We are in the midst of the Nine Days, which conclude with Tisha B’Av. The gemara in Taanis 29a says that the spies came back and slandered the Land of Israel on Tisha B’Av, which led to crying and mass hysteria among the Jewish People. Hashem told them: “You weep without cause, I will give you reason to cry and establish this day as a day of weeping throughout the generations.” (Click here for Hebrew text.) But what went wrong? What compelled them to accept the lashon hara, slander of the spies? This week’s Torah portion of Devarim begins the rebuke Moshe gave to the Jewish People at the end of his life. In it he discusses the episode of the spies, where they initially decided to not conquer the land and then changed their mind (See Devarim 1:19-46). One of the lessons the Ralbag learns from here is “that it is appropriate to accept the good at the desirable time. For if one does not make oneself feel willing to accept it, then it’s possible when he does want it, it won’t be given to him. Don’t you see that the Jews were prevented from receiving good because of the matter of the spies and when they regretted this and wanted to take the good, they couldn’t get it.” (Click here for Hebrew text.) The Jewish People decided not to inherit the Land of Canaan that Hashem was giving them on account of the bad report of the spies. Then they regretted their decision, and were punished with spending 40 years in the desert and a whole generation wiped out, before being allowed to conquer the land. So they decided on their own to try to conquer it right then and there but were driven away by Canaanite nations. But why is this considered a lesson in taking the good when you have the opportunity, and not delaying and trying to get it later after one might have lost the chance? They were misled by the spies and didn’t even realize the good they would be missing! These spies weren’t just regular people.; The good people, who actually gave a positive report of the land were Yehoshua, who wound up taking over the mantle of leadership after Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, and Calev, Miriam’s husband, who came from the tribe of Yehuda. The other spies, who gave the bad report were also very righteous and intelligent people, at least before they set out on their mission. This is proven by my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Henach Leibowitz zt”l ,in his 1st and 3rd shmuz in Chiddushei HaLev parshas Shelach. If so, then what does it mean that they didn’t take advantage of the good when they originally had the chance? They didn’t realize they had the chance, because they were blinded by the spies’ report. In fact, they were never really sure if the land was good, as seen by the fact that they requested for the spies to be sent in the first place?! It must be therefore that they had the ability to see the good, and if they would have looked more into the matter they would have seen the good from the start. In fact, all they had to do was to focus in on the One giving them The Land, their All Good Father In Heaven, who only wants to do what’s best for His beloved children and is perfect and can make it happen very very easily, without any issues at all. Sometimes, when one is hesitant about if what he is receiving is good, then looking at the giver can be a good litmus test, especially if it is coming directly from Hashem; then for sure it is all good. But the Ralbag is teaching a general lesson, that one should look into the matter and not hesitate to take the good when offered. Especially from someone who you can trust; because if you don’t take it immediately, it might be too late. In this case, because they didn’t focus in on the one who was giving to see the good, it created a chain of events that would cause weeping for generations, including the destruction of the first and second Beis Hamikdash. May Tisha B’Av turn into the Yom Tov that Chaza”l promise us speedily in our days. Good Shabbos Chazon, Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder |
Mattos/Maasei – The Psychology of Mourning Death
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This week we conclude the Book of Bamidbar. In the second parsha of this week’s Torah portions of Mattos and Maasei we discuss the parsha of the accidental murderer. The Torah gives the right to relatives of a murder victim to kill someone who accidentally murders, but the murderer has the right to flee, even eventually with help of the courts, to a city of refuge. They must then live there, in security, until the kohen gadol, the high priest, passes away. The pasuk states, “The assembly shall rescue the murderer from the hand of the avenger of the blood, and the assembly shall return him to his city of refuge where he had fled; he shall dwell in it until the death of the kohen gadol, whom one had anointed with the sacred oil” (Bamidbar 35:25).
Rabbeinu Bachye gives three reasons why the accidental murderer can leave free from the city of refuge without any more threat to his life once the kohen gadol passes away:
“1. In Makkos 11a, Chaza”l darshans, extrapolates, the Torah makes the atonement of the accidental murderer dependent on the death of the kohen gadol because he atones for all the Jews. And he should have beseeched mercy on his generation [so that accidental murders would not occur] and he did not beseech [well enough] and behold a sin of murder occurred in his lifetime.
2. Furthermore, the death of the kohen gadol is a comfort to the relatives of the killed so that their hearts won’t be enflamed [with anger] and they won’t worry about him as much.
3. The Sifri on this pasuk darshans that because the kohen gadol is a reason for the Divine Presence to rest among the Jews to lengthen their days, and the killer is a reason to remove the Divine Presence from the Jews and shorten their days, and he is not worthy to stand around before the kohen gadol.”
(Click here for Hebrew text.)
According to the first and third reasons given by the Rabbeinu Bachye, the killer’s freedom is based on his right to go free. In the first reason it is because the death of the kohen gadol is an atonement, which erases his sin, just as a sin-offering atones for any other accidental sin. According to the third reason, the killer lost his right to live in any proximity of the kohen gadol, the one who brought down the Shechina to the Jewish People, because his actions, albeit unintentional, distanced the Shechina from the Jews. So he’s “jailed” separated from the kohen gadol; but when the kohen gadol passes away he is freed.
However, the second reason seems to be more about cause and effect based on the feelings of the relatives of the one who was killed. They, for some reason, are comforted and aren’t a threat to the killer once the kohen gadol dies, and therefore the killer can leave the city of refuge without any fear of revenge. But why is this? Why does the death of the kohen gadol calm the agitation of the relatives of the murder victim?
