The Antidote to Anti-Semitism

A quick note on Parshah Balak, in honour of the bar mitzvah of my friend's eldest son (Mazal Tov!).

In Parshah Balak, we read how the King of Moav (Balak) summons the national prophet Bilaam to curse Bnai Yisroel. The Parshah then ends with the recounting of the episode involving Zimri and Cozbi.

The question that comes immediately to mind is why Balak summoned Bilaam at all. The Moavim knew that Hashem had commanded to refrain from attacking Moav (Devarim 2:19,19). Logically then, there should have been no fear of attack. Instead, Balak is so unnerved sheer magnitude of the approaching nation that he forms an allegiance with Moav's sworn enemies, the Midyanites, in an attempt to take down Bnai Yisroel (Rashi).

Morevoer, who was Bilaam? Bilaam was a relative of Lavan, from whom he learned black magic (Midrash/Zohar). It was, in fact, from Lavan that Bilaam learned how to discern the precise time of day when Hashem sits in judgement. By issuing a curse at that moment, Bilaam was able to obtain an unfavourable ruling from the Heavenly Court upon the cursed individual(s). That Bilaam is eager to curse the Jews indicates how he, like Lavan, enjoyed inflicting misery upon Hashem's people.

So what is really going on here? From the incident of Bilaam and Balak we learn how anti-semitism operates: an irrational fear/hatred of yiddin incites a rationalisation for one's hatred, and in turn, serves to justify in the anti-semite's mind any anti-semitic action s/he takes.

Yet, as always, Hashem provides the antidote to the problem with problem. Thus, we see that due to the piety of the Bnai Yisroel, Hashem was unable to find fault with them, and in turn cause Bilaam to bless instead of curse three times. As we know, the number 3 is a number with positive spiritual ramifications: Three Patriarchs, Three Matriarchs, Three Annual Festivals, etc. In Parshah Balak, with each attempt to curse, the given blessing that Balak utters proves greater than the previous blessing.

To underscore this point, the parshah ends by recounting the story of Zimri and Cozbi. Because of his supreme hatred of Bnai Yisroel (not to mention a blatant display of self-interest that is consistent with the legacy of Lavan), before leaving after issuing the curses, Bilaam attempts to curry favour (and monetary compensation) from Balak by telling the latter how to cause Bnai Yisroel's downfall. That Pinchas stops the plague by killing Zimri and Cozbi underscores that zealous adherence to Hashem's moral code (versus falling prey to moral squalor, i.e. consorting with the Midiyanite and Moavite women), we can continue to merit Divine Protection as individuals and as a nation.

Good Shabbos.

On Tisha B'Av and Elul

On Tisha B'Av, the yetzer hara is very strong. I don't know about any of you, but I find myself sleeping a lot through the day- especially at the moments when I begin to concentrate on the Beit Hamigdash. During one point yesterday of attempting to persevere in maintaining the appropriate focus, I happened upon the following realization.

Tisha B'Av is the culmination of the Three Weeks. During that time frame, with each passing day, we increase our awareness of the tragedy inherent in this period of the Jewish calendar. The period consequently works to prepare us for Tisha B'Av, to plug us into the state of mourning we should be feeling by considering how our sins produced the calamities that befell yiddin throughout the centuries on Tisha B'Av. More to the point, on Tisha B'Av, we refrain from all activity in order to ponder how our personal failings have kept the klal from meriting Moshiach that year, and to mourn that we must wait until the next year to potential see his coming.

The three weeks following Tisha B'Av end with Rosh Chodesh Elul. During Elul we begin sounding the shofar, and otherwise prepare ourselves for Rosh Hashanah and being judged. We consequently use the month of Elul to overcome our shortcomings up until that point and begin to do better. That the period between Tisha B'Av and Rosh Chodesh Elul is precisely three weeks suggests that just like the Three Weeks prepare us for Tisha B'Av, the three weeks following Tisha B'Av should help us lay the foundation for change in Elul. Thus the days between Tisha B'Av and Rosh Elul should be spent using the awareness of our shortcomings garnered during the official Three Weeks to start affecting the spiritual changes necessary to improve ourselves, and hopefully merit Moshiach in the coming year.

Good Shabbos!

Do As I Say, Do As I Do- Parsha Pinchas

It becomes apparent upon contemplating what the episode of Pinchas, the census, Zelophedad's daughters, Yoshua ben Nun's appointment as successor, and the enumeration of the festival sacrifices have in common that all instances underscore how appropriate behaviour is rewarded.

In the case of Pinchas, he acted for the sake of the community despite knowing that the probable reaction of the klal would be detrimental to his well-being. It is because he rose above this knowledge to do Hashem's will and save the klal irregardless of the personal consequences for himself that Hashem rewards Pinchas and his offspring with the kehuna. By acting out of love for his people, Pinchas demonstrated his worthiness as a conduit for Hashem's blessings and forgiveness for the klal.

