all that Hashem had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel, and about all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and that Hashem saved them. Yisro was happy about all the good that Hashem had done for Israel, that He had rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians. Thereupon, Yisro said, ‘Blessed is Hashem, Who has rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, Who has rescued the people from beneath the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that Hashem is greater than all the deities, for with the thing that they plotted, He came upon them’” (Shemos 18:8-11).

The Mechilta elaborates on the conversation Moshe and Yisro had with each other. Moshe intentionally spoke to Yisro about all the events that happened leading up to that point in order to pull him in and bring him closer to Torah. Rebbi Yehoshua says Yisro was ‘stirred and happy over the benefits of the manna that one can taste bread, meat, fish, locust, anything he wants to taste in the world can be tasted from the manna which Hashem gave them.’ Rebbi Elazar Hamodai said Yisro was ‘impressed with the benefits of the “Well of Miriam” (the water which flowed from the rock) for the water which Hashem gave them can taste like old wine, new wine, milk, honey or any sweetness in the world.’ Rebbe Eliezer said Yisro was ‘impressed with the benefits of the Land of Israel for he was told that in the future there will be six good things: The Land of Israel, The World to Come, the Kingship of the House of David, a new world, the Priesthood and the Levites.’

Yisro was the first person at the time to praise Hashem with a language of blessing: “Blessed is Hashem…” The Mechilta, in fact, admits that this posuk is demeaning the Jews; for out of 600,000+ Jewish people not one of them got up and blessed Hashem until Yisro came around!

The Mechilta goes on to describe Yisro’s enlightenment. Until that point he had not admitted to anything. Even though, as the Vilna Gaon points out, Yisro recognized Hashem previously but now even more. Yisro said that as Hashem’s Name grew in the world people said that initially no slave was able to escape Egypt for it was completely closed, yet now over 600,000 people left Egypt. That is why “Hashem is greater than all the deities;” all the things the Egyptians wanted to use to annihilate the Jews, Hashem used against the Egyptians. The Malbim points out that Yisro recognized how Hashem exacted punishment, measure for measure, on the Egyptians; which only One who is in control of all powers is able to do.
Yisro was known to have tried every type of idol worship in the world. In fact, in the very next verse the Torah says: “Yisro, the father-in-law of Moshe, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to Hashem.” The Malbim says this sacrifice was offered because he had converted to Judaism, but the Mechilta adds that the Torah was showing it’s astonishment, in a good way, that a person who was so involved in worshipping idols, giving libations to them and bowing down to them, could now bring offerings to Hashem. What awesomeness! (Click here for  Hebrew text.)

Yet what convinced Yisro to embrace the truth? Yisro heard in detail from the greatest eyewitness, his son-in-law Moshe, of all the miracles that happened in Egypt and afterwards in the desert. But the Mechilta does not say that Yisro got inspired by the wonders of the plagues, the fact that all liquid turned to blood only for the Egyptians, even sap, juice, and their own saliva, or that hail fell down and cracked into fire, or that the darkness was so thick that the Egyptians could not move for three days. The Mechilta doesn’t even mention all the miracles of the splitting of the sea into twelve parts, the Jews walking on dry land made out of marble with fruit trees to eat from, fresh water streaming out of the salty sea walls, etc. He doesn’t reference the incredible feat of food falling from heaven every day, a rock bringing forth water, and clouds by day and fire by night taking care of and leading the Jewish People through the desert.

So what made Yisro’s heart stir? It was the fact that an entire nation of slaves escaped Egypt which no other slave, not even one, was able to do before; and the fact that Hashem punished the Egyptions with such exactitude that is was directly measure for measure for what the Egyptians inflicted on the Jews. Yisro also was impressed that the food and water they were receiving in the desert tasted like anything in the world, as well as the benefits of the place they were going to and the living conditions they will eventually be living in.

What made Yisro convert was not the glitz and glamour. That might have been what got him in the door and brought him to Moshe to begin with; but he ultimately developed an intellectual appreciation for how Hashem handled things which caused him to embrace the truth.

This dvar Torah is dedicated in dear memory of my brother-in-law Rabbi Yehuda Simes, Yehuda Pinchas ben Yitzchak Isaac zt”l, who passed away this past Tuesday. Rabbi Simes’ and his wife’s involvement in CITE and my life as a whole has had a profound impact on myself as well as on many others throughout the world. May his blessed memory live on forever.

In this week’s Torah portion of Bishalach we have the famous Shiras HaYam, the Song at the Sea. It is the song that Moshe and B’nei Yisrael sang after walking through the split sea.  It is recited every morning during shachris, at the end of pesukei dizimra.

Towards the end of the song it says: “You stretched out Your right hand – the earth swallowed them” (Shemos 15:12). The Rosh comments on the end of this posuk that the reason why the Egyptians deserved to be buried was because they were involved in honoring Yaakov at his burial, and The One who does not deprive any creature from its reward should not deprive them of their reward, measure for measure. (Click here to see Hebrew text.)