One might say that it is based on the first reason, that the relatives knew (which isn’t conclusive) that the kohen gadol should have davened harder, so that something like this would not have happen. Therefore his death is enough compensation for the death of their relative. And even though the actual killer is still alive, the kohen gadol’s death, he who had the underlying responsibility for the matter is enough of a comfort for them to move on in life.
However the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim (3:40), (which the Mossad HaRav Kook edition of Rabbeinu Bachye brings down in their footnotes) gives an entirely different reason: “His returning [back into society] is dependent on the death of the man who is the greatest of all people, and most beloved by all the Jews because this will quiet down the soul of the bereaved whose relative was killed. For this is the nature of mankind. Anyone who had a tragedy happen to him, if someone else tragically dies who is similar qualitatively or even more severe of a death than [his relative] there is comfort through that tragedy. And there is no worse tragic death by us then the death of the high priest (kohen gadol).”
Imagine, G-D forbid, someone accidentally backing up a car and running over a child. The victim’s father or brother, who are devastated, angry, and frustrated would have the right to to take revenge on the driver according to the Torah, in the days before Beis Hamikdash was destroyed. There were cities all across Israel and right on the other side of the Jordan River where the murderer could run to and live in a safe haven from the relatives, according to Torah law. These relatives live in sorrow over having lost a loved one whom they could have interacted with day in and day out, watch grow up, develop, and enjoy times together. All that erased because of an accident. Why would the death of the gadol hador, the spiritual leader of the generation, someone who the relatives might not have even met in their lives, make up for their close relatives death? Indeed, to the extent that they are comforted and feel enough solace that they won’t want to take revenge on the murderer anymore?
It would seem, as the Rambam says, that it is the nature of mankind that when a person who is a beloved leader of the generation, someone, who, even if one does not personally know, but was relied upon for guidance, support leadership, or knew that the world, or at least Torah Jewry was dependent on him, and he in essence supported the world on his shoulders, the tragedy of his death, even if it’s just out of old age, is so crushing that even the feelings of frustration and anger over the accidental murder of a child or parent is calmed down and put to rest, due to dealing with this new sad circumstance.
Hashem built into the psyche of a person to only be able to deal with one tragedy of equal or harsher weight one at a time. Once another tragedy of equal quality or worse happens, then naturally the hard feelings from the previous tragedy cease, and one is forced to handle the subsequent tragedy (even though the sadness from the first might still be there). For this reason it makes sense that the accidental murderer may feel safe to leave the city of refuge once the kohen gadol, the spiritual leader of the generation, passes away, and the relatives of the victim now have to deal with their new emotional tragedy, which causes their ill will against their relative’s killer to calm down.
Pinchas – A Lesson From The Parsha For Today
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“Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: Harass the Midianim and smite them because they attacked you; for they harassed you through their conspiracy that they conspired against you in the matter of peor, and in the matter of Cozbi daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague, in the matter of peor” (Bamidbar 25:16-18).
The lesson the Ralbag learns from Hashem’s speech to Moshe is, “One who knows for a fact that someone else wants to annihilate him, the proper thing to do is to annihilate that person (or people) first in order save their life. For this reason Hashem commanded [Moshe] to attack the Midianim because of their known hatred towards the Jews and their interest in doing bad to them, especially since now they had even more hatred for murdering Kozbi the daughter of Tzur.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Midianim were like distant cousins of the Jews (in fact half-brothers, as they came from the same ancestral father Avraham, just like the Arabs, who descend from Yishmael, who came from the same father as us, Avraham). One would think that negotiating a peace settlement might be a more proper way to do things, especially with those that are kindred.
This is aside from the fact that peace is one of the most important attributes of Hashem, as we find in the first Medrish Rabba in this week’s Torah portion of Pinchas: ” Great is peace that is why it was given to Pinchas, for the world only runs on peace and the Torah is completely peaceful as it says in Mishley (3:17) ‘It’s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its pathways are peace.’ And if a person comes from traveling then one should greet him with peace. Also, in the morning one should greet a person with peace. As well as at night one should too. The paragraph after Shema at maariv ends with peace. The last bracha of shemone esrai beseeches peace. The Birkas Kohanim concludes speaking of peace. Rebbe Shimon ben Chalafta says that no vessel holds blessing besides peace as it says in Tehillim (29:11) ‘Hashem will give might to His nation, Hashem will bless His nation with peace.'” (Click here for Hebrew text.)One of Hashem’s names is even Shalom. We see how great and important peace is from this very parsha; so why does Hashem command us to wipe out the Midianim and not try to negotiate a peace deal with them?
It must be that the right thing to do when truth is staring you in the face and it is evident and clear as day that your enemy hates you and wants to wipe you off the face of the earth, that it is pointless to consider peace. Especially if you have already assassinated a leader of theirs, as Pinchas had done when he killed the Midianite princess Cozbi bas Tzur for good reason; they were then even more heated up. The proper thing to do then became to defend oneself with a preemptive strike, completely decimating them before they can do any more harm, or even any harm at all.
Easy fast of the 17th of Tammuz & Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder
P.S. For what it’s worth, the Pesiksa Rabasi diRav Kahana (end of perek 37) says in the name of Rebbe Yitzchak, “the year that the King Moshiach will reveal himself all the nations of the world will be fighting with each other. The Persian king will be fighting against the Arabian King. The King Of Arabia will go to Edom to seek advice from them. The King Of Persia will turn around and destroy the entire world. All the nations of the world will be screaming, going crazy, and falling on their faces and they will be going through pain like the pain of childbirth. The Jews will also be screaming and going crazy and they will say, ‘Where are we going to go and where will we be coming from. He (Hashem) will say to them, ‘My son don’t be afraid. The time of your redemption has come and not like the first redemption is the final redemption because by the first redemption you still had suffering and were at the mercy of other kingdoms but the final redemption there is no suffering and you won’t be living under any other kingdom. Others Rabbis taught that at the time that the King Moshiach will reveal himself he will come and stand on the roof of the Beis Hamikdash and he will call out to the Jewish People and say to them, ‘Humble ones the time of your redemption has come and if you don’t believe it then see His light that shines upon you!'”
