Weekly thoughts

YITZCHOK THE VISIONARY AND YAKOV THE REALIST

2007-11-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

THERE IS A GEMORAH IN YEVOMOS THAT STATES THAT WHEN MOSHIACH WILL COME
THAT G-D WILL ASK AVROHOM AND YAKOV WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE SINNERS AMONGST THEIR CHILDREN. THEY WILL BOTH RESPOND THAT LAT THEM BE ERASED FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR HOLY NAME!
TO WHICH G-D WILL RESPOND THAT NEITHER THE SAGE OR THE YOUTH COMPREHEND THE ISSUE. YITZCHOK WILL THEN COME ALONG AND TAKE AN ACCOUNTING OF ALL OF THE YEARS OF MEN. HE WILL DETERMINE THAT THE SUM TOTAL OF A SINNER'S ENTIRE LIFE TO BE INSIGNIFICANT WITH THE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT A PERSON LIVES.
IN THAT CASE SAYS YITZCHOK TO G-D , LET US BOTH HANDLE THE SINNING DAYS OF THESE UNFORTUNATES SO THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE THE WORLD TO COME.
NOW THIS IS STRANGE FOR WASN'T IT AVROHOM WHO PRAYED ON BEHALF OF THE SODOMITES? FURTHERMORE , WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE HOW MUCH TIME A PERSON SINS, WHAT COUNTS ARE THE QUALITIES OF THOSE SINS AT THE RAMBAM WRITES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LAWS OF TESHUVAH-IT'S NOT THE QUANTITY BUT THE VALUE OF EACH MITZVAH AND SIN?
SO , IF THAT IS THE CASE WHAT DIFFERENCE IS IT HOW LONG A PERSON COULD POSSIBLY SIN IN HIS /HER LIFETIME?THE ANSWER LIES IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF YITZCHOK. FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT SIN AND MERIT HAVE NO EFFECT UPON G-D.
THE ONLY THING IS THAT FOR MAN TO BE DESERVING OF G-D'S BLESSINGS , HE HAD TO EARN HIS REWARDS. IN THAT CASE A HUMAN BEING IS JUDGED WORTHY OR UNWORTHY BECAUSE HE MUST EARN THE WORLD TO COME. YITZCHOK'S INTERVENTION IS THAT EVERY ONE OF HIS CHILDREN HAS "EARNED" HIS PARADISE THROUGH THE SELF-SCRIFICE OF YITZCHOK . IN OTHER WORDS, YITZCHOK IS SAYING THAT ALL HIS CHILDREN ARE ONLY AN EXTENSION OF HIMSELF.
THE QUESTION IS , WHY IS IT ONLY YITZCHOK THAT CAN SAY THIS ? WHY NOT AVROHOM
OR YAKOV?
THE ANSWER LIES IN THE FACT THAT UNLIKE AVROHOM, YITZCHOK TRIED TO BLESS HIS WICKED SON! WHY DOES YITZCHOK WISH TO BLESS ESAU?THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE YITZCHOK WAS A VISIONARY WHO SAW THE POTENTIAL OF EVERYTHING AND OF EVERYONE.HE SAW ESAU'S AWESOME POTENTIAL. THAT IS WHY HE TYRIED TO BLESS ESAU.SINCE HIS BLESSING WOULD CREATE GREATER SPIRITUAL AWARENESS WITHIN ESAU . THIS HE RECKONED WOULD TRIGGER A CHANGE OF HEARTY WITHIN ESAU.
YAKOV , HOWEVER , WAS THE REALIST. HE SAW THE POTENTIAL AS WELL AS WHAT COULD BE REASONABLY EXPECTED FROM ESAU.
IN OTHER WORDS, YITZCHOK IS THE VISIONARY, THE IDEALIST. YAKOV IS THE PRAGMATIC REALIST.
FOR THIS REASON YITZCHOK COULD SEE THE GOOD EVEN WITHIN THE SINNERS. WHEREAS , YAKOV SAW WHAT COULD BE EXPECTED. FROM ESAU= VERY LITTLE!
THAT IS WHY YAKOV HAD NO COMPUNCTION ABOUT TAKING THE BLESSINGS FROM ESAU. FOR ESAU WOULD CARE LITTLE ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS. ALL HE WANTED WAS TO BE MATERIALLY SUCCESSFUL. IF THE BLESSINGS COULD WORK
AND CHANGE ESAU, YAKOV WAS ALL FOR THAT. HOWEVER, THE REALITY WASN'T THAT.
IN THE SAME VEIN YITZCHOK SEES THE POTENTIAL OF EVERYONE OF ISRAEL TO HAVE SELF-SACRIFICE FOR THE SAKE OF G-D. THAT IS WHY HE STANDS UP FOR ALL OF US. YAKOV ON THE OTHER HAND CANNOT SEE HOW A LONG-TIME SINNER WOULD HAVE ANY SELF-SACRIFICE.
IN THIS YAKOV SHORTCHANGED HIS CHILDREN. YES, WE HAVE SINNED.
HOWEVER, AT ANY MOMENT EVERYONE OF US IS READY TO SACRIFICE ONESELF FOR THE GOOD OF G-D, ISRAEL AND THE TORAH!
WHY CAN YITZCHOK SEE FARTHER THAN YAKOV? STAY TUNED!

Abraham the father of the east

2007-11-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Our father Avraham had 7 (or8) other children outside of Yitzchak .In fact the Torah says that Avraham got married once again and fathered another 6 sons. Each of the sons started another
nation. The question is Avrohom was 137 years old then ,what was the purpose of getting married again.
At that age Yitzchak doesn't remarry. Neither does Yakov. Why Avrohom?
Avrohom by nature was different from his offspring. Avrohom felt that he could and therefore should endeavor to influence the world. He saw however, that men like E-liezer, as well meaning as they might be lacked the courage and conviction to influence others.
Therefore the motive for Avrohom's remarriage wasn't to be taken care of. For that he trusted that Yitchak or even Yishmoel would respect their father.It was in order to change the idolatrous practices of the peoples of the near east that Avrohom was worried about.
This seems to also be the secret as to why Avrohom sent his sons away to the East . He gave them gifts. What kind of gifts did he give them? Rashi says a Shem Tumah!?
Now if this means that he gave them the power of impurity,how could a man that had battled impurity all of his life give them this impure power to use and succeed with?
The answer is simple ;He gave them the power to overcome the evil ways of the peoples of the east. In this way Avrohom made the world a better place, one that in the future would embrace the true unity of G-D!

Camels anyone?

2007-11-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes a Rabbi is asked a question that the disputant knows is outside the Rabbi's expertise. I had a friend who liked testing my faith, so on occasions he would mail me anti-Torah articles ,especially from the Biblical Archeology Review.
In one particular issue the writer stated emphatically that the story of Rebbecca at the well had
been authored by someone recalling the story at a later time. this is called an anachronism.
The reason is that according to Biblical Archaeology there had been no records of transaction of camels at the time of Abraham. Hence the Biblical writer imputed the details based upon his imagination.
Of course , for a believing Jew this approach of an anonymous author is not acceptable. However, what could a Rabbi unversed in archaeology say? I don't know, perhaps later there will be other discoveries!
Amongst my favorite writers is Philip Biberfeld , author of the series, Universal Jewish History.
In his writings about the ancient world , almost as an aside he tells us that in the excavations of the ancient city called Ugarit, they discovered tablets recording sales of various items including camels!This city was contemporaneous with Abraham.
The fact that only one of the great cities of that period had camels to sell actually teach us a marvelous insight into the story.
Up until this question the whole issue of having to send 10 camels to bring back the bride seems unnecessary.After all Abraham himself used a donkey.
However, when the Torah tells us that Abraham sent Eliezer with all the good of his master with him,it means that Abraham had given a deed of all of his possessions to Yitzchak on the condition that he marry the girl that Abraham wanted. This was given in order to show the prospective parents that Yitzchak would be exceptionally wealthy and the girl well cared for.
Now,even if he sent such a deed how would the family truly believe that this was a glick match-made in heaven? After all Abraham lived many miles away and no one in Haran had seen him for years. How would they know that Abraham was telling the truth about his wealth?
Camels-they were exceedingly rare ,remember? Only the real wealthy could afford one camel.
In that case, appearing at the well with 10 camels would have made the same splash as appearing with 10 stretch limos!
No wonder Lavan,Rebbecca"s brother, came running to see the man!Understood now, is the agreement to immediately send Rebbecca to a strange land after a brief meeting with Abraham's chief of staff.
It was the camels who sealed the deal!The question opens up a new dimension of insight!

Titled Property

2007-10-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

The only titled properties whose ownership was declared by the Torah to be in the legal possession of Israel even before the conquest by Yehoshua are Hebron And Shechem, called Nablus by Arabs.
These properties are the focus of attention this week again as secular Israeli authorities deny Jews the rights to their ancient homes.
What can we learn from a sale that took place about 3700 years ago?
While the deniers will turn a blind eye they can never succeed . In the end,just as the land has returned in large part to the Children of Israel despite the world's best efforts to deny our access to it. So too, the Holy Places will never be permanently in the hands of our enemies. For G-D's word is eternal.
The only thing is that when Jews give over Sacred Lands to Arabs, they frustrate the angels who clamor for all Jews' return to Israel. They are told ,see even they don't want this Divine Gift,so give it to others who appreciate it!
The gentiles know the score. The return of Israel to their Holy Places puts to lie their claims as having supplanted Israel. This foolishness plays into their evil hands.

Killing children

2007-10-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

There are special prohibitions against the elements of idolatry which hint at excessive cruelty.
they include cooking meat with milk and the Moloch initiation of passing the child through fire. In each case there is no overt cruelty, just the hint that the worshiper is ready to cook the child even in its' mother's milk for the Glory of his G-D. The same is true of the Moloch which indicates the readiness to put one's children to the fire if necessary for the greater glory of the g-ds.
In that case why is there so much stress given upon the test of the binding and potential sacrifice of Isaac, which promotes cruelty? Why make this the centerpiece of Jewish pride and merit?
the answer lies not in the deed but in the person Avrohom, who saw the good in everyone and tried to please them so that they should thank G-D. Such a person loves all and loves life and its' blessings.
Avrohom cared for the best and the worst of humanity. That's why he is seen hosting strangers with all the love and the warmth you show your closest kin. Then he challenges G-D on the morality of destroying the first sin-city-Sodom.Through all of his difficult trials,Avrohom remains upbeat ,positive and caring for all.
Such a person cannot express any cruelty nor can he imagine thinking inflicting pain
When a man of this temperment is asked to make a sacrifice of his only son , it isn't just a sacrifice of one's beloved . It's doing something that is anathema to him for any person. How much more so
his only beloved son! There couldn't be a more disgusting and vile act than this for Avrohom.
Yet Avrohom overcomed any feeling of sensitivity in order to fulfill G-D's will. There is no thought of pain or remorse ,there is only the will of G-D as inexplicable as it may be..
This is what made Avrohom's test so unique.
Whenever you go outside your natural inclinations for a higher goal you are acting as Avrohom did then. It's easy to show love to those you like. It's easy to be angry with those who disagree with you.
It's hard to overcome your anger and be kind to your enemy. It's hard to discipline a child you love.
Because it goes against your natural instinct.
That's what makes these acts special. When you say no to your natural tendencies you are like
Avrohom on Molunt Moriah.So the next time you have to bite your tongue - remember Avrohom!

dirty money

2007-10-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

There is a story about a person wishing to give money to a yeshiva but the Rosh Yeshivah refused saying that he sensed that this was tainted money. It turned out that the potential donor confessed that he had stolen the stipend of the Vilner Gaon who said nothing about his lack of funds.
Since this money was gotten through the pain of another it could not be used for Tzedakkah.
In a similar vein our father Avrohom refused the payment for his fighting for the people of Sodom even though he had previously taken payment from Pharaoh
and later Avimelech for having embarrassed his wife, Sarah.Why take from one king and not a penny from another?
The ultimate answer is that the people of Sodom were unusually cruel and sadistic.
Most of their wealth was gotten through others' misfortune and the King was the worst perpetrator of that sadistic behavior. Accordingly Avrohom felt that the King's money was tainted with the suffering of others and he refused to take any benefit from such wealth.
In fact the wealth of Sodom had to be totally destroyed. For even Lot who was saved
could not take anything of value with him and if he did ,the benefit would doom him with the city.
Perhaps this is one of the many reasons that the Rebbe Z.T.L. refused to have any of his institutions get money through Bingo. Many a paycheck has evaporated at the tables of addicted bingo players. The Rebbe would forgo the benefit if it meant that another human being had suffered in granting that dollar!

Abie's Choice

2007-10-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

The TORAH makes the following point. Lot was a no-goodnik even though he was Avrohom's nephew. His flocks were allowed to roam and eat the growth of subsistence farmers.Upon being rebuked Lot innocently asked,"why the fuss?" After all this land is filled with heathens whom Avrohom will inherit and I an his only heir! Therefore all of their land really belongs to me and i have only stolen from myself!
Avrohom controlled his fury at the insensitivity of his relative. They parted ways amicably.
As soon as Lot was gone G-D speaks once more to Avrohom;"Look around you , this whole land
will be your children's forever!"
The Rabbis comment,why does it say that after Lot separated from Avrohom G-D spoke to Avrohom? In order to underscore that as long as Avrohom had the wicked Lot in his midst , the Divine presence would not be revealed to Avrohom. This was due to the fact that Lot's very presence disturbed Avrohom's happiness and concentration so that Avrohom could not attain prophecy as long as Lot was there!
The simple conclusion seems to be don't harbor any wicked relatives so that you will receive G-D's presence!
I disagree! For we are after all speaking about a choice made by Avrohom who was fully aware that he would not be a vessel for G-D's glory as long as Lot was around. Yet Avrohom chose to have Lot stay even though it meant no prophecy. Therefore one must conclude from Avrohom's choice that it is more important to influence another to moderate his behavior for good things
than to speak to G-D all day!

Go To Yourself!

2007-10-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

G-D says to Avrohom "go to you". It's usually translated as go for your own benefit. However the classical mystical writers have it as going to his own soul. That means to say that until Avrohom entered the Promised Land he couldn't really be himself. For his essence is tied to the experiences that he will live through in the Holy Land .
How is it possible that one's very soul can be tied to a particular area? The answer lies in the concept of the Divine Sparks theory of life.
The Arizal postulated that every bit of existence has a Divine Energy enlivening it. Furthermore it is the destiny of each Spark to be elevated by the soul of a righteous person. In fact everyone has as his or her mission the elevation of certain Sparks of Holiness that are waiting for thousands of years to return to their Holy source. In doing so the individual not only fulfills his Divine Mission in coming to the world, he finds himself. For tied to his very essence are the sparks that he must elevate. Failure to do so means the continued exile of one's own soul powers.
So, by going into the Land that G-D had preordained for Avrohom's service, Avrohom was actually coming to himself. That is, finding out his true essence which is tied to the Sparks that he will elevate. For the sparks themselves are at the very core of his own spiritual essence.
We are connected to each other and to our portions of our world not just because we must fix the world-Tikkun Olam. Rather, by correcting the world we correct ourselves. By helping the world we truly learn and find out who we truly are.

When weakness is strength

2007-10-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

Avrohom challenged G-D not to destroy Sodom yet Noach feels no compunction as to what will happen to them . Yet after they are gone Noach misses the people . Avrohom on the other hand does everything he can to save them ,yet after they are destroyed to his dismay, he doesn't sulk.
Instead he builds a new Hotel for wayfarers.
Emotion is characterized as weakness by many . In truth emotion properly placed is a strength.
Having a stiff upper lip for the fate of others is a sickness, a character flaw. When toughness is
misused, the result is that the emotion unused to save becomes the slave of regret.
Emotion that is healthy knows when to hold on and when to let go.
Avrohom dared to be vulnerable in order to help someone . Therefore he was strong enough to move on because his conscience was clear. He used his weakness to save humanity.
This turned out to make him strong when he needed the strength to go on.
Noach was tough when he needed to be vulnerable, so he became weak when he needed to be strong!

Noach an example?

2007-10-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Noach stands out as an enigmatic figure for us all. The Rabbis too, are divided on Noach's example.Some applaud him due to the level of the population of his times.
Others see weakness in his lack of concern over the fate of his generation.
For we find noprayers offered or any argument whatsoever over G-D's decision to do away with the world's populace.
Yet there is a softer side to Noach!
When Noach begins life anew, he plants a vineyard and proceeds to get drunk. Why is Noach drinking? Noach is lonely, he remembers the people, their life,their loves and he finds it hard to forget them . Here Noach is criticized for beginning his planting with a vineyard. He should have started something else.
Why ? You ask. The answer is simple yet profound . The role of a leader after a holocaust is to rebuild for the future and not languish in a past that is gone .
This was the greatness of Jewish leaders like the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe Z.T.L.
who built and tried to build even more right after the terrible destruction of Jewish life
in Europe.

game of gimatria

2007-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Torah tells us that Yehuda's hands shall fight for him and be an assistance against his attackers.
This is strange! Of course a person being attacked will use whatever methods to defeat his enemy.
So why wouldn't Yehuda fight with his hands and why will they only be an Ezer?
The answer lies in gematria . Sometimes a person is confronted by an enemy much bigger than himself. In that case he would invariably lose.
However, a person's merits can change circumstances so that he can overcome a dangerous and sly foe.
The words in the Torah are Yodov Rav lo Ve-Ezer MiTzorove tiHiyeh.
The number equivalent for the word tzorov = 306
the word yodov =his works =30
add this to Ezer =277
together they = 307
thus a person who gives tzerdakah which is meant by his hands receives an ezer a help from above which is Rav Lo -it gives him more than Tzorov his enemy.
Thus by giving Tzedakkah one receives help from above that outweighs the power of one's enemies!
Chaim moshe
P.S. Don't forget to visit us tonite , tomorrow nite At 8:00 P.M.
and Friday 9:30 a.m. for services
2:00 P. M. for our annual simchas Torah BarBQ!

Setting The Tone

2007-10-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Moshe's blessings begin with Reuven and go to Yehudah. Shimon is skipped altogether while Levi plays second fiddle to both. Even though Levi has a longer Blessing ,there seems to be something out of order here.
What Moshe sees is the need for each tribe to be happy within its own perimeters . When they try to obtain what isn't theirs there becomes chaos and tragedy.
In truth the greatest blessing is reserved for Yehudah who is the father of the Davidic Dynasty, hence the Messiah ,the ultimate Jew, the ultimate human being. Everyone else is the Messiah's
student or underling. However, by doing so there is danger of jealousy and collusion to destroy
the role of the Messiah.
First on the agenda is placating Reuven the first born of Israel. Let Reuven Live and not Die seems redundant until you realize that the basis of the opposition of Dathan and Avirum to Moshe was mostly from their view that the Reuvenites should be the leaders.
Therefore the Blessing is that Reuven live meaning- He shall enjoy his role as one of the Tribes and shall not die through the jealousy that has hounded and prevented his growth until now.
By letting go of fantasies that are unrealistic Reuven will flourish.
The next tribe to deal with is Moshe's own tribe -the Levites. In the future Moshe sees how usurping the role reserves for Yehudah will be tragic for both the Levite Kings and for Israel. The Hasmonean Kings were directly responsible for the Roman takeover and the subsequent destruction of the Second Holy Temple.
Hence Moshe tries to appease them by stressing the importance of the role that the Levites will play as the spiritual guides of the populace. Furthermore by announcing that usurpers of the Service that is designated for Levi will be punished serves as a hint that the same will hold true for the Levites that take over Yehudah's role.
Shimon is altogether not mentioned because by omission Moshe hints that they still have to correct the weakness of Shimon which is jealousy of anothers' good fortune. This will allow an immediate acceptance of Yehudah's primacy by Shimon.
The next tribe-Benjamin had to be placated because of its' unique role as the beloved of G-D. For G-d chooses the area of Benjamin to have the Temple in. For that reason it would appear that the leadership should also be from Benjamin. In fact the first king is Saul of Benjamin .Nonetheless, because Benjamin is not a self starter but a follower of G-D he cannot lead.
Yossef is next . He will be successful beyond belief . The conquest of Israel is his role. However, in order to be a leader of men you must know their sufferings and limitations . His success makes him too critical to lead . The Messiah of Joseph will start the process of redemption . However it is Yehudah that will emerge as the ultimate teacher and leader.
Thus Moshe in his Blessings sets the tone for the future. He tells the people "all of you will have your special role. If you see yourselves as part of the unit of Israel you will be successful beyond your dreams. If, however, you put your own goals before the benefit of the whole people ,you will know heartache.
This is the reason that the Blessings begin with the words "and there was a King for Yeshurun (Israel) only when "Yachad Shivtey Yisroel"-when the tribes are unified for one purpose. That is, the role that G-D has preordained . Yehudah will lead and only then will we all reach our potential!

What's a Berocha?

2007-09-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

There's an old joke about a man wanting a Berocha for his new Bentley and goes to the Temple and asks for an appropriate Berocha for his Bentley . To which the young assistant Rabbi asks innocently "what's a Berocha?!"
The truth is that most of us really don't know what a Berocha is. For example what is the reason a man of Moshe's stature can make a Berocha whereas a lesser person can't? After all we all make Berochos in our Prayers-over 100 each day!
So what is so special about Moshe making a Berocha?
Furthermore, what is the difference between a prayer and a Berocha. Furthermore if a Tzaddik can give a person a Berocha why is it that most of us still struggle even after receiving a Berocha from a Tzaddik ?
The answer may surprise you. The term Berocha means a flow from a higher source.
That means to say that the Berocha that a Tzaddik gives a person is commensurate with the flow or potential that the individual has . If your potential is to receive only after struggle that will be the result of the Blessing.
So if the Blessing only actualizes what i have in potential then why the need to receive from a Tzaddik's Blessing?
The answer may surprise you. Sometimes our potential is stuck in the mud and cannot get started. So what happens to our potential ? It remains in the spiritual world ready to reward us for a Blessing unattained in our world. The power of the Tzaddik is to bring it into the real world so that the potential we have should be realized sooner than later.
If that is all then what is so special about the Blessing of Moshe over all other righteous people including his brother Aharon?
Moshe saw the world through the eyes of the Torah . everything in the universe has its' source of existence within the Torah. When Moshe expressed a Blessing it was a Blessing from the Torah source of that Person, Tribe or Nation.In other words, the Blessing of Moshe is a Blessing from the Torah itself!
The difference between a Blessing from the Torah and all souls or angels ?
The Torah identifies the essence of the recipient of the Blessing so that there can be no deviation. Furthermore by invoking the Torah the Blessing must happen and must happen in the easiest possible manner.
In other words, by Blessing the People , Moshe made sure that their potential would be realized and in the easiest possible sequence.
This is the meaning of the insertion of the words Torah Tzivah Lonu Moshe - Moshe commanded us to keep the Torah in the Blessing of Moshe. This tells us the source of Moshe's Berocha- the Torah itself is Blessing us and making us fulfill our untapped powers.
The ability of Moshe to bless actually then surpasses those of his predecessors, Isaac and Jacob. Even though their Blessings may include matters that Moshe did not mention, nonetheless their Blessings have as yet to be realized fully. Only Moshe's Blessings have been fully actualized. The latter part of Moshe's Blessings
are expressed for the future . They are present in the spiritual sense but haven't found the people upon whom to be drawn upon. This is similar to the lightning being drawn down to the ground by a rod. We must merely make ourselves into Moshe's rod in order for the Blessing to be drawn to the ground. The problem is that we haven't wanted to really do so as yet!

