Parashat Eikev 5774, 2014 Understanding the Power of Birkat Hamazon (The Blessing After Eating Bread) Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of the soldiers of Tzahal in their holy mission to protect the Jewish people. The phrase “and you will eat and be satisfied”) is found once in our parasha and two other times in Sefer Devarim: And it will be, when the L-rd, your G-d, brings you to the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you will eat and be satisfied. (6:10-11) And you will eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless the L-rd, your G-d, for the good land He has given you. (8:10) And I will give grass in your field for your livestock, and you will eat and be satisfied. (11:15, this, and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with my emendations) The promise of plenty is a powerful and intoxicating one. Unfortunately, when fulfilled, this very largesse can drive us away from Hashem, and lead us toward the psychological mindset that the Torah warns against of “My strength and the might of my hand have accumulated this wealth for me.” (Sefer Devarim 8:17) Therefore, the Torah follows each of these promises with stern warnings to remain loyal to G-d and His Torah: Beware, lest you forget the L-rd, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (6:12) Beware that you do not forget the L-rd, your G-d, by not keeping His commandments, His ordinances, and His statutes, which I command you this day, lest you eat and be sated, and build good houses and dwell therein, and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and all that you have increases, and your heart grows haughty, and you forget the L-rd, your G-d, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (8:11-14) Beware, lest your heart be misled, and you turn away and worship strange gods and prostrate yourselves before them. (11:16) When viewed as a group, these passages contain close to identical themes that have often led to the same disastrous outcome: · Promise of plenty · Fulfillment of the promise and the achievement of wealth · Forgetting Hashem coupled with rejection of His Torah · Avodah Zarah (idol worship) Unfortunately, the above steps form the cyclical pattern that constitutes the majority of Sefer Shoftim, the sefer that depicts the story of our people subsequent to Yehoshua’s demise. Closer to our own time, the linkage between financial success and the rejection of Hashem and his Torah was given powerful voice by the 19th century German exegete, Rabbeinu Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) in his commentary on Sefer Devarim 32:15: [The Torah has] said that G-d wished Israel to ascend the summit of the dual heights of human aims, the highest material good fortune and the highest spiritual and moral perfection. For Israel is to show the world an illuminating example of how a life devoted entirely to spiritual moral duties by no means entails a renunciation of bright earthly happiness, on the contrary, how the highest degree of morality fits very well with the highest amount of earthly happiness and all material wealth and earthly enjoyments can be turned into moral deeds and spiritual achievements. But when the destined Jeshurun-people [i.e. the Jewish people] get an abundance of all the good things on earth for the purpose of fulfilling this mission, when it has come out of the wilderness into the land of milk and honey, then it becomes “fat and kicked out.” [I.e. it rejects G-d] … In suffering, the Jewish people have mostly proved themselves splendid. But it has seldom been able to stand good fortune ... That is the history of Israel. It did not use the abundance and surplus with which it was blessed to increased spiritual and moral achievements, not to the fuller carrying out of its mission. Its moral improvement did not keep pace with its material good fortune. It [the Jewish people] did not understand how to remain master of its riches and good fortune, did not know how to use them for purposes of mitzvot, it allowed itself to be overcome by riches and good fortune, and its better, spiritual moral self to be ruined by it. (The Pentateuch: Translated and Explained by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, translated from the German by Isaac Levy, Judaica Press, page 644, brackets and underlining my own) Given the dire historical precedents that have led over and over again to the arrogance of “My strength and the might of my hand have accumulated this wealth for me, ” we may well ask if there is an antidote to this soul-poisoning, egotistical construct? I believe the answer to this question lies in the verse from this week’s parasha: “And you will eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless the L-rd, your G-d, for the good land He has given you.” For our purposes, the key to understanding this pasuk (verse) is the phrase “and you shall bless the L-rd, your G-d.” I believe that authentically blessing and thanking Hashem for His beneficence is the single greatest remedy to counteract the spiritual malady of self-destructive pride, which leads so often to rejection of our Creator. One of the most compelling answers to my question, “How can we counteract the perverse mentality represented by ‘my strength and the might of my hand have accumulated this wealth for me?’” may be found in the deeply insightful words of Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-1926) in his comment on Sefer Devarim 8:10, as found in his classic work, Meshech Chachma: When a person eats and is satisfied, then he is primed to rebel [since his fundamental needs have been met]… Therefore, the Holy One Blessed Be He commanded that when someone will eat and be satisfied he must remember the name of E-lokim [G-d, the One who created and runs the world], in thanksgiving and bless Him. All of this is in order to enable one to remember that He and He alone is the One who gives you the strength to perform all these powerful actions… Therefore, the entire purpose of Birkat Hamazon is [now] revealed to us, it is to prevent us from hardening our hearts [and removing ourselves] from the ways of Hashem and His commandments – since, this is possible only when one is satisfied rather than when one is ravenous. (Translation, brackets, and underlining my own) May the Almighty help us develop the strength of character and the necessary sensitivity “to prevent us from hardening our hearts from the ways of Hashem and His commandments,” and may we be His true and beloved nation for evermore. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources
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8/3/2014 Parashat Vaetchanan - Shabbat Nachamu 5774, 2014" Shabbat Nachamu and the Mashiach"Read Now"Shabbat Nachamu and the Mashiach" Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of the soldiers of Tzahal in their holy mission to protect the Jewish people. This Shabbat is called “Shabbat Nachamu” after the first verse of this week’s Haftorah (Yeshiyahu 40:1): “’Console, console My people,’ says your G-d.’” (“Nachamu nachamu ami yomar Elokeichem,” this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) The Hebrew verb “nachem,” the root word of “nachamu,” connotes, as well, a sense of comfort. Therefore, Isaiah is teaching us that there will be a time in the future when we will finally be at true peace with the nations of the world, with one another, and with ourselves. As the great Spanish exegete Rabbi David Kimchi (1160-1235) notes in his commentary on our pasuk (verse): “All of these consolations and words of comfort pertain to the future – to the days of the Messiah.” What will the “days of the Messiah” (“yimot hamashiach”) be like? Will they literally be like Yeshiyahu’s famous words? And a wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid; and a calf and a lion cub and a fatling [shall lie] together, and a small child shall lead them. And a cow and a bear shall graze together, their children shall lie; and a lion, like cattle, shall eat straw. And an infant shall play over the hole of an old snake and over the eyeball of an adder, a weaned child shall stretch forth his hand. (11:6-8) Shmuel (165-257 C.E.), one of the greatest of the Babylonian Talmudic Sages, clearly understood the preceding passage in a metaphoric sense. Instead