בשעה שמלך המשיח נגלה בא ועומד על גג של בית המקדש והיה משמיע להם לישראל ואומר להם, ענוים הגיע זמן גאולתכם ואם אין אתם מאמינים ראו באורו שזרח עליכם.
It also says at the end of Medrish Vayosha, “When the days of Moshiach will be upon us, Gog and Magog will go up to the Land of Israel because he will hear that Israel is without a king and are living securely. He will immediately take 71 nations with him and go up to Yerushalayim. He will say, ‘Pharaoh was a fool because he decreed to wipe out the males and leave the females. Balak was stupid because he wanted to curse them and he didn’t know that their G-D wanted to bless them. Haman was crazy because he wanted to kill them and didn’t know that their G-D wanted to save them. But I won’t do that rather I will go up and make war against their G-D first and then I will kill them…’ Hashem will say back to him, ‘Wicked person, My nation you want to wage war with, I swear by your life that I will do away with you.’ Immediately He will rain down brimstone (like meteors) which is hidden in the celestial skies and they will be struck with a great plague (a deadly sickness)… After that a brazen king will rise up and wage war against the Jews for three months. His name is Armolis and these are the signs of him: (1) He will be bald, (2) one of his eyes will be small and the other large. (3) His right arm will be a tefach (3.78 inches according to Chazon Ish) and his other arm will be two and a half amos (56.75 inches according to the Chazon Ish.)
(4) He will have leprosy on his forehead.
(5) His right ear will be closed and the other one open. When a person will speak to him good he will lean his closed ear towards him. When a person wants to speak bad about him he will lean his open ear towards him. He will go up to Yerushalayim and he will kill the Moshiach Ben Yosef… afterwards Moshiach Ben Dovid will come in a cloud… and will kill the evil Armolis… After that Hashem will gather together the scattered Jews from here and from there… There will be 72 gemstones hanging over Yerushalayim lighting up the world from one end of the earth to the other. The nations of the world will walk towards the light… Hashem will then bring down the Beis Hamikdash from Heaven… The Jews would then live there (in Israel) for two thousand years eating the Leviathan. At the end of 2000 years Hashem will sit on His throne in judgment in the Valley of Yehoshafat. Immediately the heaven and earth will switch, the sun and the moon will be embarrassed… Hashem will bring all the nations and languages to judgement and say to them, ‘To whom have you worshipped in this world, and to whom have you prostrated yourself.’ They will say, ‘To silver gods and golden gods.’ G-D will say to them, ‘You and your gods will pass through fire and if they can save you they will save you. They will then be passed through and be burned… Afterwards the Jews will come and Hashem will say to them, ‘Who did you serve?’ Immediately they will answer, ‘Our Father, our Redeemer forever will be Your Name!’ Immediately Hashem will save them from the judgement of Gehinnom and they will sit in Gan Eden and delight in their fruits… After that Hashem will renew for them the Heaven and the Earth… Hashem will, in the future renew it and bring forth trees and all sorts of delights and all of it will live forever. Who that did miracles and wonders in those days He will do miracles and wonders with us in these days at this time and will gather us from the four corners of the earth and bring us to Yerushalayim, rebuilt, and established speedily in our days, amen.” המבין יבין…
Chukas/Balak -A Sight for Sore Eyes
This dvar Torah is dedicated in honor of the 66th wedding anniversary of Dr. Menachem Mendel and Itka Shulamis Greenstein. At 66 years, the love is stronger than ever! May they have many more happy and healthy years together, b’ezras Hashem!
Now for some Food for Thought:
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When speaking in terms of prophesy, one of the prerequisites for acquiring prophesy is to not be in a state of sadness or anger. For this reason, we find that Serach bas Asher played the harp when telling Yaakov that Yosef was still alive, to help bring back his prophesy that had been lost for many years. Dovid Hamelech also played the harp to prepare himself for prophecy. Music was a major force for many prophets to reach the level of prophecy, because music has a calming effect and makes people cheerful.
We see a poignant example of this in regard to the prophet Elisha. The pasuk says in Melachim Beis (3:15), “And now bring me a musician. It happened that as the musician played, the hand of Hashem came upon him.” The Radak gives two possibilities as to why Elisha needed a musician to bring back his ability of prophesy. “They say that from the day Eliyahu, his rebbe, disappeared, he had not the spirit of prophesy rest upon him because he was mourning, and the holy spirit (Ruach Hakodesh) only rests on a person through joy. There are those who say [he lost his prophesy] because of his anger, for he got angry at the king of Yisrael [Yehoram] which made him sad. Chaza”l say ‘Whoever gets angry, if he is a prophet, prophesy disappears from him, from where do we know this? From Elisha.’ And in order to bring back his happiness he got a musician to play for him.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Yet in the second parsha of this week’s double portion of Chukas and Balak, we find an astonishing thing in regard to Bilam, the non-Jewish representative that Hashem granted prophecy, for all the gentile nations. Bilam started out with the intention of cursing the Jewish People, but Hashem granted him prophesy and put words of blessing for the Jewish people into his mouth. The pesukim state that then “Bilam saw that it was good in Hashem’s eyes to bless Israel, so he did not go as every other time towards divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness. Bilam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of G-D was upon him” (Bamidbar 24:1,2).