Bless You!

2007-09-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

Moshe blesses the people of Israel including all of the tribes except for the Shimonites. This, explains Rashi,was because he was still angered at what the Shimonites had done with the Midianite women.
There had been several tribes that had challenged Moshe's leadership, yet Moshe found it within him to bless even them. Yet when it came to the Shimonites he could not bring himself to bless them.
The lesson is an awesome one. All sins can have a time to be overlooked and forgotten. The sin of intermarriage with the subsequent loss of Jewish identity has no way of being overlooked!
Yet here we talk of the survivors of the episode. Surely Moshe could have blessed them ?
We must conclude that the nature that turned the Shimonites into becoming enticed en-masse,
was a general defect that had to be corrected . Had Moshe blessed the surviving Shimonites they would have assumed that they need not look into themselves regarding this weakness as they hadn't sinned as their unfortunate brothers did .
By withholding an open Blessing for them , the Shimonites were moved to do Teshuvah.
The question then turns to identifying the element within Shimon's character that could have affected all of his progeny . What could it have been ?
This requires one to declare at the onset that the Tribes were so much of a higher nature than ourselves that we cannot possibly compare ourselves or hope to truly fathom their thoughts. Nonetheless, the fact that Shimon more than any brother was jealous of Yossef and wished him harm, reflects upon an insecure and unsatisfied nature. Unhappiness and jealousy make for the kind of environment where one is easily enticed by someone offering care and pleasure.
Through the 272 years since Joseph's sale into slavery the Shimonites had not progressed in this area.
For this reason they could not be singled out for Blessing as the nature that made them dissatisfied had to be uprooted first.

36 more than just the Righteous

2007-09-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

The number 36 is usually associated with the 36 hidden Tzaddikim known as lamedvovniks who are hidden from view of the masses and upon whom the world is given Grace.
There is however a different 36- one that is found buried in the Torah that I have discovered has deep historical significance.
That is, that our father Yaakov-Jacob was away from his father Isaac for 36 years . Twenty two of those years were in exile while fourteen years were spent studying in Yeshiva . Although the 14 years aren't mentioned specifically, they are inferred by comparing the dates of parallel events and comparing the time frames. There are other hints at the 14 years that Yaakov spent in Yeshiva,
however,the Torah elaborates only on his years spent in exile.
Nonetheless,since this happened to our Patriarch Yaakov, the rule is Maaseh Avot Simon LaBonim- what occured to the Fathers in the Torah are a paradigm for what will take place with their children.
So, what took place in our history that paralleled the 36 years of Yaakov? I once opined that for every year of exile that Yaakov experienced we had 100 years in turn of exile. From that I concluded that for every year that Yaakov spent in Yeshiva we had 100 years in our Holy Land!
I did not at that time realize how exact that speculation was. For according to the Seder Olam written in the second century of the Common Era by Rabbi Yossi of the Mishneh, Yaakov was born in the Hebrew year 2108. Now Rabbi Yossi could not have anticipated the future .However, the
modern Yishuv of our Holy Land was re-established in the year 5708 or exactly 3600 years later!
What makes this most remarkable is that Yaakov first enters Egypt at the age of 130. During his absence in exile and Yeshiva, his parents ,Isaac and Rebbecca were considered the royalty of their area and controlled their territories in the Holy Land.
Later Joshua and the Tribes enterred the land in the year 2488 and established the first Commonwealth for 850 years until the Babylonian Exile . Afterwards , the exiles returned , built the second Holy Temple and this lasted for 420 years until the destruction of the second Temple.
Adding them up gives us exactly 1400 years of sovereignty over our Holy Land until 5708, while leaving us with exactly 2200 years of exile in that 3600 year period. Remarkable!
It is well known that the Ramban taught his students that the Torah portion of the song of Haazinu
has within it the history of all the people as well as every individual of Israel. (that story with Ramban's former student who turned apostate i will post later ).
Thus I was seeking evidence for this 3600 year History in the verses of Haazinu. If you examine the verses-there are only 42 of them, the first 14 speak about Israel's emergence and blessings.
The next 22 begin with Israel's rebelliousness and subsequent troubles. these are concluded by verse 36 which declares that "For G-d will judge his people and absolve them when He will see that all hope is lost and no leader or savior is there (for them)!"
Thus the end of the Golus is prophecized at that time. This does not mean that the redemption automatically comes as is seen from the ensuing verses.
One thing is clear, a new era has entered and the rules have changed . All we need are Eyes to See and Ears to Hear!

The Wonder number 5768

2007-09-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

As mentioned before the year brings with it many blessings that are hinted at in the number of the year itself. Besides the last digit 8 which represents a dimension beyond space-time-the transcendent blessing,the number 68, the last 2 digits ,stands for Chayim which is = in numerology to 68.
Furthermore , an even number represents a year in which we must and can connect to others.Also the the letters for 68 =samech chet stands for sach or speaking -communicating. The Torah is called Sam Chayim -the medicine for life which is the abbreviation of Samech Chet. Furthermore ,
speaking in Torah is said to bring one greater life as well as healing as it says Chayim heym lemotzoeyhem - the words of the Torah are Life to those who speak them aloud!
The number 68 represents abundant life , communication and the living healing effect of Torah study.
Next on the number parade is 368 which isn't 768 because in Hebrew 768 is written as Tov Shin
Samech Ches. 400+300+68.
The number 368 is equal to twice the word Pakad which is 184. The twice Pakad is the term used for redemption twice in the Torah. Furthermore the word Pakad is the word used to indicate being blessed with children. Twice Pakad then indicates 2 children which is the fulfillment of the Mitzvah of having children through a boy and a girl. Thus 368 represents redemption and children.
The next number is 768 which is the exact number of prutot or pennies in a Sela or Shekel.
This means a complete parnoso or livelihood . It represents a level above penny pinching.
Thus the number 768 reflects a blessing for 1) life 2)children and 3) livelihood.
These are all blessings that are only within the control of the Creator. This is reflected by the number 5 of the digits 5768 . For the digits of 5,7,6 and 8 , add up to 26 which is the numerical equivalent of G-D's name!
This means that the year brings with it all of the possible Blessings directly from G-D !
Amen!

5768

2007-09-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

Some people have asked me what is significant about the year 5768. So here are my observations with the express word of caution that i failed Prophecy 3 in Yeshiva. That's because i never took 1 or 2 either. Maybe they wasn't offered at the time?
Any time you have an even numbered year you have got to reach out to another and bind with that person.
Furthermore, anytime you have the number 8 ending the year number, it has the potential for being a monumental year. For besides the fact that the number 8 is otherworldly - beyond nature,all of the major events both the triumphs and the tragedies have taken place in the years ending with 8!
Furthermore the last 2 digits are 68 which is equivalent to the word Chayim-meaning life.Therefore this is a year of great significance in which we must strive to give life to others.
The letters samech-khess which stand for the number 68 is also an acrostic for the words Sam Chayim -literally the spice of life! This refers to the Torah ,when studied properly is called the spice of life.
It is therefore incumbent upon us to increase our love and intensity in the study of Torah,especially those areas in Torah which are called Sam Chayim commonly known as the Kabbalah.
Today there are many who wish us harm. Only through unity can we be protected. As an extra measure of protection and unity, this is the year to share the Kabbalah with our friends through the various media available,whether by direct study,or via e-mail. The main thing is that the Sam Chayim be publicized and understood by the wider audience.
As an aside,we still haven't begun to fight radical Islam on its' own turf. That is it's time to confront its' falsehoods inconsistencies and its' evil for all to see...

2007-09-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Rosh Hashanah is not a new year-nor do we wish each other Happy New Year!
Contrary to popular thinking Rosh Hashanah is not Happy New Year . It isn't even the real beginning of any time.
The only thing we can say on Rosh Hashanah is Happy Birthday! For on this day Adam and Eve were created.
What is so special on Rosh Hashanah? We all are recreated on this day with our relationship with G-D.
Someone once asked how does G-D feel about me?The answer is surprising-G-D feels about you the same way you feel about G-D. G-D is all powerful. So why does G-D deal with limited creatures who have runny noses bad backs and bad senses of humor? Because we Love G-D! We don't just want life . We want a life that has G-D
in it. We want G-D to bless our children, care fore our sick and provide for our poor.
However, even more than that we want G-D to be close to us . As King David in his famous song of Repentance cries out-Don't cast us away from You and Your Holy Spirit you shall not take away from us.
In other words all King David really wanted was to remain close with G-D. Rosh Hashanah is the day of coronation of G-D Almighty, More than that , it's the day that G-D reaffirms the relationship with us.
The most painful part of disappointing one's parents is the fear of abandonment. This is the drama that unfolds even as we beseech G-D to grant us life , health and good children. More than any reward the soul craves for G-D,
We are the child that has lost its way and want to only come home. We are the child crying and unable to speak as we see our Heavenly Father before us. What can we do when words fail us? We cry out with the Shofar and our Father turns to us and everything else seems meaningless.
The whole world receives this spiritual renewal on Thursday . What will we be thinking at this time ?
What happens to us on Rosh Hashanah is indicative of the year we will have. For Rosh Hashanah means the Head of the Year. Just as the headmaster is the one who sets the spirit of the school and the head coach the enthusiasm of the team,so too,
the Head Time sets the tone , the spirit , the delight the energy for the year.
It's a serious time requiring self inspection. However, don't get bogged down with the details. This is all about you and G-D.
everything else is commentary.

Transferring Power

2007-09-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Moshe transfers his leadership to Yehoshua on the last day of his life and gives Yehoshua his mission . He is to lead the people into Eretz Yisroel , conquer and divide the land amongst the remaining 91/2 tribes as well as give the Levtes their 48 cities. Yehoshua accepts but there is no statement of Yehoshua recorded in the Torah. This is incredible as Eleazar, the Cohen Gadol
does get quoted after the Midian Forray. So why does Yehoshua say nothing even while he is installed as Supreme Leader and Lawgiver?
The answer lies in the unique role each King and Spiritual heir of Moshe has. That is , he is the extension of Moshe's life. As such there was no need for Yehoshua to say anything as all that he had to say was said by Moshe. In fact the only thing that Yehoshua would say was , thus said my master Moshe etc...
In fact the Kabbalists state that Moshe Chay=Moshe lives is the numerical equivalent of HaMoshiach-The Messiah! Thus Moshiach will be the living incarnation of Moshe.
So , how do you know the heir of Moshe? The one who will only quote from his Moshe is Moshe's heir! Someone vos zogt eigens-says his own is not the heir of Moshe . He may be a student of Moshe but he isn't Moshe's heir.
This is why the Rambam says that Moshiach will be only close to not superior to Moshe in Prophecy. This is because the Torah of Moshiach will be illuminating the words of Moshe,
What do we learn from this ? We should strive to learn the words of Moshe so that in a small way we can be Moshe's heirs. This is why the Song of Moshe known as Shirat Haazinu is traditionally learned by heart so that at least a little of Moshe's words should always be with us.
May Moshe's heir , the living Moshe be revealed now!

standing tall

2007-09-04T14:36:00.001-07:00

Standing Tall
The Torah relates that on the day of Moshe’s death , the people were gathered once more in order to make their final commitment to G-D before entering the Promised Land.
Moshe says that you are all standing tall today and enumerated the various levels of social strata. He says today you are all Standing Tall before G-D. If that is the case then why must Moshe mention the various groups that are accepting G-D’s oath?
Wouldn’t it have been better to state that all of you are together as one nation and are responsible for each other. Why the divisions amongst the people at a time when they are to feel total unity?
The answer is that each person from his vantage point sees G-D in a different way. We are supposed to accept G-D and G-D’s commandments in the unique way we see G-D and appreciate the Supreme Wisdom .
The Talmud tells us that when a Jew says Kiddush on Friday Night we become a partner with G-D in the process of Creation!?
Now I can understand that by acknowledging the Creator’s works that we have become associates and intertwined spiritually. Where does one leap into becoming G-D’s Partner? Furthermore, how do we share in the process of creation ?
The answer is that in our world the observer solidifies and actualizes reality. There are a multifaceted set of experiments that have verified this incredible secret. Reality is formed by the observer!
There are aspects to reality that don’t become truly “real” until someone has observed them and interpreted them as such.
That is why we become partners in Creation WITH G-D!
That is because , by understanding and observing that the world was and continues to be created by G-D we actualize that reality . For until there is an observer that acknowledges that G-D created this world, the world isn’t really created and can return to its’ original state of spiritual and non-physical reality. By observing that the world is a creation ex-nihilo from nothing to something, the world is worthy of and actually attains reality!
This is why at this juncture when all are together, it is important to identify the various groups. For each individual sees a different world. Hence we are encouraged to view the world with our unique perspective and in this way create our own world that we observe
And create!
The power of each individual isn’t just cumulative. Rather our world is a different world that we create every day through our experience, insight and Good Works!
Standing Tall
The Torah relates that on the day of Moshe’s death , the people were gathered once more in order to make their final commitment to G-D before entering the Promised Land.
Moshe says that you are all standing tall today and enumerated the various levels of social strata. He says today you are all Standing Tall before G-D. If that is the case then why must Moshe mention the various groups that are accepting G-D’s oath?
Wouldn’t it have been better to state that all of you are together as one nation and are responsible for each other. Why the divisions amongst the people at a time when they are to feel total unity?
The answer is that each person from his vantage point sees G-D in a different way. We are supposed to accept G-D and G-D’s commandments in the unique way we see G-D and appreciate the Supreme Wisdom .
The Talmud tells us that when a Jew says Kiddush on Friday Night we become a partner with G-D in the process of Creation!?
Now I can understand that by acknowledging the Creator’s works that we have become associates and intertwined spiritually. Where does one leap into becoming G-D’s Partner? Furthermore, how do we share in the process of creation ?
The answer is that in our world the observer solidifies and actualizes reality. There are a multifaceted set of experiments that have verified this incredible secret. Reality is formed by the observer!
There are aspects to reality that don’t become truly “real” until someone has observed them and interpreted them as such.
That is why we become partners in Creation WITH G-D!
That is because , by understanding and observing that the world was and continues to be created by G-D we actualize that reality . For until there is an observer that acknowledges that G-D created this world, the world isn’t really created and can return to its’ original state of spiritual and non-physical reality. By observing that the world is a creation ex-nihilo from nothing to something, the world is worthy of and actually attains reality!
This is why at this juncture when all are together, it is important to identify the various groups. For each individual sees a different world. Hence we are encouraged to view the world with our unique perspective and in this way create our own world that we observe
And create!
The power of each individual isn’t just cumulative. Rather our world is a different world that we create every day through our experience, insight and Good Works!

Standing Tall

2007-09-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

We all stand tall!

2007-09-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Torah portion is still involved with warnings and oaths as well as a prophetic promise of our ultimate redemption and salvation. The Torah is within our reach and easy for us to do . The souls of Israel are G-D's chosen forever and since we can't be exchanged for another model, we had better live up to our commitments .
Again the scepter of looming disaster hangs over us . Yet we are told that we can handle it all in stride . Why must it be so difficult to be Jewish?
There are numerous approaches, however they follow the 3 tiered approaches we have discovered.
1) The road to Paradise must be paved with struggles. Only then is the reward truly appreciated.
2)The struggle is needed to develop as a person. The greater the struggle , the greater the insight into life and G-D's wisdom.
3)The struggle itself is a Divine Light that can only be received through negative experiences.
Thus in actuality all the curses are really Blessings!

WHY/

2007-08-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

The oft asked question "why do we suffer ?" is asked with different spins and details . However , the answers are always unsettling and depressing even if we feel they are true.
So, why is there all of this suffering? Why are there so many curses?
I really don't know. However, just as exercise leaves us in better shape , so too, the ability to overcome adversity is a strengthening agent. Our collective sufferings and toils have made us sensitive to the pains of others. We have a Destiny formed by G-D's Will. In whatever form it ultimately expresses itself,one thing is clear:
We have become better people through the veil of tears . We have not become predators upon others, convincing ourselves that we have the moral right to do so, for we have been violated. Instead ,we have learned to give to the world. Not just with our money. With our hearts, our minds and our talents.
Why the Curses? I don't know. However, we have become more human through them.

More Curses???!!!

2007-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

We have been warned that if we will not heed the Commandments then the curses that follow will be swift and devastating. In fact 98 Curses are stated. Even more are implied.
In that case why are we so excited about Torah Study if the result of our efforts are that if we sin even a little, then we can and will be punished into submission.
This sounds more like Attila than Moses. Yet it is Moses saying these ominous words.Why do we need such fright?
The problem really is that we wish not to face up to realities. Until Moshiach will come there w3ill be pain a well as suffering.We cannot avoid that scenario. However,we can avoid the curses through Service to G-D with Joy!
In other words, Moses is trying to get us an edge. Life will be tough . However, if you face G-D with Joy and receive everything with Joy then your fate will be altered. For it is not the punishment that counts but the lesson it delivers!

Counting your Blessings

2007-08-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

THE Sidra of the week is a frightening one. It is filled with ominous images that were fulfilled throughout our history in the most stark and deadly fashion . It is a warning that draws little attention
today because we would rather believe that our destiny is in our own hands as opposed to some ancient Law.
The Torah says otherwise- that our protection while requiring vigilance and prowess in both men and materials, still is dependent upon our relationship with each other and with G-D.
According to The Great Tannah Rabbi Shimon Ben Nesanel, the worst trait is to be unapprecitive .
When we borrow money from someone we should appreciate the other person's sacrifice and pay back the loan without any resentment. G-D loans us our souls in return for fulfilling the Mitzvos . Shouldn't we be glad to return the debt fully paid with a smile?
This is the root of all of our shortcomings. when one is appreciative one is happy with whatever is dealt,whatever the level of success . In such an environment, where there is light and happiness,
the Torah teaches us that we will not have enemies. They will be frightened of us. If instead we argue with our neighbors incessantly and our relationship with G-D becomes one of what have you done for me lately this shield of Love and Divine Harmony is shattered. Even where there is military prowess , where the spirit is lacking,where hope and enthusiasm are erode by ego and arrogance,
the other side will win.
The winners of the last wars were not those who had more guns but who had more determination.
Of course the atomic bomb helped. However, ultimately the superior enthusiasm of a people that wants its' freedom overcame a system of tyranny. Values bring out valiance. the longer the battle, the more spirit and harmony are a factor.
The loss of appreciation brought with it an erosion of values and relationships that brought us our present Golus .
The antidote to Golus isn't just more M16's. It's being thankful to the Creator for every breath!

IT'S WAR!

2007-08-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

War is held in contempt by the intelligentsia , who feel that conflict should be resolved by the force of ideas. While theoretically true, nonetheless we find that oftentimes conflict cannot be resolved by negotiation or rhetoric. This is because the human being is primarily emotional , not rational.

Furthermore , self interest tends to cloud the clear intellect so that ideas as a basis for resolution is an impossibility in the world as we have it.

The American Liberal has invested too much in his ideology in order to be able to see the logical flaws within that system . This bias is so pronounced as to defy penetration . The liberal mind when it finds a contradiction to previously held positions will fall back to a mode of attack in order not to have to change its' way of thinking. This is why the New York Times continues to bash Israel even while reporting unabated Arab terror.

The reason for this goes back to a bias unseen developed in the 18th century and carried forward

into modern times. It is the bias against the Bible as well as Western Religions with whom the rennaisance battled for the ideologic high-ground for almost 2 centuries. In the end the Church adapted the findings of advanced thinkers and the researchers held up their arms in triumph.

However, since they never had to battle the muslims who were highly poor and no threat, no internal bias was formed. To a degree there was a level of "understanding" that these people had been abused by the imperialistic forces as well as church intolerance so as to make them immune from the critiques of the ivory tower class. The same held true for socialists , communists and

violent revolutionaries who were merely reacting to the excesses of power coming from the establishment. Thus these were given free passes and continue to be allowed to behave as animals as long as there are familiar targets to blame.

The Jews as the founders of the hated Bible are familiar targets and easily slip in to the role of excuse makers. Why did we blow up so many children ? It was the Jews' fault. If they weren't where they are we wouldn't have to kill them !!!??? This can only be logical to a mind used to blaming certain people for society's ills . Why is the inner city so violent? Because you don't share your wealth! Why do people take drugs ? Because of the inequalities of society !

Why do the arabs have suicide bombers? Because the Jews exist .Not only do they exist but they are occupying Arab Land ! Never mind that the Land was promised to them in the Bible!

That's because the Bible and the Bible believers are the root of all darkness! Anyone who is an enemy of this darkness must be a friend of the Ivory tower inhabitants!

Such is the war we must wage today. It isn't only with guns. We must use our pens in unison and shout "The Bible Is not the root of all evil , and college professors make mistakes too". Amen

No Justice No peace

2007-08-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Sidra is called SHOFTIM which means judges. The whole Sidra deals with the structure of authority in the Holy Land. The most important element of authority are proper Judges . As Rashi says that the appointment of Righteous Judges is necessary for inheriting the Land . The end of the Sidra deals with preparation for wars.
What is the connection ? Improper Judges erode the strength of the country so that its' enemies are emboldened. Secondly, the strife caused by a corrupt Judicial system by nature brings war as a byproduct. As the Mishneh in the Ethics of The Fathers declares that the" Sword comes as a result of Justice Delayed and Justice Denied-Al inuy HaDin VeAl Ivus HaDin!"
One only has to see the results of liberal thinking with regards to letting predators go free , or making popular decisions as opposed to the right one. The net result are children killed by animals in human form.
Does this mean i advocate a hanging Judge? Absolutely not! However, public protection must be a factor in allowing criminals bail. Furthermore the delay tactics of the legal communities with regard to trials must be streamlined. Justice must be fair but it also must be swift. With the ability to access information quickly and evaluate evidence objectively with proper technology, it seems that the present system is fraught with unnecessary delays that allow evil people haven, while punishing the innocent. In every system their are checks and balances necessary. The legal system must find ways of protecting the masses even while giving the individual every opportunity of a reasonable defense.
When society grinds to a halt locally, it causes our image in the world to appear as weak and tentative. If we cannot decide to put predators away, then we don't know how to defend ourselves either. 9/11 showed our vulnerability. We as a nation must truly learn from that tragedy and develop the needed strategies to counter an enemy that is to date beyond our imagination. In order to do so, this country must have a unified will ,fueled by a healthy dose as to what justice is truly about.