Similarly, each of the other individuals identified above demonstrated an acute awareness of the appropriate action to take, one that would benefit the entire klal, not only themselves. It was this ability to remain true to Hashem's commandments, to sublimate their personal needs for those of the nation- be it as a conduit for the giving over of new commandments, as was the case of Zelophedad's daughters, or due to faultlessly demonstrating time and again the correct emphasis, as was the case of Yoshua ben Nun- that justified their reward. Therefore:

• Pinchas's action resulted in halting the plague/immorality, which resulted in the census being taken. Hashem, in turn, remembered those who had remained pure-hearted, in the merit of Pinchas, in addition to elevating Pinchas due to his great action.
• Zelophedad's daughters acted out of respect for their father's memory, and were rewarded with the giving of the commandments regarding inheritance by women in their name. The repeated reference to their being the daughters of Zelophedad underscores not only the purpose of the commandments, i.e., what to do when a father begets only daughters, but also echoes their emphasis on their father's memory.
• Yoshua ben Nun's dedication to his teacher Moshe was rewarded by his appointment as his Rebbe's successor. Hashem, in turn, instructed Moshe in the laws about the mussaf offerings, which would be an integral part of spiritual life once the klal entered the land under Yoshua.

Hopefully by their example, we can become adequately inspired to ourselves always follow the correct path in our thoughts, actions, and deeds.

Lessons of Nachshon

Having now undergone a full week of unemployment, my mind is level-headed enough that I am forcing myself to do things properly: I daven first thing in the morning, learn when I'm bored, think before I say a beracha about whether I need to use negelwasser, etc. etc. So I actually have a tidbit to share. Pre-Shabbos. Amazing, eh?

When mentioning the offerings that the leaders brought, Ohr Chachaim brings down two interrelated points concerning Nachshon from the tribe of Yehudah:

1. He is only indicated as a leader in the introduction.
2. He is the first to go and provide offerings.

As for the first point, Ohr Chachaim explains that it alludes to Nachshon's supreme modesty/humility, which leads in turn to the second point. Hashem had indicated to Moshe that the leaders should bring their offerings individually, on separate days, in the order of the tribes formations (see It's The Company That You Keep). By extension, that Nachshon came first combined with his great humility demonstrates that the reason for this ordering is in fact his personal merits. When a person provides an offering to Hashem, not only does Hashem consider the physical offering- He also considers the offering of the person themself, namely their spiritual level.

Since physical offerings can vary based on one's material means, I wanted to reiterate a point that I feel relevant to our lives today. Throughout the millenia, the level of prosperity amongst individuals has varied based on what Hashem deems is the requirement for the particular individual. Some people require much in order to feel secure enough to serve Hashem properly, while others do not. More importantly, if one is blessed with wealth from Hashem, the recipient must use that wealth appropriately, aka to serve Hashem by doing for the community. Thus, if one enjoys material prosperity, it is because that person cannot serve Hashem fully otherwise. The money/property in turn becomes the vehicle for the person to learn to value what they have and to help their fellow Jew. One without such material blessings is one who does not need to learn this lesson.

And some from Nachshon's humility and personal merit, we are reminded that all that we have is all that we need, because in the end, Hashem values what we have spiritually above all else.

Good Shabbos!

It's the Company You Keep

Since I have not composed a dvar torah in a long while, I felt it high-time to record a thought on this week's parshah, Bamidbar.

In this week's parshah, we learn that the 4-line formation of the tribes around the tabernacle mimics the formation of angels around the Heavenly Throne in shemayim (Badmidbar Rabbah). In turn, the colour of the tribal flags corresponded to their tribal stones on the Choshen Mishpat. In light of these associations with the divine, the question remains: how did the formations provide insight into the core qualities of the tribes?

When we look back at the beracha that Yaacov/Yisroel bestowed upon each tribe on his deathbed, the over-arching impression is of rebuke. Here, in his final moments, a father was summarizing each of his son's various shortcomings, with the occasional allusion to a son's potential strengths. Yet the true meaning of each "rebuke" was in fact to illustrate where each son's strengths lay. To rephrase, if a given son overcame the middot that caused these previous shortcomings, the son would find strength in that same quality. It is the channeling of the given energy, and the turning a negative into a positive, which is the wish of any parent for their child. So to was this true of Yaacov/Yisroel's portraits of each tribe.

These key characteristics of the tribes carries over into their formations around the mishkan. Each line included three tribes, and these lines were the same as the ones drawn by Yaacov himself for escorting his body to Eretz Yisroel for burial (Rashi). In essence, the alignment of the tribes was prescribed by Yaacov through ruach hakodesh in alignment with the key characteristics of the various brothers. Who else but a parent is capable of recognizing which alliances between his children will reap them moral and spiritual benefit? And it is these alliances that we see alluded to in these formations.

To briefly summarize, the four formations were/are the following:

1. Yehuda (Monarch), Issachar (Torah), Zebulun (Support of Torah)
   
2. Reuven (Repentance) , Shimeon (Men of the Sword), Gad (Strength)
   
3. Ephraim, Menasheh (Spiritual Strength/Descendants of the Patriarchs), Benjamin (Fearless Warrior)
   
4. Dan (Hidden), Asher (Illumination), Naphtali (Beautiful [Spiritual] Sayings)

The tribe of Levi surrounded the mishkan in the centre of these formations.

What becomes apparent immediately is that in each of the four categories, the characteristic of one supports/counteracts the characteristic of the others in their respective formation (Ramban). In turn, the ranking (1, 2, 3, 4) implies the relative status of each in the klal (monarchy versus army versus commerce, and so on). Each brother played their respective part in the family's story, as it were, and together formed a cohesive unit by following their "destined" paths.

