Category: Weekly Parsha

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By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield

ומקנה רב היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד עצום מאד
(פרק ל”ב, פסוק א)

The children of Reuvein and Gad had abundant livestock- very great…

The Torah tells us, that the שבטים of ראובן and גד had a lot of livestock. Upon seeing that the land of סיחון and עוג was a good place to graze animals, these two שבטים requested from משה that they receive that land as their inheritance. משה replied, that he feared that if the tribes of ראובן and גד did not join בני ישראל in crossing the ירדן and driving out the nations living there, the other שבטים might misinterpret their motive. Rather than understand this as a practical consideration for their livestock, the other שבטים may think that ראובן and גד were trying to avoid fighting because they feared the גוים. This could lead the rest of בני ישראל to become frightened and decide not to enter ארץ ישראל. To avoid this, the שבטים of ראובן and גד made the following offer: “Let us build pens for the flock and cities for our children here. Then, we will arm ourselves and lead בני ישראל in battle until we will have brought them to their place. In the meantime, our families will remain here.” משה responded, “Build cities for your children and pens for your flock, and what has come from your mouth shall you do.” חז”ל note, that the children of ראובן and גד mentioned the pens for their flock before the cities for their children. משה, however, reversed the order and mentioned the children first. The מפרשים struggle to defend the children of ראובן and גד. Why would they mention their animals before their children? The כלי יקר suggests the following answer: The Torah describes the livestock of ראובן and גד as עצום מאד. Translated literally, this phrase means “very strong.” This indicates that the animals of ראובן and גד were unusually powerful. Their sheep were of the same caliber as those of איוב. As חז”ל teach us, the sheep of איוב would kill the wolves that came to attack them! We can now explain the conversation between משה and the tribes of ראובן and גד. Knowing that their animals could provide protection, the שבטים of ראובן and גד chose to live in the land between ארץ ישראל and other countries. “Let us build pens for our flock along the border, and cities for our children further into our territory. With the sheep in place, we will not have to fear man or beast.” משה replied, “If you do that, it will be clear that you are relying on your sheep rather than relying on Hashem. Instead, build your cities on the border, and make the pens further away. This will show that you are relying on Hashem to protect you from enemies. Seeing this will give strength and encouragement to the other שבטים.”

The story is told, that when the שפת אמת was a young Yeshiva student, he once stayed up all night learning with a friend. As the morning approached, the שפת אמת went to bed, and he did not wake up until significantly later than usual. Being unaware that the שפת אמת had been up all night, the חידושי הרי”ם (grandfather of the שפת אמת) began to rebuke him for sleeping in, telling him that he needed to use his time more productively. The שפת אמת remained silent, listening carefully to his grandfather. Afterward, an observer (who knew why the שפת אמת had slept in) asked the שפת אמת why he did not simply tell his grandfather that he had been up all night! The שפת אמת replied, “I did not want to pass up the opportunity to hear words of מוסר from my grandfather.” Referring to our פרשה, the שפת אמת continued. “You know, I am sure the sons of ראובן and גד had anyway originally intended to help בני ישראל fight the other nations. So why didn’t they stop משה as soon as he started to tear into them? They could have saved themselves from some pretty harsh words! The answer is, they did not want to miss out on a chance to hear מוסר from משה.”

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

In chapter 37:12, במדבר לא:ב, Hashem instructs Moshe Rabbeinu, “נקום נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים, take vengeance for the Children of Israel against the Midianites…”

The Ramban explains that though Moshe Rabbeinu had appointed his disciple, Yehoshua, but until the Jewish people had actually crossed the Jordan River, he, Moshe, was the king and leader. Secondly, Hashem designated that he should have the honor in order that he should rejoice when he sees the vengeance as it states in תהילים Psalms 58:11, “But the righteous man shall rejoice when he sees vengeance.” (He sees the retribution which will come when the wicked do not adhere to Hashem’s rulership.)

Nevertheless, the Ramban continues and says, that Moshe designated פנחס, Pinchas, who started the mitzvah to complete it. He made him to a משוח מלחמה, a position of being anointed as a כהן of high rank – to be a leader in battle, but not אלעזר, his father, due to his being the כהן גדול, the high Priest. Due to Pinchos being the one who killed the מדינית, Midianite, he should finish the task at hand.

The דעת זקנים מבעלי תוספות asks, how is it possible that if Hashem commanded Moshe to “take revenge”, that he designated someone else? He answers that Moshe Rabbeinu reasoned that if I was protected in Midian when he was escaping Pharaoh, how can I possibly “destroy” them. “A well from which one draws water, it is inconceivable for one to throw dirt in it.” (The Ramban learns it was a different מדין.)

Again, we ask, how is it conceivable that at these last moments of his life, that he wouldn’t aspire to do Hashem’s will?

From here we derive the impact of הכרת הטוב, appreciation to another. Though the Midianites were a heinous, depraved people, nevertheless Moshe Rabbeinu asserted that for him to be involved would constitute an act of complete ingraciousness.