Dealing with terror

2007-08-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Terror-it's a frightening word. It is even more frightening as a reality of life. The question is .how does the Torah deal with terrorists?
There were two methods that were found to be effective. One was the Samson method.Samson infiltrated the enemy and frustrated them from within.At first he gained their trust by marrying a Philistine woman.he then proceeded to baffle frustrate and and outmaneuver the enemy.
Can this work today? Only by developing a corps of like-minded patriots who wish to rid the earth of Al Quaeda. By planting them in sensitive areas , via their own recruitment it may be possible to frustrate and destroy them.
The second method is warfare. There are no terrorists without a support net. The support net must be attacked mercilessly. The terrorists themselves if caught fighting must be executed. However, terrorists who give themselves up would be spared and allowed to go out of their living area into exile.
The soldiers who face terrorist fighters must be fearless and have what to fight for. They cannot e be at the beginning of their family life. Either the soldier hasn't begun establishing himself, or else he is already in business, with a wife of more than a year. If he has children the better. For he will fight for their sakes with all of his power.
In the event of a fight , it has to be clear to the enemy that if he surrenders and leaves the fray that he can live . However, if he chooses to fight there will be no prisoners taken.This will prevent the suicide bomber and will weed out the true terrorists from their unwilling followers. When people must fight for their lives ,those used to inflicting terror are not so brave. They will die for nothing as the enemy will not allow them the opportunity for terror .Those who have no feeling of fear at all will fight to the end. They are those who could not be rehabilitated. Those unwilling to fight will be spared and will serve as an example for others to follow.

Curses!!!

2007-08-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

What a Sidra! it's all about blessings and curses-curses?Why do we need curses ? Shouldn't we be involved with blessings?
The answer is that the matter we received was a blessing-it was called Eretz Yisroel-The Holy Land.
However, how you perceive this gift of the Holy Land determines whether you believe it a blessing or a curse.
You just got news that your wife is expecting-great ! After 10 years of marriage you will finally have someone to nurture for posterity. Wait ! there is another call! Your wife is expecting triplets!
The values you hold dear will determine how you interpret this news. How many of today's couples will ask for and receive partial abortions ...
A blessing in one's eye can be the other's curse, depending upon their value system. If you don't like the reality-DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT!

the "Shpize"

2007-08-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

The second matter that Moshe mentioned was the story of the spies . Originally the leadership came with the request that the area to be conquered be seen by reconnaissance . This would supposedly allow a smooth military operation to ensue.
What seemed as an innocent request had within it the seeds of failure . Yes , it is more prudent to
spy out the territory . However , this is only when the person is set to do things on his own. However, up until that moment they were being led by G-D himself to enter the Land. So, why
should they even think that it would require their input?
We see from this suggestion that they secretly were dissatisfied with being told what to do and when to do it. Every child wants to grow up and be his own boss. However , they should have realized that G-D ,who intentionally put this nature to be independent into our system for our own benefit. Surely the Creator knew of this need to do for oneself . Obviously , it was preferable at that juncture to listen and do-called Kabolos Ohl-acceptance of the Divine Yoke.
This was a minor detail , yes , but one that caused untold destruction .
Details, Details! The devil is in the details in more ways than one imagines!

2007-07-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

July 31,2007-16 Av 5767
Details,Details!
Our Sidra talks about the small items that ordinary people overlook.
Moshe warns us that the little things can complicate our lives greatly and we must not dismiss their importance.For this reason the whole Torah portion focuses on two events that had serious consequences.
They were the sin of the Golden Calf and that of the spies. These two events caused the generation of the Exodus to be lost and for us to wander an additional 39 years in the Desert .
The immediate question is , these events were major confrontations against G-D and G-D’s directives. So how can you compare them with the small overlooked items?
The answer is that these major rebellions started out with slight
Deviations from the norm. In the case of the Calf, it started with the inquiry as to the whereabouts of Moshe after Moshe , who had been faithful in all that he had predicted,had already told them that he would be away for 40 days . Since Moshe had been accurate before
The people should have assumed that he would follow through.
Furthermore, immediately after the giving of the Ten Statements
At Sinai, the leaders came and asked Moshe to speak to G-D on their behalf as they feared that further contact with G-D would be beyond their capacities.
Now, even though G-D agreed with their request , it was still a small unnoticeable small item of deviance . Instead of being satisfied that
Moshe would be the one to speak with G-D , they should have requested to learn the secrets of Prophecy , so that they too, would one day be capable of what Moshe had achieved. Even if they could never reach that level ,they would be showing that G-D contact was important to them , not just as the source of rules.
Instead they remained satisfied with just learning the external element of the Torah without pursuing its’ essence which is-PROPHECY!
This seemingly small detail snowballed into the Golden Calf directly and indirectly.
(to be continued)

2007-07-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

VoEschanan,
This week’s Torah Portion always is read during the week of Tisha BeAv which commemorates the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh.
We have to ask ourselves ,what is the connection between the recounting of the giving of the Decalogue which are commonly called the Ten Commandments, and the destruction of the Temple?
Where in the Decalogue is there a hint for ahavas chinom - love for no reason other than kinship of each Jew for each other ?
What is the relationship if any of any of the themes of the Sidra to the destruction?
We know that the first Temple was destroyed on account of our excessive emulation of the Gentile nations,wanting to be like them and worshiping their g-ds like them. This is the theme of the second Aliyah which is read on the morning of Tisha BeAv.
This by itself fails to explain the innermost relationship with the Torah reading.
The word VoEschanan is said to be one of the words for prayer . It literally means “and I pleaded for Grace”. This means that Moshe had no illusion that his faults were serious. However, since G-D is compassionate perhaps G-D would agree to let Moshe just enter
The Land .
Nonetheless one wonders why Moshe wasn’t more forceful. After all ,
Moshe suffered on account of the Beney Yisroel and was exiled because of his defense of an individual slave . For his efforts Moshe was almost executed and had to be exiled for 68 years according to
Rashi. After all the attacks and embarrassments Moshe received fron the common folk , they are going to enter the Promised Land. Moshe who got them there and agonized and suffered for them so that they could survive ,won’t be able to go!
It doesn’t seem fair! Why didn’t Moshe demand to go by right ?
After his first questioning of G-D’ s ways Moshe learned that G-D was beyond understanding. If by the Divive Judgement he deserved to be denied access , then he couldn’t demand . Rather he pleaded for mercy ! Mercy can trump Justice as it shows a higher level of relationship.
Moshe’s faults weren’t sins in the usual sense . For Moshe would never violate G-D’s rules . The only reason for his early demise and
Burial in the exile have to do with the people not Moshe himself.
Only because the new generation could not relate to Moshe and his level of holiness , did he have to be replaced with Yehoshua.
In that case Moshe asked that even though the judgement was that Moshe could not lead , Moshe was willing to take a secondary position as long as he could merit to do the Mitzvos of Eretz Yisrael.
In the world of G-D, Kindness can overlook sin but cannot tolerate it .
Justice can wipe out sin by punishing it . Only Mercy can tolerate sin and transform it. Moshe was asking for the toleration of his faults so that he could enter the Land . Even though Justice demanded that he had finished his task and what wasn’t completed could be done by another , Moshe argued that his usefulness as a leader wasn’t the only criteria.
Rather, Moshe argued , that he could serve as a stabilizing force and inspiration so that the People of Israel would fulfill their mission in the Land sooner and insure that G-D’s purpose in the world could be met sooner.
G-D answered that although it would be easier for the common folk to obey the Mitzvos if Moshe were still alive, nonetheless a Mitzvoh done out Choice was the superior and desired preference. In other words G-D removed Moshe in order that we serve out of choice not tradition, out of self commitment rather than adherence to family
Practice.
Had Moshe lived on , our fulfillment of the Torah would be suspect if we really meant it. This is the meaning of G-d removed me for your sake in the second verse of the Torah Reading. The usual translation of Vayisabayr means “and He became angry upon me for your sake”.
I believe it means “He transposed me for your sake- G-D removed me, Moshe, so that your Mitzvos will be on the highest level!”
Therefore continues Moshe ,if so Shema -heed the Mitzvos because
Otherwise you will have caused my death for no purpose and you would be deemed responsible for that as well!

Critique eek?

2007-07-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

The Torah portion is the beginning of Moses' critique of our tendencies and actions . One would be hard pressed to find positive , encouraging words until the very end of the Torah. One is almost
ready to say that rebuke and criticism seem to be the Torah way.

Still it seems unwise and impractical for such negativity to be issued on the part of Moshe.

Rashi's comments that one must save one's rebuke until one's deathbed so that the receiver of the criticism would understand that there is no ulterior motive except concern for one's future.
Indeed , by being critical of his 3 oldest sons at his deathbed, Yakov helped Levi to change.
By exposing our weaknesses at his end of life , Moshe was encouraging self-evaluation
even while the people would be drunk with their own success in the wars in Eretz Yisroel.
Nonetheless, since it did not seem to alter the ways of the people would we then deem Moshe's efforts to be colored by failure?
Is it possible that the recurrent theme of an entire Book of the Torah would be cast off as useless?
There are three methods of dealing with true criticism.
1)Avoidance- keep away from those situations that cause the conflict or problems to occur.
2)Rooting out - get to the root cause of the problem and changing one's basic reaction to
these problems.
3)Transformation- utilize the bad nature in a positive way.

In general the 3 methods are similar to our 3 branches of the River .Here we are calling this the ART approach - avoid root out and transform . In our first articles we called these methods
by different names- information, inspiration and integration . They are the same and i think ART
is catchier. So let's look at the advice one can give based upon the ART methods.

1) Avoid- Learn about your situations and see the patterns and the warning signs. Avoid the situations that deal with your problems especially if you have failed in the past . This is the Nazirite process- a person who has a drinking problem should become a Nazirite. That is , if you are addicted there is no treatment of moderation for an addictive problem.
2) Root out-Before you get to the addictive stage , learn about yourself and see what are the causes of various natures and how they may be good or harmful. See what ideas and attitudes trigger them.
and work on uprooting those attitudes and negating those ideas . The tools for this is meditation,not just on a positive nature but on the ramifications of these negative ideas and their resultants. Then ,one can focus on the beauty and necessity of the positive traits . In this arena one must also underscore the actions that flow from the positive attitude and do them over and over again until they become easy and second nature.
3) Transform-Transform the negative into a positive . Their is a little known Sefer called Chovat Hatalmidim-
The Responsibility to one's students. The Author was murdered by the Nazis but his legacy lives on . He writes that there are no negative traits in children just in how the trait is used . For example
to be strident and bold to your teachers is a negative. However , used in the promotion of Jewish Issues , Chutzpah and positive forcefulness are absolutely good and necessary.
In my opinion , Moshe was not just criticizing . He was identifying our natures for us and showing how they were just misused . Taken for use in good matters and those very same traits become the plow shears of the Moshiach !
In practical terms see how your bad tendencies ca be used for good and then shoot for the stars!

and nothing but the truth

2007-07-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today i was confronted by a friend of mine asking about the commandment to kill all the males of Midian while sparing only the very young girls. Then he switched the subject to divorce and the unfair abuse of women inherent in the system.
These are two examples of items that disturb most fair minded people. There is no real answer that will satisfy a modern liberal minded person and certainly not a feminist .So how can i really answer this question without sounding hateful,sexist and abusive?
the answer is that we just don't know what were the circumstances in those times. An example:
Suppose you could go back in time and become the midwife who helped deliver Adolf Hitler, would you today have any remorse about taking his life even though he is newborn?
If you truly knew what was to happen later you would have gladly given yourself up to the authorities in order to save millions of others. If, and i believe they were , these directives to annihilate a certain population came from G-D, then there would be no question of violence or immorality.
The same goes for the the relationship of men with women. Like it or not women are dominated by their men . In this reality the Torah gives women a voice,albeit not the same as that of the man.
This inequality has a way of being balanced within the Jewish household system to the point where most Jewish men are dominated by their spouses. In a society where divorce is rare and people are cared for, the net result is a greater reverence for women rather than abuse. However this must be seen in the context of the family and the various Mitzvos involved in the family structure.
Those who live outside the structure of Jewish family life find that all of the movements for women's rights have not improved the quality of life or families better. Those who chose the route of returning to Jewish roots found a healthier respect for the woman and her role in the family and society.

The Truth

2007-07-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

There are 3 other methods that are reasonable proofs of the Divinity of the Torah.
Prophecies-the exile and ultimate redemption of the People of Israel has been played out across
the screens of Human awareness during the past century.
The promise that G-D will never completely annihilate us and furthermore will have compasssion upon us and bring us all back to Israel is unfolding right before us. It is only because in the interim ,the state is not yet Religious that makes it seem as if this were just another state improperly placed by the forces of the West.
Yet the very fascination with the Holy Land and all events tied to it show us that there is an apprehension in the world-are they really the Chosen..?The fact that the children of Ishmael oppose us vehemently, not to mention the Vatican in Rome , which may be reverting to its' anti-Jewish tradition at this time are foretold in the various Prophecies.
Also not to be dismissed is the foreknowledge of the Torah that only 4 kinds of animals either only chew their cud that have no split hoof or that has a split hoof but doesn't chew its' cud . This shows an anticipation that would be foolish if it weren't Prophetic.
For the Torah was given in a desert where the animals of the Americas and Australia etc... had not been known to the ancients.
The Learning Process- when learned properly the Torah study experience is exhilarating spiritually. My Brother-in-Law, Professor Jeffery Woolf's response to historical questions was -"when i hear the shiur-lecture from my Rebbe , Rav Soloveichik Z.T.L.,it is like receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. In other words the learning process actually does something for the student that no college lecture can do. This is
an experience that can only be described vaguely, for there is only one way to really know it and that is by spending time learning yourself.
The Tzaddik- not only do the righteous of each generation inspire, we, who were blessed to see the Rebbe, knew that there is a world of the spirit. We also saw many miracles and Prophecies.
In each generation ,G-D blesses us with leaders where the Divine can be felt or at least the workings of a Divine Providence seen.
Ultimately you the reader must decide which method is best for you. However, know this-most of the substantive objections by the Bible Critics have been either disproven or answered.
A case in point. For nearly 100 years the archaeologists claimed that Joshua could not have captured Jericho because its' artifacts were too old-about 200 years too old to be in Joshua's time. Therefore, they concluded that Joshua claimed a victory that was someone else's.

About 10 years ago some people on the dig at Jericho made a startling discovery! There is another layer to Jericho until now undiscovered,that tests out at the time of Joshua. The walls look as if they had collapsed in an earthquake . Jars filled with grain show that the city was destroyed in the springtime exactly as the Book of Joshua describes. In fact college students from all over the world come to help excavate the newly discovered city . Yet the so called enlightened forces of Biblical Criticism and the mass media such as Newsweek ,make themselves unaware of this discovery. In other words , the professors want to disprove the Torah and will not acknowledge their erred assumptions. Truth must be sought not bought .

truth 2

2007-07-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

Truth…a
The identifying mark of truth is its’ consistency being the same for all.
Furthermore it remains consistent at all times. The question then is that the Torah has laws that are constrained by time and place . How does this fit in with the concept of a truth that is timeless and all encompassing?
The answer lies in the fact that the Torah has a position on every element of life based upon solid principle. Furthermore, as a person studies the Torah one becomes aware of the inner dimension of the
Torah. In the words of our sages the Torah speaks of the mundane and refers to the sublime . For every element of existence is governed by the same rules only on a higher plane of reality.
This still leaves us with the elusive “but how do I know?” problem.
After all is said and done some of the things we do sound strange .
Some of the laws are difficult and the violence difficult if not impossible for the squeamish like myself.
Before we address difficult laws we must first determine the level of proof that is presented .
A) reliable witnesses - are there any accounts from people who were there?
Answer: The very fact that the people of Israel accepted the Torah to the point that they sacrificed their collective lives for it indicates that this indeed was the oral history of every clan. For you can intimidate
People when they gather , you cannot force them into believing what they know is false .
Al Qaida only is able to garner support for matters which are not contradict able . If they had a history saying that all of the people gathered to see Muhammad on his horse baraq take of to never-neverland then no suicide bomber would go out in the name of Islam because no one but Muhammad ever heard or saw the event or the message from their G-D.
Instead, here the Torah challenges itself by claiming that we all saw it, that if false would undermine the whole belief system!
The fact that in every generation that the masses were totally devoted even to allow oneself martyrdom in order to fulfill something with so seemingly a ridiculous basis is the strongest proof possible.
“But Rabbi give me independent verification”, you might say. The Psalms are filled with references to events in the Torah . So are the Books of the judges and Prophets filled with references verifying the
Events that took place.
Even more impressive is the fact that the Samaritans accepted the Torah almost verbatim as the word of G-D . If there had been the slightest doubt within the minds of the Northern Kingdom’s Priests,
They would not have taught the Samaritans the Torah and to accept it in total. After all, they had been exiled from the Promised Land and supplanted by these very same Samaritans ! Why would they teach them about a Law that had rescinded its’ promise of a land and given it to interlopers. This can only mean that even the Ten Lost Tribes , believed in the redemption from Galut ! Furthermore they believed in every item of the Torah without changing one story or commandment.
Even the prohibition against idolatry and the restrictions against the very nations who lived around Israel were included in the teachings to a foreign group!
Furthermore Immanuel Velikovsky showed how many of the miraculous events recorded in the Torah have their parallels in other
Various cultures from all across. Even small items such as the wars of the four kings against the five kings have been discovered by
Archaeologists.
Still not convinced? Discover the codes and their ramifications. If the Torah were an ordinary man-made document it would still be extraordinary. However, when one sees the complexity of exactitude of terminology and the number of times each character is mentioned
Along with an equal number of activities and laws revealed,then one gets an inkling of the Divine nature of the Torah . The equivalent letter skipping only reinforces what can be seen by any layman.
That is, that the Torah must be divine!
To be continued…

truth

2007-07-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Moshe was a stickler for the truth. As such , he wanted that his personal matters be included in the Torah. Because of this, we Jews feel superior in our ideology from other nations, as their heroes never are questioned or criticized.
Rav Avigdor Miller uses this as one of the convincing arguments towards accepting Torah in its'
entirety.This is certainly an argument in favor of the Torah over the Gospels or the Koran. Nonetheless , by itself it does not prove itself. The best known and most convincing argument is that the Torah was seen by an entire nation and never did the nation deny this. In fact all of the deviant members of our people accepted the Torah and rejected the interpreters of the Law.
For example the Cuthians were the Samaritans. They have a Torah that is almost verbatim with ours, the only differences are grammatical. They reject all of the Prophets after the Judges.
The reason being that they were taught by Priests of the Northern kingdom, i.e. the Ten Tribes ,who rejected the primacy of the Davidic Monarchy. The Prophets beginning with Samuel
teach that the legitimate Kins are only from King David. Hence the rejection by the students of King Yerovom-Jeroboam.
Similarly the Sadducees and the Boethians accepted the Written Law but rejected the authority of the Oral Law.Now it would have been simpler for these groups to make up their own new Law. The fact that they resorted to accepting the Torah indicated its' universal acceptance amongst Jews. The only difference between the various groups was how much of the Law they would practice and whether the Torah allowed for somewhat of a deference to the Idolatrous Nations for peaceful co-existence.
Even the early Christians accepted the Torah as the "original communication" between G-D and The Chosen People. Truly , the only explanation as to why these groups accepted the Written Torah in its' entirety despite the troubling entries regarding violence and punishment is only because the people accepted it in total. This serves as verification that the story of the Divine communication at Sinai to all the people was something that they attested to.
Even during the 10Th century rise of the Karaites to prominence , the unquestionably accepted the Torah verbatim!
Contrast this with the Koran and you are forced to conclude that the claim of a G-D speaking to an entire nation at Sinai is verified by these groups acceptance even while they deviated from the norm.Nonetheless, in modern terms this argument lacks the spark of verification as is found within the laboratory. Why can't we put Moshe to the same test for truth as you have with any
theory?
In fact there is a presentation that the Torah has within a written code that is accessible to all.
This is popularly known as the Torah codes . The promoters of these codes claim that given the infinitesimal probability of the codes and their ability to anticipate the future that this is empirical evidence of the Torah's truth .
Many of my colleagues from the scientific and mathematical community reject the codes in their present state.Yet in deference to the many who have seen and studied the Codes,there
is one major benefit in today's frank discussion in the pursuit of truth.
That is that the discovery verifies a whole set of claims regarding the Torah that to this date had not been seen.

According to the Midrashim, the Torah is the blueprint of the cosmos. In the words of the Zohar Istakeyl BeOrayso UBorO Almo -G-D peered in the Torah and through the blueprint of the world in the Torah created the world . This would mean that everything in the world should have a root in the words of the Torah. Until now this was scoffed at. Today there is serious discussion of this very item through the discovery of the Codes.

(to be continued )

Acid and rebuke

2007-07-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Rebuke has to be distinguished from criticism as to criticize is to demean, to rebuke is to hold the person to a higher standard. Nonetheless , the desire to rebuke must be severely limited as the negative results of rebuke may outweigh the positive.
Nonetheless, the Halacha is that where there is a Torah violation one must rebuke.
This is ineffective in today's generation as most people have convinced themselves that you can create your own standards to be judged by and free yourself from your religious obligations.
There is only one area in which i come on strong and it is in determining your Jewish standards and identity. You must ask yourself is this true? If it is true it is relevant now and if it is false then it has no meaning,sentimental or otherwise. You must be willing to look at your Jewishness and say-OK,is this just because of some nostalgia or is this real?
I have often wondered why intelligent people are impressed only by the sound of a speaker as opposed to what he says and the opulence of a building and not examine what it stands for.
The whole movement to change Jewish Religious practices is a dismal failure. The question for a thinking Jew must be:" is this a fairy tale or is this true?" If it is true, how much can i do to keep this with me and my family for the next generation?
Remember, today it isn't how much you do but the basic belief system behind it.
It isn't your involvement per Se that will last but the conviction that this is real and you are committed with your life to defend it.
There are new winds afoot in the outside world that are indicative of a return to fundamentals and a rejection of relativism. The reinstatement of certain prayers
in the Catholic Mass,even though it does not demean Jews, nonetheless is an indication of a return to original tradition. The Muslims have in their own violent ways made this the only course available. For in their violence lies a grain of truth. That is, that a relative truth that is OK for you is not really good enough. It either is true totally or it is false. they have opted to believe without knowledge fed by the hatred and delusions of their clerics. Nonetheless , they call out to others that what is believed must be considered true and followed with all our life's powers or it is false and thrown out as a remnant of times past.
We are either current or history. We must decide what we are. In order to reach the proper conclusion we must know the facts . Only upon examining facts can we
hope to conclude truth or whim.
I believe totally that this can be achieved by our young people today for the truth is open for all to see. Falsehood must also be opposed not because it makes you feel better but because truth is what all of mankind deserves. Those who have the knowledge are obligated to share it with the whole world. Let us make a forum for truth and let the chips fall where they may!

Rebuke

2007-07-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

The process of criticism is so pervasive that most of us have grown weary of rebuke.

We feel almost entitled to do as we please . Yet the Talmud in Tamid says that sincere critique is what puts people into their proper place . The one doing the exhorting is rewarded to be near G-D.
So why do we despise such men today?The answer lies in the fact that those who criticize today aren't righteous men. rather they are sadists who look for a legitimate way to making others suffer!
So why did Moshe choose the route that was unpopular and ultimately ineffective?

Because when the critique is true and not demeaning, then the person being berated feels the truth and acts accordingly . In that case the rebuker has done the other person a tremendous favor.