Yet how does a parent instill in a child a sense of urgency regarding their destined lot in life? How can a parent encourage their child to flourish versus throw away their ingrained strengths, chasve shalom? To paraphrase some thoughts from Rav Twerski, shlita, it is by demonstrating to each child, in the way that is appropriate for the child, what the parent feels is important. And in order for these teachings to resonate with the child, the parent must demonstrate that the parent sincerely believes in what they are espousing by consistently, genuinely remaining true to their viewpoints. By understanding that each son was unique and needed to be spoken to in a manner befitting the son's mode of understanding, Yaacov helped each son focus on their assigned mission in life. These multiple missions were in turn associated with one another, as illustrated by the formations, to help each tribe to adhere to their respective mission after Yaacov's passing.

By drawing on these lessons hopefully even in this generation, when permissiveness and indulgence runs rampant, we can nurture the generations that follow to use their individual gifts to serve the klal, and by extension, Hashem. Good Shabbos!

Purification Central

I keep meaning to write down a dvar Torah, and then keep right on forgetting. It really is the pre-Pesach crunch! Anyway, here's a thought that occurred to me earlier this week.

In the 4 parshot leading up to Pesach, we have detailed accounts of the mishkan and other holy vessels, the bigday kehuna, and various sacrifices recounted. What is the correlation between these accounts and our proximity to Pesach?

In the 4 weeks between Purim and Pesach, we are busy scouring our houses, ridding ourselves, our possessions, and our property of chometz. As we know, on a symbolic level, chometz represents the negative side of the spiritual equation: tumah, averos, etc. The very purpose of our cleaning is to elevate ourselves spiritually in preparation for our spiritual commemoration of the exodus. Similarly, the purpose of the mishkan, the bigday kehunah, the sacrifice services, and so forth were to each atone for any short-comings, chasve shalom, of the klal.

Thus, just as the Pesach offering and exodus cleansed the klal of the tumah of slavery, and set them in an upwards spiritual arc that culminated in the revelation at Har Sinai, so now Pesach cleaning prepares us for the reliving of the exodus on Pesach. Similarly, just as the the holiness of the vessels, garments, and sacrifices atoned for the klal during the eras between the exiles, so too does the retelling of these holy articles help cleanse us in preparation for the spiritual geulah on Pesach. And in the merit of such cleansing, the eternal hope is that this Pesach will mark the beginning of the ultimate geulah, with the coming of Mosiach.

Proximity

A quick pre-Shabbos thought on parshah Terumah:

Sforno comments on the phrase "So that I may dwell among them..." by noting that the zenith of the tabernacle was the ark and its cover. Specifically, he suggests that the reason the cherubim faces were turned downards toward the ark was to remind us that the klal's focus is always on the contents of the ark, namely Torah and by extension, Hashem.

To that end, I found it fitting that the discussion of the tabernacle emphasizes that the design thereof was not extravagant, simply suitably ornate for its contents. I would suggest, in turn, that this degree of ornamentation is similar in its meaning to the difference in the garb of the regular kohanim versus the kohen gadol. Regular kohanim, as we know, wore simple linen garments; these garments were clean and attractive. However the kohen gadol's additional splendour was not for his glory, but rather a reflection of his role as the party who entered the Holy of Holies, i.e., this splendour was fitting because he was the one kohen who stood before the shechina. Moreover, it was due to this role that the additional garments and ornamentation had a practical role spiritually- they served as the conduit for Hashem to answer the kohen's questions, for example, in the case of the choshen mishpat.

And so we learn that just as a commoner will dress "down" every day as opposed to the day on which he is presented to the King, so too the regular kohanim dressed. As the representative of the nation who bore the responsibility of presenting himself to the shechinah, the kohen gadol was dressed suitably for one who stood before the King. By extension, we learn that as we grow in Torah, we must dress accordingly, in a manner that demonstrates the fact that, in galus, we stand before Hashem always.

Good Shabbos!

Wherever

In parshah Yisro, we are told that the Bnai Yisroel were instructed to avoid traversing the boundary around the mountain until after the elongated shofar blast. After that point, they would be free to scale the mountain. From this we learn that Har Sinai was not intrinsically holy. Rather, the Har only had spiritual significance as long as the shechina rested upon it. Once the shechina departed, the spiritual status of the Har returned to "normal".

In his commentary summing up the opinion of the commentators, R'Bachya cites that the four areas of the mountain correspond to the four areas of the Beit HaMigdash:

1. The region behind the boundary behind where the klal stood = The gate of the courtyard
   
2. The mountain itself = The interior of the courtyard
3. The cloud upon which Moshe stood = The interior of the sanctuary
4. The thickness of the cloud = The Holy of Holies

That the boundaries on the mountain replicated those later used in the Beit HaMigdash underscores that the Beit HaMigdash was the "blueprint" for the klal's interaction with Hashem. Indeed, the Beit HaMigdash is unequivocally recognized as the "permanent" dwelling place for the shechina in this world.