But didn’t Hashem command him specifically? Moshe Rabbeinu due to his remarkable sensitivity and profound appreciation, deduced that it’s impossible that it was a direct command that he be the leader, but rather to appoint someone else.

We find a similar concept in בראשית יט:יב where the Ramban is troubled by how is it possible that the מלאכים, angels who were sent by Hashem to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, go ahead and save the family of לוט, Lot? If they weren’t commanded by Hashem, who gave them the right to do so?

Answers the Ramban, “This was done in respect of their host, לוט. For it’s דרך מוסר, ethical conduct to save your host and all that is his, just as the messengers of יהושע, Joshua saved רחב and her whole family. Any idea which is logical, it’s absolutely correct in its sensitivity, is considered as if Hashem commanded one to do it! A person is required to analyze the complete scenario; though Moshe Rabbeinu had been instructed by Hashem, to perform a great mitzvah, he was required to understand if there are other ramifications of one’s acting which would limit his participation.
This concept is also taught to us at the end of the פרשה. The בני גד וראובן, the tribes of Reuvein and Gad (32:1) approached Moshe Rabbeinu and proposed that they inhabit the eastern side of the Jordan River.

They reasoned as follows: Hashem had orchestrated a miraculous conquest of the lands of Sichon and Og – these two tribes had an abundance of cattle for which Eretz Yisroel proper could not provide enough grazing land. They therefore decided that the reason they were blessed with extensive cattle was to establish the paradigm of honest business practice – and to do that necessitated that they inhabit a place that would have extensive grazing land. Due to the fact that all battles are miraculous in nature; the Bnei Yisroel have but to throw sand and they turn into spears and arrows; why should we delay in embarking on our spiritual task of establishing the foundation of all service to Hashem – that being אמת – integrity?!

Moshe Rabbeinu scolded them, “Are your brothers going to war and you will comfortably reside in your homes?”

The Alshich explains that, “אינו דרך מוסר, it’s not the proper perspective.” Sure you want to proceed immediately with your “spiritual task” in complete submission to Hashem. But where are your correct feelings to others; should your “brothers” stand on the front lines of battle without you there? It’s incumbent first and foremost to absorb their feelings of abandonment they might incur if you are not there supporting them! If you are acutely honest in analyzing your responsibilities; this would be the dominant feeling! After all, you must have profound appreciation to your extended families!

A second critique of Moshe Rabbeinu was the following: We all are aware that 39 years prior, the מרגלים, “spies” had convinced the Jewish people not to enter the land. As explained by many; they were afraid that residing in a land of infinite holiness due to the presence of Hashem, would be too much of a challenge. Moshe Rabeinu again rebuked them, “Even though your intentions are pure; but did you truly and correctly view the situation? The other tribes may think that deep down you are afraid to enter the land. Why didn’t that come into your calculations?
Sensitivity to others! Appreciation of others! Caring for others! All lessons for us as we start the Nine Days.

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By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield

פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם
(פרק כ”ה, פסוק י”א)
Pinchas turned back My wrath from upon B’nei Yisrael when he avenged My vengeance among them…

When בני ישראל sinned with the daughters of מואב, Hashem punished them with a plague. Only after פנחס risked his life to defend Hashem’s honor did the plague end. The פסוק in תהלים states, “פנחס stood up and executed justice, and the plague stopped. It was considered as צדקה for him.” The Vilna Gaon asks, what is the connection between what פנחס did and the מצוה of giving charity? Why does the פסוק choose to compare it specifically to צדקה? The Vilna Gaon offers the following insight: The Jews in the desert were instructed to each give a מחצית השקל- half a שקל- “as atonement for their souls.” One reason they were instructed to give a מחצית- half- is because the word מחצית alludes to the idea that the merit of giving צדקה can save someone from death. The letter צ in the center represents צדקה, charity. The letters on either side of the צ spell the word חי- “Live”. The pair of letters further away from the צ (the first and last letter of the word) spell מת- “Die”. This shows us, that through the merit of giving צדקה one brings life closer and pushes death away. Through avenging Hashem’s honor, continues the Goan, פנחס accomplished a similar thing: He stopped the plague, saving people from death. This is hinted to in the words השיב את חמתי used to describe what פנחס did. Literally, those words mean פנחס “returned My [Hashem’s] anger.” The word חמתי contains the same two words as מחצית, only reversed. The word for death- מת- is in the center, and the word for life- חי- is split and is the first and last letter. This shows us, that when Hashem is angry, death is near, while life remains at a distance. פנחס succeeded not only in reversing חמתי, Hashem’s actual anger, but in reversing the message of the letters of חמתי as well. חי became the center, and מת was pushed back. We may now understand, concludes the Gaon, why the פסוק compares what פנחס did to צדקה. Just as צדקה brings life closer and distances death, so too, פנחס brought the plague to a close and saved בני ישראל.

פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן
(פרק כ”ה, פסוק י”א)
Pinchas, son of Elazar, son of Aharon the Kohein

The פרשה opens with mention of the paternal lineage of פנחס, namely that he descended from אהרן. We are told by חז”ל that when פנחס killed זמרי, members of the other שבטים said, “Do you see this man, whose grandfather fattened calves for עבודה זרה? He killed a נשיא!” To silence them, the פסוק notes that פנחס descended from אהרן. How does mentioning אהרן address the taunts of the other שבטים? Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky, זצ”ל, explains, that when one acts out of zealousness, one’s motives may always be challenged. Often, one’s zeal is fueled by a faulty מדה, such as anger, rather than complete devotion to Hashem. If פנחס would not have acted entirely for the sake of serving Hashem, it would be fair to call him a murderer. This was the intention of those who taunted פנחס about his grandfather. They claimed that his actions were not rooted in defending Hashem’s honor, but that they were simply an angry reaction. In response, the Torah testifies that these were the actions of a grandson of אהרן. As חז”ל teach, אהרן “loved peace and chased after peace.” פנחס, who followed in the ways of אהרן, could only have killed זמרי out of pure devotion to Hashem.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

In במדבר כז:טז we find a unique פסוק, verse; in fact only once in the whole Torah is it mentioned “וידבר משה אל ה’ לאמר” “And Moshe spoke with sharpness, demand to Hashem, asking for a reply.” The word וידבר is used to connote demand, authority, position of power etc. How can Moshe Rabbeinu be so brazen to speak to Hashem in such a manner?

The בעל הטורים quotes a ספרי זוטא, “There is no פסוק, verse like this in the whole Torah.” Moshe said to Hashem: don’t You remember / know how many times You addressed me וידבר?” It seems that Moshe was equating at that critical juncture of Klal Yisroel’s narrative, that he was obligated to demand a true and competent successor for he had been informed that he will die. For forty years he was the נשמה, soul of כלל ישראל, he lived every moment selflessly for them; now I can demand from You, ‘ה, to take care of them, just as You demanded I teach them Your Torah day and night! That is my grave responsibility, anything less would be a wrong manifestation of my lack of total dedication.

A lesson; of how a leader has to recognize that one has to completely, selflessly function as a vigorous dynamic laborer and spokesman for all.

Moshe Rabbeinu initially asked Hashem to appoint his son as his successor. Hashem told him that he does not qualify but rather יהושע, Joshua, would be the next leader.

Didn’t Moshe Rabbeinu know he wasn’t the most qualified? It is true that a son should be a natural replacement as we see by the כהן גדול, High Priest and the מלך, king.

We can derive a most important idea of חנוך. It’s not what a parent says, it’s how a parent acts; a parent has to be a model to his family. Consequently, he thought the most natural successor would be the one who through watching and following him would unconsciously assimilate and be inculcated with the proper manner of superior, selfless and dedicated leadership.

The בעל הטורים points out that the verses טז-יז, 16-17 have 28 words, יהושע led the Jewish people for 28 years; an intimation to the lesson וזכרת כי ה’ אלקיך הוא נותן לך כח לעשות חיל And you should remember that Hashem, your G-d, He is the One that gives you the acumen, ability to earn your wealth.

Yehoshua epitomized selfless dedication to Hashem and His Klal Yisroel due to his absolute unequivocal recognition that he was but an agent of Hashem, created solely for the purpose of sanctifying His Name; all his talent, leadership skills, intellect solely to be utilized for this purpose.

The אורח חיים explains that יהושע was איש אשר רוח בו, a person who could relate and understand in depth every individual. But he was granted an added dimension; “מהודך עליו” And Moshe would give of his “crown on him.” Moshe Rabbeinu was unique in this sense that his נשמה, soul, was the root of all of Klal Yisroel’s souls; he partially contained the essence of all of Klal Yisroel. This gift was imparted to יהושע.

This ideal of unmitigated selflessness was exhibited by פנחס, Pinchas. Though many people derided him when he killed Zimri, he nevertheless only contemplated the need to sanctify Hashem’s Name. It’s no wonder that when Yehoshua selected two spies, it was two people who were completely focused on one’s true mission; to selflessly dedicate themselves to Hashem, כלב & פנחס.

The Chazon Ish (of Bnei Brak) once asked a distinguished תלמיד חכם, a scholar of repute, to take time and expend effort to assist an ailing person. After a duration of four weeks, the person was once again well and active. The חזון איש profusely thanked him. The scholar demurred and said, “But I hardly learned Torah all that time.” The Chazon Ish replied, when one exerts oneself to selflessly help another, one creates for oneself a larger בית קיבול, an ability to absorb and understand Hashem’s Torah. The true deep understanding of Torah is a gift from Hashem; when one emulates Hashem by dedicating oneself to others, one’s similarity to Hashem connects one to Hashem’s Torah in a profound manner.