The Ramban explains that after 2 rounds of blessing the Jews, “Now Bilam adopted an entirely new approach to his attempt to draw prophesy to himself. Previously, he had hoped to divine the moment of G-D’s anger and utilize it to bring a curse upon Israel, but he finally realized that this was not to be. Having been told ‘there is no divination in Yaakov’ (Bamidbar 23:23), he realized that his sorcery had no chance of success, so ‘he set face towards the wilderness’ (24:1) to open himself to the prophesy G-D wished to impart: His blessing of Israel. For the first time in his life, G-D did not merely ‘happen’ upon him; for the sake of Israel, G-D appeared to Bilam in the fullness of His glory (as per 24:2) and Bilam experienced the height of true prophecy.”
But how did Bilam attain this true state of prophesy? He must have been frustrated, angry, and sad at the lack of success he was having in failing to do the job he was being paid quite a sum of money by Balak to do?
However, Rav Saadia Gaon points out in pasuk 2, “and since he raised his eyes and saw them camped in order of their tribes the prophesy of Hashem rested upon him.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Bilam was defeated, frustrated, and angered by his donkey, shaken up by an angel, before his potential curses turned to blessings; so how did he turn around and get a high-level prophesy from Hashem?
Not through music! He simply looked up at his enemy’s camp and was taken aback at the sight he saw. The order, the majestic glory, and the impressive, formidable formation of their camp. He was awed by what he saw, it excited him, and any negatively in his heart was erased. Bilam was so impressed by what he saw that he was inspired to act happily and reached a level of prophesy where he was able to truly bless the Jews a third time. Indeed, he included the famous words “מה טובו אהליך יעקב” “How goodly are your tents O’ Jacob etc.” Though by the end of the parsha he again soured, we see how not only music but even an impressive sight can lift one up out of one’s woes and struggles, uplifting a person to glee and happiness, to the point of being inspired to prophesy.
Korach – Inspiring Inspiration
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In this week’s Torah portion of Korach, Moshe and Aharon had to deal with a rebellion that was getting a bit out of control. At some point, after the main rebels were miraculously swallowed up by the earth and burned to a crisp, the Torah relate: “The entire assembly of the Children of Israel complained the next day against Moshe and Aharon saying, ‘You have killed the people of Hashem!’ And it was when the assembly gathered against Moshe and Aharon, they turned to the Tent of Meeting and behold the cloud had covered it, and the glory of Hashem appeared. Moshe and Aharon came before the Tent of Meeting. Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, ‘Remove yourselves from among this assembly and I shall destroy them in an instant!’ They fell on their faces. Moshe said to Aharon, ‘Take the fire-pan and put on it fire from upon the Altar and place incense and take it quickly to the assembly and provide atonement for them, for the fury has gone out from the presence of Hashem; the plague has begun'” (Bamidbar 17 6-11)!
When the Torah says that Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces, the Baal HaTurim Hashalem points out that in pasuk 10 they didn’t pray to Hashem as they did earlier in perek 16, pasuk 22. The reason being is that the prayers weren’t flowing from their mouths. Therefore, the next pasuk (11) says ‘For the fury has gone out’, just as it says in the Mishna in Brachos 34b, that Rebbe Chanina ben Dosa, when he was praying for the sick, would say: ‘If my prayers aren’t flowing from my mouth, I know that he is destined to die.'” [Rashi there say that ‘flowing from him mouth’ means that Rebbe Chanina ben Dosa is saying that if normally my prayers are coming out in an orderly, desirable manner and I don’t hesitate, and the pleas are flowing from my heart to my mouth, all that I desire I am able to elongate my prayers about.] (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Baal HaTurim Hashalem links what he just said with a Ramban on the following pasuk: “take yourself out of this assembly.” The Ramban asks, “I don’t understand the reason for this pasuk and the earlier pasuk, ‘they should separate themselves from within the assembly ‘ (Bamidbar 16:21), because G-D has the power to kill many by way of a plague, around one righteous person he would be left alone, just as we find by the plague of the firstborn in Egypt? It would seem that the fury specifically went out to kill everyone in order to kill these sinners, by the opening of the earth and in the fire, because they were driven after them, and the plagues were in general to kill anyone standing together around there, unless there was another miracle to allow people to escape, or Hashem says [there are special exceptions who won’t be killed] in honor of the righteous, that as long they are among them they can’t touch anyone of them. The intent of this and in similar cases is to inform them that they need to ask for mercy and atonement and Moshe quickly (בזרירות) did this.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The situation was dire to the point that they were deserving of unconditional wrath and fury to come down from Heaven, sparing no one, good or bad. The mishna in Brachos 34b even says it is a bad omen, an ayin hara, if prayers for mercy weren’t naturally flowing from the leader’s mouth. An indication, a sign from Heaven, that all is lost and hopeless. And this assembly was in fact evil and rebellious, especially against Moshe himself. If that was the case, then how did he have the drive to make the choice to act and help them, with speed and alacrity, when everything says that they didn’t deserve it, and it even got personal?
We see from here that a person has the ability to overcome personal interests, credible signs of hopelessness, and even logical reasons not to act and help, in order to care of others and take action to stop a danger from getting out of hand. Indeed, this applies not only to taking action, but to acting with great speed and decisiveness to ensure danger is stopped in its tracks, even when it means forcing another miracle to happen.
This is a true care and compassion for others.
Shelach – The Greater You are the Harder You Fall
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In this week’s Torah portion of Shelach we find a discussion about one who worships idols intentionally, who cannot atone for his sin through an offering. If he was warned and nevertheless sinned in front of two witnesses in the days of the Sanhedrin and Beis Hamikdash, he can incur the death penalty of stoning. The pasuk addresses an idolater who either was not warned or two witnesses didn’t view his bad deed, where capital punishment may not be enforced rather the Torah says, “…that person will surely be cut off, his sin is upon him,” “הכרת תכרתו הנפש ההיא עונה בה” (Bamidbar 15:31).