of a world wherein Nature and the instinctual behaviors of the animal kingdom will be radically altered, we will have a world wherein the Jewish people will finally be completely free of the yoke and control of our oppressors. Thus he declared: “There will be no difference between our world and the days of the Messiah except for the cessation of the domination of the kingdoms of the world [over the Jewish people]. (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 99a) In sum, for Shmuel, the yimot hamashiach will be a time of complete socio-political freedom for our people, when we will finally be in total control of our own theocratically conceived and ruled nation. The Rambam (1135-1204) explicated Shmuel’s position in his halachic magnum opus, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim 11:1 and 12:1 and 2: King Messiah will arise in the future and return the kingship of David to its former greatness and glory. He will rebuild the Holy Temple and gather all of the exiles to the Land of Israel. All of the laws will be in effect during his days just as they were in earlier times. We will [once again] offer korbanot (animal offerings) and keep the laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years just like all of the other laws stated in the Torah. One ought not to think that in the days of the Messiah anything will change in the nature of the world (m’minhago shel haolam), or that there will be some new creation within Nature (b’maaseh Bereishit). Rather, the world will continue in its normal fashion. The passage in Isaiah that states “And a wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid…” is merely a metaphor. Rather, it really means that the Jewish people will live in comfort and without fear of the evil non-Jewish nations who are symbolically represented by the terms “wolf” and “leopard.” Our Sages stated: “There will be no difference between our world and the days of the Messiah except for the cessation of the domination of the kingdoms of the world [over the Jewish people].” One is immediatedly struck by the purely naturalistic position taken by Maimonides. The reinstitution of the Davidic monarchy “to its former greatness and glory,” in the person of the true Messiah, is the necessary and fundamental criterion for the fulfillment of all other authentically Jewish eschatological goals. “Former greatness and glory,” in a word, means uncontested Jewish hegemony in our own G-d-promised and -gifted land. Pragmatically, it means that all of the unending political pressures faced by our beloved modern State of Israel will cease. It means, as well, that Israel will finally be perceived as the preeminent nation in the world, since all countries will recognize it as being G-d’s unique dwelling place amongst mankind. This will take place as a natural result of all of the nations of the world “returning to the true faith” i.e. monotheism. Once we are truly politically free and no longer beholden to any earthly power, the Melech Hamashiach (King Messiah) will be free to “rebuild the Holy Temple and gather all of the exiles to the Land of Israel.” Approximately 1500 years ago, these hopes and aspirations were given ardent voice by our Sages in two blessings of the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah or Silent Prayer): And may You return to Your holy city in mercy, and dwell therein as You have spoken. And may You build it soon and in our days as a permanent construction. And may the throne of King David rapidly be re-established therein. Blessed are You Hashem, He who builds Jerusalem. Sound the great shofar [whose clarion call] declares our freedom. And raise up our standard to gather around all of our exiles, and gather us all together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You Hashem, He who gathers the exiles of His people Israel. (Translation my own) Perhaps we can now more clearly see the unique bonds that connect Shabbat Nachamu to the one and only Melech Hamashiach. Perhaps we can now understand, as well, why this Shabbat has had such a profound effect upon the Jewish psyche. After the dark days of the Three Weeks and Tisha b’Av, we finally feel that the Great Shofar heralding the imminent coming of the Messiah can and will be sounded at any moment and that he is finally just a few steps away. With G-d’s mercy, kindness, and compassion, may this past Tisha b’Av be our final one in galut (the Diaspora), and may we celebrate the next one together in peace and tranquility in the newly rebuilt Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple). Then, at last, we will hear and understand Yeshiyahu’s timeless message: “Nachamu nachamu ami yomar Elokeichem.” V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources 7/27/2014 Parashat Devarim -Tisha b'Av 5774, 2014: "The Three Weeks and Preparing for Tisha b'Av"Read NowParashat Devarim – Tisha b’Av 5774, 2014 The Three Weeks and Preparing for Tisha b’Av Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of the soldiers of Tzahal in their holy mission to protect the Jewish people. The beginning of Midrash Eichah analyzes a verse from our parasha that connects it for- evermore to Megillat Eichah (Lamentations), the sefer of Tisha b’Av: Three prophesized using the word “eichah.” [They were] Moshe, Yeshayahu, and Yirmiyahu. Moshe (Sefer Devarim 1:12) said: “How (eichah) can I bear alone.” Yeshayahu (Sefer Yeshayahu 1:21) said: “How (eichah) the faithful city has become a harlot!” Yirmiyahu (Sefer Eichah 1:1) said: “How (eichah) she sits alone! The city that had a multitude of people has become like a widow.” While the usual translation of “eichah” is “how,” it is clear in these three instances that contextually it can be translated as “alas,” or perhaps most properly with the Yiddish word “Oy!” It connotes misery, grief, depth-being sadness, and dark depression. Little wonder then that it has become an Ashkenazi custom to read the “ eichah” verse from this week’s parasha with the same exact musical notation (trop) and intonation as we read Megillat Eichah. For a brief and bitter moment, even the beauty and peace of Shabbat is placed squarely in the context of the Three Weeks and Tisha b’Av. The Three Weeks and Tisha b’Av in a “normal” year are challenging and difficult. National mourning for the loss of the Beit HaMikdash, and for all for which it stood, is always heartrending. It is a time of despondency and despair. This year, however, we are living in the giant shadow of the barbaric kidnapping and murder of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrah - t’hah nafshoteyem tzururot b’tzrur hachayim (may their souls be bound in the bonds of eternal life). In addition, our brothers and sisters in Israel are living under the constant threat of war, terror and misery, enduring some of the greatest challenges they have faced since the founding of the State. Indeed, the major population centers of Israel have not suffered ongoing and relentless attacks of this nature since 1948. As a result, our soldiers, in the flower of their youth, are continually and heroically putting their lives at risk in defense of our country. Surely, if there ever was a time to utter “eichah,” it is now. Yet, in the midst of all of this trial and tribulation, in the midst of all this sorrow and unmitigated misery, Megillat Eichah offers us a ray of hope. In the immortal words found in the penultimate verse of the megillah we find: “Hashiveinu Hashem alecha v’nashuvah, chadash yemeinu k’kedem.” (“Bring us back to You, Hashem, and we shall return, renew our days as of old.” Artscroll Tanach translation) Once again, Midrash Eichah (5:22) gives us clear guidance as to how we can properly interpret Yermiyahu’s famous words: Knesset Israel [the grand trans-historical entity of the Jewish People] spoke before HaKodesh Baruch Hu and said: “Master of the Universe, it is up to You to bring us back to You!” He responded to them: “It is up to you! [After all] it is said: ‘Return unto Me and I will return unto You says Hashem’ (Malachi 3:7).” Knesset Israel once again spoke before Him and said: “Master of the Universe, it is up to You [to bring us back to You!] [After all] it is said: ‘Return us, G-d of our salvation…(Tehillim 55: 5)’” Therefore the verse states: “Bring us back to You, Hashem, and we shall return…” Rav Baruch Halevi Epstein (1860-1942), known as the Torah Temimah after the name of his monumental work, explains that the Midrash is teaching us that we need both Hashiveinu Hashem alecha and v’nashuvah, since one of them alone is necessary but not sufficient. In other words, even Hashem bringing us back to Him will fail unless we, too, make the effort to do heartfelt teshuvah (repentance). As a result he writes, “Therefore it says ‘Hashiveinu’ from Your efforts and ‘v’nashuvah’ from our efforts.” In sum, we are partners with Hashem in the teshuvah (repentance) process. He is ready to help us when we are ready to help ourselves. Man is not alone. Hashem is constantly ready to assist us. No matter how dark and dismal the hour may be, we believe that salvation will come. These, indeed, are comforting thoughts as we journey through the Three Weeks and prepare ourselves for Tisha b’Av. May Hashem guard our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. May He bring Mashiach Tzidkanu (the righteous Messiah) and redemption to our people soon and in our days, and bring true and everlasting peace to our world. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources Image Source: http://layacrust.wordpress.com/tag/art/page/3/ Torah shel Ba’al Peh (Oral Law) – A Source of Our Salvation Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of the soldiers of Tzahal in their holy mission to protect the Jewish people. The final verse of our parasha (Torah portion) is also the concluding pasuk (verse) of Sefer Bamidbar. It states the following: “These are the commandments (hamitzvot) and the ordinances (v’hamishpatim) that the L-rd commanded the children of Israel through Moses (b’yad Moshe) in the Plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.” (36:10, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) In contrast, Sefer Vayikra concludes with the following verse: “These are the commandments (hamitzvot) that the L-rd commanded Moses to [tell] the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.” (Sefer Vayikra 27:34) Let us briefly review some of the differences that obtain between these two pasukim: 1. Location: Sefer Bamidbar 36:10 = “the Plains of Moab,” Sefer Vayikra 27:34 = “on Mount Sinai.” 2. Content of the verse: Sefer Bamidbar 36:10 = “the commandments (hamitzvot) and the ordinances (v’hamishpatim),” Sefer Vayikra 27:34 = “the commandments (hamitzvot)” 3. Moshe’s role: Sefer Bamidbar 36:10 = “through Moses (b’yad Moshe)” Sefer Vayikra 27:34 = B’yad Moshe is not stated. Fascinatingly, there is an earlier pasuk in Sefer Vayikra that parallels the majority of the elements of our two verses that includes some new terms as well: “These are the statutes (hachukim), the ordinances (v’hamishpatim), and the laws (v’hatorot) that the L-rd gave between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses (b’yad Moshe). (26:46) As we can readily see in this third pasuk, the location is the same as in our first quotation in Sefer Vayikra, namely Mount Sinai. In regards to content, however, we are met with two new terms, namely, “statutes” and “laws.” In addition, Moshe’s role is front and center as it is in Sefer Bamidbar, as indicated by the phrase, “b’yad Moshe.” The Netziv (Rabbi Naphtali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, 1817-1893) in his classic work Haamek Davar, utilized Sefer Vayikra 26:46 as the source text to analyze the interconnectivity of our three pasukim. In the phrase beginning, “the L-rd gave between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses,” he notes: … the meaning of “by the hand of Moses” is explained in Talmud Bavli, Kritot 13b as referring to “Gemara,” which in this instance means the chidushim (new ideas and concepts) that Moshe developed based upon his own intellectual acumen – all through the strenuous application of the hermeneutic principles. (This, and all translations, brackets, underlining, and bolding my own) “By the hand of Moses” becomes the introduction to the Netziv’s explanation of the differences that obtain between the concluding verses of our parasha and Sefer Vayikra: We find that at the end of Sefer Bamidbar it is written: “These are the commandments (hamitzvot) and the ordinances (v’hamishpatim) that the L-rd commanded the children of Israel through Moses (b’yad Moshe) in the Plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.” We explained at that time the [essential] difference between that verse and the concluding verse of Sefer Vayikra wherein it states: “These are the commandments that the L-rd commanded Moses to [tell] the children of Israel on Mount Sinai,” is that at Mount Sinai the Jews had not yet received the ability to actually create new ideas and concepts (chidush) – this was not given until they [the Jews] arrived at the Plains of Moab. Next, the Netziv suggests that his explanation creates a contradiction of sorts, for if he is correct, Sefer Vayikra 26:46 should not contain the expressions, “the statutes (hachukim) and the ordinances (v’hamishpatim),” since in this context “the statutes” refers to Midrashot, and “ordinances” refers to “the laws that are derived from textual analysis according to the hermeneutic principles of explication.” If that is the case, how can the statutes and ordinances be mentioned here, since the Jews had not yet arrived at the Plains of Moab – where the right to engage in such chidushei Torah was first granted? The Netziv’s answer to our seeming contradiction is captivating in its profundity and its application to Jewish survival in the Diaspora: The truth is, however, that even at Mount Sinai it [the ability to engage in novel Torah analysis] was made known – uniquely in the context of the section of the tochacha (rebuke) and the depiction of the Jewish people in exile. In such a context, the essence of the survival of the Jewish people is contingent upon the study of Torah shel Ba’al Peh (the Oral Law) and the development of new Torah concepts [and laws] in each generation. Clearly, for the Netziv, the continued existence of our people hinges upon sophisticated and creative study of Torah shel Ba’al Peh - inclusive of chidushei Torah. At this point, the Netziv explained the somewhat mystifying expression, “the L-rd gave between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai”: [This means,] that even in the midst of the Covenant of Sinai, Hashem gave a great (literally, “good”) present [to the Jewish people] – namely, statutes and ordinances [derived through the Torah shel Ba’al Peh] in order that they should bring about Hashem’s divine Providence (hashgacha) [upon our nation]. Hashem’s hashgacha is a fundamental aspect of the inextricable relationship that obtains between Him and our people. This unique bond is based upon our desire and willingness: … to perform the new [statutes and ordinances, literally, chadashot] in the same manner as when they were promulgated “by the hand of Moses.” … It was in the sense that the Prophet Malachi stated: “Keep in remembrance the teaching of Moses, My servant - the statutes (chukim) and ordinances (mishpatim) which I commanded him in Horeb [i.e. Mount Sinai] for all Israel.” (3:22) For the Netziv, Torah shel Ba’al Peh and all that it constitutes emerges as a, if not, the fundamental factor in the redemption of our people, since it leads to the enhancement of the unique and powerful relationship that exists between Hashem and our people. Little wonder, then, that the next and final two verses of Sefer Malachi speak of Eliyahu heralding the time of the Mashiach (Messiah), “Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers …” (3:23-24) May we be zocheh (merit) to witness the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy and the ultimate redemption of the Jewish people through the agency of the Mashiach – and the great and awesome hand of Hashem. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources Parashat Matot 5774, 2014 Lessons Learned From The Tribes of Gad and Reuven Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of the soldiers of Tzahal in their holy mission to protect the Jewish people. The tribes of Gad and Reuven are the main protagonists at the end of our parasha (Torah portion). The Torah describes them as having a great deal of livestock: “The descendants of Reuben and Gad had an abundance of livestock very numerous…” (Sefer Bamidbar 32:1, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Moreover, they were singularly focused on their animal husbandry needs: … they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. The descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben came, and they spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the Kohen and to the princes of the community, saying, “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, and Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land that the L-rd struck down before the congregation of Israel is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” They said, “If it pleases you, let this land be given to your servants as a heritage; do not take us across the Jordan.” The phrase, “do not take us across the Jordan [River]” is at once striking and disconcerting. G-d was on the cusp of fulfilling the promise to the Jewish people that He had proclaimed immediately prior to the Exodus: “I will bring you to the land, concerning which I raised My hand [i.e. made oaths] to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am the L-rd.” (Sefer Shemot 6:8, brackets my own) It is almost inconceivable that the tribes of Gad and Reuven repudiated the gift of the Land and it’s glorious promise. Yet, sadly these tribes myopically focused upon the needs of their animals: “They approached him [Moshe] and said, ‘We will build sheepfolds for our livestock here and cities for our children.’” (Sefer Bamidbar 32:16) As Rashi famously noted in his Midrashically-inspired comment on this verse, “They were more concerned about their possessions than about their sons and daughters, since they mentioned their livestock before [mentioning] their children.” Moshe was legitimately concerned that the tribes of Gad and Reuven were so enamored with the lush pastures of Jazer and Gilead that they would refuse to join their fellow tribes in conquering of the Land of Israel. As a result, he spent no less than 10 verses berating them and deriding their self-centered request - all in the context of demonstrating the destructive nature of their plan. The last two of these verses are particularly powerful since they encapsulate his contention that the tribes of Gad and Reuven were not only turning away from the Land, but from G-d, as well: And behold, you have now risen in place of your fathers as a society of sinful people, to add to the wrathful anger of the L-rd against Israel. If you turn away from following Him, He will leave you in the desert again, and you will destroy this entire people. (Sefer Bamidbar 32:14-15) This passage is followed by 17 verses of back and forth statements and counterstatements between Moshe and the tribes of Gad and Reuven. In the end, they recognized their obligation to help klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) conquer Eretz Yisrael (Israel), and accepted the condition that their future possession of Jazer and Gilead would be contingent upon their active participation in the impending military campaign. In the midst of this protracted conversation, we are met with the phrase: “…and you shall be freed [of your obligation] from the L-rd and from Israel…” (v’heyitem nekiyim mei’Hashem u’mi’Yisrael, Sefer Bamidbar 32:22). While this expression specifically refers to the tribes’ complete fulfillment of their promise, Chazal (our Sages) view it in a much broader ethical context – namely, the manner in which we are required to relate to others. Our pasuk (verse) is the source text upon which Talmud Yerushalmi, Shekalim 3:2 formulates the principle that man is obligated to deal with his fellow man with the same degree of honor, respect, and dignity he shows his Creator: Rabbi Shemuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: We find (i.e. recognize) the concept that a person is obligated to treat his fellow man in the same manner he treats G-d. This notion is found in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. In the Torah: “…and you shall be freed [of your obligation] from the L-rd and from Israel…” (Sefer Bamidbar 32:22), in the Prophets: “G-d, G-d, the L-rd, G-d, G-d, the L-rd, He knows, and Israel, he shall know…” (Sefer Yehoshua 22:22), in the Writings: “and find favor and good understanding in the sight of G-d and man.” (Sefer Mishle 3:4) Gamliel Zuga asked Rabbi Yossi bar Yossi: “Which one of these verses is the clearest and most direct [regarding our concept]?” Rabbi Yossi bar Yossi responded: “…and you shall be freed [of your obligation] from the L-rd and from Israel…” (Translation, parentheses, and brackets my own) Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein (1860-1941), in his commentary on the Torah, “Torah Temimah,” offers two explications of our Talmudic passage. I would like to emphasize his second explanation, wherein he suggests that the essence of our passage is man’s nearly absolute obligation to act in a pleasant and pleasing fashion with his fellow man. In support of his contention, he references the following section from Talmud Bavli, Ketuvot 16b-17a: Our Rabbis taught: “How does one dance before the bride?” [i.e. What is the degree of honesty demanded in recounting the beauty and positive characteristics of the bride when you are before her?] Beit Shammai said: “Describe the bride as she actually is.” Beit Hillel said: “Beautiful and kind [Rashi] bride!” Beit Shammai said to Beth Hillel: “If she was lame or blind, does one say of her: ‘Beautiful and graceful bride?’ Did not the the Torah say, ‘Distance yourself from a false matter.’” (Sefer Shemot 22:7) Beit Hillel said to Beit Shammai: “According to your words, if one has made a bad purchase in the market, should one praise it in his [friend’s] eyes or deprecate it? Surely, one should praise it in his eyes [since his friend clearly thought it was a good purchase - Maharsha].” Therefore, the Sages said [based upon the words of Beit Hillel, Rashi]: “One should always have a pleasant disposition with his fellow man [in order to honor and meet each person’s needs, Rashi].” (Translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my emendations and added explanations) I believe our two Talmudic passages speak volumes about the preciousness of each individual and how he or she deserves to be treated. Indeed, they remind me of the famous Mishnah in Pirkei Avot 3:14 that speaks about our beloved status before Hashem: “He [Rabbi Akiva] would also say: ‘Beloved is man, for he was created in the image [of G-d]; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to him that he was created in the image, as it is says, “For in the image of G-d, He made man.’” (Sefer Bereishit 9:6, translation, Chabad.org) In conclusion, I believe we can view the narrative depicting the initial behaviors of the tribes of Gad and Reuven as describing a series of misguided and misplaced priorities in regards to their national and familial responsibilities. Fascinatingly, Chazal utilized this negative incident to give voice to our responsibility to act respectfully and with dignity toward our fellow man. May we, too, learn and internalize these lessons as we continue on our journey of introspection during the period of the Three Weeks. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources Parashat Pinchas 5774, 2014 Pinchas and Self-Sacrifice Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka. Toward the end of last week’s parasha, Parashat Balak, we find the following verse: “Phineas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Kohen saw this, arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.” (Sefer Bamidbar 25:7, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) At first glance, it appears very straightforward. Based upon the preceding verses, Pinchas witnessed the public immorality of a Jewish man, identified as “Zimri the son of Salu, the chieftain of the Simeonite paternal house,” and his Midianite consort, later identified as “Cozbi the daughter of Zur, a national leader of a paternal house in Midian.” Apparently upon witnessing Zimri and Cozbi entering Zimri’s tent, Pinchas “arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand” in preparation for executing this lewd and licentious couple. The Talmud, however, offers three possibilities as to what exactly Pinchas saw: And it is also written, “And Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it.” Now, what did he see? — Rab said: He saw what was happening and remembered the halacha [law], and said to him, “O great-uncle! Did you not teach us this on your descent from Mount Sinai: ‘He who cohabits with a heathen woman is punished by zealots?’” He [Moshe] replied. “He who reads the letter [i.e. states the law] let him be the agent [to carry out its instructions].” Samuel said: “He saw that ‘There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the L-rd’ (Sefer Mishle 21:30) [meaning] - Whenever the Divine Name is being profaned, honor must not be paid to one's teacher.” [Therefore, Pinchas acted without Moshe’s counsel since Zimri’s action was a profanation of Hashem.] R. Isaac said in R. Eleazar's name: “He saw the angel wreaking destruction amongst the people.” (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 82a, translation, Soncino Talmud, emphasis and brackets my own) Let us briefly review the three positions:
I would like to analyze the opinion of Rabbi Yitzchak, who spoke in the name of Rabbi Eleazar. In order to do so, I believe we need to focus upon Pinchas’ genealogy, and the actions of his grandfather, Aharon Hakohen, so we may better understand who he was and why he performed this act of zealotry. At the beginning of our verse, the Torah teaches us that Pinchas was “ … the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Kohen.” Eleazar, Pinchas’ father, became the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) upon the death of his father, Aaron (Sefer Bamidbar (20:24-28). Therefore, Pinchas’ paternal lineage was one of kedushah (holiness) and near-royalty, since he was the son and grandson of these two illustrious figures in our history. Aharon, Pinchas’ grandfather, was one of the most beloved individuals in all of Jewish history. The Torah relates that upon his death, “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had expired, and the entire house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.” (Sefer Bamidbar 20:29) Klal Yisrael (the nation of Israel) was so overcome by Aharon’s death that they simply could not believe that he had passed away. If that is the case, however, why does the Torah state, “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had expired?” Rashi (1040-1105) provides a powerful and poignant Midrashic explanation: The whole congregation saw: When they saw Moses and Eleazar coming down, and Aaron did not come down, they said, “Where is Aaron?” He said to them, “He died.” They said, “Is it possible that the one who stood up against the angel and stopped the plague can be overpowered by the angel of death?” Whereupon Moses asked for mercy, and the ministering angels showed him [Aharon] to them, lying in the bed. They saw [him] and believed. — [Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 17, Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 19:20] Why was Aharon so thoroughly beloved by klal Yisrael? Rashi answers this question, as well, in his explanation of the phrase “the entire house of Israel”: the entire house of Israel: [both] the men and the women, for Aaron had pursued peace; he promoted love between disputing parties and between man and wife. — [Avot d’Rabbi Nathan 12:4, Midrash Aggadah] This theme is also addressed in the well-known Mishnah in Pirkei Avot 1:12: “Hillel would say: Be of the disciples of Aaron - a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah.” (Translation, Chabad.org) On a certain level, it is very possible that no one has ever loved the Jewish people in quite the same manner and with the same depth and intensity as Aharon Hakohen. In my opinion, one of the best proofs of Aharon’s overwhelming love for klal Yisrael is to be found in the narrative of the Chet Haegel (the Sin of the Golden Calf). According to the Ramban (1194-1270) and Seforno (1475-1550), Moshe Rabbeinu (our Teacher Moshe) perceived Aharon’s actions in a purely negative fashion. He placed indisputable blame squarely upon Aharon’s shoulders for the creation and subsequent worship of the Golden Calf. Therefore, an angry Moshe rebuked him and said: “What did the people do to you, that you brought upon them such a great sin?” (Sefer Shemot 32:21) We are compelled to ask, what could have motivated Aharon to act in this manner, i.e., what could have caused him to fall to this level? Was it fear? After all, Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 7a, relates how Aharon’s nephew, Hur, was murdered by the people for refusing to participate in the construction of the Golden Calf. Yet, even if Aharon was motivated by a visceral and understandable fear of death, it would have been insufficient cause to engage in any form of avodah zarah (idol worship) since, as the Ramban points out, it is “… in the category of those sins that one should be willing to die for rather than violate.” (y’aharag v’al y’a’avor, Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 74a). Why, then, did Aharon help create the Golden Calf? The answer is found at the end of the above-referenced passage in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 7a: R. Benjamin b. Japhet says, reporting R. Eleazar: He [Aharon] saw Hur lying slain before him and said [to himself]: If I do not obey them [the advocates for a molten image], they will now do unto me as they did unto Hur, and so will be fulfilled [the fear of] the prophet, “Shall the Priest and the Prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of G-d? [Megillat Eichah 2:20] - and they [i.e. the Jewish people] will never find forgiveness. Better let them worship the Golden Calf, for which offence they may yet find forgiveness through repentance. (Translation, Soncino Talmud, brackets my own) In short, in a poignant and profound act of self-sacrifice, Aharon compromised himself and his schar l’olam habah (reward in the world to come) to save klal Yisrael. He did this out of overpowering love for his fellow Jews and a desire to achieve peace; his actions were motivated by pure devotion to the Jewish people. His intentions were unparalleled in the care and concern for others they represented – irrespective of the heavy personal cost he may have had to pay. I believe we can now more fully understand Pinchas and his actions. As Rashi makes eminently clear in his first comment on our parasha, Pinchas, like Hur and Aharon before him, acted with tremendous self-sacrifice when he executed Zimri and Cozbi, for upon their death the people began to speak against him and stress his maternal lineage: Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Kohen: Since the tribes were disparaging him, saying, “Have you seen the son of Puti, whose mother’s father [Jethro] fattened (פִּטֵּם) calves for idols (See Rashi, Exod. 6:25), and who killed a chieftain of an Israelite tribe?” For this reason, Scripture traces his pedigree to Aaron. — [Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 82b, Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 21:3, Midrash Tanchuma, Pinchas II] Given our people’s challenging and rebellious behaviors in the Desert (Pirkei Avot 5:4, Talmud Bavli, Arachin 15a), one can readily surmise that Pinchas put his life in clear and present danger to save them from the decimating plague that had begun to take its toll. Yet, out of love and devotion to klal Yisrael, nothing, including his own potential death, could prevent Pinchas from doing what he deemed necessary on their behalf. He knew that he had to act zealously to bring about his nation’s salvation. Therefore the Torah states: Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal. (Sefer Bamidbar 25:11) Hashem swiftly rewarded Pinchas’ altruism, as is illustrated in the following two pasukim (verses): Therefore, say, “I hereby give him My covenant of peace. It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an eternal covenant of Priesthood, because he was zealous for his G-d and atoned for the children of Israel.” (Underlining my own) We, of course, do not have permission (heter) to act as Pinchas did. It is forbidden for us to act like zealots and take matters into our own hands. Yet, we can learn from Pinchas to have undying love and devotion for klal Yisrael, and do all that we can to be mekadash shame Shamayim (sanctify Hashem’s Name) – even if this entails struggle and self-sacrifice. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources Parashat Balak 5774, 2014