The Alter from Slabodka, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel זצל is known for his constant teaching, exhortation and as a model of גדלות האדם, the lofty noble dignified essence of every human being. Rav Aryeh Finkel זצל, a great-grandchild and former משגיח of the Mirrer Yeshiva, taught that this guidance was secondary to his main teaching. That was חסד, chessed! All of one’s focus must be how can one make Hashem’s world to be the most satisfying place for everyone. The idea of גדלות האדם is a progression from being active in constantly selflessly asking how can I assist others to feel valued, to be secure financially, to have שלום בית, to be healthy, to learn Torah…. Only then is a person gifted by Hashem to truly feel the inner nobility that everyone naturally possesses.

The ילקוט שמעוני says that Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu, “You are aware of how diligently Yehoshua served you, how much he engendered adulation, admiration and reverence for you, and he awakened early and stayed late in your place of study and teaching to arrange the chairs and to spread the מחצלאות, “mats” and therefore he should be your successor! A person who selflessly takes care of a מקום תורה, arranging what every person who uses the place of study should be doing – he due to his selfless relentless dedication to Moshe Rabbeinu should succeed him. The ultimate overriding principle that governs one’s ability to lead and teach Torah – both gifts from Hashem – is how unselfish, benevolent, compassionate, sympathetic, attentive and altruistic one is. This was Moshe Rabbeinu, Yehoshua, Pinchas, Calev… and many more. The one who established the paradigm was Avrohom Avinu!

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By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield

ויאמר אליו מלאך ד’ על מה הכית את אתנך זה שלוש רגלים הנה אנכי יצאתי לשטן כי ירט הדרך לנגדי
(פרק כ”ב, פסוק ל”ב)
The angel of Hashem said to him, “Why did you hit your donkey three times? Behold, I went out to impede, for you hastened on the road to oppose me.”

When בלעם went with the officers of מואב to curse בני ישראל, Hashem became angry with him. A מלאך went out to block the path and stood in front of the donkey upon which בלעם was riding. Although בלעם could not see the angel, his donkey could. Frightened by the sight of a מלאך with a drawn sword, the animal tried several times to avoid the מלאך. Each time the donkey refused to go where בלעם wanted it to go, he hit the donkey with his staff. Finally, Hashem allowed בלעם to see the מלאך. The מלאך asked him, “Why have you hit your donkey these three times? I came to impede your progress because you hastened to oppose [Hashem]. The donkey saw me and turned away…” בלעם replied, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing opposite me on the road.” רש”י writes, that this was a very embarrassing thing for בלעם to admit. He claimed to know “דעת עליון”- the knowledge of the Supreme One! (חז”ל explain, that בלעם was successful at issuing curses because he was able to discern the moment that Hashem is angry and would curse people at that time.) Now, he was forced to openly admit that, “I did not know…” The ספר ימין יוסף asks several questions about the conversation between the מלאך and בלעם: 1) If the מלאך was dispatched because Hashem was angry at בלעם for going, why does he begin by asking בלעם why he was hitting his donkey? Sticking up for the donkey has nothing to do with the reason he was standing in front of בלעם. 2) What indication was there that בלעם was going “to oppose [Hashem]”? Couldn’t בלעם claim he was simply going with them- as Hashem told him he could- and was planning to say as Hashem commanded him? What proof is there that בלעם was planning to curse בני ישראל? 3) When בלעם said, “I did not know…” he was only saying that he did not realize the מלאך was standing there. How does that contradict his claim to understand דעת עליון, the moment Hashem is angry? The ימין יוסף answers based on a statement of the בעל הטורים. The בעל הטורים writes, that בלעם would normally have cursed his donkey rather than hit it. However, since he was hoping to curse בני ישראל later that day, he could not curse his donkey, for the rule is that one cannot successfully issue two curses in one day. Therefore, בלעם had no choice but to hit the donkey instead. Based on this בעל הטורים, the conversation between the מלאך and בלעם can be explained as follows: The מלאך came because בלעם was hoping to curse בני ישראל. The proof to this is that בלעם hit his donkey rather than curse it. The מלאך said to בלעם, “Why have you hit your donkey these three times? Why didn’t you curse it? Obviously, you hope to curse בני ישראל, and, therefore, cannot waste it on the donkey. I am here because you have set out to oppose Hashem by cursing בני ישראל!” In defense, בלעם replied, “I have no intention of cursing בני ישראל. As for cursing the donkey, I would if I could. However, I can only curse something at the moment Hashem is angry. Since I do not know when Hashem is angry, I was forced to hit the donkey instead.” As רש”י says, בלעם was forced to embarrass himself by saying that he did not know דעת עליון in order to deny the accusation of the מלאך. According to the בעל הטורים, concludes the ימין יוסף, the answer to all three questions becomes clear.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

In the פרשיות of חקת, בלק, פנחס we learn of the grave importance of revering and respecting others, no matter their stature or the effort and time needed to do so.

In פרשת חקת we learn of the passing of מרים הנביאה, Miriam the prophetess. Despite her stature both as the sister of משה רבינו and אהרן הכהן and her leadership of the women, her funeral was sparsely attended and as a consequence, the ‘waters of the well” dried up and the בני ישראל found themselves without any water to drink. A profound lesson of how critical it is to acknowledge with respect and reverence another.