The gemara in Sanhedrin 90b says the double language of being cut off means both from this world and The World To Come. Indeed, the gemara there says that this is one of the biblical sources for resurrection of the dead. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Chiddushei HaRa”n on this gemara explains that “The World To Come is only for those who will be resurrected because after the resurrection they will be elevated to gain pleasure from the shine of the Shechina, Holy Presence. This is what is meant in Brachos 17a that The World To Come does not have eating or drinking, rather the righteous will be sitting with crowns on their heads basking in the shine of the Holy Presence. This means to say that even though they will be alive in physical body and soul, they will still be able to live without eating or drinking, just like Moshe on the mountain (Devarim 9:9) and Eliyahu after he ascended to Heaven (Melachim Beis 2:11). And according to this The World To Come is a name given to the time period of the resurrection of the dead. This is the view of many Rishonim including the Yad Rama (Sanhedrin 90a), and the Ramban (Shaar HaGemul perek 3). But the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 8:2) holds that The World To Come is the name given to the world of souls after the body dies (again). This is an ancient argument based on firmly rooted Rabbis, Medrashim, and Aggadata that argue on each other.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
With this backdrop in mind we find earlier on in this Torah portion a description of the death sentence of the generation of desert, Dor Hamidbar, who accepted the slander of the spies about the Land of Canaan. There the Torah writes: “In this wilderness shall they cease, and there shall they die” (Bamidbar 14:35). The mishna in Sanhedrin 110b says that the generation of the desert have no share in the World To Come as it says, “they shall cease” in this world and “there they will die” in The World To Come. The Chiddushei HaRa”n on that gemara says, “It definitely seems that only on that wicked generation do they say that they will not return in the future, meaning they don’t have a share in the World To Come because they removed themselves from Hashem and spoke negatively about the Land of Israel. But in regards to their offspring, definitely whether little or many, they will return in the days of Moshiach and they will serve Hashem. They are the expelled Jews that Hashem will gather, as it’s guaranteed that no tribe will be wiped out (Bava Basra 115b). Also in Yechezkel (47:13, 48:1-34) [when talking about the future] it mentions all the tribes and how each one will be divided a portion of the Land. There is no Jew that G-D forbid argues on this.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Dor Hamidbar, the generation of the desert, reached spiritual heights unfathomable to us, levels of prophesy even greater than Yechezkel ben Buzi when crossing the red sea. Temporarily reached the level of Adam HaRishon upon receiving the Torah at Har Sinai. And even after they sinned, they weren’t wiped out; rather, they had forty years to repent, which they undoubtedly did, and were deserving of such miracles as food falling from Heaven, water streaming from a rock, and protection from the elements by clouds in the day and fire at night. They had no need to work and their whole days were filled with Torah learning and other ways to serve Hashem in the most optimum way possible. So why were they punished so severely that they have no share in The World To Come? We speak and accept lashon hara, slander, day in and day out, and do many other transgressions; still in all, as the Ra”n emphasizes, we, the offspring,
| are guaranteed a share in the World To Come. This is even if at face value the sins that we commit seem to be much more severe than what they did? (Parenthetically, there are some who have and will lose their share if their sins are too severe; see perek Chelek the 13th chapter Sanhedrin for more details). |
However, we must say, that this is clear proof to the concept that the greater one is the more strictly Hashem judges them. Expectations are higher; Hashem therefore scrutinizes deeds and intentions like a thin blade of hair. Therefore, because of their level, the Dor Hadeah, the generation of knowledge, lost their chance in to The World To Come over their betrayal “because they removed themselves from Hashem” and slandered Hashem’s land of Israel. They were called the generation of knowledge as they knew Hashem and felt His “presence” and witnessed open miracles more than any other generation in history. They were also referred to as the Dor Hamidbar, the generation of the desert. Even though they had high levels of faith and trust in Hashem, followed Him blindly through the desert, learned His Torah and said Naaseh Vinishma, making an unwavering commitment to His cause and service, still in all, because on some minute level they experienced discouragement after hearing and then accepting the negative report of the spies about a land, not even about another person, still, at their level, this imperfection was magnified to the point of the severe punishment they undoubtedly deserved. This is the way Hashem’s reward and punishment work. We have to feel thankful for Hashem’s mercy and that He factors in hiskatnus hadoros, the shrinking (in mind, emotion, spiritually and even physically) of each generation as it passes. Therefore, the expectations are less and that is why we have a much better chance of making it to Olam Haba, and the bar to ruining that chance is set very high. The question that we have in motivating ourselves is what can we do to qualitatively earn a better part in Olam Haba for ourselves on an individual level? Good Shabbos, Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder |
B’haaloscha – The intent of Students Running Out of School
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The two backward and upside down “nuns” in this week’s Torah portion of B’haaloscha symbolizes a demarcation between two tragedies that occurred during the Jewish people’s time in the desert. In between these two “nuns” are the famous pesukim we say when taking out and putting back the Torah (Bamidbar 10:35, 36):
| “So it was, whenever the ark set out, Moshe would say, Arise, O Hashem, may Your enemies be scattered and may those who hate You flee from You.” | להוַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָֽאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה | יְהֹוָ֗ה וְיָפֻ֨צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ: | |
| “And when it came to rest he would say, Repose O Lord, among the myriads of thousands of Israel.” | לווּבְנֻחֹ֖ה יֹאמַ֑ר שׁוּבָ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה רִבֲב֖וֹת אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
The gemara in Shabbos 116a discusses why these pesukim were placed where they are, “Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says, this section is destined to be uprooted from here and written in its proper place. And why was it written here? In order to separate between one tragedy and a second tragedy. What is the second tragedy? ‘And the people took to seeking complaints’ (Bamidbar 11:1). What was the first tragedy? ‘And they traveled from the mountain of Hashem’ (Bamidbar 10:33). And [regarding this pasuk] Rebbe Chama the son of Rebbe Chanina commented, [within three days of their setting out from Har Sinai] they turned away from Hashem. And where is this section’s proper place? With the topic of the flags (Bamidbar 2:17).” Rashi says, “In the future (in the times of Moshiach, may he come speedily in our days,) when all tragedies will cease to exist and there will be no worries about tragedies, and the yetzer hara (evil inclination) will be no more, that is when this portion will be moved to its proper place in the Torah.” (click here for Hebrew text.)