But if we are in galus, how can we operate by this blueprint? How can we move through these areas towards Hashem in our day and age? The reality is that Hashem is wherever a yid is. However, this is magnified, such as when one davens with a minyan. Yet perhaps the most crucial opportunity for getting close to Hashem is not in the Beit HaMedresh, but in fact in the four walls of the married home.

While we all intellectually understand that there are three partners in any marital union- the human couple and Hashem's presence- we often fall short in operating with this awareness in our day-to-day lives. Yet it is precisely in one's home that Hashem's presence rests, and where He remains available to us. Thus, by ensuring that our marriage is internally Torahdik, we can render our homes a suitable dwelling place for the shechinah, and maintain a closer relationship with Him than would otherwise be possible.

Good voch!

Remembering Who's Boss

We learn that in this week's parshah, Bo, the final three makkos were meant to demonstrate to everyone, yid and goy alike, that Ani Hashem. These plagues are then interrupted by a discussion of Rosh Chodesh, the korban pesach/Pesach observance, and redemption of the first-born. What does this order suggest?

If we contemplate for a moment that the yid in Egypt who had survived the plagues (since most of the yiddin had been wiped out during the plague of darkness) and "made it to the final cut", as it were, and were included in the exodus, one might find the need to demonstrate Hashem's ultimate rule as unnecessary. The remaining Jews had seen that no-one, even the yiddin, escaped judgement; that they found themselves alive at that late stage should have simply filled them with amazement and unequivocable, whole-bodied devotion to Hashem.And yet Hashem reasoned otherwise.

In short, a major factor in stressing Ani Hashem was for the klal's benefit. That said, the purpose of introducing the other mitvos becomes clear: in each instance, the mitzvah serves to underline that Hashem rules all, and that we are but here to serve him. It is the nature of humans to believe that we control our dalet amos to a certain degree. We plan our day, we set up and maintain our homes, we create families. While we simultaneously recognize that all of these elements are in fact Hashem's doing, our yetzer hara is always trying to convince us that we actually have more control over our lives than we do. The fact of the matter is that while we do have free choice, and Hashem hopes that we will choose good, Hashem is Master and Commander of the minutiae of our days.

Each mitzvos cited in Bo is a case where humans are prone to attribute more kavod to themselves than is due. With Rosh Chodesh, we are reminded that our concept of time, days, weeks, months and years is governed by Hashem. With the korban pesach, we are reminded that the yiddin did not have enough merit that year for the exodus, that they required the additional details of the korban pesach that first instance to earn that merit. And finally, with the redemption of the firstborn we are reminded, at the precise moment when we feel most keenly like Hashem, that first true moment ever of "Look what I created", of the fact that ultimately life is His decision alone.

In this way, these mitzvot serve as constant defenses against the yetzer hara, and keep all honour and respect where they should be, namely with Hashem.

Good voch!

Blueprint of Galus

In parshah Shemos, we learn of the birth of the redeemer of the klal and his life prior to assuming his destined role.

One thought has nagged at me about this parshah, specifically why were all Egyptians held liable for the klal's suffering? Weren't they simply following the orders of their king? While obviously one would hope that they would instead have defied their king, one can understand that they chose to prove their patriotism and allegiance to the king by going along with his numerous decrees. So how was it that the entire nation deserved punishment for the policies of their ruler?

As we know, a principle of Torah is that not a single word is wasted. Thus, the omission of details describing the specific deeds that warranted the downfall of the whole nation is telling. First, the lack points to the fact that the specific deeds are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Instead, one should take a holistic view of the situation and recognize that here was a nation that did evil to the klal and deserved de facto to be punished. Since all subsequent yiddishkeit looks back to our emancipation from Egypt as the cornerstone of our identity, the Egyptian galus and redemption acts as a blueprint, if you will, for all subsequent exiles. I therefore propose that a brief look at the behaviour that warranted the downfall of the ruling nation (and the klal's release) is important, and contains many clues about how one should view the rest of Jewish history, including the current galus, may it end immediately.

Midrash cites many immoral actions on the part of both the Egyptian men and women, such as:

• Men: Following Pharoah's edict to refuse to give straw to the yiddin

• Women: Taking babies into Jewish abodes and making the babies cry in order to elicit cries from any hidden Jewish babies

However, the parshah itself explicitly names the ultimate essence of the behaviour that warranted absolute punishment at the beginning of the parshah: "A new king rose, one who did not know Yoseph...And they appointed taskmasters over them...". The main issue was that the nation (they), not just Pharoah, forgot Yoseph and, by extension, Yaacov. Lest we forget, Yoseph was the reason why Egypt not only survived the famine, but prospered as a result of it. Moreover, with Yaacov's arrival, the famine ended. Thus, the Egyptians as a whole, in a desire to be free of gratitude to the descendants of Yaacov and his family, aka their redeemers, sought to degrade them. In other words, by degrading the yiddin, the Egyptians felt they could shirk all future indebtedness to the yiddin. Moreover, by forgetting any gratitude due yiddin, the Egyptians were simultaneously attempting to subdue Hashem's power- if His people were responsible for bringing blessing to the land, by subjugating His people, the Egyptians could feel that they were lessening Hashem's hold over them. Enslaving the yiddin was consequently a double reward for them, or so they thought.