While she was an outstanding righteous person, to Hashem, even a villain is to be respected, for every human being is a creation of Hashem.

In this week’s portion, we are introduced to בלעם, a non-Jew who is gifted with true prophecy by Hashem.

In verse 22:13, כב:יג, Billaam says to the officers of Balak, “Go back home for Hashem refuses that I travel with you – for you are not the highest ranking officers.” He understood that what he had been told by Hashem 22:12 was due to the lack of respect and reverence that Billaam had for him. (see אור החיים)

Though Billaam was ready to curse the Jewish people, a degenerate act to say the least, Hashem is teaching us that one’s dignity and nobility must always be protected and substantiated.

Even more so, the Almighty kills the famous donkey of Billaam, the one that remonstrated him, the one and only donkey that was given the power of speech at the conclusion of the creation of the world.

One can only imagine if this donkey was left alive, it would be a phenomenon that all humanity would speak about and exclaim the miraculous ways of G-d! Nevertheless, due to the dignity and honor of Billaam, if it were alive, it would serve as a reminder of Billaam’s terrible acting and subsequent shaming.

Who is Billaam? He is a person that despite the great gift benefacted by the Almighty, practices beastality. One who exclaims “even if you gave me a house full of gold I can’t go against G-d’s will.” Who can use a “house full of gold”? Even one table top of gold would suffice! Billaam was a person who considered himself the “center of the universe,” everyone was to be indebted to him and consequently their wealth was his! He was willing to destroy the dignity and nobility of the human race by suggesting the idea that the young women of Moav and Midian should entice the men of Klal Yisroel. A perfect model of depravity! A degenerate! Nevertheless, Hashem treats him with respect!

The idea of respect is paramount in Halacha. There are many cases where the protection of one’s dignity is considered more important than a specific mitzvah. The רמב”ם Maimonides rules (הל’ סנהדרין כ”ד,י) that respect for a non-Jew supersedes at times rabbinical prohibitions. For respecting a person is respecting Hashem.

An interesting application is a discussion in the אלי’ רבא in סימן קע”ד, the last paragraph.

When one drinks wine or liquor, it’s customary to offer a ברכה, blessing to another. Today we say “לחיים” “to life” – that one should live long. In those days one would say “בשמחתכם, you should have joy and happiness.” The question posed is should one first say a blessing on the drink and then offer a blessing to one’s friend or the opposite?

Initially it’s simple – the כבוד of Hashem should definitely be expressed first! We are being taught that if one truly recognizes and expresses appreciation of a person’s nobility, it is the greatest manifestation of recognizing Hashem! Whereas honoring Hashem is an intellectual exercise, for we need to contemplate His benefacting to us and in turn honor Him by articulating praise;when we honor another person who is His creation, we are actively with unmitigated appreciation, recognizing the gift of Hashem. A person has the potential to emulate Hashem, מה הוא אף אתה, honoring another transforms theory into practice.

The אלי’ רבא concludes that one should express thanks to Hashem first (ברכה) but in case someone already had said a blessing and said לחיים, one should answer לחיים (to life) for in that case, true respect of another is to reciprocate with a blessing to them.

The רמב”ם Maimonides states that one who is engaged in activity on behalf of the community doesn’t have to interrupt to pray, for it is considered as if one is in front of Hashem. Caring for Hashem’s people is the epitome of recognizing Hashem for all that He is and does.

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By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield

זאת חקת התורה אשר צוה ד’ לאמר דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו אליך פרה אדמה תמימה
(פרק י”ט, פסוק ב’)

This is the decree of the Torah… they shall take to you a completely red cow.