The Chiddushei HaRa”n gives two explanations of what exactly was the first tragedy of “that they turned away from Hashem”: (1) “The explanation of Rashi is that the troublemakers and complainers that were among them had strong physical desires, and when they traveled from the mountain of Hashem all this started. For with this in mind they traveled from there and starting from there they had these thoughts [of complaining about no real food]. That is what the pasuk means when it says they traveled from the mountain of Hashem, meaning they traveled away from Hashem. (2) And I (the R”an) heard that they removed themselves away from Hashem so that they wouldn’t pile upon themselves a lot of Torah and mitzvos. And what they did accept they felt bad about and that’s what it means ‘they traveled from the mountain of Hashem.'” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
When deeply analyzing this Ra”n, one will find two totally different explanations of what went wrong by the first tragedy. To put it simply, one explanation is that these troublemakers and complainers were driven by their physical desires and the other explanation is that they were driven by a lack of an appreciation for the Torah and mitzvos.
The last mishna in gemara Makkos 23b concludes, “Rebbe Chananya ben Akashya says, ‘The Holy One Blessed Be He desired to confer merit upon Israel therefore He gave them Torah and mitzvos in abundance. As it says (in Yeshayahu 42:21), Hashem desired for the sake of Israel’s righteousness, that Torah be expanded and strengthened.'” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Hashem out of His infinite abundance of love and kindness towards His dearest children showered us with opportunity to gain the ultimate levels of pleasure, as the opening words of the Mesilas Yesharim in its first chapter speaks of. This pleasure is ultimately in the World to Come, but it is earned in this world by performing and observing Torah and mitzvos. The Torah and its mitzvos, being the guidebook for mankind and the Blueprints of Creation, is the perfect conductor for how to live a healthy and meaningful life. It is authored by The Perfect, Almighty, All Powerful, All Knowing King Of All Kings, Master Of The Universe, and these troublemakers and complainers knew that. They received the Torah days before, “face to face” with Hashem, and they had said “naaseh vinshma,” with blind pure unwavering faith at the time they wholeheartedly accepted the Torah, saying “we will do and then we will listen.” How then could they just run away from Mount Sinai with an attitude that these mitzvos were too much, quite a bit of a hassle, burdensome. and afraid to learn more? What happened to their strong faith and trust in Hashem that He had given them a gift for their wellbeing? We have to say, according to the second reason given by the Ra”n, that on some level they had not fully appreciated what Hashem was giving them. They didn’t put enough focus into the positivity of the treasure they received; therefore it caused them to feel that Torah and mitzvos were a burden, and it gave them an excuse to complain. The lack of focus in appreciating the gift Hashem gave them was the first tragedy according to the second interpretation of the Ra”n.
However, according to the first interpretation, we can infer that they did have the proper focus and appreciation of the gift, the Torah and mitzvos that they received. Indeed, they might have been excited to strive for the ultimate pleasure that they could earn by performing Torah and mitzvos, because who doesn’t like pleasure? Yet they weren’t careful enough to keep their physical desire for pleasure in check; their cravings overcame them and the great spiritual height they had reached on Mount Sinai, on some level, they felt they had to escape in order to fulfill their physical desires. That in itself was a tragedy.
A lack of focus or care for Torah and mitzvos can be tragic!
Naso – The More the Merrier
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At the end of this week’s Torah portion of Naso we find the biggest perek (7) in terms of pesukim in the Torah, where it discusses the dedication of the Mishkan. The seventh perek of Bamidbar begins: “It was on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan that he anointed it , sanctified it, and all its utensils, and the Altar and all its utensils, and he anointed and sanctified them.”
The Medrish Tanchuma (22) says in the name of Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi: “Hashem made conditions with the Jews while they were still in Egypt. (1) He would only take them out on the condition they make a Mishkan, (2) and that His Shechina (Holy Presence) will rest upon them. As it is written ‘They shall know that I am Hashem, their G-D Who took them out of the land of Egypt to rest My Presence among them’ (Shemos 29:46). And once the Mishkan was assembled the Shechina came down and rested among them. At that moment all the conditions were fulfilled. That is why it writes ‘The Mishkan’ the fulfillment of the conditions that Hashem made, was fulfilled.” The Etz Yosef in the name of the Alshich explains how the medrish came up with this. “Why would Hashem make a physical and ugly world in this land? Rather it must be that the land wasn’t the main point, because who cares about the land? However the reason why Hashem ‘settled’ on the land was for the sake of mankind, since man’s soul is a part of Hashem, and by fulfilling Torah and mitzvos they merit and whiten themselves until they sit among Hashem, as it writes, ‘and they should know I am Hashem their G-D… to rest within them’ (Shemos 29:46). Within him it does not say, rather within them, because they are the palace of Hashem.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
We have to try to understand or at least take a miniscule glance at Hashem’s perspective. What our mortal eyes see as gorgeous and amazing, like snowy mountaintops, sunsets, or crystal-clear blue oceans, or what’s attractive in our eyes, like gold and silver, are worthless and even ugly from His perspective. To He Who is purely spiritual and holy, the most beautiful, valuable, and exotic human palace, which the Mishkan or Beis Hamikdash was in our eyes, and for example all the gold and silver put into the mishkan or a cover made out of hide of some animal which only existed once, for the sake of using its hide for the Mishkan, is still considered of no value and ugly to Hashem. Therefore, it must be that Hashem only settled His Holy Presence among us for our sake, to encourage Torah and mitzvos, and to create as close of a relationship with us, as one can, with Hashem.