Understanding Mah Tovu Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka. How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! (Sefer Bamidbar 24:5, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Nearly everyone who has entered a synagogue has encountered this pasuk (verse). The noted posek (halachic decisor), Rabbeinu Yechiel Michal ben Aharon Yitzhak Halevi Epstein (1829-1908), legitimatized mah tovu’s inclusion in the siddur in his work, Aruch HaShulchan, Orech Chaim 46:17: The text of tefilah (the prayer) to be recited prior to Baruch She’amar is printed in the prayer books. When one initially enters the synagogue he should say, mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov… (“How goodly are your tents Yaakov…”) Clearly, mah tovu has become one of the best-known verses of both our parasha and the Torah. How and why did it achieve this singularity? After all, mah tovu contains the words of the despicable diviner Balaam, whose two-fold goal was to lead the Jewish people away from Hashem and simultaneously destroy them. This was made manifestly evident in his machinations leading to our people’s licentious behavior with the daughters of Moab and the subsequent punishing plague (Sefer Bamidbar 25:1-9 and 31:16). As such, it seems counterintuitive that Balaam’s statement, regardless of it’s inspiring and majestic content, would become one of the most recognized pasukim (verses) of the Jewish people. Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 105b identifies the phrase, “mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov,” with synagogues and houses of Torah study clarifies why it has achieved its well-known position in the thoughts and minds of our people: R. Johanan said: From the blessings of that wicked man [Balaam] you may learn his intentions; he wished to curse them so that they [the Jewish people] should possess no synagogues or houses of study, [this is deduced from] “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob.” … R. Abba b. Kahana said: All of them [the blessings] reverted to a curse, except the synagogues and houses of study, for it is written, “But the L-rd, your G-d, did not want to listen to Balaam, so the L-rd, your G-d, transformed the curse into a blessing for you, because the L-rd, your G-d, loves you” (Sefer Devarim 23:6) – the curse, but not the curses [i.e. only “mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov” was completely fulfilled]. (Translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my underlining and explanatory emendations to enhance comprehension) Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein (1860-194, son of Rabbeinu Yechiel Michal ben Aharon Yitzhak Halevi Epstein), in his commentary on the Torah, “Torah Temimah,” asks and answers a fundamental question on our Talmudic passage: One of the curses was transformed into a permanent blessing – yet, it is not at all clear how R. Abba b. Kahana would know that it was solely this blessing (mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov) that was never converted into a curse. Perhaps we can answer this question in the following manner. Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 5a states in general, “Were it not for the Torah’s existence, the heavens and earth would cease to exist.” Therefore, since the continuation of the world is contingent upon the perpetuation of the Torah and its transmission through the synagogues and houses of study, perforce, they can never cease to exist. (Gloss on Sefer Bamidbar 24:5, note 9) The great Chasidic Master, Rabbi Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (1717–March 11, 1787), in his work of Torah analysis and explication, “Noam Elimelech,” takes a very different approach as to why mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov was the sole bracha (blessing) that was never changed into a curse, and the reason for its unique status: This is the explanation of the verse: “Balaam saw that it pleased the L-rd to bless Israel; so he did not go in search of omens as he had done time and time again, but turned his face toward the desert” (Sefer Bamidbar 24:1) – This means that Balaam fully understood that the Holy One Blessed be He desired to bless the Jewish people [through his prophetic utterances] and not just to nullify his curses alone… Therefore, Balaam decided that he, too, should bless the Jewish people and thus thought positive thoughts concerning them. As a result, the Holy One Blessed be He placed the blessing of mah tovu in his mouth. Consequently, it (i.e. mah tovu) alone, of all the blessings, retained its status, as a bracha, since it was the only one that did not have an evil intention inherent therein. (Brackets and underlining my own) I believe that Rav Elimelech is teaching us a profound and powerful lesson. Beyond a doubt, the nefarious Balaam was essentially nothing other than a conduit through which Hashem’s bracha flowed. Yet, even he realized the singular nature of our people and our unique relationship with Hashem. As such, in a rare moment of introspective reflection and honesty, Balaam did “ … what is proper and good in the eyes of the L-rd” (Sefer Devarim 6:18) and wholeheartedly delivered his eternal and immutable blessing to our nation. Thank G-d he did so, since the fulfillment of mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov is undoubtedly the reason we are here today. With Hashem’s help, may we always have the zechut (merit) to pray to Him in our synagogues and study His Torah in our houses of study. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources Parashat Chukat 5774, 2014
The Red Heifer and Other Mysteries Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka. The Torah differentiates between three different kinds of knowledge. When Moshe is informed that Betzalel is going to design the Mishkan (portable sanctuary), Hashem informs him that He has “…filled him [Betzalel] with the spirit of Elokim, with chachmah, tevunah and da’at.” (Sefer Shemot 31: 3) Rashi (1040-1105) explains chachmah as “knowledge” since it refers to “that which a man hears from others and learns from it,” whereas tevunah refers to the ability to extrapolate and apply that knowledge. Da’at, in his view and in this context, refers specifically to the ruach hakodesh (holy spirit) that was bestowed upon Betzalel to enable him to fulfill his awesome and noble task. Rabbeinu Shimshon Raphael Hirsch zatzal (1808-1888), in his commentary on the Siddur, explains two of the above-mentioned terms somewhat differently. For Rav Hirsch, da’at “…denotes the true perception of the real nature of things and conditions.” Binah (a variant of tevunah), in contrast, “is the insight into the interrelationships of things, to be gained by logical judgment.” He further contrasts these two terms in the following manner: Da’ath, to a great extent, is a talent given to man which develops by itself in and through experience. But he cannot acquire binah without an effort on his own part. Therefore [in the fourth bracha of the Amidah] the term melamade [teach] is employed with reference to binah instead of chonen [that which is given in kindness]…The acquisition of binah requires strenuous effort to which man may not be equal and for which he may well lack the strength; for this reason he cannot attain binah without the help of G-d. In summary, for Rav Hirsch, da’at is the ability to accurately perceive the real nature of the world. It is gifted to man. Binah, however, is difficult to acquire and something that one must constantly strive to attain. This struggle can only be won with the help of our Creator. Chazal (our Sages) teach us in a variety of sources that Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) was the wisest man who ever lived. He was the master of all known chachmah. He received the greatest da’at (following Rav Hirsch’s understanding above) from Hashem. Moreover, with G-d’s help and love, he acquired the most profound binah that any man could ever attain. Nonetheless, the explanation of one mitzvah forever eluded Shlomo Hamelech’s