Moshe did this not because he wished to scold . Rather he wanted to elevate us even during the last 40 days of his life.His hopes partially came true and that generation entered the Promised Land on the mission that Moshe had made them ready for.

MaimonedesThe

2007-07-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

WE are reminded by the Rebbe often in his talks that the times reflect the events that take place in the Torah and that our job is to examine the Divine Providence of this relationship and give meaning and direction to our lives.
This means that life in our world reflects and is given impetus by the Torah reading of the week and more specifically the daily Torah portion. Foe example yesterday , Thursday's reading, deals with the Biblical borders of the Promised Land. One of the unremarkable details to the casual reader is that the Sea of Galilee called the Kineret,is placed entirely in the Promised Land's side of the border,despite lying between the Promised Land and the captured areas which were also part of ancient Israel.
On Thursday we were honored worldwide by the collective syum or conclusion of the entire Book of the Mishneh Torah ,known in Torah Circles as the main work of the Rambam-Maimonedes.
What is the connection between the Promised Land and the conclusion of Maimonedes' Magnum Opus? Maimonedes is buried in Tiberius near the very Kineret mentioned here!
What is the topic of the last Halachot of Maimonedes' work?
The coming of Moshiach to reinstate all of the Laws of the Torah mentioned in his work. Among the Commandments to be re instituted are the Laws of the Shemita and Jubillee years. These laws have different application with respect to the Promised Land and all other lands captured by Jewish Kings including Moses'captured lands.
This comes the same day as a report that the UN cartographers have decided that a portion of the Golan belongs to Lebanon. This means that the Torah is stating that the boundaries of Israel
which Halachically include the Shaba farm, are immutable and no amount of sabre rattling will change that.
What are our obligations after reading the Torah , Maimonedes and the newspaper, or not in that
order? We must affirm our unshaken Faith that the Holy Land -all of it is ours and that if and when it shall come into our hands we will not deliver it back to the nations who violently took them from us. We are not to attack other nations in the interim for those territories until Moshiach comes and will lspeak in G-D's name and reclaim our rightful place.
In the interim , our job is to keep the Mitzvas as best as we can. For until Moshiach comes the Laws of Shmita and Yovel and the Temple are not operable. Our main activity should be Ahavas Yisroel which includes making every Jew and lehavdil Goy aware that the ways of Torah are the ways of kindness and compassion. We must teach the world the value of life even while we champion the pursuit of Truth. That is that the whole world is not on automatic pilot and that there is
Force that directs all, whose Commandments and Moral teaching He Gave in the Torah.
The same day, we read of the clay tablet that confirms the identity of an insignificant player of the history of the Temple's destruction. We see from here that all the minor details of the Torah are exact. So Too , how much more so are the major teachings true and incumbent upon the whole world to follow.

Flockland

2007-07-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Tamuz 25,5767
July 11, 2007
Fenced in Flocks
The Torah tells us that the Tribes of Reuben and Gad approached Moshe to request the following consideration. The people of Israel had just defeated two warrior nations , the Amorites and the Bashan Amorites . Their territories were ideal for grazing sheep and these two Tribes were blessed with huge flocks . It would only be natural that they should request that these lands be given to them as their inheritance instead of the more agricultural West side of the Jordan.
Instead of understanding their position, Moshe attacks them as being
As rebellious as the spies who destroyed our motivation to enter the Promised Land . They responded that they had no intention of removing themselves from their brothers’ battles. They were prepared to fight at the vanguard of all the battles. In fact they will not return to their homes until every tribe had conquered its’ territory and divided it, a process that took 14 years to complete!
In other words, the 2 Tribes of Reuben and Gad were willing to forgo being with their families for 14 years while the battles for the Holy Land were being waged. This seems to be a great sacrifice for them.
Surely Moshe as a leader of men and the greatest Prophet should have seen their sincerity . So why did he attack them as he did ?
Reuben was Yaakov’s firstborn and theoretically entitled to the choicest part of the Land. Gad too had a claim as his fighters were the best in hand to hand combat and therefore could argue that the main spoils of war should be his .Moshe sensed that at the core this was the true motivation of these Tribes. They really felt that they had earned these Lands and the others would have to make do with what was left . Even if these Lands weren’t choice parcels, the very fact that these 2 Tribes were already in their homes was a blow to the others who still had nothing to show for 40 years of tears and sorrow.
Yes, the Reubenites believed there was nothing wrong with their request. However, they could have allowed G-D to decide which Land would be theirs. The very fact that they asked when others didn’t indicates a lack of Faith as well as an insensitivity to the reaction of others!
This was Moshe’s intuitive insight into their request . Notwithstanding anything they did afterwards, the die was cast and the Reubenites and Gad remained aloof from the goings on in the rest of the Land. They were also the first to be exiled. Those who wanted the Land because it was Promised to us remained the longest.
Amongst the tribes Yehuda desired the Holy Land most together with Benjamin, the only of the brothers to be born in Israel . They remained the longest and it was their Kingdom that returned after the first Exile.

Our Trip?

2007-07-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Torah portion recounts all the places we camped, in our travels through the desert for 40 years. Why must we read about it every year? isn't once a lifetime enough? Isn't this boring to our children-even to us it seems tedious!
We are told by our teachers that everything in Torah has a direct relevance to our lives especially during the week we read that particular Torah portion . So what is our lesson here?What profound or entertaining insight can i give myself , much less my snoring listeners and napping readers?
Summertime is a time we all travel in order to spend time with our families in order to get away from it all ! The Torah says we aren't traveling to get away , we are traveling towards the Promised
Land . With that in mind we have to assess as to whether we are traveling in the right direction.
Sometimes our travels take us from our goal , at which point we must try to right our moral compasses or re-evaluate our goals. This is why we talk about travel at this point of the year since we think about our plans to see new things and experience new delights at this time.

Let's focus on the importance of our life's goals and see what our activities are leading us to.

2007-07-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

The whole story of Pinchas is filled with question and gore. How is it that we laud a person for killing, even if justified? The Torah seems to make a point of Pinchas by singling him out to receive a special Blessing. What happened with Moshe when he killed the Egyptian beating the poor slave? Exile, brushes with death and no acknowledgement. When Moshe confronted Og or Sichon he isn't praised. Why is this act of Pinchas any better than Moshe's act of self-sacrifice?

The Torah calls Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon-Aaron. Now we knew this before,so why is it necessary to state the obvious?

The Kaballah tells us that Pinchas inherited the nefesh-soul of his uncles Nadav and Avihu, who in turn had inherited the Nefesh of Adam, as well as the Nefesh of Kayin- Cain. This is also the soul of EliJah the Prophet. For this reason the Rabbis say, that Pinchas is Elijah!
Now this didn't happen automatically. For a person is born with a unique Soul, different from those who preceded him. Therefore Pinchas was born with a different Nefesh . In fact he is identified as having the same Nefesh as his grandfather Aharon. Aharon's nature was to be gentle and to negotiate with others, with the assumption that people are reasonable. Aharon as was Pinchas, was a man of peace. When Pinchas tried to stop Zimri by his words , he was confronted with the dilemma of dealing with a crisis of great magnitude and with a nature that wasn't working. Try as he may, the Tribes belittled his entreaties to refrain from public immorality which led to idolatry.
In his realization of the impossibility of his standard way to work and seeing that action had to be taken immediately,or else more tens of thousands would die,Pinchas acted.
When a person does a Mitzva the same way that a Tzaddik did before him, then the Tzaddik literally engarbs himself the Soul of the doer of the Mitzvah. Pinchas was now doing Mitzvos in the way Nadav and Avihu did Mitzvos. As they were his inspiration, they entered his body to assist him in the process. When he killed Zimri the souls of the side of Gevurah were attached to Pinchas' soul. At this point Pinchas corrected the defect, if we could say this, of his grandfather Aharon!
For we are left scratching our heads, as to why Moshe hit the rock and Aharon is punished?!
The answer lies in G-D's expectations of us. G-D wanted Moshe to speak to everyone. Moshe was a man of action. If there was injustice Moshe fixed it. If there was an evil ruler, Moshe would destroy him and his army. If there was a scoffer he had to be dealt with severely. This approach is not the Torah approach, for Derochehu Darchey Noam-Her ways are pleasant.Moshe who had a tendency for Gevurah had to learn to deal kindly with people and Aharon who was the epitome of sweetness had to be tough.When Moshe hit the rock he was reverting back to the old Moshe . Aharon who saw Moshe get angrier and angrier as the scoffers taunted him,should have stepped in and reprimanded them . In this way he would have stopped Moshe from expressing his impatience and anger. For Aharon could never be as tough as Moshe. In the process both Moshe and the people would be spared for their errors. For Moshe was told that his primary method had to be with love and kindness. The people on the other hand were out of line. Miriam their sister had just died and they denied Moshe even a few moments to mourn her!
Thus when there was no choice but to be tough , Aharon reverted back to gentleness and understanding, ineffective with scoffers. This was why he was held back in the desert. For in the future, the people would need a firm but gentle hand. The toughness of Moshe was too much and the gentleness of Aharon was ineffective.
Therefore when Pinchas embraced toughness, he was correcting the weakness of his grandfather's love and kindness!
Since he went against his very nature in his attack on Zimri, this is praiseworthy. a man with Moshe's temperament can't be praised for that which is natural. Moshe is glorified for his prayers for Compassion , for his love of Israel. Pinchas was praised for having done what was abhorrent to him in order to save everyone else!

Zealot

2007-07-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

The image of Pinchas spearing zimri and kozby bring reminisces of the al-qayda organization.
How do we distinguish between them?
The main goal of a Kohain is to sustain and build life . The focus of the terrorist is to revel in the destruction of life, especially if that life's mode of living is seen as objectionable. Pinchas did not go out to try and shishkabob a sinner . Rather , he saw a breach in Torah observance that was causing an obvious plague and he set out to stop it. If he couldn't get the people to listen he would act! But how would he get every one's attention? How could he even get people's ears?
The opportunity came with zimri . Zimri was the chief of the tribe of Shimon . He thought that by bringing the harlot before the elders and challenging them to find a prohibition would help in avoiding the execution of many thousands of the Shimonites for worshiping the Peor Idol upon their contact with the Midianite women.
Instead of pleading for mercy, claiming that the boys had become deranged, he proceeded to
trivialize their sins. This would only encourage further sins to take place and the slippery-slope downwards had already been set into motion.
Out of care and love for Israel , Pinchas acted , not out of violence but out of love for his Fellow.
The attack on Zimri wasn't out of hatred or jealousy as is often the case with zealots.
Since the motive was love for life, the violence of the act tempered Justice with Mercy. Justice ha d been meted out in order to spare the rest of the plague that would have destroyed everyone.

When someone reluctantly acts violently to save the innocent bystanders, it isn't an act of zealousness. It is tough love!

The call of the jackass part3

2007-06-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Bilam is confronted by his Jackass who speaks for all times for all the downtrodden and oppressed. Although the jackass sees the angel that is a menace to Bilam, it chooses to reprimand Bilam for his callousness. The reason is, that if you are so full of yourself that you cannot be opposed or criticized you aren't worthy of seeing the Angel!
Only after Bilam stopped to consider what the donkey said and respond accordingly , only then was he able to see the Angel that was prepared to destroy him.
The purpose of the donkey speech was to get him to reflect. The purpose of the Angel was to get Bilam to change. The question is why is it necessary to hear it from a jackass ?!Wouldn't an ordinary man suffice?
Bilam was a sorcerer. In order to be able to make things happen magically,one had to either be a woman who has reached her menses, or a man who engaged in bestiality. The Donkey wasn't just a ride for Bilam. She was his trusted foil who did everything he wished. The donkey was the eyewitness of Bilam's depravity.
History is filled with its' villains who used others to reach the top, only to do away with them. Hitler
was catapulted by Roehm, the organizer of the brown shirts. After seizing power, Hitler brutally had Roehm and his men eliminated in one lightning strike. Why? He didn't want to be beholden to anyone for his greatness.
So too, Bilam now wanted to kill the animal , the beast of burden that suffered his whims . Not so much because the donkey wasn't listening. It was that its' presence made him uncomfortable and the veering from Bilam's desired path was only a convenient excuse.
The call of the Jackass is the outcry of all tormented beings against those who tread upon others. It is the voice of conscience that keeps creeping in every stone-cold heart. It is the shriek of children abused , of men killed to satisfy sadism , of bereaved mothers and wives . The jackass spoke for all of us. Perhaps it is the donkey upon whom Moshiach will ride upon.
One thing is certain . Moshiach will take up the cause , that i have labelled the call of the jackass!

The call of the jackass

2007-06-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

So why does Bilam have to be confronted by a talking donkey? This is the first and only time post Adam that an animal has spoken. Furthermore, the miracle was observed only by the Midianite emissaries of King Balak. Why does it have to be told to us Israelites?
There is an age-old argument regarding the basic nature of everything . Some people believe that G-D is the ultimate reality of everything, that is that at the core G-D is you and you are G-D!Chassidic doctrine holds that although there is nothing outside of Him, we are only expressions of G-D's power and will.
Since G-D is one means total oneness with G-D's attributes,it follows that there is nothing outside of G-D. However,that does not mean identity with G-D. Rather we are totally at G-D's desire.
The pracical difference in outlook is when we observe our desires . If we are G-D at the core , then one could conclude that his desires are G-D's desires. Therefore he can kill , steal , plunder and abuse anyone and anything. Why would one creature have more importance than another ?
Because one is in tune with his G-Dly self while the other isn't aware of G-D. Or it is possible for a person to view him/herself as G-D's only child. Hence any deviation from that person's wishes
is a rebellion against G-D's wishes to be honored through the one who feels G-D, who is the chosen one.
This is Bilamism . It is also Islam and Christianity. Those who reject their claims of Divinity and special status are worse than the idolaters. For they , the pagans don't know any better. However, those who know the One and reject His Anointed are in conflict with G-D!
Therefore all your money,women ,properties belong to the chosen One. There is no limit upon his desires because they are G-D's Infinite Desires.
Moshe was the prophet of G-D for all times . Moshe said "what are we?" ,meaning he had no desire of his own. For he was merely the mouthpiece of G-D. Yes , when G-D spoke through Moshe it was G-D speaking .However, it was not the reflection of Moshe's internal desires. Moshe was like a wire allowing the current of G-D's desire to manifest Itself within him.Moshe realized that everything was one with but not identical to G-D. No one's desires are any more relevant than anyone Else's , provided one doesn't want that which isn't his or inflict suffering in the process.
To Moshe there was no "I",only G-D's will. To Bilam the"I" is G-D. Bilam's sexual desires or the pursuit of huge wealth are all G-D's Will and must be fulfilled. It matters not how many will suffer,
or who will be violated. It only matters if Bilam chooses.
Bilam chooses to destroy Israel not because of King Balak's request. Rather Israel in its' awareness of the One G-D pose a threat to Bilam superhuman status in the eyes of his followers. Israel reject me?! G-D's chosen and only son and prophet is rejected by these ingrates! I'll show them. They will all die.
This is the same message as radical Islam gives. It is the same sentiment of martin Luther .They all feel that if they are in tune with G-D, then their perspective is truth. Any who oppose them oppose G-d.
Along comes the jackass. This is an unusual animal whose power to speak has been there from
the Days of Creation. No other animal will ever speak. It will speak for all the downtrodden beasts of burden,as well as for all the persecuted peoples who will ever live. It speaks to all the tyrants ,especially those who choose for themselves the lofty title of G-D's chosen in order to justify tyranny.
Why do you continue to beat me ? Have i ever hurt you? What gives you the right to beat me
as a scapegoat for your own problems?! What makes you think you are any better than me?
Have you ever stopped to think that you may be wrong in the way you treat others? Maybe your anger has more to do with your own error than my obstinence? What makes you think that you really know The Truth better than me?
At that moment Bilam sees the angel!What does this mean? At that moment of self reflection he realizes truth. He doesn't see or know everything . He begins to doubt himself . But he doesn't want to change . For the truth is too painful for tyrants and ideologues to accept. They wish that G-D verify their own status in their mnment of doubt. G-D allows Bilam to err , for in his error blessings will ensue.
The evils of the ogres of history will ultimately be the Blessing for Israel. Islam's fanaticism and Christianity's insane declarations will make the world ready for the true Moshiach. When they will see the truth in all of it's glory,there will be no need for wars. Mankind will heed the voice of the jackass. For no one's desire is greater than another and no one's being more important to the Creator. For we are all Children of One G-D.
Moshiach is the Humble one who will communicate that to the cosmos. He is the wire of G-D's current of communication . He will teach all the ways of G-D.
to be continued...

the call of the jackass

2007-06-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

The story of Bilam is a strange one. Bilam is supposed to be a man of G-D, a highly respected man. Yet the story unfolds as the revelation of a man interested only in power and prestige. How does this man speak to G-D? Furthermore what do we learn from this?
G-d appears to Bilam and tells him not to venture out to curse the People of Israel. Does this mean that to curse others is fine? Does this mean that the cursing of sinners as was the custom of old preachers a satisfactory endeavor?
Bilam is persistent in his desire to curse the Israelites. When he fails , he still does everything within his power to have them sin and thereby automatically rejected by G-D. What motivates Bilam? At this point he will gain no wealth or prestige. Why does he insist on doing something that G-D obviously doesn't want to happen?
Bilam believes that he is G-D! Obviously G-D is bigger than him. However, he believes that if he were to strip his outer self from its' veneer he truly is G-D. This is why he engages in a spiritual pursuit that rquires self denial to the extreme. This is done so that he, Bilam , can come face to face with HIS G-D , meaning his inner self. Since he has come into conscious awareness of his inner G-D identity, he reasons that any desire he now has is really G-d's . For since he has refined his desires to be only for what he thought to be a higher purpose and he feels enraptured with his oneness with G-D, therefore from now on ,all of what he wants is what G-D must want. Since his wants are unlimited he lets nothing stand in his way of achieving them, for he believes that his glory is G-D's glory and vice versa..
The Israelites also glorify the one G-D . They do not even consider Bilam as a prophet,much less the being unified with G-D! How insolent of them! They must die! For they who recognize the One but not His Chosen One, rebel directly against G-D's innermost desire. Therefore , anyone who is capable of appreciating the One G-D , who does not accept Bilam is fighting G-D's desire for the perfection of the world.
Bilam , insanely focused upon his own greatness cannot accept that G-D's favorite is anyone but Him ! Therefore nothing stands in the way of his desire to obliterate the Israelites who stand in opposition to his mission to dominate the world under one Divine order , Bilamislam!
We will discuss the episode of the Donkey's call in the next segment...

A Tzaddik dies and we get forgiveness????????

2007-06-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Rabbis explain why the passing of Miriam is placed next to the description of the Red Heifer. They say to teach us that just as the sacrifices bring forgiveness,so too , the death of the righteous brings forgiveness.
Now this is strange. For in the story of Miriam's passing both of her brothers are punished for what appears to be minor sins if they are sins at all. Now how does the punishment of her brothers Moshe and Aharon have anything to do with forgiveness?
An answer might be that Moshe and Aharon realized that the people could not stand up to the
level that they were at. As a result, their expectations of the nation's capacity had brought them to unrealistic demands.
Instead of blaming the nation for their shortcomings they accepted responsibility for providing faulty leadership. In doing so, they were saying to G-D,"we erred in demanding too much from the people-You oh G-D ,too, lessen your level of expectation from them!"
This of course brought forgiveness, as we could be excused for failures to rise to the levels
that had been originally demanded. For G-D accepted the position of the Tzaddikim that it was their fault for not inspiring the people to reach a higher level. Therefore, they said the punishment belongs to us not to the Benay Yisroel.
So, the death of Miriam brought G-D to lessen the demands on the common man. In that equation the Righteous had to accept punishment for their failure, not ours-even though in truth we messed up. Moshe would not let the second generation to get punished in the desert for fear that we would never leave.
Better I should suffer rather than this new generation which needed to keep its' enthusiasm going in order to take and settle the Promised Land.

REBELLION2

2007-06-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

The rebellion against Moshe took another bizarre twist. After the last of the rebels died and their fellow travellers were spared through Aharon's intervention, G-D orders Moshe to provide the people with a miraculous sign.
All of the Tribal leaders were to place their staffs in a row in the Tabernacle. Aharon was to place his staff amongst the others. The man who G-d will choose to lead the service in the Temple will have his staff bloom into a living branch. The tribal Princes do so together with Aharon . They place their staffs near the Tabernacle and Moshe enters them into the Holy Tent.
On the morrow , the staff of Aharon( his name had been carved into it the day before as had the other staffs been so engraved by their owners) had sprouted into an almond branch that had flowered . It budded and produced fruit in front of their eyes. This last miracle convinced them of Aharon's holiness more than the miracles of the Divine Fire and the Earth's Mouth swallowing the rebel leaders. It convinced them more than had the sudden death of 14,700 rebel followers and the miraculous prevention of the plague spreading through Aharon's service with the ketores-incense .
If 4 miracles didn't work how does this miracle convince them to say-allright! Aharon is G-D's man!???
There is a qualitative difference between the previous 4 miracles as dramatic as they might have been and the relatively small miracle of the sprouted staff. In the first 4 there is death and destruction. There is no proof of Divinity there. With the staffs, the ability to spontaneously create new life is proof of a G-Dly power for only G-D can give life to the dead!
A truly Holy man is one who gives life to others . He who promotes gloom and fear may or may not be G-D's messenger. He who gives life, who inspires and creates life where none was there before, he is truly of G-D.

This was and remains the legacy of our Saintly Rebbe whose Yahrtzeit is this Tuesday , Gimmel Tamuz . The Rebbe throughout his life inspired others to create Jewish life where none was before. This truly is the sign that he was a Man from G-D!

Rebellion

2007-06-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Why is the Korach episode considered the Great Rebellion by Biblical "scholars"?The answer lies in the nature of the conflict. Even though at other times the people tried to set up another leader to take them back to Egypt, it was a form of escape from Moshe's leadership. They were too frightened by the task at hand and opted to leave. Here , the rebels strove to remove Moshe from his office as G-D's representative. Initially , they made it seem as if their entire focus was on the seemingly unfair designation of the priestly clan. No one would again serve in the Temple except for the family of Aharon, Moshe's brother.
Not only did this seem unfair, it smacked of nepotism. After all, the reason why they lost the
privileges to engage in the Divine service was due to the sin of the Golden Calf. Who constructed the calf?Aharon that's who!
To the casual observer, even if Aharon had good intention, his action was appalling. By giving in to the sinners he might have encouraged their behavior. Why is he rewarded with the priesthood forever? There is only one conceivable answer-nepotism! This means that Moshe
has made much of his teachings up.This means that Moshe is really violating G-D's order to
lead the people fairly. The only conclusion the people wish to make is that Moshe must be deposed!
This is a full blown rebellion against Moshe himself. The results are dramatic. The
250 men seeking to minister as Kohanim are burned by a G-Dly fire. The leaders of the revolt against Moshe are swallowed up together with all of their possessions and family into the earth.
The earth seemed to open up where they stood and sucked them down . Then the earth closed as if nothing had disturbed the area where they had camped!
So what is reaction of the people who had observed all of the Divine wrath? They seemed ready to continue the rebellion of the day before!??
This i find astounding. After accusing Moshe of doing things on his own without G-D's agreement, they see G-D's punishment in an awesome display of power,yet they continue Korach's revolt! How is it possible? What possible rationale is there for this?
One is forced to conclude that the people who supported Korach did so out of ideology . They were convinced of the correctness of Korach's position regardless of the consequence.
It is almost analagous to Rabbi Yehoshua standing up to the voice from Heaven! They were convinced that logic dictated the reasoning of the Commandments by G-D.
Since the position of the Kohain was extra or super-rational, they decided that the rules could have only been made up by Moshe. No rational Creator would ever make such an unfair system!
What Moshe had tried to communicate but these people wouldn't listen, was that he had no input at all. The Commandments came directly from G-D. Just as G-D is beyond our imagination,so too, are G-D's Commandments.
The priesthood is not a feel good job there for the most sociable and articulate candidate.
Rather, it is a Divine Command which can only be appreciated by simple Faith .
This is also why the laws concerning sacrifices are amongst the most difficult to understand. Even the great Maimonedes in his wondrous Guide to the Perplexed struggled to rationalize the Temple Service . In the end only the demonstrated effect of the Kohain's holiness was able to quell the rebellion.

is spying necessary?