In the beginning of the פרשה, the Torah introduces the מצוה of פרה אדומה (a red cow). A פרה אדומה was used to purify someone from טומאה contracted from a dead person. The cow was slaughtered, and, together with several other items, burned. The ashes were then mixed with water and sprinkled upon anyone who required purification. The Torah calls the פרה אדומה a חוק- a מצוה for which we have no explanation, yet we must faithfully fulfill it simply because it is Hashem’s command. The מדרש comments that Hashem said to משה, “I will reveal the reason for the מצוה of פרה אדומה to you alone. For everyone else it must remain a חוק. Nevertheless, concludes the מדרש, when משיח comes Hashem will reveal the reason to everyone. One can infer from the מדרש, that there is, indeed, an explanation for this מצוה which can be grasped by human intellect. משה was taught the reason, and, in the future, all Jews will merit to learn the secret reason for this מצוה. It seems clear, then, that Hashem intentionally withheld the reason for this מצוה, at least for the time being. The באר יוסף asks, why did Hashem conceal the reason for the מצוה of פרה אדומה from us? Why is it so important that this מצוה remain a חוק? Furthermore, asks the באר יוסף, what will be different when משיח comes that will allow us to finally learn the reason for the פרה אדומה? The באר יוסף explains, that the purpose of a חוק is to get us accustomed to the idea that, although we do not always understand everything, nevertheless, we obey Hashem’s commands and accept His authority without question. Recognizing our limitations in regard to understanding Hashem and His ways is vital, for, inevitably, everyone encounters situations in life which do not make sense. Why do righteous people suffer, while evil people enjoy success? We do not always have the answers, but in the same way that we obey Hashem’s commands without question, so, too, do we accept His way of running the world without challenge. Hashem specifically chose the purification process from טומאה contracted from a dead person to be a חוק because of how frequently it was necessary. By nature, repeated exposure to a specific action will affect a person greatly. One who repeatedly gives to others will become a giving person, even if he/she did not start off that way. The same is true with matters of השקפה, one’s outlook on life. When one repeatedly accepts Hashem’s authority without question, it becomes second nature. One of the greatest mysteries of the פרה אדומה is the fact that it makes all the כהנים involved in the process טמא. While it is the only way to achieve purity from טומאה from a dead person, it is also the source of spreading severe טומאה! As long as there are people dying, there will be constant exposure to this מצוה, and people will be reinforcing the idea that we accept Hashem’s authority without question. It is for this reason that Hashem did not reveal the reason for the פרה אדומה. In the future, however, people will not be faced with the temptation to challenge Hashem’s ways. חז”ל teach us that when משיח comes, we will no longer say ברוך דין האמת- the blessing recited upon receiving bad news- for there will be no bad news. We will see with clarity that everything Hashem does is only for the good. Since it will no longer be necessary to be constantly reminded not to challenge Hashem’s ways, Hashem will then reveal the reason for the פרה אדומה to everyone.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

The Torah says (במדבר י”ט:ב, Numbers 19:2), “זאת חקת התורה, This is the decree of the Torah which Hashem has commanded…” The Torah continues to inform us of the purification process that one who has become spiritually impure due to becoming in contact with a corpse, or entering specific places where a corpse is located, undergoes.

The question that is asked is why does the Torah specifically in this case refer to the “decree” as a decree of the Torah, as if it includes all of the Torah’s teachings?

The אור החיים offers two answers: Due to the gift of Torah that raises כלל ישראל to a elevated level of קדושה higher than a non-Jew; therefore we are more prone to טומאה – therefore the Torah states “This is the decree of the Torah… due to your Torah you need the מצות that enable one to purify oneself.

The second answer is; that if one participates in the מצוה of the פרה אדומה, despite that we can’t fathom the logic behind it; the Torah defines our action as one that defines our total dedication to all of Torah. For if one doesn’t comprehend whatsoever one’s action, one is demonstrating total submission to Hashem, declaring in effect I am totally embracing my Creator’s will in every aspect of my life.

A person can act in one of two ways; understanding the positive ramifications of their action and taking pride that one has acted in a rational, productive manner. In contrast one can selflessly surrender to the wisdom of Hashem.

It follows that if one for example doesn’t want to drink or eat blood due to it being repulsive, one is not fulfilling the מצוה, directive of Hashem as not to eat it; for one isn’t taking Hashem into account but has made the decision decisively on their own.

The רמב”ם, Maimonides, rules הל’ מלכים ח:י”א, “If one who is a non-Jew accepts the seven Noahide laws because the Almighty has commanded them, then one is considered from the righteous people and has a share in the World to Come. This is all provided if one doesn’t do it due to one philosophically deems it correct, but rather due to submitting oneself to the Almighty. Despite one’s adherence to the “rules”, there is no connection to one’s Creator!

The רמב”ם, Maimonides, in the שמונה פרקים, poses as to which group is more exemplary and in turn praiseworthy. Is it one who has a strong desire to commit sins, but suppresses it due to the Torah’s admonition or is it one who has no craving to sin? He answers that ר’ אלעזר בן עזריא taught, a person shouldn’t say I can’t eat non-kosher but rather should exclaim, I would enjoy to eat it but what can I do, the Torah prohibits! This idea only applies to personal desires, but if one has a yearning for theft, cheating, dishonesty, then one is lacking in a normal, intuitive manner in which one must conduct oneself.

The Alshich, אלשיך הקדוש explains the mistake that משה רבינו committed when he hit the rock to draw water rather than speaking to it as Hashem commanded.

He was afraid that if he did as told, the people would not consider it a gift from Hashem, but rather due to Moshe Rabbeinu’s expertise and experience of pasturing flocks of sheep in the desert; he could recognize a well from which to draw water. He therefore considered it worthwhile – and necessary – to be challenged by the people if its possible for him to draw water from a specific rock that they would choose. Rather than speaking to it, he hit it, exclaiming that it is Hashem who is causing a miracle to happen.

His mistake was that he made his own judgment as to what would engender a greater sanctification of Hashem – a person who is an עבד ה, who subjugates oneself absolutely to Hashem, will not make their own “judgment call”, but will strictly follow the will of Hashem.