phenomenal intellect: the Parah Adumah (the Red Heifer), as presented in this week’s parasha. This mitzvah defied his understanding because of its paradoxical nature, i.e. it ritually purifies the impure while simultaneously rendering the ritually pure impure. Even Shlomo Hamelech could not solve this conundrum. It is a “riddle” that remains unsolved until our own time. I believe there is a reason why no one has ever been able to logically explain the mitzvah of Parah Adumah. I believe that it is Hashem’s gentle way of teaching and reminding us that we must remain humble before Him; it is His way of teaching us that try as we may, complete understanding of the Torah will forever elude us. After all, the Torah is divrei Elokim mamash (the actual words of G-d) and, since He will always remain unknowable to us, so too, will His words, on occasion, defy our finite comprehension. This is as it should be. In a sense, it is a small glimmer of His divine plan and, thereby, a window into the Infinite. May we be zocheh (merit) to live in the time of Mashiach (the Messiah) when the “world will only be involved with [trying to] know Hashem,” and the Jewish people will be “great wise me [people] who will know secret matters and achieve knowledge of their Creator according to the highest ability...” (Rambam, Maimonides, 1135-1240, Hilchot Melachim 12:5) With Hashem’s help, may the authentic knowledge of Hashem and His Torah manifest itself throughout the entire world, and the hearts and souls of mankind – soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources 6/18/2014 Parashat Korach 5774, 2014: "The Wife of Ohn ben Peleth: A Heroine Without a Name"Read Now Image: Courtesy Nava Levine-Coren:
http://womenofthebook.org/artists/nava-levine-coren/ Parashat Korach 5774, 2014: The Wife of Ohn ben Peleth: A Heroine Without a Name Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka. Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi took [himself to one side] along with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and Ohn the son of Peleth, descendants of Reuben. (Sefer Bamidbar 16:1, this and all Sefer Bamidbar translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) This pasuk (verse) contains the famous opening words of our parasha. Our sidrah (Torah portion) can be described as the section dedicated to the depiction of direct rebellion against Torah authority. Herein, Korach simultaneously revolted against the Almighty, and denied Moshe’s role as Hashem’s authentic messenger (16:3, 13, 30). Even the fabulously wealthy and brilliant Korach, however, could not act alone; the Torah teaches us that his lieutenants in this mutiny were “Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and Ohn the son of Peleth, descendants of Reuben.” As is well known, Hashem stopped the rebellion in its tracks through the miracle of the first earthquake in recorded history (16:32). Prior to this event, however, the Almighty had commanded Moshe to warn the congregation of the impending mortal danger: [G-d said:] “Speak to the congregation saying, ‘Withdraw from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’” So they withdrew from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and Dathan and Abiram went out standing upright at the entrance of their tents together with their wives, their children, and their infants. (16:24, 27) These two verses specifically reference Korach, Dathan, and Abiram, with the latter pair being mentioned no less than three times. Notably absent, and unaccountably so, is Ohn the son of Peleth. After all, since he was one of the individuals who fomented the rebellion, why was he not mentioned as one of those to be punished by the approaching earthquake? Strangely enough, unlike Dathan, and Abiram and their families, there is no indication whatsoever as to what happened to Ohn ben Pelet and his family. Quite simply, he seems to have vanished from our story. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 109b) noticed this lacuna in our narrative and developed an amazing and inspiring “story behind the story” explanation of what took place: Rav said: Ohn, the son of Peleth, was saved by his wife. She said to him, “Why do you care whether the one [Moshe] remains master or the other [Korach] becomes master, you will still remain but a disciple.” He replied, “But what can I do? I have taken part in their counsel, and they have sworn me [to be] with them.” (This and the following translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my bolding, emendations and bracketed additions to enhance understanding) After convincing Ohn of the irrational nature and utter futility of participating in the usurpation, his heroic, but ever-anonymous, wife developed the second part of her strategically brilliant plan: She said, “I know that they [klal Yisrael] are all a holy community,” as it is written, “… for the entire congregation are all holy, and the L-rd is in their midst.” (16:3) [So,] she continued, “Sit here and I will save you.” She gave him wine to drink, caused him to become intoxicated, and laid him down within [the tent where he passed out]. Then she sat down at the entrance of the tent and loosened [and uncovered] her hair. Whoever came [to summon him to join the rebellion] saw her and retreated. [I.e. because she was in an immodest state] Our passage concludes by noting that when Ohn finally awoke, Korach and his confederates were deep in the bowels of the earth. As a result, Ohn’s entire family survived. Midrash Rabbah (Vilna), Parashat Korach, 18, uses this opportunity to praise Ohn’s wife for saving her entire family: “ ‘The wisest of women - each one built her house’ [Sefer Mishle 14:1] – this refers to Ohn’s wife.” Ohn’s wife unquestionably followed in the footsteps of our Emahot (Matriarchs) when she embarked upon her wise journey to rescue her family from all but certain oblivion. Like Sarah, Rivka, Rachel and Leah, she knew what needed to be done in order to guarantee her family’s future, and did not hesitate to act upon that knowledge. May our anonymous heroine serve as a role model for us, and may she be a malitzah yesharah (advocate) for all of klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) as she was for her beloved family. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources 6/13/2014 Rabbi David Etengoff: Parashat Shelach Lecha 5774, 2014: "Kalev ben Yefuneh: A Hero for Our Time"Read NowParashat Shelach Lecha 5774, 2014:
Kalev ben Yefuneh: A Hero for Our Time Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka. Our parasha begins with what appears to be a command from Hashem: The L-rd spoke to Moses saying, “Send out for yourself men who will scout the Land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel. You shall send one man each for his father's tribe; each one shall be a chieftain in their midst.” (Sefer Bamidbar 13:1-2, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself on Midrash Tanchuma, Sefer Bamidbar V, however, maintains that our verse does not contain a tzivui, a command. In his estimation, the phrase, “Send for yourself,” was merely a statement of consent on Hashem’s part for that which He knew Moshe desired to do: Send for yourself: According to your own understanding. I am not commanding you, but if you wish, you may send. Since the Israelites had come [to Moshe] and said, “Let us send men ahead of us,” as it says, “All of you approached me…” (Sefer Devarim 1:22), Moshe took counsel with the Schechinah [Hashem’s Divine Presence]. He [Hashem] said, “I [already] told them that it is good, as it says, ‘I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt… [therefore, there is no need to send any scouts]’” (Sefer Shemot 3:17, underlining and brackets my own) One of the 12 great men Moshe chose to send was Kalev ben Yefuneh, the representative of the Tribe of Yehudah: “For the tribe of Judah, Kalev the son of Yefuneh.” (Sefer Bamidbar 13:6) In some ways, however, Kalev is a mysterious figure. For example, Talmud Bavli, Sotah 11b questions his very lineage: “And Kalev the son of Hezron begot Azubah-Ishah and Jerioth, and these were her sons: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.” (Sefer Divrei Hayamim I:2:18) “The son of Hezron!” He was the son of Yefuneh! … Still, he was the son of Kenaz, as