The burial of a human being is considered basic human decency, and is done out of respect for the person. Even a person who committed  a terrible sin such as idolatry, or cursing Hashem, which is deserving of  the capital punishment of stoning, the Torah directs the court to not allow his body to hang for too long. The Sefer HaChinuch says that, in fact, this terrible person should be hung at sunset for all to see, to instill fear and trepidation in their hearts in order so that they won’t do such a thing. He is then immediately  buried with the scaffold he was hung from and with  the stone he was stoned with, so that people won’t say ‘this is the tree that so and so was hung on’ (Mitzvah 535). The Gemara in Sanhedrin 46b brings a touching parable to explain the severity of this point, of two twin brothers who looked exactly alike, one who becomes  king and the other who was a bandit and was eventually hung. Whoever would see the hung body would say ‘the king is hanging;’ so the king commanded for the body to be taken down. Rashi there says: so too, each person is made in the image of Hashem and it would not be right to leave a person hanging, no matter what insidious act he has done.

It would seem however from this Rosh that the Egyptians  lost even  the right to a proper burial, and  even their reward for having shown the proper respect at Yaakov’s funeral was taken away from them. Only because this was the right thing to do, meaning this is the way Hashem runs the world, measure for measure, were they given a burial; the land opened up and swallowed them after they washed up onto shore, in order for B’nei Yisrael to see their enemy finally destroyed (See Ramban Shemos 15:12).

We see here a whole new dimension in the quality of a good deed. Even if one somehow lost the right to deserve to collect his reward for doing a good deed it still could count for something and invokes strict judgement to be exercised for one’s advantage.

Don’t underestimate the impact of one simple good deed!

Yehuda sure did not underestimate the impact of one simple good deed. Please click here to gain some inspiration from eulogies of this very special person.

Rav Shmuel Niman zt”l, my mashgiach in Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim who passed away not too long ago, use to tell us  that we should invest in two things, gold and property: “Buy your own home, but don’t invest in stocks.”

In this week’s Torah portion of Bo we find another reason to own your own home.
The Daas Zekeinim mentions the reason why we have four cups of wine on the seder night of Pesach is representative of the four languages of redemption used to describe Hashem taking the Jewish people out of Egypt:” I will take you out”,” I will save you,” “I will redeem you” and “I will take you” (Shemos 6:6,7). The fifth cup for those that need to drink five (this is Elijah’s cup at our seder,) represents a fifth language of redemption “I will bring you” in posuk 8, as people say, ‘Any servant whose master freed them and gave him all his things into his hands if he does not bring him in to his home what does it help?’ This means that a servant whose master freed him and gave him his own goblet but does not bring him into his house to live what is all the nicety worth to him? So to if Hashem would not have brought them to the Land of Israel what would it help to take them out of Egypt? (See Daas Zekeinim in Shemos 12:8 or click here and here for Hebrew text.)

At first glance we see from this Daas Zekeinim how important it is for a person to have a roof over his head and for a nation to have a homeland. However, if you think about the situation, the Children of Israel were in in the desert compared to their lives in Israel, you will find an incredible insight into human psychology, and another reason why it worthwhile to own a house.

While traveling through the desert the Jewish people were taken care of with open miracles by Hashem, such as having food which tasted like whatever they wanted it to taste like, presentedto them on their door step every day from heaven (if they deserved it). In addition, water flowed out of a rock, clothes never wore out and grew with them, and a flat surface to walk on was provided for them throughout the journey, with theClouds of Glory flattening any mountains or hills and leveled any valley for easy travels. Besides all these luxuries, out of 42 encampments in 40 years, 19 years were spent in Kadesh Barnea. So there was a period of 19 years settled in one place with all their needs taken care of. They had the highest security, the most delectable and nutritious food, no work, and free clothing. On the other hand, once they got into Israel they had to start working, tilling the land, producing their own foods, make their own garments, take care of their housing needs, and traveling on rugged terrain to get from one place to another.  Yet, still in all, being settled in their homeland was better than being unsettled and homeless, even when they were in one spot for 19 years! How could this be?

It would seem that the feeling of being settled in one’s own home trumps the greatest luxuries the world can provide. Imagine going on a tour of the world for  few years, staying in some places longer than others, seeing the most magnificent sights, staying at the most luxurious hotels with people serving you the most elegant and exotic  food 24/7,where ever you go. Yet once you return home and settle down, there is a feeling a relief to again be back in your home sweet home, despite all the troubles life has to offer in maintaining a home.  One still feels more at ease  in his own house, rather than traveling around or even renting for many years. There is a feeling of euphoria, of accomplishment and satisfaction, in  buying and maintaining a house after renting for  a number of years. This is due to the feeling of owning one’s own house and being permanently settled; with all its baggage, it is still a lot more comforting and rewarding to a person then the thought of being unsettled.

To take it one step further, for every Jew, he or she will not be truly settled, even if they own a house in exile,  until the return to their homeland of Israel. That is the ultimate redemption! May it come speedily for all of us in our lifetime!