In stark contrast, Basya is mentioned as naming Yocheved's second son Moshe. Indeed, this name is the only one by which the redeemer of Israel is mentioned in the Torah. Since Moshe had, in fact, 9 additional names, one might wonder why he is exclusively mentioned using Moshe, an Egyptian name? Again, the inclusion of this detail provides a clue that fills in for the outright mentioning of the transgression of the Egyptians. Basya, unlike the Egyptians, showed tremendous kindness to Moshe. While her handmaids refused to exert themselves to rescue the boy, she not only exerted herself to personally retrieve him from the waters, but went to great lengths to find a wet nurse for him, i.e. to feed him when he at first refused to feed. She continued to show kindness to him, despite his being a Jewish male child, by paying for his nursing for two years and then raising him in the royal palace. To reword, she provided him with every comfort, despite his being a Jew and in spite of her doing so being a danger to herself. Her reward was that Moshe is only referred to by the name she bestowed him.

In this way, the silence of the Torah answers the nagging question of the horrible transgression that merited the downfall of the greatest nation on Earth. By mistreating Hashem's people, the Egyptians not only sought to deny Hashem's power over the entire world, including Egypt, but also the wipe out the reminder that Egypt only existed due to the Jewish people. It is this total disrespect for a people without whom they themselves would not exist that belied the utter corrupt and evil nature of the Egyptian people. And it was this disrespect that in the end resulted in their downfall.

Finally, from the Egyptian's behaviour we also learn the essence of anti-semitism, a main component in every galus to date: a desire to eradicate the Jewish people, chasve shalom, in order to remove any reminder that Hashem runs the world.

Good voch!

Mother of the Klal

In parshah Shemos, we learn that the Jewish midwives Shifrah and Puah defy Pharoah's instructions to kill all male babies, despite Pharoah's threat to execute them if they disobey his order. Midrash explains that Shifrah and Puah were in fact Yocheved and Miriam, respectively, and their decision to save the male babies was due to their fear of Hashem / heaven being greater than their fear of a mere mortal.

It was their profound Yirat Shemayim that provoked them to not only attempt to save all Jewish babies during delivery, but to spur them to follow every available path to ensure success in their decision. To that end, the pair davened to Hashem to not only spare the babies, but to have those previously destined for weakness or defects be born 100% healthy, as well as to have no woman die in childbirth or otherwise be harmed. In this way, they would be above suspicion and nobody would suspect them of attempting to carry out Pharoah's orders.

Yet they did not stop there. In keeping with the notion that "Hashem helps those who help themselves", their love of the klal caused them to take practical measures, such as gathering food from rich homes to distribute it to poor homes, so that all children could be fed. In this way they further helped the new mothers sustain newborns.

For her selfless efforts born of her ahavas yisroel and Yirat Shemayim, at the threat of loss of her own life, Hashem repaid Yocheved middah-kenneged-middah. Yocheved merited to become the mother of all future leviim (Moshe) and kohanim (Aharon)- the groups that similarly serve the nation at the expense of their own comfort, and whose members rely upon the good-will of the nation to survive. It is this trait that enables kohanim to bless the klal with a heart overwhelming with love and otherwise act as a crucible for Hashem's blessing of the nation. Just as through Yocheved the nation was blessed, through her descendants, the nation continues to be blessed.

Who else but the woman who personified an utmost commitment to Hashem and his people, a commitment based on awe and love of Hashem, could become the matriarch of the tribe that embodies selfless devotion to Hashem and his people?

Horse, Mule, Donkey

A tidbit that occurred to me last night at the Shabbos table. :)

Commenting on the line in Yaacov's blessing for Yehuda that refers to a donkey (He will tie his donkey to the vine, to the vine branch his donkey's foal), Sforno contrasts a donkey to a horse: Whereas a horse is associated with war, a donkey represents "peaceful prosperity". The connotation is obvious- leadership, in the case of the tribe of Yehuda, will enjoy sufficient materialism and peace to enable them to focus on leading in a manner aligned with Hashem's ways. We see a parallel reference to a donkey in Yaacov's blessing of Yissachar (Issachar is a strong-boned donkey); since Yissachar is a tribe renowned for Torah scholarship, we see that the "strength" of the donkey, which outwardly is rooted in the material world, lies in its steadfast submission to its master's will, like the Torah scholar to his studies and, consequently, Hashem.

Earlier in the Torah, when learning of illegal combinations, a mule listed as one such prohibited mixture. A mule, as part horse and part donkey, demonstrates that when combined the positive traits of each becomes perverted: war and power (the horse), when linked to steadfastness (the donkey) results in the unceasing pursuit of materialism, which inevitably provokes disharmony. One only needs to look to the goyim to see that their leaders flaunt their power and wealth, to the detriment of their nations.

In sharp contrast, the secular leader of the Jewish nation must always steadfastly adhere to Hashem in his kingship of the land. By citing the donkey in his blessing of Yehuda, Yaacov reminds us all that adherence to a peaceful existence brings our lives to fruition both in this world- although we may not always see it- and the next. Only a nation that is ruled by a devotion to Hashem's values is a life, and a monarchy, worth having.

Gut Voch!