2007-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

We have a controversy raging in our midst. The government has been trying to spy on terrorists' conversations and the civil libertarians amongst us say that this is illegal and should be off limits.
This goes to the heart of what a democracy based upon principles of freedom can or can't do to defend itself.
This goes to the heart of the question as to whether spying is a necessity. Today is the anniversary
of D-Day which marked the beginning of the end of Hitler's Reich. The immediate cause of the
entrance of our country into the war was the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The reason it was
such a successful raid for the Japanese was due to good intelligence right under our noses. We , on the other hand, hand very little sophisticated intelligence available. Hence we were caught
off guard.
What does the Torah imply about the need for intelligence or spying?
G-D did not command Moshe to send spies into the Land of Canaan. Moshe, however agreed to send spies in order to head off any uneasiness that the people might have if he would push them to go forward against their will. Now this is strange. We find in the previous Sidra that there were complainers about the difficulty of the travel that was being done so rapidly that the children weren't eating right and the adults hadn't gotten sufficient rest from the last move,so how dare you push us ? Nonetheless , Moshe pushed on and the complainers were let loose to never land!
So why now does Moshe hesitate with so much at stake?
Did Moshe not understand the possibility of a mutiny if the spies brought back a negative report?
Furthermore if the Shechinah was leading them and the Holy Ark destroyed the enemies along the way what did they need spies for?
We must conclude that the question about sending spies indicated a level of Faith that represented a descent from the position they had been prior to the request. As long as they they were on a relied on Moshe' s leadership, only questioning details in the decisions , supernatural plane and deserving of G-D's direct leadership.
When a person begins to question the relationship altogether ,then this level of Providence stops of its' own accord.
Thus Moshe had no choice but to heed the wishes of the nation as they no longer had the same relationship with G-D. This was not a punishment . rather it is a consequence of man's own decision making. In a natural order, spying isn't a luxury . It's a necessity brought on by the presence of enemies. As long as a nation has enemies spies are a necessary evil. This is why Moshe agreed to send the spies.

Interestingly , who are chosen to be the spies for the nation? Its' greatest leaders!? "Why" , you might ask ? This is precisely because of the stakes involved in the process of intelligence . Oftentimes you find that the secret organizations such as the C.I.A. and even the Shin -Bet have been known to use people ruthlessly . For this reason also, the people sent on such missions usually are unattached, single people. These are also taught to be callous and mercenary without regard to those around him. Somehow the greater good is invoked in all of these capers.

Not so with Moshe's spies! They had to be the leaders and the scholars .They had families to worry about and had to do everything scrupulously according to the Halachah!
As a postscript, Caleb and Pinchas the High Priest's son are sent 39 years later as the spies for Joshua . Again , notice the care in choosing only a high profile leader to risk his own life in the process , even while refusing temptations of the flesh.
Their final act as spies was saving Rahab who helped them along with her family. Now this was unheard of in the past that spies would guarantee the lives of citizens who helped them against their own government. Usually those who did so were bribed handsomely and as mentioned
in the spy game people are only as necessary as the fulfillment of your mission. Here they would overwhelm Jericho shortly. No one would know whether they had ever promised amnesty to anyone . Yet these were not the unattached predators of humanity that swim amongst the sharks.
These were the finest characters of our nation. As such, even while they pursued surreptitious methods, they retained their standards of humanity!

is spying necessary?

2007-06-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

three branched instruction

2007-06-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

What is apparent from the Torah is that as long as a problem is associated with an action, go around or away from the problem or critique.
When a problem attacks a core belief or attitude, then you must look into yourself and rise above the problem.
Finally if the attack is a general one , you must make the problem part of the solution since the problem cannot reside within you in any way, even potentially

disposal of criticism

2007-06-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

In last week's Torah reading, we find Moshe being criticized for his leadership in pursuing G-D's agenda. In each case Moshe did not respond to the criticism directly. He never wavered from the focus of his Mission , which was to bring Israel to the Land of the Patriarchs.
Yet the three criticisms differ in the quality of their critique and form continuous elevated level of attack.
1)They criticized Moshe's insensitivity to the burden he placed upon the people in acting out his
leadership. By moving them so quickly to enter Canaan, they were getting worn out. He seemed totally oblivious to their plight.
Thus the critique was how he led.
2) The second group criticized him for not anticipating their needs . They were not as used to the hardships of slavery , as they had been part of the ruling class of Egypt-they were the Erev Rav-Mixed Multitudes, who were accepted to accompany Israel on its' journey. They couldn't be expected to be satisfied with the Manna. Moshe should have seen to have their needs met as well!
Thus , this was a rebuke to Moshe as lacking the fundamental skills of a leader, who has the needs of his charges as his paramount duty. It was a critique of Moshe's character not just his insensitivity to the pain of others.
3) The last critique was levelled at Moshe the man, who had become self important, as well as arrogant.This was an affront not to how he thought of others but himself! Moshe was wrapped up in his own self-importance that he showed that he was greater than all other Prophets! For Moshe had become celibate after the giving of the Torah . This wasn't the usual procedure of prophets
before or after Moshe.
So in each case Moshe responded in concert with the critics. With regards to him being insensitive to the effect of his leadership, Moshe showed that despite the difficulty his directives brought,nonetheless the people relied upon his concern for them . For if not for his sincere prayers on their behalf they would have become consumed by G-D's Holy Fire.Thus Moshe showed that
in general he had their best interests at heart.
In the second case Moshe asks for assistance in dealing with the people's needs. He was ordered to set up a High Court who would serve as a body that would advocate the needs of the people.
In this way Moshe compensated for whatever limitation he had in not caring enough for their physical needs.In other words Moshe learned to care through the input of the Elders. Despite his limitations, Moshe learned to grow from them.
Finally the last critique that Moshe held himself to a higher standard was absolutely true! For Moshe was so instructed by G-D! Yet this was not a sign of haughtiness. Rather , Moshe was changed radically forever by what transpired at Sinai. He had become G-D's prophet for all future ages and for all people.
Look at Moshe's reactions and see1) when should one go around a problem-in this case critique;
2)when should one rise above the problem;here it was the frustration of the Erev Rav with Moshe not caring about them specifically.
Finally 3) when should the criticism become part of the solution-in this case he was higher therefore he held himself to a higher standard.
Our theme again very clearly, go around or go above or transform!

dealing with critics

2007-06-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

We find that Moshe was best by critics at every stage of his activities in leading Israel to the Promised Land. The question is how did Moshe handle criticism? When his instruction excluded some people he agreed that something should be done for them and asked G-D what to do.
When the people demanded meat, he complained to G-D over his inability to provide for the people. When his siblings criticized his behavior , he kept silent.
In the next Parsha , Shelach, when the spies threaten to destroy the mission of Klal Yisroel , Moshe does not confront them directly. Rather , Moshe allows Yehoshua and Caleb to argue for the Mission to enter the Holy Land. Only with Korach and prior to that with the Golden Calf ,did Moshe confront the evildoers.
What is the pattern?As long as it can be interpreted that the argument was with Moshe, not G-D's Commands, then Moshe was willing to allow criticism of his leadership. When the commandments of G-D were violated ,Moshe confronted the evildoers harshly. In fact , as long s Moshe could
argue that the conflict was caused by his faults as a leader, Moshe found ways to exonerate the people. It was only when no excuse could be given that Moshe had to protect the Honor of G-D
and boldly rebuked and punished.
This is a lesson for all figures of authority, teachers,parents ,even policemen. Unless there is open violation of the law or rules ,sass and chutzpah need to be addressed with kindness and empathy wherever possible. Not every fight is worth arguing about.
to be continued....

Moshe= Humility?

2007-05-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

BS”D
Moshe is humble?
The events surrounding the career of Moshe our Teacher, never cease to amaze. Moshe seems larger than life , yet he seems so vulnerable to criticism . He
Fears the reaction of the masses even while he stands up to face and confront them .
In our torah portion , the criticisms of Moshe seem to be never ending! Upon giving the nation cause for celebration, the undertakers are unhappy because they can’t participate. Then the leadership gets upset together with the riffraff about the arduous travels . They get zapped. However, the complaining doesn’t end.
“We want meat from G-D , not Manna“, say some of the
Egyptians who went along for the glory that was to be Israel’s . Some of the tribes partake in the protest which is uncalled for . This is the third time they complain about their diet . Isn’t it enough that they see miracles on a daily basis ? Why must they anger G-D ?
It is human nature to want to be one’s own boss . So when you are dependent , subconsciously you rebel .
This comes out, through complaints . G-D, who understands human nature, provides for this yearning
to be free . The people are soon allowed to have a greater say in their affairs. However, the gluttonous amongst them will never become satisfied and will have to be removed from the group.
Moshe isn’t done with the complainers . First the undertakers ,then the riffraff , the leaders, then the gluttons. Now. The complainers are his own sister , Miriam and his brother Aaron the High Priest! Nothing Moshe does seems to be without criticism. Isn’t there anything he can do about it?
The answer is that the People of Israel are a people of leaders . No matter how great our leader is , we always second guess him. If a man as great as Moshe can be criticized at every juncture, we must realize how much more vulnerable we are to being scrutinized .
The reason we can say that Moshe was humbler than all other people was that he never pulled rank and said how dare you question me , I am G-D’s prophet ! Even when he exhorted the people for their challenge to G-D , it was never how dare you insult me etc…
Moshe was strictly an issues man. Was the issue right or wrong . It was never me vs. you.
Although Moshe knew he was the greatest man ever in his relationship with G-D , he never felt superior, in essence, to any of his people . Even upon confronting Pharaoh and his servants who had brutalized Israel for over a century , Moshe was concerned about their welfare.
When a person is mindful of the other when he need not be , this is the sign of a man who has overcome his own self-importance. Such a man will be the Moshiach who will combine absolute authority with absolute humility !

is Humility necessary in today's world

2007-05-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

We live in a world where hype trumps substance, where cockiness is seen as superior to character. We see people who are desirable get passes for improper behavior . We see presidents who think nothing of adultery including violating another man's wife . So what do the Hollywood Stars say about it? He was elected President not Pope!
Such is the condition of the world we live in . Decency is criticized . Character is downplayed . The only thing that matter are abortion and gay rights ,as well as global warming!
If you have the relative misfortune of believing in a code of ethics , then G-D help you with the names you will be called . The vilification of all traditional values is not a spiritual Revolution or a rearrangement of moral values. Rather , it is the articulation of the belief that i owe nothing to a higher power . Furthermore , I , the modern man knows what is best for everyone else!
There is a need for having a cause . It gives the individual a sense of purpose . It gives one power! By standing up for global warming it makes me (feel) better than you . Never mind that those who promote the fear of climate catastrophe such as the Kerrys , are
great polluters themselves . The preachers of redistribution of wealth , are themselves some of the stingiest people we have seen recently. Witness the charitable contributions of the Kerrys and the Gores and compare theirs with the Bushes .
Giving of one's own wealth to the unfortunate and for good causes is indicative of a person's sincerity and goodness. Preaching that someone else should pay for something he or she didn't create while contributing 1000 dollars out of an income of smacks of a half-million screams of sheer Chutzpah!
So back to the original question; Is humility a dead item today?
The answer is that the Torah makes it an issue. Therefore, it is an eternal virtue that must be pursued with the same alacrity one would have in saving a nation. The same man who stood fearless before Pharaoh and his minions, Moses , is described as someone who was more humble than any man that walked the face of the earth!
While Moses had to show leadership, courage and resilience, he also needed to be humble before every single Israelite, man, woman or child! Only then would we accept his words for posterity. Only then would Moses be believable as the Teacher of Mankind!

2007-05-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

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Weekly thoughts
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Carob treeOne of the cryptic statements in Mishneh Avos chapter 3, is the statement by Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaryah that a person whose deeds are greater than his wisdom is likened to a tree whose roots are many but whose branches are few,so that even if all the powerful winds may come , they will not move the tree from its' place. This is in distinction from the person whose wisdom is greater than his deeds . For he is likened to the tree whose branches are many and whose roots are few . In that case the wind comes and overturns the tree !Now this comparison of what is the main positive aspect of the person,deeds or wisdom, has already been addressed previously by Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa who said simply that a person whose deeds were greater than his wisdom, his wisdom lasts but not if the wisdom is greater than one's deeds. In that case the wisdom is forgotten.Since Rabbi Elazar is coming to add to this concept of greater deeds than wisdom, we ask what is the addition? It's a nice example but what is Rabbi Elazar saying that Rabbi Chanina didn't already say?The answer is that these are two separate levels of deeds . In Rabbi Chanina's case his deeds were widely known . He was not in the great Academy that often as he lived privately as a hidden Tzaddik. However, due to the reputation of his deeds , people would request that he pray for them . Invariably his prayers were answered and he demonstrated the power of one whose deeds are righteous before G-D and man.No poisonous snake could injure him, no temptation could sway him. He was likened to G-D's servant who attends his Master constantly unlike the scholar who is like an official who can only come before the King when invited. Because of the superiority of his deeds Rabbi Chanina is remembered by all . We remain in awe over his mastery of nature and his words though few are all remembered.Rabbi Elazar on the other hand was a brilliant young man, who at the amazingly tender age of 18 took over the reins of leading the Academy in Yavneh! If ever there was a person to be noted for his brilliance it was Rabbi Elazar!Yet Rabbi Elazar stressed that his main effort were his deeds! What were they?Rabbi Elazar opened the doors of the Academy to all who wished to study Torah. This was in distinction from Rabban Gamliel who maintained that the Academy was only for the pious and the studious.In doing so, Rabbi Elazar gave himself what appeared as unnecessary work. For every student that couldn't fit in became the charge of Rabbi Elazar!Instead of complaining Rabbi Elazar taught that although the quality of learning and even the quantity suffered, the act of teaching those on a lesser level were deeds that were greater than learning torah on the highest level possible. This was because the responsibility to deal with students required one to 1) be clear and 2)to get to the depth of the concept in order to make it clear to the students.This is why he used the metaphor of a tree that doesn't move in a wind. when you merely engage in intellectual pursuits ,much of the time the ideas sparkle but they lack basis . In the future they will be refuted .however the lessons given to students who struggle , are clear and rooted . For in the process of caring for G-D's children, one is rewarded with ideas that are rooted and reach the depths of the concept. Hence the deed of teaching children has as its' reward a deeper awareness of the Torah one learns. Furthermore the ideas are true and will stand the test of time!The carob tree was the tree that Rabbi Elazar had in mind. For the carob ,despite growing up to 70 feet tall has extensive roots that reach down to the water source. Its' fruits lastand can sustain a person by itself with no other food . This was the food of Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa . This was also the miraculous food tree of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Elazar in the cave that still lives almost 2000 years later!The symbol of the carob tree with its deep roots should remind us of the wonderful rewards for those who care for others even while their own spiritual growth is neglected.Better to be counted among the teachers than among the aloof!
Posted by Rabbi Chaim Moshe at 2:26 PM
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banners high?
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how do we discover the lost or unknown
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prophecy 4
Isn't Prophecy a discontinued model?
Divine Truth?
Where Heaven can't touch Earth
Where Heaven can't touch Earth
Prophecy for Torah students?
yasher koach
Torah From Sinai?
three branches of love
unlimited love
love examined
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love cont..
► April (18)
what is love?
what is love?
to love a fellow Jew
azazerl-real or imagery?
connection please?
connection please?
connection please?
how they could have lived
why did they die?
Moshiach is also a metzora!
metzora continued
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five methods continued
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Counting Days?
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Charoses
wine 2k and beyond
Maggid2
Maggid1
Marror
matzo3
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matzo1

About Me
Rabbi Chaim Moshe View my complete profile

2007-05-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Carob tree
One of the cryptic statements in Mishneh Avos chapter 3, is the statement by Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaryah that a person whose deeds are greater than his wisdom is likened to a tree whose roots are many but whose branches are few,so that even if all the powerful winds may come , they will not move the tree from its' place. This is in distinction from the person whose wisdom is greater than his deeds . For he is likened to the tree whose branches are many and whose roots are few . In that case the wind comes and overturns the tree !
Now this comparison of what is the main positive aspect of the person,deeds or wisdom,
has already been addressed previously by Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa who said simply that a person whose deeds were greater than his wisdom, his wisdom lasts but not if the wisdom is greater than one's deeds. In that case the wisdom is forgotten.
Since Rabbi Elazar is coming to add to this concept of greater deeds than wisdom, we ask what is the addition? It's a nice example but what is Rabbi Elazar saying that Rabbi Chanina didn't already say?
The answer is that these are two separate levels of deeds . In Rabbi Chanina's case his deeds were widely known . He was not in the great Academy that often as he lived privately as a hidden Tzaddik. However, due to the reputation of his deeds , people would request thqt he pray for them . Invariably his prayers were answered and he demonstrated the power of one whose deeds are righteous before G-D and man.
No poisonous snake could injure him,no temptation could sway him. He was likened to G-D's servant who attends his Master constantly unlike the scholar who is like an official who can only come before the King when invited.
Because of the superiority of his deeds Rabbi Chanina is remembered by all . We remain in awe over his mastery of nature and his words though few are all remembered.
Rabbi Elazar on the other hand was a brilliant young man, who at the amazingly tender age of 18 took over the reins of leading the Academy in Yavneh! If ever there was a person to be noted for his brilliance it was Rabbi Elazar!
Yet Rabbi Elazar stressed that his main effort were his deeds! What were they?
Rabbi Elazar opened the doors of the Academy to all who wished to study Torah. This was in distinction from Rabban Gamliel who maintained that the Academy was only for the pious and the studious.
In doing so, Rabbi Elazar gave himself what appeared as unnecessary work. For every student that couldn't fit in became the charge of Rabbi Elazar!
Instead of complaining Rabbi Elazar taught that although the quality of learning and even the quantity suffered, the act of teaching those on a lesser level were deeds that were greater than learning torah on the highest level possible. This was because the responsibility to deal with students required one to 1) be clear and 2)to get to the depth of
the concept in order to make it clear to the students.
This is why he used the metaphor of a tree that doesn't move in a wind. when you merely engage in intellectual pursuits ,much of the time the ideas sparkle but they lack basis . In the future they will be refuted .however the lessons given to students who strugggle , are clear and rooted . For in the process of caring for G-D's children, one is rewarded with ideas that are rooted and reach the depths of the concept. Hence the deed of teaching children has as its' reward a deeper awareness of the Torah one learns. Furthermore the ideas are true and will stand the test of time!
The carob tree was the tree that Rabbi Elazar had in mind. For the carob ,despite growing up to 70 feet tall has extensive roots that reach down to the water source. Its' fruits last
and can sustain a person by itself with no other food . This was the food of Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa . This was also the miraculous food tree of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Elazar in the cave that still lives almost 2000 yearts later!
The symbol of the carob tree with its deep roots should remind us of the wonderful rewards for those who care for others even while their own spiritual growth is neglected.
Better to be counted among the teachers than among the aloof!