it is written: “And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Kalev's younger brother, captured it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.” (Sefer Shoftim 1:13, Talmud translation, The Soncino Talmud with my emendations) Rava, the renowned fourth-generation Babylonian amora (teacher,) clarified Kalev’s seemingly ambiguous patrilineal descent by stating that he was, in fact, biologically “ben Yefuneh.” Yet, he was at one and the same time “the stepson of Kenaz” (“chorgo d’Kenaz hava”). As a result, Kalev had at least two powerful influences in his life, namely the genetic endowment from his father and mother, and the environmental factors inherent in having been raised by his mother in his stepfather’s home. As the poignant and heartbreaking story of the Scouts-turned-Spies unfolds, we learn that Kalev was dedicated to the defense of the glory of the Land of Israel, and unconditionally convinced of our people’s ability to conquer the Land as per Hashem’s divine plan: They [the Spies] told him [Moshe] and said, “We came to the land to which you sent us, and it is flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who inhabit the land are mighty, and the cities are extremely huge and fortified, and there we saw even the offspring of the giant. The Amalekites dwell in the southland, while the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountainous region. The Canaanites dwell on the coast and alongside the Jordan.” Kalev silenced the people to [hear about] Moshe, and he said, “We can surely go up and take possession of it, for we can indeed overcome it.” (Sefer Bamidbar 13:27-30, brackets and underlining my own) In the next chapter, our passage is followed by the combined efforts of Yehoshua and Kalev to convince the people to remain loyal to Hashem and the authenticity of His promise: They [i.e. Yehoshua and Kalev] spoke to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land we passed through to scout is an exceedingly good land. If the L-rd desires us, He will bring us to this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. But you shall not rebel against the L-rd, and you will not fear the people of that land for they are [as] our bread. Their protection is removed from them, and the L-rd is with us; do not fear them.” (14:7-9) The Torah’s narrative continues with the dialogue between Hashem and Moshe wherein the destruction of the Jewish people seemed imminent. Moshe responded with his fervent prayer to save our nation, replete with the repetition of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy that G-d had taught him following the Sin of the Golden Calf. Hashem acceded to Moshe’s prayer and stated: “I have forgiven them in accordance with your word.” (Sefer Bamidbar 14:20) Nonetheless, the entire Dor Hamidbar (Generation of the Desert), with the notable exception of Kalev and Yehoshua (Ibid. , 30) was now prohibited from entering the Land. This decree is immediately followed by the rationale for Kalev’s exemption from Hashem’s judgment: “But as for My servant Kalev, since he was possessed by another spirit, and he followed Me, I will bring him to the land to which he came, and his descendants will drive it[s inhabitants] out.” (Ibid. , 24) The phrase, “since he was possessed by another spirit” (“hayitah ruach acheret”) at first appears rather straightforward, yet, on measure, it is the second Kalev mystery that we encounter. True, it seems that Kalev never wanted to take part in the machinations of the Spies, and that he was always aligned with Yehoshua and his mission. Yet, Rashi, based upon Talmud Bavli, Sotah 34b, provides us with an entirely different interpretation based upon his analysis of verse 13:22: “They went up in the south, and he came to Hebron, and there were Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of the giant. Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan of Egypt.” and he came to Hebron: Kalev went there alone [hence the singular “he came”] to prostrate himself on the graves of the Patriarchs [in prayer] that he not be enticed by his colleagues to be part of their counsel. Thus, it says, “I will give him [Kalev] the land on which he has walked” (Sefer Devarim 1:36), and it is written, “They gave Hebron to Kalev” (Sefer Shoftim 1:20). Rashi’s level-one problem in this instance is quite straightforward. The expression, “They went up in the south, and he came to Hebron…” demands an explanation, since it begins with the plural “they” and concludes with the singular “he.” The word “they” refers contextually to the Spies, leaving Chazal (our Sages) and ourselves to wrestle with the meaning of “he.” Therefore, based upon the texts in Sefer Devarim and Sefer Shoftim, our Sages concluded that the “he” in question was none other than Kalev. While this explication takes care of the grammatically confusing aspects of our pasuk (verse), a very significant conceptual problem remains: Why, to paraphrase Rashi, did Kalev need to go to prostrate himself on the graves of the Patriarchs [in prayer] so that he would not be enticed by his colleagues to be part of their counsel? After all, “he was possessed by another spirit, ” and aligned with Yehoshua! The Malbim (Rabbi Meïr Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser, 1809-1879) was greatly troubled by our problem. In order to solve it, he cites our earlier-quoted folio from the Gemara, namely, Talmud Bavli, Sotah 11b. Therein, when Kalev is mentioned as the son of Yefuneh, the anonymous amora adds the explanation of the name “ben Yefuneh” itself: “the son who removed himself from the counsel of the Spies” (“haben sh’paneh ma’atzat meraglim”). The Malbim highlights this explanation and notes that “ben Yefuneh” can be seen both as a statement of Kalev’s lineage and as a play on words foreshadowing Kalev’s most heroic act – the rejection of the counsel of the Spies. The Malbim then suggests that the appellation of “ben Yefuneh” denoting this meaning was, in and of itself, problematic for the unnamed amora of our passage since, Yehoshua also separated himself from the Spies in both his words and deeds. Therefore, why was he not also called “ben Yefuneh?” The Malbim answers this question in his characteristically brilliant and inspiring manner: There was a singular difference that obtained between Yehoshua and Kalev. Moshe [not Yehoshua, himself] prayed for Yehoshua [to remain steadfast in his resolve and not to fall into the clutches of the Spies: “… and Moshe called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua,” which is interpreted by Talmud Bavli, Sotah 34b to mean,] “Hashem should save you from the counsel of the Spies.” In stark contrast, Kalev distanced himself from the advice of the Spies – rather than through the vehicle of Moshe’s prayer. Therefore our Sages said that initially the Spies caused him to err and to follow their advice. In order to extricate himself from their cause, he went to Hebron to pray at the graves of our Patriarchs. (Translation, brackets and underling my own) Given this interpretation, the Malbim now explains the authentic meaning inherent in the phrase, “hayitah ruach acheret:” This means that at first Kalev had a completely different orientation and was duped by the Spies into joining their cabal. He, however, conquered his evil inclination and chose, instead to follow Hashem. [As the text states]: “…and he followed Me, I will bring him to the land to which he came, and his descendants will drive it[s inhabitants] out” (Sefer Bamidbar 14:24) and Hebron was given to him as a permanent inheritance. Based upon the Malbim’s elucidation, we are now prepared to appreciate Kalev’s genuine greatness. Kalev was an authentic champion, one who had initially fallen into malevolent counsel and then, by himself, heroically overcame both that influence and his own yatzer harah (evil inclination). As Ben Zoma memorably taught us all: “Who is a hero? The one who conquers his evil inclination.” (Pirkei Avot 4:1) May the Almighty give us the strength, wisdom, and discernment to emulate Kalev ben Yefuneh in our words and deeds, so that we can become bona fide heroes in our own time who are true to Hashem and His Torah. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition |
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