5 Sets of Clothing

Since I had a lot of time to mull over parshah Vayigash this Shabbos (see Ah, Welcome Home), I had a thought that I considered rather "Duh", which I wanted to share regardless.

Rabbeinu Tam notes that upon dispatching his brothers home to fetch their father and respective families, Yosef presented two sets of clothing to all the brothers except Binyamin, to whom Yosef gave five sets. Given the fact that sibling rivalry was precisely the ulterior reason for the sin committed by the brothers against Yosef, commentators consider this blatant favouritism problematic. Reasons to explain the extra lavishing upon Binyamin range from the material (Aitz Yosaif / Iyun Yaacov Megilla, who state that the 5 sets were equivalent in value to the 2 sets afforded the other brothers) to the psychological (Maharasha, who states that the other brothers understood the special connection Yosef had with Binyamin since they were sons of the same mother).

I would like to pose a different explanation. Midrash describes in extended detail the efforts that Yehuda took to persuade Yosef to return Binyamin to his father, while the other brothers silently watched. The purpose of their silence is that once again, as with the sale of Yosef, the position of the brothers was aligned with that of their natural leader, Yehuda. However, unlike with the sale of Yosef, Yehuda undertook his tactics of persuasion because it was his chance to do teshuvah for having instigated the sale. In turn, the other brothers where complicit in Yehuda's teshuvah; since silence is taken as a sign of agreement, that they remained silent during Yehuda's displays of physical strength and emotional oration belies their allegiance with him in his efforts.

Moreover, the reason that Yosef subjected his brothers to trials and suffering in his dealings with them in Mitzraim was to a) ascertain whether they had purged themselves of the sibling rivalry that had caused his sale, i.e., to determine whether they were loyal to Binyamin, and b) help them do teshuvah in this world to avoid suffering in Olam Haba. Therefore, once his brothers had unequivocally done teshuvah and displayed nothing but filial devotion to his younger brother, Yosef was no longer afraid to show special affection to his only full brother, and the baby of the group.

In other words, since they had done teshuvah and effectively rid themselves of the defect of filial jealousy, Yosef correctly assumed that being lavish with their baby brother was not dangerous.

If you disagree, as usual, feel free to comment/disagree. Gut Voch!

Aha Moment

Yesterday I was reading the parshah, and I hit upon a commentary that bowled me over.

Having spent my time down south amongst chassidim (Chabad and Breslov mainly), I'm well-versed in the whole "always be b'simchah" mentality. Or at least, so I thought. But when I saw that Hashem didn't appear to Yaacov a second time until after the mourning for Devorah and Rachel ceased, that made a big impression on me. Specifically, when I learned that the shechinah doesn't rest where there's sorrow, suddenly, a key concept banged me over the head.

If you think about it, our entire lives are supposed to be about enhancing our relationship with our Creator, thereby improving not only ourselves, but the state of our community, our fellow yiddin world wide, and indeed, all of creation. But if we are closed off from Hashem because our frame of mind prevents it, then that purpose remains out of reach. We can easily understand when people comment that to be sad, depressed, or angry cuts us off from Hashem on an intellectual level, and can even relate to feeling cut off at such times. Certainly when in the throes of negative emotion, it is simple to lower ourselves to a base level. That's why psychobabble loves to categorize various negative emotions as "primal", because they debase us to the level that we relinquish our free will. And that's why so much mussar material tries to get us to focus our attention on getting closer to Hashem, to help us overcome the always waiting road to negativity.

Yet if we contemplate this lesson from the parshah, one can also recognize that there are several components to it. First, one needs to remember that negativity renders us animalistic and denies the free will that Hashem gave only us amongst the species. Next, one needs to find a method to help overcome negative thinking. It is this step where I find many books to be lacking, since I find that most of their strategies simply don't work for me. Regardless, if one knows oneself, one can hit upon a strategy that could work, test it out, and fine tune or repeat the process until they find themselves improving. Finally, one needs to recognize that in order to rise higher both in this world and the next, one needs to always remain focussed on one's relationship with Hashem. A tall order, indeed, and one I've touched upon in my previous postings. But the beautiful phrasing of the parshah really rammed home that nugget of truth in such a way that it tied all the loose ends of wisdom/advice ("Everything is always for the best", "Being angry separates you from Hashem", "What's the use of being depressed? This world is so fleeting and you being depressed does nothing to change your lot, so...", etc.) into a useful bow.

In short, by banishing negativity in one's mind, one's heart becomes unfettered and open to Hashem. In turn, one can improve spiritually, and also have one's heart open to help one's family, one's community, even the world.

A Post-Flood World

I'm a little behind on my learning, partially because I decided that this year I would finish each parshah's notes, etc. before moving on to the next week's. So my thought is actually from parshah Noach. Better late than never, I figure.

The pre-flood world was one that provided an easy existence: the climate was temperate year-round, food had to be accumulated only once every 40 years, and people were imbued with tremendous strength and fortitude. The end result though was that people took their cushy existence for granted and felt little gratitude towards Hashem. To prevent man from making the same mistake in the post-flood world, Hashem decided to make life much more difficult.