2007-05-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Rabbi Eliezer the great continued:
The reason I called the great sage Rabbi Eliezer, the greater ,not the great, as is common , is because he was called so to differentiate between himself and others with that name, that he was the greater of them. This doesn’t mean that he was the great amongst all Israel ,for all times. For although he was greater in his knowledge than all of his peers, there were peers who exceeded him in other ways.
However, let us return to the confrontation of the “snake oven” that eventually cost us the life our Nassi Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh, as well as the career of Rabbi Eliezer.
Rabbi Eliezer first invoked the carob tree as a sign of his superiority.
The carob tree was known for slow development. According to legend , it takes 70 years for edible fruit to grow from it. As such , the ability to make the carob respond must be seen as an extraordinary spiritual power. It indicated the ability of Rabbi Eliezer to quickly analyze any difficulty in a way unknown to his colleagues.
Next came the stream which is symbolic of the Torah , which is likened to a running stream that flows from the greatest heights and descends to the lowest level. That Rabbi Eliezer could make a stream flow backwards could only indicate his mastery of every subject seeing it not only as it flows from the fount of intellect forward. Rather , he could reconstruct every concept and knew how to go “backwards” with every concept . This indicates his mastery of every aspect of Torah . Thus the rabbis should review their premises as they lacked the insight of Rabbi Eliezer.
The rabbis tell us that the walls of one’s home testify as to the content of one’s conversation. The walls of the Study Hall were witnesses to Rabbi Eliezer’s superiority. For hadn’t Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai stated that if all the scholars of Israel were on one side of a scale and Rabbi Eliezer were on the other side, he would tip the scale in his favor. As such, his opinion was to be reckoned with as if it were the majority.
Next he invoked the very Heavens to testify his superiority over his peers. This is because Rabbi Eliezer never said any opinion of his own. Rather , he only quoted what he had heard from his teachers. Therefore , the opinion stated by Rabbi Eliezer was none other than the opinion of the teachers of his peers . As such , they should defer to their teachers !
We might be able to say that Rabbi Eliezer was hinting to the 4 levels of wisdom which correspond to the four letters of G-D’s Name . These are the Halachic or action level of the Torah. This is symbolized by the carob tree which is the tree used by the Rabbis to indicate a scholar whose deeds outpace his wisdom. How can deeds outpace one’s wisdom if one’s deeds are dependent upon one’s wisdom , which is Torah?
The answer is , that this is referring to the part of Torah which deals with deeds . This is the Halacha! The Halacha is symbolized by the carob because its’ roots are deep and can therefore survive a hot dry climate. Because its’ roots are abundant ,it is stable and longlasting.
The fruits of the carob can stay on it for a long time without spoilage.
So is the Halacha . Its’ fruits are eternal . The person seeking the Halacha of every Torah concept is rewarded with finding all the relevant information and insight in the process of Halachic discovery.
Thus Rabbi Eliezer was superior to them in knowledge of the Halacha!
The Rabbis responded that superior general knowledge doesn’t mean superior knowledge in a specific point of law.
Next came the stream which indicates the deliberations of the Torah,
Symbolized by the running stream . Here Rabbi Eliezer , too , was
Greater than they for he could take apart and analyze different positions and opinions backwards and forward like a stream that could go in reverse any time. This mastery of the discussion was unlike anything the majority could do.
Thus said Rabbi Eliezer, I am superior to all of you in the process of
Taking the information and developing it for final analysis . So how could you argue with my superior powers of logic?
The Rabbis responded, that the Halacha was not a crossword puzzle. Decisions had to be made by one’s logic as well as one’s intuitive abilities.
Next Rabbi Eliezer invoked the walls of the Beis Hamidrash which was witness to the various Halachic discussions of the past . This is the Binah or clarification aspect of Torah discussed in the halls of Torah.
During the 50 years after the Temple’s destruction there hadn’t been a discussion which he hadn’t re4corded in his mind . Thus every avenue of approach was known by him and was more well versed by him than all the sages put together. He knew the relevant cases and their reasoning better. Thus the intuitive knowledge which is based upon the attitude towards a Halacha could not be in conflict with the discussions held in the open Beis Hamidrash . To this Rabbi Yehoshua put forth the principle that the rabbis can discover new nuances in the Law and cannot be governed by the discussions of the past. Thus new philosophic premise were constantly being discovered in the Torah and the thought process wasn’t set in permanent setting.
Rabbi Eliezer then invoked the Heavens. For the Torah is the blueprint of creation . The Divine Wisdom inherent in Torah governs
The Cosmos. This wisdom is the Wisdom of the Creator . One cannot argue with this Wisdom!
Rabbi Yehoshua in declaring that it no longer is in the heavens did not dismiss the Divine Wisdom. Rather, he said that the Halachic process was the discovery of the Supernal Will which was already given to Moshe within the Torah. The discovery process of the Rabbis was to become recipients of Moshe’s prophecy. This is beyond the Divine Wisdom and when discovered will redefine the parameters of the Wisdom so that Wisdom will not contradict the Will.
In other words, the divine Wisdom will not contradict nor inhibit the discovery of the Divine Will. Rather, it will be demonstrated at a later date how the decisions of the majority are consistent with Divine Wisdom .
Rabbi Eliezer could not accept their opinion. Since he never issued a ruling of his own opinion, only the words of his teachers , he could not accept what he considered to be a new ruling-a chidush if you will. Because the Rabbis seemed to be in conflict with his teachers,
They must be wrong! This led to his excommunication and the death of the Chief Justice, Rabban Gamliel , who issued the ban on Rabbi Eliezer.
The question remaining on this episode is that the ban on Rabbi Eliezer was first lifted after his demise . In that case how do we have the story of the gathering in Beney B’rak of the five sages which included Rabbi Eliezer? After all , the ban hadn’t been lifted?
We must conclude that the ban was a partial ban against the Rabbi issuing opinions of law and entering the Beth Din. However, for other matters of communal good , or Holy Day activities such as the Pesach Seder, Rabbi Eliezer was accorded full honors.
Interesting though, neither Rabbi Eliezer or Rabbi Yehoshua addressed the gathered ,so as not to remind anyone of the ban at that time. Hence it was Rabbi Elazar who spoke. Although he was the Nassi, Chief Justice, the opening remarks would have included the elders. Rabbi Yehoshua would not speak since Rabbi Eliezer wasn’t allowed to. Apparently the discussion surrounding the complexities of the plagues mentioned in the latter part of the Haggadah were discussed at an earlier date.
(to be continued)

2007-05-20T18:24:00.001-07:00

When Action Really Speaks!
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Weekly thoughts
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The purpose of learning Torah seems to be doing the Mitzvos properly. Yet we find evidence that the study of Torah trumps the fulfillment of Mitzvos when the Mitzva can be done by another. So we find it strange that the Mishneh in Avos chapter 3 says twice that someone whose wisdom is greater than his deeds, his wisdom will not last. Only if his deeds exceed his wisdom will his wisdom last. Now we have just learned that deeds are to be more than wisdom, so how can the study of Torah Trump doing Mitzvos?The usual interpretation here would be , what is the person more noted for. For example, it was revealed by a wandering soul that the famed Chofetz Chayim was considered in Heaven like one of the teachers in the Mishneh due to his diligence in Torah, nonetheless, our appreciation of him is mostly for his good deeds and superior Midos!Yet this alone doesn't suffice, for the term used isn't what the person is famous for, rather it is deeds are more than wisdom!It is my opinion that this is referring to a teacher who chooses to exert himself in teaching others at the sacrifice of his greater knowledge of Torah. In such a case one might think that one has lessened the greatness of Torah by the preoccupation with lesser Talmidim.The Mishneh says , that as a result of this teachers efforts the deeds will multiply through thesuccess and inspiration of the many. This will help the wisdom that he attains to be true and deep wisdom and therefore long lasting. True, the efforts with Talmidim take time ,effort and one's level of intellect suffers. However, the Torah one is able to learn under these conditions is likened to a tree whose roots are many but its' branches are few. Although the branches of wisdom are fewer than had he been left to study on his own. however, the roots are many and deeper. That means that the wisdom itself is clearer and more profound as a result of toiling with others. Because such wisdom is granted more clarity and depth, this wisdom lasts and students will repeat the teachers' words forever!
Posted by Rabbi Chaim Moshe at 5:55 PM
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The purpose of learning Torah seems to be doing th...
banners high?
counting makes special?
something counted someone special
how do we discover the lost or unknown
what difference does all of this make?
prophecy 4
Isn't Prophecy a discontinued model?
Divine Truth?
Where Heaven can't touch Earth
Where Heaven can't touch Earth
Prophecy for Torah students?
yasher koach
Torah From Sinai?
three branches of love
unlimited love
love examined
lasting love
love cont..
► April (18)
what is love?
what is love?
to love a fellow Jew
azazerl-real or imagery?
connection please?
connection please?
connection please?
how they could have lived
why did they die?
Moshiach is also a metzora!
metzora continued
tazria-metzora-tzoraas
role of Moshiach
five methods continued
five methods continued
the 5 ways of thinkers
making days count
Counting Days?
► March (8)
Charoses
wine 2k and beyond
Maggid2
Maggid1
Marror
matzo3
matzo2
matzo1

About Me
Rabbi Chaim Moshe View my complete profile

2007-05-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

The purpose of learning Torah seems to be doing the Mitzvos properly. Yet we find evidence that the study of Torah trumps the fulfillment of Mitzvos when the Mitzva can be done by another. So we find it strange that the MNishneh in Avos chapter 3 says twice that someone whose wisdom is greater than his deeds, his wisdom will not last. Only if his deeds exceed his wisdom will his wisdom last. Now we have just learned that deeds are to be more than wisdom,

so how can the study of Torah Trump doing Mitzvos?
The usual interpretation here would be , what is the person more noted for. For example, even though it was revealed by a wandering soul that the famed Chofetz Chayim was considered in Heaven like one of the teachers in the Mishneh due to his diligence in Torah,nonetheless our
appreciation of him is mostly for his good deeds and superior Midos!
Yet this alone doesn't suffice for the term used isn't what the person is famous for,rather it is deeds are more than wisdom!
It is my opinion that this is referring to a teacher who chooses to exert himself in teaching others at the sacrifice of his greater knowledge of Torah. In such a case one might think that one has lessened the greatness of Torah by the preoccupation with lesser Talmidim.
The Mishneh says , that as a result of this teachers efforts the deeds will multiply through the
success and inspiration of the many. This will help the wisdom that he attains to be true and deep wisdom and therefore long lasting. True, the efforts with Talmidim take time ,effort and one's level of intellect suffers. However, the Torah one is able to learn under these conditions is likened to a tree whose roots are many but its' branches are few. Although the branches of wisdom are fewer than had he been left to study on his own. however, the roots are many and deeper. That means that the wisdom itself is clearer and more profound as a result of toiling with others. Because such wisdom is granted more clarity and depth, this wisdom lasts and students will repeat the teachers' words forever!

banners high?

2007-05-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Midrash says that at the time of the giving of the Torah the Israelites peered at the Angels and saw that they had organized camps with different banners. The Israelites were jealous of the Angels' banners and hoped one day to be given the same.
When G-D decided how to organize the camps , they were ordered to have the same banners they saw on high.
every time i review this Midrash i wonder what is so special about the banners that the Israelites coveted to have those colors. The answer always given is that the Israelites saw the wondrous service and greatness of the Angels. What they desired was the level that the Angels had achieved.
This too, is unsatisfying, for how can we compare ourselves to the Angels?
It is my belief that they saw the universal brotherhood exhibited by the Angels and the pride that they had with being united under one flag for a single cause. This unity of person and purpose is what we coveted , Upon being counted , we had the tools necessary to copy and even outdo the Angels in our unity below. For through sacrifice for the group, the individual rises even above the
Angels!

counting makes special?

2007-05-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

What’s so important about a census?
The entire fourth Book of the torah is called Chomesh HaPequdim or the book of the Counted (Numerai). Why must we learn about their numbers in the desert 3319 years later?
The Rebbe says that by being counted we become significant. The question is that a counted object already is important enough to be counted. So if we were already distinct, why the need to count us?
Especially since G-D already knows our number. So why the big splash?
Ramban answers that by being counted by Moshe and the Princes each Israelite was Blessed and made to feel special in a way that altered his commitment to his people his Torah and above all, his
G-D! After all, from this moment on he was drafted into the army that would be called up to protect the nation in times of war . From this point on, we became a unit, responsible for each other in times of war and in times of peace.
Perhaps it can be put this way. We had to submit to becoming a numbered person amongst Klal Yisroel Even though we were just a unit amongst a great army, we gained the awareness of the whole.
By becoming part of a whole we not only became important , we became capable of leading a nation. We also became capable of producing a whole nation.
It’s a well known fact that almost all Ashkenazi Jews are descended
From only 6 families. As tragic as this may seem, it reinforces the above point, each of us can lead a world. Each of us has the power to make a world if need be!

something counted someone special

2007-05-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

What’s so important about a census?
The entire fourth Book of the Torah is called Chomesh HaPequdim or the book of the Counted (Numerai). Why must we learn about their numbers in the desert 3319 years later?
The Rebbe says that by being counted we become significant. The question is that a counted object already is important enough to be counted. So if we were already distinct, why the need to count us?
Especially since G-D already knows our number. So why the big splash?
Ramban answers that by being counted by Moshe and the Princes each Israelite was Blessed and made to feel special in a way that altered his commitment to his people his Torah and above all, his
G-D! After all, from this moment on he was drafted into the army that would be called up to protect the nation in times of war . From this point on, we became a unit, responsible for each other in times of war and in times of peace.
Perhaps it can be put this way. We had to submit to becoming a numbered person amongst Klal Yisroel Even though we were just a unit amongst a great army, we gained the awareness of the whole.
By becoming part of a whole we not only became important , we became capable of leading a nation. We also became capable pf producing a whole nation.
It’s a well known fact that almost all Ashkenazi Jews are descended
From only 6 families. As tragic as this may seem, it reinforces the above point, each of us can lead a world.Each of us has the power to make a world if need be!

how do we discover the lost or unknown

2007-05-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

What happened when we lost some of the information of the Torah?How do we know that they got it right?
If the Rabbis just made it up based upon their thoughts, then why can't we make up our own?
The answer is that the Rabbis used their understanding only after examining the tradition exactly as they had it. All Exegesis were derived from passed rulings and principles. So how do we know that they got it right?
The answer lies in the process of Torah Study. The Torah is unlike all disciplines in that the process is based upon the Masora-the Prophetic Communication from our past. By faithfully adhering to the words and concepts of our Sages we become connected to what they were connected to. In other words , faithful adherence to Moshe's words brings in contact with his Prophetic connection to G-D. Are we prophets? No! However we stand upon the shoulders of
these giants of the spirit every time we take their words to heart. Then as we exert ourselves to try and understand how they would adjudicate this case we stand on their shoulders and peer
outward. Thus our conclusion is the same as if it were that scholar or Prophet whose words and opinions we have exhaustively studied.

what difference does all of this make?

2007-05-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

Discussions about the validity or the level of communication of the parts of the Torah from G-D
seem to be mostly turbulence about nothing of consequence. So why waste your time and mine creating a blog and sending it via e- mail to you when it won't give you advice as to how to pay your bills or deal with children?
The answer lies in the power of ideas to influence long after they were stated . i try to put myself in every question posed as how i would try to see it if it were me. As such, the answers are very real because they cover issues of belief that are usually glossed over and not thought out by the average Rabbi.
If the Torah is a series of prophecies then it isn't meant to be understood. If that is the case then it's just as dogmatic as any set of beliefs except that its' claims of truth are stronger. still a dogma that doesn't allow for questions invites people to leave by its' abusive ideology. Only when tempered by understanding does the Prophecy aspect give life to an ancient way of life, that we have been taught is timeless in its' appeal. This is why it's important to make ideas alive and relevant. Otherwise our beliefs stagnate and grow weary.

prophecy 4

2007-05-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

BH
Prophecy4
There is a question as to the role of Moshe in the transmission of the Torah . If indeed the Torah is purely the word of G-D then how could Moshe’s words in effect be part of G-D’s Torah? Furthermore , why is
The Torah called the Torah of Moshe by the prophet Malachi?
The Rebbe is quoted as saying that levels of Prophecy are at play with regards to Moshe’s Transcription of the Torah .
This alone does not help us with the concept. For in what way did Moshe act as a transcriber if he was saying Deuteronomy on his own?
In the Book Of Samuel King David describes Prophecy thus-”The Spirit of G-d spoke within me and His Word is on my tongue”
In other words , the Prophet only serves as a conduit for G-D .
If that be the case then what causes the different categories of Prophets? If it’s all G-D’s words, then how do they differ in stature?
The Rambam writes in his famous Eight Chapters- the introduction to the tractate Ethics of our Fathers, that the difference between Prophets is the degree of emotional mastery. That is that if a Prophet was imbalanced in a particular trait , then this clouded the Prophetic vision . For truth has to be totally unbiased and if the Prophet had any emotional extremes , then the Prophecy would be colored by his bias.
How is this possible if his words are those of G-d? The answer lies in the concept of conduits or tools. If you wish to bang a nail you look for a hammer not a Geiger counter ! If you are looking for treasure you are not going to turn on a TV!
When G-D wishes to warn the people of impending doom, he does not send them King David who loved the people with a fiery love and hated their enemies. Rather , the Prophet that is sent reflects the tone of the Prophecy . Nonetheless, because the Prophet is lacking
In mastery of his emotions or intellect, the vision is said to be unclear. In what way?
The vision by itself can have far-reaching implications . The clearer the vision the farther in time the Prophecy foresees. The greater the preparation for the vision the more encompassing the message.
In other words , the greater the Prophecy , the greater the time and the range for whom the prophecy is delivered.
This is why the Rabbis tell us that in the future all the books of the Prophets except for the Five Books and the Book of Esther will be dated . This is because the impact of these writings will have for the most part be fulfilled in total.
Let us now return to Deuteronomy .Since Moshe was now even more mature than he had ever been ,there is no reason to believe that Moshe was in a lesser Prophetic state. On the contrary , everything he did in his fateful last weeks was on a higher degree of proficiency
Than anything he had done before. True his physical powers were waning , however his determination was stronger than anytime in his life. He accomplished more in those last furious weeks than he had done in several years of his productive life.
The difference is that in all other parts of the Torah , Moshe was first and foremost a Prophet waiting for G-D to communicate to him for the sake of the Nation of Israel. Here, Moshe wanted to address the
People of Israel.
The difference is that before Moshe would only speak to the nation when G-D told him to. Therefore , the words are from G-D directly to Moshe. Here Moshe WANTED TO SPEAK, because he was so determined to prepare them for their destiny that was to continue without him. Moshe began to speak out of concern for the people .
As he saw the future clearly , it was imperative to warn and encourage them at the same time. As soon as he spoke G-d spoke within him . However, as this was from Moshe’s initiative, G-d did not alter Moshe’s words. Rather , within those words were the same clairvoyance and impact upon all of the cosmos. The only difference was that these words came first through Moshe’s motivation and reflected his personal concerns for them.
As such , because Moshe’s own feelings are communicated the Book is said to be of a lesser source Moshe as opposed to that which was initiated by G-D Himself in the first four Books . In truth, however, the Prophecy of Moshe was on a higher level then than at
Any other time in his life. In fact , the Prophecy from G-D’s viewpoint was also higher. This is because when a matter is imposed from above it has the higher stamp of authority. However, when the recipient understands on his own, this reflects a greater level of true communication. For the student now truly understands the master and the master sees it from the student’s perspective.
Thus the Book of Deuteronomy is as Eternal as the others and in a small way even more penetrating than the other four Books!

Isn't Prophecy a discontinued model?

2007-05-14T12:03:00.001-07:00

As mentioned, the great works of the Torah are said to be assisted by the Divine. How is this to be distinguished from the notion that after the destruction of the first Holy Temple that Prophecy ceased? Secondly , we find apologetic statements issued by the very same Rabbis who claimed Divine Assistance for their conclusions in matters of Law, that they could not comment or intervene on certain matters as they weren't endowed with the necessary Ruach Hakodesh - Divine Spirit !?

We must conclude that Divine help with Prayers or intervention are different from Divine assistance in Torah . Why?

A possible answer is hinted at in the introduction to the "Ten Commandments ". In the line that introduces those famous words " I AM THE L_RD..." it says " and G-D said all of the following, to
repeat again?!
Since G-D was saying this directly to all the people , why was it necessary to have His Words repeated ?
The answer, presented in Yalkut Shimony, is that all Prophecies, including all the written Prophets and Writings of the TaNaCh, as well as all of the novel ideas of every Torah Scholar in every generation were included in the words of the Ten Commandments.
In other words, the Ten Commandments and the Five Books of the Torah comprise the entire
body of Torah Literature for all time . This is because the Ten Commandments were the Entire Communication that will ever take place between G-D and man regarding Torah Law.
Therefore, the Divine assistance with the Law, called Halacha, was just a revelation of the original Prophecy at Sinai . Anything outside of the Law required new Divine Spirit , something that became increasingly rare as time went on.
Chaim Moshe

Divine Truth?

2007-05-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

Iyar 23, 5767
Prophecy in Halacha?
There is a view that all great teachers of the Torah have had Divine Assistance with their Torah decisions. In fact the view is that all of the Great Books such as the Mishneh, Talmud , Rambam , Shulchan Aruch etc… could not have been made without the assistance of Heaven . This is consistent with the remark of the great Raavad that “for the last 20 years, Ruach Hakodesh- Divine Presence has been manifest in our Study Hall“..!
The question that is obvious is from the response of Rabbi Yehoshua to the Heavenly Voice that “It-meaning the Torah, is not in Heaven!”
If that is the case , then how do we understand the assertion that the great Rabbis and their works were assisted by the Divine?
Where does the Divine come in, in order to not be considered intervening from Heaven?
Every scholar has a Divine soul which is the root of his intellect in Torah. For the understanding of the Torah requires an altogether different set of powers. As the Alter Rebbe says in Tanya that through
The study of Torah there is a unity of mind , subject and soul that doesn’t exist in the physical world. This , says the Rebbe , includes matters of intellect in the physical world including the most abstract mathematics and sciences, This is because the Torah is the Wisdom of G-D and as such can cause this complete unity with the soul .
Other wisdoms remain apart from the soul no matter how profound the topic.
In that case how is it that certain individuals have had the ability to come to conclusions that have been accepted as the standard for Halacha and others have not been so fortunate ,even though they were of equal devotion and intellect?
There are two factors. One is the root of the soul. A person whose soul is rooted in Chessed will by nature conclude more leniently than a person rooted in Gevuros. Secondly , the person involved in a halacha has to be searching for the truth , not just intellectually but the truth of G-D’s Will.
In the process of seeking the truth of G-D’s Will, there is Divine Assistance . Here is where the ruach Hakodesh helps. Within the person’s mind the search for this truth can have divine Assistance in discovering the relevant issues that determine the true Will of G-D, I.e. the Halacha.
The Ruach HaKodesh cannot issue the verdict as a gift from on High. In fact , a Prophet who claims that G-D revealed the Halacha to him is killed as a false Prophet! In that case , the only Divine Assistance is when the person toils in the Torah and is completely devoted to finding the truth even if it goes against one’s pre-conceived notions or even or Torah insights attained over a lifetime.
In other words ,you seek to find what G-D wants not what you think
Or want.
In the case of Rabbi Eliezer, since all of his ideas came only from that which he heard from his teachers, it was impossible to sway him to think differently. In that regard he toiled diligently to remember and classify every nuance of his Holy Rebbes. However, this limited him in his quest and as such in certain cases he could go no further than the wisdom he had received. Even if the conclusion were true a generation earlier, it is possible that upon further review the Law would change . This is because the details of the Halacha vary and the need of the community and the world changes. Sometimes the need for leniency is needed due to extenuating circumstances. On other occasions the law must be stricter.
Since Rabbi Eliezer had finished opinions on every matter , it was impossible for him to conclude differently than that which was fixed in his mind . The voice from Heaven represented the Torah as it had been received by Rabbi Eliezer exactly as he had heard it from his teachers. However, this did not mean that the application of the Halacha would be in sync with these teachings as there are variables ,different circumstances and details that can change the conclusion.
This is why Rabbi Yehoshua could say with conviction -”It is not in the Heavens”. For the Torah must be studied in the here and now.
Each case has to be studied anew!