If one thinks about it, that is exactly what the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash were all about – creating a closer relationship with Hashem. That is why people brought sin or guilt offerings for atonement if they distanced themselves from Him through sin; they would also bring thanksgiving and peace offering to bring themselves extra close to Hashem. The whole aura was of showing honor, respect, and love for Hashem. The singing of the Leviim, for example, and the Simchas Beis Hasho’eiva on Sukkos that had all the singing and dancing in Hashem’s honor. Indeed there were three times of the year where there was an obligation upon men to show up at the Beis Hamikdash and Mishkan, and there was a voluntary mitzvah for anyone to show up and be seen there at any time of the year. Once every 50 years for Hakhel there was also a mitzva for men, women, and children to show up and be inspired there. The Sanhedrin, the high court, also operated in the Beis Hamikdash. There were many awesome miracles as well. So we see that the entire essence of the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash was to encourage and motivate us to come closer to Hashem and create a close bond, that will eternally continue in The World To Come.
The Alshich, in the end of his commentary, points out that Hashem could have rested His Shechina inside each of us individually, but instead chose to do it in a more collective way. Why is this so? Why is this better? If an individual is a tzelem elokim, made in the image of Hashem, wouldn’t it make more sense for Hashem to have our souls reconnect with Him on an individual basis in this world instead of resting His Shechina on a building like the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash?
We must say that there is a greater kavod Shem Shamayim, honor towards Hashem, when as a collective, we come together to be close with Him and His Shechina, rather than each individual being close to the Shechina. Therefore the Shechina rested in the Mishkan for everyone to gather around it to be a greater honor to Hashem than the Shechina resting in each individual. The greater show of honor for Hashem, the greater the respect, awe, and love one will feel towards Hashem, b’rov am hadras Melech; then the individual relationship with Hashem will be closer.
Nowadays, in our unfortunate state of exile, what this means for us is that we have to help each other come closer to Hashem, either by way of teaching others Torah or by sharing with others to help them perform mitzvos. By reaching out and working together to come close to Hashem, that creates a bigger kiddush Hashem and Kavod Shem Shamayim! This will in turn develop our personal relationship with Hashem, as the first chapter of MesilasYesharim says, is our ultimate goal.
Bamidbar – The Mind is Easily Distracted
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The Torah in this week’s portion of Bamidbar states that Jewish firstborn males initially were meant to be the ones in charge of the service in the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash. However ,they lost that opportunity due to their involvement in the sin of the golden calf. The job was instead given to the tribe of Levi for their lack of participation in this sin. “Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, Behold! I have taken the Leviim from among the Children of Israel, in place of every firstborn, the first issue of every womb among the Children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. For every firstborn is Mine: On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified every firstborn in Israel for Myself, from man to beast; they shall be Mine, I am Hashem” (Bamidbar 3:11-13).
The Bechor Shor explains the exact reason of why the firstborn originally had the right and obligation to be in charge of the Holy Service and the ramifications of the transfer of power to the tribe of Levi. “‘Because for me are all the firstborn… in Israel.’ That I added upon them [mitzvos] from all the other Jews, for I saved them at the time of the plague of the firstborn. Another reason, for I smite the firstborn of Egypt because of the Jews, it thus justifiably follows that they should give to Me their firstborn to serve Me. And our Rabbis have taught that because they sinned by the calf they were invalidated from doing The Service and the Children of Levi who did not sin took their place, as it says in parshas Eikev that it discusses the episode of the golden calf and immediately it writes after that, ‘At that time, Hashem set apart the tribe of Levi…’ (Devarim 10:8). And it appears because of that episode they were set apart as it’s written, ‘But the Kohanim, the Levites, descendants of Tzadok, who safeguarded the charge of My Sanctuary when the Children of Israel strayed from Me…’ (Yechezkel 44:15). And according to the simple understanding it would seem that those who serve in the Mishkan are not befitting to have an inheritance of land in order so that they can focus their heart to their job of only serving Hashem, that they will be zrizim (quick with alacrity about it) and habitual in it (as if it is second nature). And the first born will take a double portion, and therefore Hashem took the Leviim in their place and commanded that they shouldn’t receive an inheritance of land.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Chizkuni similarly adds a bit more clarity: “the firstborn were not befitting for inheriting land, for their job was only in the service of Hashem, and to be quick (with alacrity) and learned (routine) in it. When the Leviim took their place, Hashem commanded that the Leviim shouldn’t have a share in the inherited land, but rather the tithes should be given to them [to eat]. Therefore, the firstborn took a double part. The part they deserved and the part that should have gone to a Levite.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Avoda in the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash is the most honorable and respectable job in the world. It would seem that the Firstborn originally had rights to the Holy Service not just as gratitude for them being saved from the plague of the firstborn which only effected the Non-Jews in Egypt. Rather it is a sense of indebtedness, an obligation to serve Hashem in His palace because He saved their lives. This isn’t like any other job; everyone knows the boss of this job is the best in the world. The benefits are exceptional, lots of food, nice clothes, and though they don’t own land, the Levites have cities throughout the Land of Israel. Granted, a lot of the work that had to be done was quite intricate and taxing on the body but there was always a doctor on call besides the fact thet there were numerous miracles that helped the process along, and they were trained to be very scrupulous with how they did their job, as making a mistake could be deadly. If all this is true, then why was it necessary to not only not allow them to own land, but they were deemed unfit to own land and the land they were once entitled to was then given to the people who were punished by being stripped of these positions. Why did Hashem have to go to such extremes to ensure the Leviim stayed quick and meticulous to G-D’s service? Wasn’t the awe-inspiring thought of doing the holiest and most important work in the world capable of instilling enough Yiras Shamayim, Fear of Heaven, the King Of All Kings, Master Of The Universe and enough to ensure that they would stay focused in the utmost extent while serving in the Mishkan or Beis Hamikdash?