Yet in a sense, the post-flood world is no better at showing gratitude to Hashem or to keeping its focus on the Creator. Instead, while we are forced to acknowledge that we are utterly dependent on Hashem, we choose to stray by rationalizing our over-emphasis on material matters as necessary. Because we now have to exert ourselves tremendously in business, at home and otherwise in order to survive, we feel justified in putting Hashem on the "back burner" in order to devote our time and energy to material pursuits. To be frank, most of us, if deciding between spending 5 minutes on Torah matters versus 5 minutes on material matters, find it easier to focus on the latter.

However, by recognizing that our current preoccupations are as inherently flawed as those of the pre-flood generations, perhaps we can begin to shift our focus. That is, by turning our attention to what we choose to focus on and deciding to move Hashem up from the background to the foreground throughout our day, we can learn to prevent ourselves from following down the path that our pre-flood ancestors walked.

Majority Rule

A thought for the Shabbos table:

In reference to this week's parshah (Nitzavim), Midrash tells the story of Reb Eliezer ben Horkenos. In this famous incident, Reb Eliezer chose to steadfastedly teach his view of a given halacha. While his view was indeed correct, as evidenced by various occcurences, his view was in opposition to the view held by the other chachamim. After being excommunicated, Reb Eliezer came to understood the error of his ways.

The question that comes readily is what error could there be in expounding the correct view?! If something is right, it's right! Yet we all understand that often multiple truths co-exist, and this situation is certainly true of Torah itself. Moreover, this situation is precisely the reason for the dictate that the majority view in Torah is the correct one, in order to prevent both the confusion and disharmony that results from competing perspectives. To put it differently, while the Torah consists of multiple truths, one truth must prevail for a given topic, even as the validity of the countering truths is acknowledged. That is why Reb Eliezer was excommunicated: by persisting to teach his view of the given halacha, he ran counter to the dictate to must abide by the majority rule.

Views come and go in popularity, i.e., truths shift with time. The same event can be viewed differently by its participants based on their perspective at a given moment. Underlying the concept of the majority rule is that multiple views will always co-exist, but one must prevail and inform one's actions. To disobey this concept is to leave oneself open to a fracturing of the community: arguments ensure, people take sides, and a cloud of doubt develops over the majority opinion. Conversely, when the majority view is upheld, even the less popular views garner respect, because they win favour by virtue of comparison- this opinion in relation to this opinion has merit, etc.

In short, conformity to the majority view results in respect for all. We would do well to extrapolate from this and apply it to our everyday, hum-drum lives. When faced with arguing our point ad nauseum, we should rather take pause and consider the opposing view in relation to our own. When such pause is taken, often meritous characteristics of the opposing view are found. Such an application of Torah then, results in increased harmony in all our relationships- and increased wisdom. As the adage goes, wise is the man who learns from everyone (and everything).

Good Shabbos.

Triangle of Kindness

I have been very busy the past few days, B'H', in preparation of starting a new job on Monday. That being said, here is a little thought of mine about this week's parshah (Ki Saitzai).

This parshash contains several references to marriage: the captured woman, acceptable converts from certain nations, gittim, and yibum. Each of these instances constitutes "unusual" circumstances; they are not commonplace unions, and involve a loss of comfort while carrying the risk of stigma, as underscored by the proximity to the various mitzvot in the parshah that deal with "forbidden mixtures. Yet even more interestingly, what does this proximity also underscore?

Elsewhere in the parshah, the prevailing theme is a desire to prevent unsavory middot- dishonesty (false weights/measures), greed (leaving yield to the poor and underprivileged), insensitivity (neglecting to consider someone else's safety, i.e. leaving a pit uncovered, a roof unfenced), and even downright evil (Amalek). The point therefore is that these marriages are ones that may seem to require less compassion on the part of the Jew, because the circumstances are abnormal. Why show compassion to someone who belonged to a nation we can war against, to a person from a nation we rightly feel negatively about, to a woman who is unable to remain with her husband because they become incompatible, to a woman who did not bear a child to her deceased husband? Isn't it only 'natural' to think of these individuals as lacking in some way and consequently warranting less favourable treatment?

The Torah answers No for exactly this reason. We should indeed overcome this inclination and remember that above all else, these marriages still require the one ingredient required of all marriages to succeed: compassion. By considering these persons as marriage partners then, we must strive to always demonstrate compassion towards them, for it is precisely this compassion that purifies the relationship and renders it a suitable abode for the Shechina. The parshah in turn underscores a primary trait that must exist in all marriages if they are to remain spiritually feasible.

Good Shabbos!

Justice Twined with Humility

I figured that since it is my birthday parshah, I had better say a few words. No more excuses!

As evidenced by its name, Parshah Shoftim details the judicial infrastructure: the three levels of courts, kingship, ariyeh miklot, sorcery/witchcraft, warfare, and the eglah arufah. Moreover, each of these concepts concern defining justice in relation to compassion. That is, whereas one's natural inclination may be to spare an individual, ultimately true justice and mercy dictate that one should destroy the evil that the individual represents, so that the common good can prevail.

Interestingly, the key to creating and maintaining the judicial infrastructure al pi halacha is humility. Both judges and kings must be tzaddikim who fear only Hashem and His laws, else the temptation to veer from halacha could result, thereby leading the way for spiritual and physical downfall/destruction. We consequently see how justice requires the judges to ensure easy passage to ariyeh miklot by maintaining the roads and signage thereto, and implies their guilt if a solitary passenger falls near their given city. The implication, in other words, is that the leadership of the nation sets the spiritual tone of the nation, and forgetting even momentarily that the leadership is responsible for its members can result in an omission that can result in bloodshed.