The Torah both in Deuteronomy 4:2 and 13:1 prohibits one to either add to or subtract from the 613 commandments. In both places it first states the prohibition of adding. One would have argued that to detract is an open rebellion against the Torah while adding is one’s personal quest to be even more spiritual.

The answer is the opposite – one who needs to add is in effect, stating that though G-d in His infinite wisdom teaches us the one can become a complete person with the 613 mitzvahs, one is saying that “I know better, I don’t understand how I can do without an added mitzvah!”

That is the grave mistake! We accept all the mitzvahs for we unequivocally state Hashem knows – “נעשה, we will do His will, for He perfectly created us and He therefore gave us the perfect manual for living.”

Twice in שחרית, the morning prayers, we ask according to some, that Hashem ensure that we do the מצות not to draw attention to oneself, but rather to do them solely in honor of Hashem; negating all our self-interests and desires.

In the blessing of אהבה רבה, before the reciting of the שמע, we ask ותן בלבנו להבין…ולקיים, may You instill in our hearts to understand, elucidate, listen, learn, teach, safeguard, perform and fulfill all the words of Your Torah’s teaching with love. What does ולקיים , fulfill add to לעשות , to perform? The כתב וקבלה explains that we are asking that when we do all Hashem’s mitzvahs it should be totally with no self-interest for recognition, glory, or attention.

In ובא לציון after articulating the קדושה we say a verse from דברי הימים א:כ”ט-מ, “i…שמרה זאת לעולם… May Hashem help us direct all our actions totally for Him, for His honor and not draw attention to ourselves, in the merit of saying קדושה.”

This is זאת חוקת התורה, it is all about Hashem, not about us! Complete submission in total appreciation for all the infinite gifts He bestows on us every minute!

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By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield

ויפלו על פניהם ויאמרו קל אלקי הרוחת לכל בשר האיש אחד יחטא ועל כל העדה תקצף (פרק ט”ז, פסוק כ”ב)
They fell on their faces saying, “G-d of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with the entire assembly?”

When בני ישראל gathered against משה and אהרן, Hashem told them, “Separate yourselves from this assembly, and I will destroy them in an instant!” משה and אהרן replied, “Hashem, will You punish everyone for the sin of one man?” This is a puzzling conversation. If only one person had sinned, why was Hashem prepared to punish everyone? And if the assembly had, in fact, sinned, how could משה and אהרן say that only one person had sinned? Reb Yaakov Meir Padwe (Av Beis Din of Brisk in the mid-nineteenth century) answers, that most of בני ישראל had not joined קרח in his rebellious behavior. Nevertheless, Hashem wanted to punish them because they did not stand up against קרח and protest his actions. The מצוה to rebuke another Jew is a positive commandment and is not normally subject to such a harsh punishment. However, חז”ל teach that, at a time that Hashem is angry and His מדה of דין (Divine retribution) is active, one may be punished severely even for a small infraction, such as failing to fulfill a positive commandment. Since Hashem was already angry at קרח and was going to punish him, בני ישראל were in danger of also being punished at this time. When משה and אהרן heard that Hashem would punish בני ישראל because of His anger at קרח, they Davened on behalf of בני ישראל. “Hashem,” they said, “shall you consider this a time of anger at the entire assembly because of the sins of one man?” A true period of anger is only when a large percentage of בני ישראל have angered Hashem. Then, even the others are punished for not protesting. Since the majority of בני ישראל were not involved with קרח, it did not make sense for them to be punished together with him for not standing up against him.

 

ואת שם אהרן תכתב על מטה לוי וגו’ ויהי ממחרת ויבא משה וגו’ והנה פרח מטה אהרן לבית לוי ויצא פרח ויצץ ציץ (פרק י”ז, פסוקים י”ח-כ”ג)
The name of Aharon shall you inscribe on the staff of Sheivet Levi…The next day, Moshe came, and behold the staff of Aharon had blossomed, sprouted a bud…”

After the story of קרח, Hashem told משה to have the staff of the נשיא of each שבט inscribed with the name of that נשיא. Hashem then told משה to place the twelve staffs in the אהל מועד, and Hashem would cause one of the staffs to blossom. This would be a sign from Hashem that this was the שבט chosen to serve Him. The next morning, it was the staff belonging to אהרן that had blossomed. Reb Nissan Alpert, זצ”ל, is troubled by the word הנה- “behold”- in this פסוק. The word הנה is used when something unexpected has occurred. Why does the Torah say, “Behold! The staff of אהרן had blossomed”? Didn’t Hashem tell משה from the start that He would cause the staff of the chosen שבט to blossom? Why was משה surprised? Rav Alpert explains, that משה expected the blossoms to be symbolic of the jobs of the לוים, such as singing at the time קרבנות were brought and opening and closing the gates. After all, Hashem had referred to the staff as “the staff of לוי.” However, when משה arrived in the morning, he discovered that ויצץ ציץ, the staff had sprouted a bud. The word for “bud” is similar to the word ציץ, the headplate worn by אהרן. Thus, משה was surprised to see that it was actually “the staff of אהרן,” not לוי, that had blossomed.