It would seem that a person can be on the highest level of Yiras Shamayim, fear of Hashem and His punishment, knowing that one mistake or bad intention can get him killed or severely punished spiritually, knowing that he is doing the most important and honorable work in the world in the holiest place in the world, the palace of Hashem in this world, and is getting paid well for it – but still in all Hashem feels that in order to ensure proper alacrity and habitualness during the Holy Service, he must not be allowed to own land because it might be a distraction from his duties. Hashem, who created us, understands how easily distractible the mind is. Even one who is super focused, if something of his, on his property, might not be right, he might not have the proper focus when doing the Holy Service. Therefore Hashem not only took away their ownership rights, but made the Levites incapable of owning land. He even gave the land that they would have gotten to the people who sinned and lost their chance to be the curators of the Holy Temple. We see how fragile the minds of man are and how easily distracted a person can get especially with their personal property therefore extra precautions must be taken to ensure hyper focus in their actions and super kavana.
Behar/Bechukosai – The Jewish Capitalist Society
Life decisions can be very difficult. On the one hand there is a need to support yourself and your family; on the other hand, there is a mitzvah to be kind and help others. When does charity start at home, and when should you give to others? Though there is no exact science to figure this out, we see what the proper intention, motivation, and attitude should be from the first of this week’s double portions of Behar and Bechukosai. The Torah says one should loan to the needy and not charge interest to a fellow Jew, as it says: “If your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter in your proximity, you shall strengthen him, proselyte or resident, so that he can live with you. Do not take from him interest and increase. I am Hashem, your G-D, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the Land of Canaan, to be G-D unto you” (Vayikra 25:35-38).
The Sforno on these pesukim relates that one has to “support” a fellow Jew who is needy and not charge interest, doing that “because the nice (or proper) way to support him is to do so without interest or increase.” So “‘that your brother may live with you’ and you shall do this when you have sufficient means for your own livelihood while still lending him, as Chaza”l say ‘ Your life takes precedence over the life of your friend’ (Bava Metzia 62a)” This portion concludes, “To be your G-D…” which the Sforno says the Torah is sending the message, “that His intended purpose for everyone is to be able to be reached by everyone. Therefore it’s appropriate that the order of the states amongst you shall be set up in a fashion that everyone may live among each other, helping each other fulfill Hashem’s intent.” (Click Here for Hebrew text.)
In his translation and commentary on the Sforno, Rabbi Rephael Pelcovitz adds that “it is proper that you organize your social and political order in such a manner that everyone can live together and assist each other so as to fulfill G-D’s intent. Only when all Jews feel responsible for one another can these laws be fulfilled and G-D’s purpose in creating man realized.”
But it’s more than just that. We see clearly from the Sforno the contradiction in life that we started off with. On the one hand we need to help those in need; on the other hand Chaza”l clearly say that one’s personal needs come first. So when does that stop; at what point can one say ‘I don’t need this,’ or ‘my family has enough,’ and ‘now I can share with others, or lend to others?’ Isn’t there always something better one can provide for themselves and their family; why deprive them? On the other hand, the Torah is filled with mitzvos of helping others, such as giving tzedaka and loaning people money without interest. What is interesting to note is that the Sforno merely says the reason why one may not charge interest to a fellow Jew is because it’s not nice. Think about how having a mortgage makes you feel; you don’t feel like you are ever paying off the principal, because even though you put out a nice amount of money each month towards your mortgage, a good chunk goes to interest, taking longer to pay off, requiring you to work harder to pay it off. This gives a person the feeling that they are not getting anywhere in paying back their debt; it is not a nice feeling to give someone. That in and of itself warrants a prohibition in the Torah.
So how do we resolve this contradiction of on the one hand the Torah saying that you come first, and on the other hand the Torah throughout saying to be nice to people and not exploit them?
However, it would seem based on what the Sforno says further on about working together for the purpose of doing Hashem’s will and His intent for the role of this world, that one can at least figure out a formula for when you and your family come first and when you should give to others. The attitude should be: what is Hashem’s will at this moment? Constantly ask yourself that question and be honest with yourself if you have to take care of your own needs or you are able to help others. There is a healthy middle ground that one can achieve by constantly asking that simple question.
Hashem in His abundance of knowledge and understanding knows that a person needs to first take care of himself; but there can be spillover into family and eventually friends, community, and the world at large. When doing the will of Hashem, knowing that He wants your needs to come first then inevitably things will spill over and you will be able and willing to help others.
The Sforno also mentions that this can work on a large scale, working together side by side to help each other with needs that we can’t do ourselves. For example, opening a pharmacy requires architects, builders, electricians, plumbers, etc. to work together to make it happen.
We must have an attitude of ‘I have to figure out what the Ratzon Hashem is;’ ‘how does Hashem want me to serve Him,’ ‘how does He want me to make this decision? Only then can the optimal median of taking care of oneself while helping others be met with success.