Where Heaven can't touch Earth

2007-05-11T11:29:00.001-07:00

Prophecy for Torah students?
A mystical argument is recorded in the Talmud Bava Metzia 59b between Rabbi Eliezer the Greater and his colleagues . They argued over the ritual purity of an oven that had been cut, reassembled with soil placed in between the plates.
In his frustration that the majority disagreed with every argument he presented, Rabbi Eliezer invoked mystical forces, arguing that his logic is based upon spiritual reality which reflects only the truth. As such his arguments had to be true , or else where would the spiritual force come from?
He asked the Carob Tree to prove him right and it immediately jumped the equivalent of 2 football fields! The Rabbis said that this proved nothing except that he had the power to move the immovable. Next he had a stream change its’ course and flow upstream. This was meant to show that anyone who flowed against his ideas had to turn around and rethink his position.
Next , he asked the walls of the academy to prove the truth of his words .The academy walls began to collapse upon the enclosed Rabbis . Rabbi Yehoshua stood up and told the walls that they had no business mixing in a Torah argument. Here too, Rabi Eliezer was trying to point out that the walls which had been witnesses to many years of Torah discussion and had absorbed the sounds of the conclusions of the sages of the previous generations would show that arguments against Rabbi Eliezer ran contrary to what they had received over the years!
Finally , Rabbi Eliezer used his trump card , he called upon the Heavens . Then a voice from Heaven declared that all that Rabbi Eliezer said was in accordance with the true Halacha or law!
Again Rabbi Yehoshua stood and declared “it is not in the Heavens”!
For the Torah had been given to the opinion of the majority in the court.
The question that comes immediately to mind is that Rabbi Eliezer knew that the Torah is not in the Heavens, and yet tried to get the Rabbis to agree with him by using mystical powers . By what logic did he assume that they would listen?
The Rebbe is quoted as saying that he did not expect that they change their mind based upon mystical powers . Rather, he wanted them to rethink their positions . By demonstrating that his insights were not mere human logic but Divine Wisdom , he hoped to have
Them reconsider their opposition to his ideas .
Now what would be the proof of truth from the movement of a tree or running stream? What was the importance of the walls of the study hall that required Rabbi Yehoshua’s response? Finally , how do you disagree with G-D , who apparently was the voice from Heaven?
A possible answer can be given that these represent two types of hidden wisdom that Rabbi Eliezer excelled in.
The Talmud in Chagigah tells us that there are two types of Hidden Wisdom . One is called Maaseh Bereishis or the secret of the creation ,which includes the natural sciences. The second is called Merkava or the Divine Chariot .
The difference between the two is that Merkava is much deeper and hence, more secret. In fact, the secrets of Bereishis can be given in detail to two worthy students at a time . Merkava on the other hand,
Can only be discussed privately . Even then, the master only hints the major points to his student , who must solve the mysteries on his own .
Rabbi Eliezer was demonstrating that since he could alter nature that he had mastered the secrets of creation as they are found in the Sefer Yetzirah. In that case , since the external halachah is only the garment of the internal Torah, then his knowledge was more accurate than his peers . The response of the Rabbis was that Maaseh Bereishis could be altered by prayer . Hence any change in the physical world does not reflect truth . Rather, it requires that the individual’s prayers will be accepted . Even the ability to cause water to go upstream which indicates a mastery of the forces of the world does not indicate that it comes from superior wisdom . Rather, it indicates that Rabbi Eliezer was a master over his evil inclination and as such could change the nature of physical things. For the world has been placed in the heart of Man .
When a man masters his nature, he can master all of nature .
The second set of mystical proofs were more profound and required a personal response . The walls of the study hall were witness to all that had been discussed within them, including the secret conversations between Rabbi Eliezer and his great Rebbe, Rabbi Yochonon Ben Zakkai. These secret discussions dealt with Merkava , the deepest of the Torah secrets. Accordingly, RABBI ELIEZER WAS SHOWING THAT HIS WISDOM ENCOMPASSED THE DEEPEST LAYERS OF THE TORAH. He therefore challenged the authority of those who argued with him. Since his wisdom was so far above theirs, why would they not defer to him, SINCE surely the mind that can solve the mystery of the Merkava could certainly be relied upon in smaller matters!
The walls of the bais Hamidrash were ready to fall upon the occupants for daring to challenge Rabbi Eliezer.Tthey had witnessed his superiority over the many who argued against him.
What Rabbi Yehoshua implied in warning the walls to not mix in, was that he too, had penetrated the Merkava . However, the revelation had taken place in a location outside the study hall. Hence Rabbi Eliezer was not greater than Rabbi Yehoshua on this level. Rabbi Eliezer then invoked the very heavens to testify about his superiority in penetrating Torah’s secrets. If he is superior in the secret knowledge, then at least there could not be a definitive verdict against his opinions.
What was the proof from Heaven? That Rabbi Eliezer’s ideas were consistent with all of the aspects of the Torah. Since his wisdom fathomed even the deepest areas correctly , his opinions surely had the stamp of truth on every level ,even in the simple , concrete world!
This is the meaning of the statement that the law is according to Rabbi Eliezer in every place. That means , that on every level of Torah he has penetrated the truth and has attained true wisdom on every topic. His ideas coincide with every aspect of Torah on every level. Therefore, his opinion is true everywhere!
Rabbi Yehoshua replied that the Torah is beyond the Heavens and that the truth of the Torah cannot be ascertained by wisdom, even
Merkava wisdom! This is because halacha comes THROUGH wisdom but essentially is rooted in Kesser-transcendent beyond wisdom. In other words, the ability to penetrate into spiritual realities does not reach the depths of halachah ,which is beyond its’ scope! Therefore , the Heavens which represent Divine Wisdom cannot determine the Law!
Good Shabbos!
(to be continued)
-----------------------------------------------------Rabbi Chaim Moshe BergsteinVisit my blog at rabbichaimmoshe.blogspot.com

Where Heaven can't touch Earth

2007-05-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Prophecy for Torah students?

2007-05-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Prophecy for Torah students?
A mystical argument is recorded in the Talmud Bava Metzia 59b between Rabbi Eliezer the Greater and his colleagues . They argued over the ritual purity of an oven that had been cut, reassembled with soil placed in between the plates.
In his frustration that the majority disagreed with every argument he presented, Rabbi Eliezer invoked mystical forces, arguing that his logic is based upon spiritual reality which reflects only the truth. As such his arguments had to be true , or else where would the spiritual force come from?
He asked the Carob Tree to prove him right and it immediately jumped the equivalent of 2 football fields! The Rabbis said that this proved nothing except that he had the power to move the immovable. Next he had a stream change its’ course and flow upstream. This was meant to show that anyone who flowed against his ideas had to turn around and rethink his position.
Next , he asked the walls of the academy to prove the truth of his words .The academy walls began to collapse upon the enclosed Rabbis . Rabbi Yehoshua stood up and told the walls that they had no business mixing in a Torah argument. Here too, Rabi Eliezer was trying to point out that the walls which had been witnesses to many years of Torah discussion and had absorbed the sounds of the conclusions of the sages of the previous generations would show that arguments against Rabbi Eliezer ran contrary to what they had received over the years!
Finally , Rabbi Eliezer used his trump card , he called upon the Heavens . Then a voice from Heaven declared that all that Rabbi Eliezer said was in accordance with the true Halacha or law!
Again Rabbi Yehoshua stood and declared “it is not in the Heavens”!
For the Torah had been given to the opinion of the majority in the court.
The question that comes immediately to mind is that Rabbi Eliezer knew that the Torah is not in the Heavens, and yet tried to get the Rabbis to agree with him by using mystical powers . By what logic did he assume that they would listen?
The Rebbe is quoted as saying that he did not expect that they change their mind based upon mystical powers . Rather, he wanted them to rethink their positions . By demonstrating that his insights were not mere human logic but Divine Wisdom , he hoped to have
Them reconsider their opposition to his ideas .
Now what would be the proof of truth from the movement of a tree or running stream? What was the importance of the walls of the study hall that required Rabbi Yehoshua’s response? Finally , how do you disagree with G-D , who apparently was the voice from Heaven?
A possible answer can be given that these four "proofs" represent two types of hidden wisdom that Rabbi Eliezer excelled in.Thus there were 2 examples for each type of wisdom.
The Talmud in Chagigah tells us that there are two types of Hidden Wisdom . One is called Maaseh Bereishis or the secret of the creation ,which includes the natural sciences. The second is called Merkavah or the Divine Chariot .
The difference between the two is that Merkava is much deeper and hence more secret. In fact the secrets of Bereishis can be given in detail to two worthy students at a time . Merkava on the other hand,
Can only be discussed privately . Even then, the master only hints the major points to his student , who must solve the mysteries on his own .
Rabbi Eliezer was demonstrating that since he could alter nature that he had mastered the secrets of creation as they are found in the Torah. In that case , since the external halachah is only the garment of the internal Torah, then his knowledge was more accurate than his peers . The response of Rabbi Yehoshua was that Maaseh Bereishis could be altered by prayer . Hence any change in the physical world does not reflect upon truth . Rather it merely requires that the individual’s prayers can be accepted . Even the ability to cause water to go upstream which indicated a mastery of the forces of the world does not indicate that it is the superior wisdom of the master . Rather , it indicates that Rabbi Eliezer was a master of his evil inclination and as such could change the nature of other physical things. For the world has been placed in the heart of Man .
When a man masters his nature, he can master all of nature .
The second set of mystical proofs were more profound and required a response . The walls of the study hall were witness to all that had been discussed within them, including the secret conversations between Rabbi Eliezer and his great Rebbe, Rabbi Yochonon Ben Zakkay. These secret discussions dealt with Merkava , the deepest of the Torah secrets. Accordingly, Rabbi ELIEZER WAS SHOWING THAT HIS WISDOM ENCOMPASSED THE DEEPEST LAYERS OF THE TORAH. He therefore challenged the very authority of those who argued with him. Since his wisdom was so far above theirs why would they not defer to him, as surely the mind that can solve the mystery of the Merkava could certainly be relied upon to make proper conclusions in smaller matters!
The walls of the bais Hamidrash were ready to fall upon the occupants for daring to challenge the great Rabbi Eliezer as they witnessed his superiority over the many who argued against him.
What Rabbi Yehoshua implied in warning the walls was that he too, had penetrated the Merkava . However, the revelation had taken place in a location outside the study hall. Hence Rabbi Eliezer was not greater than Rabbi Yehoshua on this level. So Rabbi Eliezer invoked the very heavens to testify about his superiority in penetrating Torah’s secrets. If he is superior to those who argue with him. Then at least there could not be a definitive verdict against his opinions.
What was the proof from Heaven? That Rabbi Eliezer’s ideas were consistent with all of the aspects of the Torah. Since his wisdom fathomed even the deepest areas correctly ,then his opinions had the stamp of truth on every level ,even in the simple , concrete world!
This is the meaning of the statement that the law is according to Rabbi Eliezer in every place. That means , that on every level of Torah he has penetrated the truth and has reached true wisdom on every topic. His ideas coincide with every aspect of Torah on every level. Therefore, his opinion is true everywhere!
Rabbi Yehoshua replied that the Torah is beyond the Heavens and that the truth of the Torah cannot be ascertained by wisdom, even
Merkava wisdom! This is because halacha comes through wisdom but essentially is rooted in Kesser-transcendency. In other words, the ability to penetrate into spiritual realities is a wisdfom but does not reach the depths of halachah which is beyond Wisdom!
Good Shabbos
-----------------------------------------------------Rabbi Chaim Moshe BergsteinVisit my blog at rabbichaimmoshe.blogspot.com

yasher koach

2007-05-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

a big yasher koach is due gavriel Attar and ezra drisman for the wonderful Shabbos meal and atmosphere last friday night at our Bais Chabad. Also a great yasher koach to ari drisman for organizing our second annual Lag BeOmer bonfire. to ari and his friends-CHAZAK!

Torah From Sinai?

2007-05-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

The sidra begins with the report that the commandment to keep the Shemita-Sabbatical year, was given at Sinai . The question is , of what significane is it to us that the Commandment came at Sinai? On a scale of 1- 10 what change in our attitude towards the Torah would change if we knew
that it came from Sinai?Probably 1!
The classic commentaries in the Midrash quote Rabbi Yishmoel and Rabbi Akiva who argue if all of the Torah down to every minor detail was given when Moshe went up on Sinai or whether the details were included later .Both agree that the general principles werew delivered at Sinai only the details are in question. Both agree , however that the commandment for the Sabbatical year was given with its' details around the time of the giving of the Torah . The only question was where were the details first discussed . Rabbi Yishmoel opines that they were given in detail at the Ohel Moed- The Tabernacle. Rabbi Akiva says that the details too were given at Mt. Sinai . The difference is inherent in the very nature of the Oral Law . Rabbi Yishmoel is of the opinion that the details of the law were in essence logical out growths of the principles . Rabbi Akiva , however apparently holds that the details were also Prophetic in nature .
This is the reason for the need to identify the Sabbatical Year with Sinai . This teaches that all of the Torah's commandments as well as their details are truly Prophecies . Furthermore , the enactments of subsequent generations receive this exalted status as well . The Laws of the Torah can be questioned and argued about. In the end the reason we obey them is because we believe that they are G-D given!

three branches of love

2007-05-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Let us now look back at our original discussion of the Mitzva of Ahavas Yisroe-l. The question articulated by the Rabbi was,"how is it possible to care about someone else like yourself"?
This seems to be an impossibility . It isn't even healthy mentally. furthermore you are obligated to save yourself if it ever comes down to yourself or your fellowman. So how can you ever love your fellow like yourself if it can't be like yourself?
The rabbi's suggestion followed the pattern of finding new information where you do not have the problem posed by the question. The Rabbi posed the consideration that I want to care for myself. When would I want someone to care for me? Only in cases where i couldn't care for myself!
Similarly, my love for another should be similar to my love for myself. Where he can take care of himself he doesn't want nor need my care. Only where he can't do it by himself such as when he is sick or just married is there the obligation to do things for him that he can't easily do for himself.
In other words, the care and love i give him is the care and love i would want for myself!
The Rambam's approach is different . The Torah does want you to love that person. How is it possible to love the person the same as yourself-not that he becomes as important in your life as you are to yourself. Rather , how do you consciously love yourself?
Rambam answers , you love your dignity , life , possessions and family. Just as you like people
caring about your things,care about the other person's dignity and possessions. In other words love him the SAME WAY you love yourself just not as intensely as you love yourself!
This is inspiration, that is that from the objection you come to a higher awareness. Here it means to focus on the objects of your self love and love the same for your friend.
The reason given for not being able to love the person like yourself is because he is not you. You eat for your own health and well-being. You dress yourself to look presentable . You don't care for the other because he is not you!
Chassidus teaches that this is only from the perspective of the body which separates you from another . However, from the view of the soul you and he are the same soul enlivening different bodies. From the point of view of the Neshama , all of Israe-l is one! So how can you love him like yourself? Because he really is YOURSELF! It is only the body that doesn't allow for this truth to be visible. However, now that you know the truth act and learn to feel accordingly .
What about the hierarchy for survival? This is because the Torah set priorities of the individuals we must care for FIRST not whom we must care for!
This is our theme of sublimation, that the question is part of the solution. The reason we feel inclined to feed ourselves first is not for a lack of Ahavas Yisroe-l , but in order to have a hierarchy

of whom to care for first.

unlimited love

2007-05-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

The latest postings have triggered a subject that is a matter of controversy. In eastern thought there is an illustration of unlimited love of the heart of a mother killed by her own son to appease the son's jealous lover. As the son brings his mother's heart to his mate he trips at the entrance,to which the heart queries "did you get hurt my son?"
The story implies that a mother's heart is true to her child no matter what . In the Book of Eichah
Chapter 4 Verse 10 states that "compassionate women cooked their own children"! In other words,
the love of a mother also has a limit. So how do we understand the mothering instinct that allows a parent to risk life and limb for a child? Is it only to a certain point? Is there such a thing as unlimited love?
The answer seems to be that the instinct of survival is greater than the instinct of protection if the threat of death is a certainty and the individual feels that there is no other choice. Where there is choice , the parent will opt to save his child at the expense of his life. If they will both die and the individual is in the throes of extreme pain, then not even the love for a child will stand in the way.
At least that is what the prophet reports . This is also found in Parshas Ki Siso regarding the selfishness of a starved mother who will feed herself instead of her children.Again this in the state where the person cannot think to choose. Rather, the person continues by instinct. At that state survival is stronger says the Torah.
Therefore, the unlimited love that the ancients argued about cannot be found in physical love.
Rather, it has to be the love of a soul that senses the value of the other soul and is ready to give one's life for it. This can be found in the willingness of a child to die for a parent in order to save the parent from prison and the like as described by the Zohar. Even in that case,the overriding sense would not be natural love but rather a deep spiritual attachment that is Torah based not instinctive. It is for this reason that King David's love for Jonathan is the one extolled as an eternal love. What is behind this love?
The Arizal explains that David's love for Jonathan was that of a Rav for his student. He says that the love of a parent only affects the Nefesh, the lowest rung of the chain of the soul root of the person. The love of a Rav and a Talmid through Torah affects the next level of soul called the Ruach. This love is not dependant upon a physical relationship or condition, As such it can be everlasting.
This explains another difficult concept in Chassidic lore. The Alter Rebbe , the Baal HaTanya said that Reb Boruch of Mezbitz was only a grandchild of the Baal Shem Tov in the physical . He, however, was a grandchild in the spirit.
This requires clarification, for the very teachings of Chassidus extolls the superiority of the child's connection to the essence of the parent over that of the stuident whop only receives a ray of the Rav's personna vis a vis his lectures, no matter how profound ?
The answer is given by The Rebbe in Likutey Sichos that through devotion to the essential teachings of the Rav , the student can actually become more profoundly attached than a child.
This is only where the relationship isn't just intellectual-rather it becomes spiritual. This is when the spirit or purpose of the Rav becomes the spirit of the student. At that point the love of student is greater than that of a child, unless of course the child becomes a student as well. The Rebbe goes on to explain that this is only through Torah. For only in Torah is it possible to express one's essence through his Torah teachings . This is because G-D Himself put G-D's Essence into the Torah. Therefore, all other great teachers of Torah could place the essence of their being which is above the capacity of a physical child to receive in body , into their Torah teachings!

Thus when husband and wife share a bond of purpose within a Torah life , their love becomes everlasting.

love examined

2007-05-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

The whole point of the Mishneh with regards to love is elusive. Beyond stating the obvious what is the Tanna teaching us? Let us begin the query with the question is love a good or evil thing? Perhaps it's neither ,only that it is necessary.
A position one could take is that life is for pleasure and all pleasures that come my way i will enjoy to the limits of my tolerance. An opposite position can be made that desire never amounts to love and that desire fulfilled is dangerous as a value and ultimately unfulfilled. People who manipulate others will in the end be hated for it by the very people one takes advantage of. Thus a person pursuing his or her heart's desires will never know love . For love requires more than passion. In fact , those espousing the opposite position would incline to say that human sexuality is an evil that possesses the man and brings him to purgatory. The only true remedy would be abstinence.
Although very few people would follow this route, many are inclined to agree that this is the most
G-Dly route. These are the Christians in the world who honor the priests and nuns who remain celibate .
The Torah is the ultimate wisdom of G-D . In our Torah you find that love is a virtue . For Yitzchok loved Rivka and Yakov loved Rochel . Had this not been a virtue , the Torah would not have wasted time saying it .
Therefore it behooves us to learn what love the Torah wants us to find in our mate. The Torah does not say to discount one's likes and dislikes. Rather , the Mishneh tells us that if your entire relationship with your wife is based upon attraction , then it is doomed to die . In fact , it may not survive one day. Only by pursuing a relationship with your spouse that parallels the love that King David found in Jonathan, will the love last.
The question is ,how this is accomplished ? One position would be that since the physical is limited to a desire that is necessary for family harmony only ,that the relationship focus on matters outside of the physical. That is to enjoy a common spirit and common endeavors . Spending time with your spouse should be focused on spiritual or Torah ideas. In other words the love is discovered elsewhere in your expanded relationship not in the physical that is doomed to evaporate.
Anothe approach is that our connection as husband and wife brings the greatest of blessings-children,physical ones and spiritual ones that somehow, the physical is sanctified by an overriding higher purpose. This means that the physical brings oneself to a higher level then had the parties been alone to fend by themselves.
The Chassidic approach is that a husband and wife that are true soulmates share a common soul. In other words , they are one soul in two bodies . Within the relationship as defined bt the Torah,
one must try to find the common ideals that provide a basis for experiencing this unity .At that time we can understand the meaning that Yitzcho loved Rivka . After seeing that Rivka was just like his mother , in her actions, in her values , in her modesty, it was then that Yitzchok realized a love that eclipsed that of his mother Sarah and his father Avrohom for him.
When body and soul are in harmony, much of our journey has been accomplished. The rest is commentary!

GOOD SHABBOS!

lasting love

2007-05-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Continuing with our question as to why the Mishneh chooses the example of a long-lasting love between friends that is not as long lasting as that of a mother to child , one might add as follows:
There is a reference in the book of Lamentations that merciful mothers cooked their children!
During the siege of Jerusalem, food was impossible to get.In the plight of overwhelming hunger,people lost their minds. Even something as horrible as eating one's own children
seemed acceptable.
This didn't happen with David and Jonathan. Notwithstanding the danger to their lives , they stood by each other. The reason that their love could last in an environment where even a mother's love is lost is because they attained a love that touches the depth of the soul. The love of a mother is a physical love. When the physical cannot continue, even the most profound love evaporates. A love that is based on the depths of the soul can survive even in Auschwitz, even in the depths of Gehinom.
For this reason , the Rabbis tell us that a Rebbe can lift the souls of his students out of purgatory. For a true heart penetrates even the most evil of circumstances. The soul's love extends into the most horrid of depths and to the greatest of levels. Love is an eternal bond that connects throughout all time,space and circumstance.

love cont..

2007-05-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

May 3, 2007 Iyar 15,5767
In my last blog ,we were dealing with the question of the superiority of the love that comes from appreciating one’s character as opposed to mere attraction. The Mishneh in Ethics of the Fathers chapter 5 M.16 states that a love based upon a tangible item can become lost when the item is lost . For example Amnon coveted Tamar and attacked her. Afterwards, he hated and shamed her. Whereas King David loved Jonathan and vice versa, even under duress and after many years . Therefore, the Mishneh concludes that a love that is not based upon the flesh will never be lost.
This is strange. The love of a mother for her children seems much more intangible than the love of one patriot for another such as David and Jonathan. So why mention a lesser love when talking about long lasting love?
The answer is obvious. We cannot become a child if we weren’t that person’s flesh and blood to begin with . Therefore , if you wish your love to last, try to make it like David’s for Jonathan instead of Amnon for Tamar.
We are surrounded with images upon the tv the magazines , even on the internet. What do we usually see in the presentation of a formally dressed man vs.. a formally dressed woman?
The man is usually covered by a nice suit that covers all body parts. The women are exposed . The neckline is low and suggestive and the dress is usually short and revealing.This is the image that girls receive from people who desire to exploit women . Every girl grows up thinking that in order to attract a mate she must be revealing of her flesh. The man on the other hand can be unattractive , physically,
As long as he is dressed as if he can provide.
This is what the Mishneh is telling every man and woman! If you use the wrong bait , then the attraction will not be more than just for a fleeting moment. You want your love to be strong 20 years from now? Look into yourselves and learn to share the same values and work for the same goals .

what is love?

2007-04-30T15:21:00.001-07:00

The Mishneh in Pirkey Avos states that a love that is dependent upon some tangible matter,such as beauty, upon the loss of the motive , the love disappears. If the love is based upon intangibles such as that of commonality of a noble purpose,then the love lasts forever.
The examples cited are the difference between the attraction Amnon had forTamar and their love King David had for Yonason . The difficulty of this comparison is that they are totally different. The attraction a man has for a woman is a function of attraction for the purpose of having children. The love David felt for Yonason was due to the commonality of their desire for kevod shomayim -the Glory of G-d ! They are intrinsically different and cannot be compared. so why the comparison?
If the Mishneh merely wishes to bring home the point that marriage shouldn't be based upon physical beauty it should have said so. Rather, the Mishneh wishes to reveal how a marriage can last. If you keep to the physical basis for your marriage,then the love will never last. In fact,the love can be over in an instant as happened to Amnon. Therefore it is incumbent upon us to examine how David's love for Yonason developed.
David and Yonason respected each other,due to their love and determination for the benefit of their people. That both were willing to sacrifice their lives so that Israel may live. In other words they shared the same fervent love of G-d and G-D's Chosen People.By learning from them we can find the secret to a lasting marriage. When husband and wife believe and sacrifice for the same ideal, then the union becomes one of soul not just body.
It is the fusion of ideals, of purpose, than keeps people together. These last far longer than the original electricity.
This applies to our communal attitudes as well. If we believe in the mission of the Jewish people we will serve the needs of the community. If we are only seeking social contact, we will soon become bored and look for other interests. Those in public positions would do well in taking this Mishneh to heart. A love that is based upon a value , not a physical thing , will last. Public servants who promote the society must learn the secret of the eternal friends of the Bible.

what is love?