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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier

In תהלים פ״ה:יא-יב, Psalms 85:11-12, it states: ״חסד ואמת נפגשו, צדק ושלום נשקו: אמת מארץ תצמח וצדק משמים נשקף.״ “When loving-kindness and truth have met together (then) righteousness and peace have kissed each other: Truth must spring from earth and righteousness still looks down from Heaven.”

Rashi explains that to earn Hashem’s kindness necessitates a life of integrity, the kindness that Klal Yisroel does will earn harmony from Hashem. When truth abounds, “shalom” will spread.

The Medrash בראשית רבה ח:ה interprets it in the following manner: When the Almighty decided to create אדם הראשון, “First Man”, the angels had a discussion if it’s prudent! Some argued, yes, the human being will constantly occupy itself with performing kindness, while others argued that the essence of the human will be falsehood. Due to the latter opinion, Hashem took אמת, truth and sent it down to earth. The angels asked, aren’t You disgracing Your essence, you are אמת, truth, integrity, for “Your seal is truth, ‏ חותמו של הקב״ה אמת״? Hashem said, “תעלה אמת מן הארץ, truth will spring from from the earth.”

HaRav Shlomo Wolbe זצ״ל, explains that this Medrash is teaching us one of the most fundamental concepts of human nature. Due to a person being created from Earth, a manifestation of one’s physical essence, it inherently is the opposite of the soul, the spiritual component. In contradistinction to the angels who are heavenly in nature, a human has an internal conflict between the physical which is termed false due to being incompatible with Hashem who is by definition exact and pure. (This “falsehood” is a direct result, due to the dynamic that the earth is mundane, physical and therefore limited compared to spirituality that is not governed by space, place or time.)

In order to enable humans to excel, Hashem “planted” His Torah, His guide to living, the Torah being an expression of His essence, on earth. It is only through the true study of Torah, done with true, unbridled effort and determination for the exact lesson, that one can develop into a person of integrity.

The lesson we are being taught is that the catalyst to defining all action in life is the source of one’s focus; is it engendered from an essence of truth or non-truth.

Rabbeinu Yonah (1200-1263) in Gates of Repentance, Section 3, Paragraph 184, writes, “One who fools someone, saying that he did one a favor or spoke favorably about him, but he did not do so; we are taught (Chullin 94a) that it is forbidden to deceive all people, even a non-Jew. Chazal considers this worse than theft, for lying is a great “guilt”; for we are obligated to be extremely careful with speaking truth, for it is the basic fundamentals of oneself.”

The key to success is one’s essentiality: honesty!

In this week’s portion we are taught this elemental concept. Korach, who was a צדיק, a person who had רוח הקודש, Divine Inspiration, an ancestor of שמואל הנביא, Shmuel the Prophet, created a rebellion against משה רבינו, Moses our great leader.

Initially he argued that there is no need for leadership, for all the Jewish people had witnessed the giving of the Torah by Hashem to all, thereby raising them to the highest level of spirituality possible. He proved his point by asking if a house has a ספר תורה, a complete Torah scroll inside it, does it need a מזוזה, a mezuzah? Of course not; a Mezuzah just contains two chapters of the whole Torah; what can it add? A Mezuzah is a mitzvah only for one is lacking- one doesn’t have the Sefer Torah. In the same manner, if the purpose of תכלת, the blue-green dye that a ציצית strand is dyed with in order to make one cognizant of the presence of Hashem, could it be possible that a garment that had this color would need an extra strand with the same color? Obviously not. He argued that in the same manner we don’t need leadership from anyone!

On the other hand, he felt that he was robbed of the opportunity of leadership, which due to the extreme responsibility it represents, he would have been able to rise to even higher and higher levels of self-negation and true spirituality.

In his mind, he felt that 1) Klal Yisroel were not being credited with their inherent greatness 2) that he could attain great heights.

The גמרא בבא בתרא ע”ד tells us that רבה בר בר חנה met an Arab who showed him the place (a hole in the ground from which smoke- גיהנום – came forth) where those due to the sin of Korach were. They were repeating, “משה אמת ותורתו אמת, Moshe Rabeinu is a person of irrefutable truth and his Torah is truth”, every thirty days.

Korach was jealous. He felt he was wronged. But the Talmud is teaching us that it all comes from a place of dishonesty. Hashem gave us a challenge, by nature we are biased, we therefore can’t be honest to decide what is right and wrong. A person has to constantly ask oneself; is this thought of mine based on a desire to be exact in truth or is it governed by a need of fame, acclaim, cravings for physical pleasure etc.?

The Torah teaches that even Korach made a grave mistake that had terrible consequences, due to a lack of unmitigated honesty. “Moshe is true” – he is always demanding perfection – then “Torah which is truth” can be truly expressed. This is why he was the leader of כלל ישראל – and why every person in the role of leadership has to constantly ponder, what is one’s true motivation. If it’s not perfect, one’s Torah can’t be perfect; the Torah is Hashem‘s wisdom and He is totally perfect!