Last week, we learned that the wayward city must be burned to the ground and its inhabitants slain. The purpose for this destruction is to atone for having been complacent when increasing numbers of inhabitants were turning to prohibited practices. Because we failed, chasve shalom, to do kiruv, to speak up against those practices, the inhabitants sinned. Our omission therefore lead to an entire city being destroyed. Similarly we learn this week how the leaders of Klal Yisroel are instructed remain humble in order to be perennially vigilant against deviating from the Torah and Hashem's delineation of justice.

Justice must always be tempered then by humility, not vanity, ego, or other by-products of the yatzer hara. It is only by intertwining humility with leadership that true justice can prevail.

Good Shabbos!

Too Little, Too Late

All too often in life, once we wake up from our self-imposed stupor and realise what is truly important in our lives, it is too late.

For three weeks, we have been in a state of mourning, which culminates this Sunday with Tisha B'Av. Here we had a three-week historic period when in the time of the Beit HaMigdash, Hashem in His Mercy gave the yiddin three weeks in which to do teshuvah before the fall of Yerushalayim was complete. All we had to do was repent for our sins, and Hashem would have overturned the siege and conquer. But instead, in our perpetual hard-headedness, we refrained from doing so, resulting in our spiritual downfall, and physical torment.

To be frank, have the generations since done any better? What is it about us as human beings that causes this fog that covers our heads and hearts, which destroys both our relationship with Hashem and each other? Why do we have this callous barrier that potentially impedes our happiness and success?

Most relationships are typified by an imbalance in giving: friends, families, shuls all demonstrate that there are always those who give more and those who receive more. So, while we all give and receive in our various social structures, often this imbalance is replicated in those social structures. Once this imbalance is in place, a perceptible lack can take over.

In the case of Tisha B'Av, we see that Hashem reached the point of no return; He is Our Father, and we, His ungrateful children, refused to give him the respect He deserves for so long, Our Father abandoned our gateway to Him. Similarly, in our human relationships, often when there is an imbalance in giving, critical needs in those relationships disintegrate under the pressure of giving or receiving too much. When we put our needs aside by giving too much, we fail to receive enough, and cannot continue to give endlessly. Conversely, if we receive too much, we fail to adequately give, which results in stunted ability to give, i.e. selfishness, a trait that no relationship can experience long-term and endure.

If we focus for even a few moments on how Hashem gives endlessly to us, and asks so little of us in return, and if we consider how truncated our lives are by the absence of the Beit HaMigdash, perhaps this year could truly be the Year of Mosiach. By contemplating how stifled our spiritual lives are by the lack of the Beit HaMigdash, and how little more giving would be required of us in order to effect its reconstruction, we should all merit that this year should be the last year that Tisha B'Av is marked as a day of mourning.

Good Shabbos, and may everyone have an easy, productive fast.

Generosity

Back when my husband and I were dating, we often wound up in Borough Park late at night. I would wait in the sometimes double-parked car or else browse the open shops for goodies while he ducked into Shomer Shabbos for Maariv.

During those nights, we invariably came upon people collecting tzedakah. I used to always have dollar bills ready to shell out to those who were requesting assistance, and on occasion, if I was waiting by myself and had time to spare, would strike up a conversation with them. After all, we all have our stories to tell, and many times by telling those stories, we wind up feeling better. I am of course biased- why else would I have a blog???

I was new to Brooklyn though, and after a few months was suprised to learn that not everyone who asks for tzedakah is in fact Jewish and/or truly in need. I consequently began to become more discriminating in my dispersion of tzedakah, and now channel most of it through my local Rav. At first, I found myself feeling quite guilty about denying anyone tzedakah, having heard so many stories of people who "would give the shirt off their backs" and so forth. I certainly wouldn't want to prove a candidate for the opposite, since we are required to be generous; generosity is at the root of recognizing that everything is from Hashem.

That is why men are obligated to provide not only financially but emotionally and spiritually for their wives and children, and why women attend to the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of their children. However, just as we are not required to be a schmatta in marriage, we are similarly cautioned from giving tzedakah indiscriminately. In this week's parshah, Parshah Devarim, one of the actions that Bnai Yisroel is chastised for is of course the aigel zahav. In Midrash, it is explained that the reason Bnai Yisrael is taken to task is because despite having subsequently donated lavishly to the construction of the mishkan, their equally lavish donations previously to the aigel call into question the veracity of their intentions where the mishkan was concerned. To give indiscriminately then, is not viewed favourably. Rather, the prerequisite for giving is that the receiving party is both "needy and important".

By only giving after discerning that both prerequisites are met, we can avoid diminishing the value of giving. If we give endlessly to everyone who requests it, we make a mockery of what it means to give. For perhaps the most important aspect of giving is that we grant due respect to what Hashem has so kindly granted us by sharing it with others appropriately. Squandering Hashem's gifts is an aveirah, and we should in turn ensure that, when giving to others, we do not negate the value of what we have been most fortunate to have received ourselves.