2007-04-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

to love a fellow Jew

2007-04-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

While in Miami for a conference, i heard one of the local Rabbis ask the famous question on the Mitzva of love your friend like yourself. He asked, tomorrow we shop for Shabbos. Most of us will be concerned about shopping for our families not another person. So where is the Ahavas Yisrae-l? To put it bluntly;it's not healthy to love another like yourself. It leads to confusion and destructive decisions.
Altruism while a sign of goodness needs its' boundaries. If so, asked the Rav then what is the Mitzva? His suggestion was that those things one can do for oneself,are not included in the Mitzva. Only those items where i cannot take care of it myself is there an obligation upon another to help.
That means, just as i would want someone to help me in my time of need , so too should i be proactive and care for the sick , assist the poor, comfort the mourner etc...
However, this interpretation while taken from a Halacha in the Rambam in the laws of mourning,
is not consistent with the context of the Mitzva. For I don't need to love the other person in order to perform these Mitzvot ! Furthermore ,the translation of love your fellow when he can't help himself is totally missing from the verse.
The Rambam in the 6th Chapter of the laws of Ethical Principles, called Deyot, states that there is a Mitzva to love a fellow like yourself. However, Rambam quantifies it too loving the similar too but not equal to yourself. That is that just as you want your reputation and property protected,so too must you speak in goo dregard of your friend and be careful with his property as if it were your own!
Chassidic Doctrine has the Mitzvah to be taken literally. How is this possible? When you come to appreciate your essence which is your neshama, then you can realize that as far as G-d is concerned all of Israe-l are the same essential soul in many different bodies. It is only the flesh not the spirit that separates us . Thus we can love each other like ourselves because we are all really one entity. However, there are priorities with regard to whom we care for. Our families come first, then our relatives and citizens of our community.
This is only with regard to prioritizing basic needs. However, if someone needs food to live on or heat during the cold,these take preference to our families' luxuries or pleasures.For if we are one, then we must care for one another as one!

azazerl-real or imagery?

2007-04-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

The famous scapegoat was the goat sent to a place called Azazel on Yom Kippur. Now, how is this to be understood ? After all , the imagery smacks of demon belief as the goat is the symbol of the demonic forces? Do we offer a sacrifice to the demons to appease them as is the implication ?

The Chinuch author explains that the message is one that the sinner loses everything and doesn't even have his blood offered on the altar. Rather everything is lost and discarded. The problem with this approach is that only the Kohain that cast the scapegoat down the cliff actually witnessed its'
gory end. So if this were a lesson of sorts it was lost on one solitary Kohain!

Some Chassidic sources I read once indicate that the scapegoat was a form of concession to the reality of evil . On the day of Yom Kippur, there should be no prosecution of our people . By casting the goat , this was to appease the evil forces!? But how? and why?

I believe that the service in the Temple paralleled the real world. In this world there is the necessary, the useful and the wasteful . Wasteful could be useless or pleasurable. In either case
there is no secondary purpose for that thing other than itself.

In the Temple service there was the basic,daily service. Then there came the memorial or Holiday service which enhanced our enthusiasm for G-d,country and Israel. these were useful. On yom Kippur we offered the scapegoat as a throwaway. No one would miss it,as it wasn't seen by the masses .This represented a service to G-d of love alone for no benefit just love!

At the same time the scapegoat brought forgiveness for the most callous of sins,those that were done willfully even if they weren't done under duress. That is , love of G-d for its' own sake-just love,brought forgiveness for doing a sin that had no benefit or temptation. Rather it was a sin done just to sin. In other words just to anger G-d.

This was a sacrifice with no benefit. No fats were offered nor was there blood to be sprinkled. There was no meat for the fire or the Kohain-not even a skin. This represents the ultimate service to G-d . That is doing without seeking reward,not even recognition. This type of service is what brings forgiveness and G-d's blessings for all of us.

This is hinted in the word Azazel. The numeric value of Azazel is 114.The fact that we offer a He-goat to it reaffirms its'position, hence another 114. Together it equals 228,the same number as baruch which is the source of Blessings!

connection please?

2007-04-24T08:16:00.002-07:00

The Torah Portion introduces the Yom Kippur service in the Temple with the memory of the two sons of Aharon who died when they enterred on their own. The apparent connection seems to be that a person , even a Kohain-Priest, cannot enter before G-d except on certain occasions. Even then , the only one enterring the Holy of Holies had to be the High Priest and then, only on Yom Kippur.

This too defies our notions. We are a people who pride ourselves in our ability to be able to approach G-d with our prayers three times a day. We always stress that G-d hears the prayers of all. If so, why do we need a Kohain Gadol-High Priest ? Why is it necessary to have a Yom Kippur?
What does all of this have to do with the death of Aharon's sons?!

One of the great things about democracy is that the person of the most humble beginnings can
become the highest official in the land. there is no aristocracy. This opportunity ,as great as it is ,
breaks down certain barriers of ettiquete. If i can become your president , then who are you and why should i respect you even if you are more learned , wiser and kinder than I?

The resultant feeling of equality makes an average person feel that I can do anything you can do.
The result of this attitude is not only a lack of respect but a lack of vision in assessing one's abilities and failings. Just because a person may have some money doesn't mean he can run a research project in a laboratory. Nor can he manage a baseball team. If that be the case, then for sure he can't do the job of a true public servant- the Kohain.

This already happened, that a wealthy person believed he was qualified to do the service. His name was Korach and his eefrts brought disaster. Over thousand years later , a who;e class of Kohanim arose that made the same error and bought the office of the High Priest! These were
the High Priests after Simon the Just. These resulted in the dowturn of the Priestly function
and led directly to the destruction of the Second Temple!

IWe must understand that there are times of duress during which our sincere prayers break through
the very heavens. At other times, an ordinary person needs a Kohain to pray with him and for him .
This was the error of Aharon's two sons . They thought that when one is inspired one needs no protocol to approach G-d. Nor is there a need to have a special person ordained as a mediator between the people and G-d. While theoretically possible at special times, such an attitude would eventually prove disasterous as it did in the Second Temple's time and in other eras.

While the sons of Aharon were of noble character,it is still necessary to underscore their error.
The process of approching the divine has its' rules. They are necessary limits in order to insure that the varied individuals amongst our nation realize their true strengths and appropriate roles.

connection please?

2007-04-24T08:16:00.001-07:00

connection please?

2007-04-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

how they could have lived

2007-04-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons given for the death of the sons of Aharon was that they offered instruction in front of Moshe, their teacher. Again, this sounds scary. Almost all of us has had run-ins with our teachers. Does this mean that some angel will blow our brains out if we argue too much or too voiciferously? I mean, what is the limit , if any, for reasonable dissidence or personality clash?
I think this line of reasoning is misunderstood.
The real meaning behind it is, that a true Rav can direct the student properly .When the student defies the teacher he no longer can be taught the right way to do things. Beyond this, the Rav's
Holiness protects the Talmid's soul from deviating. Even after death , the Rav can remove the punishment from the student as Rabbi Yochanan says in tractate Chagigah 15b.
By defying their teacher , the sons of Aharon lost their protection from punishment, as well as the
defense that even if they erred now ,they will do better as per the inspiration of Moshe. Without Moshe's protective aura , they were left to the consequencs of their own actions.
Nadav and Avihu erred on several counts.
1) The Rav's opinion must be sought, if available-even when we don't agree intellectually
2) The Rav is not just a teacher ,he is the channel for the power of the Torah in this generation.
As such , listening to the Rav prevents errors .
3)The Rav embodies the Divine Attribute of Mercy and as such, his influence continues in the other world as well.
Rabbi Yochanan declared that he would take his students out of purgatory upon his death. Even a sinner as great as Elisha Ben Avuyeh was pardoned upon the passing of Rabbi Yochanan.
The Mishneh in The Ethics of the Fathers exhorts us to "make a Rav for yourself"! This is why
we Chassidim are so careful in our dealings with our Rav.

why did they die?

2007-04-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Many people wonder during the readings of the Torah-is G-d that judgemental?After all , the sons of Aharon apparently had only the best of intentions. Are we to conclude that for every inequity ,we would be punished so severely ?
The classical commentaries say that they enterred the Holy of Holies in a drunken stupor. Others say that they carried out a Torah instruction without asking Moshe his opinion.Others say that they
refused to marry ion order to maintain their level of spirituality.
While these accusations have various degrees of impropriety , none seem to be so severe that they couldn't be repremanded, as Moshe did to Aharon for participating even cosmetically in the golden calf fiasco?!
Must we assume that every time we mess around with G-d's laws that we will have our lives taken?
The average person finds this troubling.In the writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital , we find that the 2 sons of Aharon shared a common soul -that of our original father , Adam. What was Adam's
downfall? He ahd all the opportunities to eat from all the wonderous trees that G-d had placed in the Garden. Which fruit did he eat from first? The tree he was forbidden to eat from!
In other words, it wasn't just that he didn't listen. Rather the first thing he enjoys in G-d's Garden is the very fruit that G-d told him "you shouldn't have as it would be harnful for you"!
The very first activity that the brothers Nadav and Avihu do on their own in the temple, is one that is forbidden on many accounts!
As they were to have corrected Adam's nature and brought life to the world ,they proved instead that Adam had learned nothing over the last 2449 years !
Most of us are told by our elders that there are things you shouldn't do,especially since that adult tried it and knows how inapropriate that habit or behavior is. What do the young people do? They need to learn from their own mistakes. However, it takes real chutzpeh to start with the very thing you were warned not to do. If this is the case, then this is a person who not only cannot take instruction . Rather , thjis person is fascinated with the forbidden and always finds a way to experiment with this first.
This indicates a rebelliousness that is far more than imperfect. It indicates an infatuation with
rebelliousness itself, not just the temptation.
It is one thing not to obey because i was desirous of a forbidden pleasure. It is quite another if i enjoy disobedience. This is the issue. arepremand can't help this problem...

Moshiach is also a metzora!

2007-04-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

One of the fascinating oddities of the mystery of the Metzora is that the Moshiach is said to be stricken with leprosy! Now this seems odd that the redeemer of all the sinners of the world would
be afflicted with the punishment of gossiper who cause strife. After all, Moshiach is supposed to bring peace to all men . Even if he suffers for our sins why should the suffering be that of a divisive
sinner?
As mentioned before, the reason why the effect of gossip i.e. loshon hora , is not with our generations is because of the insensitivity in general to the pain of others , as well as spiritual numbness. Only those who should and ordinarilly are capable of feeling another's pain woukd be afflicted by loshon hora.
On a deeper level it is the sensitivity towards others that triggers the Tzoraas. Because the person ordinarily felt others' pain but was insensitive at other occasions was what brought on the allergic reaction to the loshon hora. This was twofold 1) to realize the pain loshon hora inflicts upon others
and 2) to feel badly for the imperfections in the other person or his circumstances and pray for
their correction.
In other words the Tzoraas was much more than a punishment. It was an extreme form of sensitivity training. Furthermore the more the Tzarua would feel the needs of others the more pain from the Tzoraas he would have . The effect of Tzoraas is not a punishment but the sensitization of one's
feelings towards another. the more he felt the greater became the size of the Tzoraas.
When a person grieves excessively people can't stand being with him. That is why the Tzorua was sent out of the camp as people wouldn't be able to bear the pain he felt for others. This is also why the Tzorua was considered Tahor if the rash spread all over his body. This could only mean that the pain of others had permeated every fiber of his being. He could then be declared Tahor as he epitomized the sensitive and charitable soul.
This is precisely the role of Moshiach! He will feel so much of our pain that this will cause him top break out in a rash. Only when we see this kind of love and care for others will we know that the Moshiach has truly come!

metzora continued

2007-04-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

if the sin of slander is so pernicious, then why at this time is there no tzoraas?
the answer lies at the core of our conditioning. when there is a chemical imbalance in the cortex of the brain the effect may be catastrophic. in the heel such an imbalance might not even be noticed!
the sensitivity of the organ makes the imbalance perceived. today we are as insensitive to truth and Torah as the heel is impervious to most stimuli. this is because if the heel were sensitive we couldn't walk on them.
so too, our soles which are called the feet of the Messianic era. we must walk forward despite all the faults. for this reason we no longer are affected physically by the poisons of ill will and slander. the poisons ingested in our systems are no less noxious, just invisible . only when we view the effect of harmful words does it make a dent in our mannerisms. we often miss the lesson through excessive rebuke or insensitivity .
the tragedies at virginia tech are horrid and chilling. how one person can coldbloodedly take the lives of so many defies any justification. nonetheless , certain attitudes pushed his evil to the brink of vengeance. the corrosive nature of criticism ate at this lunatic's core. perhaps a good word from someone at the right time might have delayed and mitigated the disaster. i am not
blaming victims or justifying a vicious animal.
however, if collectively we would be careful with our words and give people in general the respect that they crave,then the latent evil in men like cho could be dissipated.
by what authority do i say this ? by the clear staement in the torah reprimanding the slanderer
more openly than the scoundrel. the upper elements of society must never forget other humans. nor are they more than human.

tazria-metzora-tzoraas

2007-04-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

these are 2 of the most enigmatic sections of the Torah as they seem to be dealing with leprosy in the old-fashioned leper colony solution. that is isolation and blaming of the victim due to fear and ignorance...
the Rambam was the first to address the concept of torah categories of tzoraas by declaring emphatically that the tzoraas mentioned here is not the psoriasis of common knoweledge.
rather this was a miraculous plague visited upon a person who caused dissention by his words . the sin known as loshon hora - evil tongue has many strata to it. the worst are the secret remarks that injure one's reputation without the victim being able to defend himself. in those cases G-d helps identify the problem to the sinner as one's words are easily forgotten. the person saying them could say that i really didn't mean any harm and go on as if nothing occured.
therefore the punishment came in visible and unusual ways to remind the person to look into oneself and make ammends.
first the plague enterred one's house . if he didn't change it would appear on his clothing.
if that didn't get his attention , then it grew on his body.
although Rambam's premise is the same as the classical commentaries, his approach is different as the order of the plagues is actuo is different from the order that appears in the Torah.
in the sidra the order begins with Tzoraas of the person,then the clothing and finally the tzoraas of houses.
according to the commentaries the knowledge of the source of this sin is so well known that there is no need to gradually bring the person into focusing on his behavior as the sin of loson hora is known for its' tzoraas effect. When Moses suggested that the people of Israel would not believe him , G-d showed him that his hand was leprous. this indicated to Moses that he had to watch his words when referring to the chosen people.
Tzoraas is the impurity of man's body. a human being is naturally able to avoid contamination
unlike the animal which is considered tomay except for certain kinds of animals.
the human being in his natural state has no impurity. it is one's actions that make a person pure or impure. by indulging in gossip the individual does 2 thigs.
one is that he hurts another without thinking much of the consequences and second since it isn't violent there is rarely any remorse.
this is what makes this sin unique in branding the person as tomay - impure. a thief doesn't need to be rejected-people shy away from him,even his friends. the loshon hora man has people flocking to hear his tidbits of impropriety.not only is he a danger to the victim, his effect is harmful to a society, without them realizing the hurt that it does.
therefore he had to be isolated before his attitude infects others to do the same. this is why he is declared to be tomay-impure and to be shunned. a scoundrel is alienated by his crimes. the gossiper is given honor-just look at your newspapers. talebearing.gossiping ,slandering are all degrees of the same general disorder within us. we like to hear that the powerful.rich and famous have character flaws. it makes us happier with our own warts. this attitude is divive and potentially dangerous to the fabric of a society. much of the feuds of families as well as countries can be traced to unkind words spoken.
the Torah tells us beware the slandereer and the talebearer . for they can destroy what has taken eons to build.
Trust!

role of Moshiach

2007-04-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

In Likuttey Torah the Alter Rebbe defines the role of the various events leading up to the giving of the Torah and their parallels in the Prophesied deeds of Moshiach. Just as Moshe brought our people across the sea , so too, will Moshiach lead us all across the Euphrates River.
There is a symbolism associated with transversing a body of water prior to a major revelation.
However it goes beyond symbolism for motivation and insight. rather, the symbolism actually
represents a change in our relationship with G-d, the world and with each other. the breach of the sea allowed us to receive the Torah. Similarly , the breach of the river will allow us to receive the hidden Secrets of the Torah through Moshiach.
Now this seems strange. What is the function of the giving of the Torah that it requires such a magnificent preparation? After all , the Torah is G-d's laws for our betterment. Why the Fireworks?
We are connected to all of the spiritual words above us , even as we exist down here. If so why can't we breach these spiritual levels? The answer given is that we are constrained by G-d's "speech". This "speech" power is also the source of our water bodies and functions in a similar manner. In the seas there are creatures and landscapes similar to what exists on dry land. It's invisible to us because the water covers them. In a similar vein, the spiritual source for everything physical exists in the realm of G-d's "speech" also called Malchut. However, the power of "speech" covers the G-dly power or source of the physical. So, in essence in order to become aware of our source we must be able to broach the power of "speech". In breaking through , the "speech" can no longer conceal what it contains.
This is the mystery of the Splitting of the Sea. At that time the spiritual sea or "speech " split and no longer concealed its' content. In other words we received access to the content within the "speech" so that we could become enlightened by the Divine content within the "speech" . The broach of the power of "speech" is only the introduction to the giving of the Torah. For the real message of the Torah lies in its' Divine Communication. Access to this information can only be received if we are spiritually in tune with the Torah. However , until the splitting of the sea we couldn't access the content within the "speech".
So what will Moshiach do that the Prophets and the Tannaim couldn't ? The answer is that
Moshe broached only the "speech" and we can access the content within . Moshiach will broach the River of G-d's "thought" which will open up an altogether different level of Divine Wisdom.
This is similar to the story of the ARIZAL who fell asleep during the daytime on Shabbos Parshas Balak. Seeing that he was moving his lips the students tried to snatch the Holy Words. This stirred him to waken. Seeing that the students' ears were next to his lips, the ARI laughed.
What i just saw revealed would take me 80 years to explain! Now to absorb 80 years of information in 15 minutes seems like a0n impossibility for a human. What happened with the ARI was that he penetrated the limits of "thought" and learned by sight. This is the representation of the river Euphrates. It stands for the communication of the Divine "thought". The breach of their limits of thought will allow us to learn by "sight'. Indeed, this is the role of Moshiach . He will break the boundary of thought and teach the Torah by Vision.
This is how Moshiach will be able to teach Moshe and all the Torah Giants who know the entire Torah. For what can Moshiach add to their knowledge? The answer is that they will now study the secrets of the Torah beyond the limits of the thought process that limited their access to the infinite.
This is the mystery of the maxim that Moshiach will not add to the Likuttey Torah. Rather , through Moshiach we will be able to see that which we thought of in our lifetime.

five methods continued

2007-04-08T11:37:00.002-07:00

Rabbi Yochonan Ben Zakkai wasn’t coming from the background of having smitten the Romans by G-d’s order. On the contrary, the Romans were seen by him as G-d’s tool in reprimanding our people. In that context he did what was prudent to save what he could.
In this case ,at the red sea ,the people had seen the power of G-d. To give up now was a sign of weakness of character .
It is the method of the coward or the person lacking convictions. Unless one has absolute certainty in the question or problem one faces one should not immediately give in to difficulty.
The second method of fighting the Egyptians stood no chance as well. It is the method of trying to dismiss the problem by trying to kill it. This is the method of bans and excommunications. It is not the method of constructive discussion. It assumes that every problem can be handled by attacking its’ veracity. Whereby, in many cases
It is the shallowness of the person that brings forth this reaction. Killing the problem works only when you are right and strong. Even then the problem must be such as to justify killing it. Here , they stood no chance. Fighting was suicidal and ill advised.
The method is one of confrontation to destroy. It is never the method of choice unless you are dealing with an enemy or a malignancy.
The third method was to go around the problem. The concern was never to return to the humiliation of slavery . By jumping in the sea they would die but never be enslaved again either.
The method is the method of avoidance and finding safer position.
Here ,this approach would be disastrous. At other times it is a prudent approach allowing you to have your space and your opposition his area.
The fourth method is to rise above the problem either intellectually or in this case spiritually by praying to G-d. The prayer in essence would be “we have done what you said to do -we are asking you to do what You said You would do if we obeyed”! this is a good method in many instances. It lacks personal commitment. It also assumes that problems can’t be solved except by outside intervention. This method is the way of dealing with the problem and rising above it. You deal with it and become strengthened by it. However, the problem remains-it’s just that you have learned to rise above it, so it should not affect you. The problem may still remain.
The fifth method required G-d’s command. However ,in doing so we made the problem , i.e. the sea, a solution. This is the method of integration, where the problem child becomes the monitor .
This is the Chassidic method. That is to find the good in the problem and make it work for you.
A Chosid by the name of Reb Avrohom Batzumer came to the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1924. His desire was to spend the rest of his life in the religious environment of Jerusalem. His children had become communists and his beloved city of Gomel was being transformed into a place of atheism. There had been 100 shuls there. Now only 5 were left and the informers made it impossible to do anything of substance for Torah education there.
To his shock, the Rebbe told him to go back and make Gomel into Eretz Yisroel ! Reb Avrohom listened and for many years helped keep the flame of Torah alive in Gomel and through his fundraising across Russia. The Rebbe had shown him the way of the red sea . Make the problem into a solution! In Torah analysis it means to find an answer out of the question.
This is the ultimate method. Not always does this method work . In most cases, however, it is the most effective method. That is because the problem becomes transformed. Using the avoidance or information mode as I call it, the problem or question remains. It’s only that you have found ways to avoid it. The method of facing the question or the problem and growing from it or rising above it, only means that you have grown stronger. The problem or the question remains.
In the Chassidic method, the problem is the solution. Gomel became a mini Jerusalem and today there is a rebirth in Gomel because it hadn’t been forsaken in the 20’s.
This brings me to comment on the lament of professor David Berger who is a virulent anti-Lubavitcher. He is frustrated that the vast majority of Rabbonim in the former Soviet Union are Lubavitchers.
The reason is that only Lubavitch never gave up on the Jews or the cities of the former Soviet Union. They made it into Eretz Yisroel . Whereas , your gedolim took the avoidance or the elevation method. They never tried to make the problem part of the solution. Only where a Rav was determined to stay and transform the environment did Yiddishkeit flourish. The unofficial Rav of the Russian community in Eretz Yisroel today has wide influence because his father Z.T.L. was the Rav of Kazan and refused to forsake his flock. It was that same resoluteness that Lubavitch, under the directives of our Holy Rebbe ,
Stayed and made Russia Eretz Yisrael. Today , the fruits of those seeds are being harvested .
Not the method of avoidance or of elevation will transform the Jewish street. It is the determined effort of transforming the darkness in to light that makes lasting results!