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Blog - Torah Insights

Why is a Land so Important to Judaisim? - לך לך

 

Why is a Land so Important to Judaism?

 

Why is a piece of land so important to Judaism? 

 

The very first commandment to Abraham, the first Jew, was "Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you”.  As soon as Abraham reached the land of Cannan, G-d told him, "To your offspring, I will give this land".  At the conclusion of the portion we read about the covenant G-d made with Abraham, the covenant of circumcision, “This is My covenant, which you shall observe between Me and between you and between your seed after you, that every male among you be circumcised". The covenant of circumcision is related to the covenant of the land: "And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you. And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a God". 

 

Why is the land so important to Judaism? And why is the promise of the land related to the covenant of circumcision?  

 

Abraham was the first Jew, the first to discover the one G-d through the power of his own curiosity and intellectual inquiry. Abraham "called in the name of Hashem", taught people about monotheism. But the story of Abraham and the story of Judaism is more than a story about faith and more than a story about living a holy lifestyle. The story of Abraham, and the purpose of Judaism is to connect heaven and earth, to infuse the physical world with holiness. 

 

Circumcision, "My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant", represents the primary purpose of Judaism, not to transcend and connect to the heavens for their own sake, but rather the connection to G-d should permeate and change the physical body. And this is why the land is critical. The land of Israel, the Holy Land, where the soil itself is holy, like circumcision, symbolizes the goal and purpose of Judaism: sanctify every part of this physical earth. 

As summarized so beautifully in the new edition of the Chumash, elucidated by Rabbi Yanki Tauber

 

Indeed, if there is a common thread to the themes of Lech Lecha, it is this: the imperative to concretize spiritual ideals as actual, physical realities. Hence the emphasis on the land - a defined physical space - as the ground for the actualization of Israel's covenant with God. Hence the emphasis and the need for physical progeny for Abraham and Sarah - much of our Parsha revolves around the anticipation of this physical child - although Abraham and Sarah produced spiritual offsprings by the thousands. Hence the emphasis on the material wealth Abraham and Sarah extracted from Egypt, and the material wealth their children would extract from that same place 400 years later. Hence Abraham's identity change from "exalted father" to "father of multitudes". Hence the communication of Lech Lecha in Abraham circumcision - the ultimate physical Mitzvah. 

 

Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Vayere 1991 

 

Why There Will Never Be Another Flood - נח

Why There Will Never Be Another Flood 

After the devastating flood, G-d declared that he would never again bring a flood that would destroy all of the earth. What caused this dramatic shift? The Torah tells us that it was in response to the offerings that Noah offered after the flood: 

And the Lord smelled the pleasant aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, "I will no longer curse the earth because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, and I will no longer smite all living things as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)

It seems that the Midrash was troubled by the question of what it was about the pleasing aroma of the offerings that caused this dramatic turnaround, the Midrash therefore suggests that the "pleasing aroma" of the offerings that Noah offered, actually represented the commitment, dedication, and readiness of the future generations to sacrifice their own life for their commitment to G-d: 

The pleasing aroma that arose when Avraham, our forefather, was in the fiery furnace…, the pleasing aroma that arose when Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were in the fiery furnace…, and the pleasing aroma of the Generation of Forced Apostasy. (Bereshis Rabbah 34:9)

The willingness to cleave to G-d despite incredible external pressure expresses the soul's unconditional, unwavering, unchanging connection to G-d. This unchanging commitment elicits the unconditional, unchanging bond between G-d and creation expressed in the Divine promise: "So long as the earth exists, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

There is a more profound point as well. 

The sacrifice and dedication that the Jewish people demonstrated during times of persecution and darkness represent a profound truth: the greatest commitment and dedication cannot be generated and mobilized in times of "light" and serenity. For the darkness itself is what causes the greatest devotion to be awakened. Just like stones and obstacles placed into a stream will increase the energy and force with which the stream flows, so too, the darkness of the world does not bring to its destruction; but rather, it inspires individuals to tap into the deepest resources of the soul, which is bound up in the essence of G-d, and find greater strength and resolve, ultimately prevailing and transforming the evil itself into positivity. 

Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichos 20 Noach 3  

 

Begin with Bet? - בראשית

 

Begin with Bet?


Why does the Torah begin with the letter Bet, the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet? 


This question, raised by the Sages of the Midrash, is premised on the idea that every detail in the Torah, including each letter and nuance, is precise. In that case, the Midrash comments, would it not be more fitting for the Torah to begin with an Aleph, the first Hebrew letter? The Midrash teaches that indeed, for the first twenty-six generations of history, until the Torah was given, the letter Aleph complained to G-d, asking why it was not the first and primary letter in the opening statement of the Torah describing the beginning of creation. G-d responded by reassuring the Alef that when G-d would give the Torah to the Jewish people, the ten commandments would indeed begin with the letter Aleph:


Rabbi Elazar bar Ḥanina said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: For twenty-six generations, the alef complained before the throne of the Holy One blessed be He. It said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I am the first of the letters, but You did not create Your world with me.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to it: ‘The world and all its contents were created only for the sake of the Torah, as it is stated: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom…” (Proverbs 3:19). Tomorrow {in the future}, I will be coming to give the Torah at Sinai, and I will open it at its beginning only with you, as it is stated: “I [Anochi] am the Lord your God”’ (Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit 1:10)


The opening verse of Genesis, “In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth”, represents the duality of the universe we live in, where everything is comprised of matter and energy, body and soul, physical and spiritual. The letter Bet, the second letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, was chosen to begin the story of creation, precisely because it represents the number two, the challenge and tension that is created by the conflict between the matter and the spirit, the holy and the mundane, the positive and the negative. 


This tension seems to be at the bedrock of creation, for it is featured in the very first and primary word describing creation. Yet, for generations, the letter Aleph, representing oneness and unity, protested silently. The letter Aleph would not accept that the universe must always remain in a state of inner conflict between two extreme poles. “Why not create a cohesive and united universe, a world where the unity of G-d would permeate all of reality?” insisted the letter Aleph. 


G-d responds that, indeed, the Ten Commandments, representing the awesome power of the Torah, begins with an Aleph, for the Torah reveals the deeper truth, that both the body and soul, the physical and the spiritual, the positive and the negative, are part of one whole, created by one G-d, for one unified purpose. The Ten Commandments begin with an Aleph, because a Jew, through studying the Torah and implementing its teachings, stitches together the physical and spiritual, revealing that the polar opposite forces of heaven and earth represented by the Bet, can be united and incorporated into a wholesome oneness.   


Why a Covenant? - נצבים וילך

Why a Covenant? 

On the final day of Moses’s life, he gathered all the Jewish people together in order for them to pass into a covenant with G-d. As the opening statement of this week’s Torah portion begins: 

You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel…

that you may pass into the covenant of the Lord, your God, and His oath, which the Lord, your God, is making with you this day. (Deuteronomy 29:9-11)

What exactly is a covenant? While the conventional understanding is that a covenant is an agreement that each party commits to in exchange for receiving something in return, in the Torah, a covenant is much more than a conditional agreement. 

A covenant is not designed for those times when both parties appreciate their relationship and are happy to be there for each other. A covenant is specifically designed for the moments when the parties do not see any reason to remain connected, yet they do so because of the unconditional commitment of the covenant. As the Alter Rebbe, the founder of the Chabad movement, explains: 

To explain through an analogy: Two beloved establish a covenant between themselves so that the love they share should not cease. Now, were the factor that brought about the love to continue forever, there would be no need for a covenant. However, they fear that will cease and, the love will also cease or that there will be an external factor that will cause .

For these reasons, they establish a covenant that their love will continue forever without faltering; neither an internal nor an external factor will cause any separation they establish a strong and powerful bond that they will remain as one and will bond in love in a wondrous relationship that transcends reason and logic. Even though, according to reason and logic, there that should cause the love to cease or even generate a certain degree of hatred, nevertheless, because of the covenant established, their love persists forever. This love and this strong and powerful bond will “cover all offenses.” (Likutei Torah, Atem Nitzavim)

Rashi addresses why the Torah uses the word “pass into the covenant” and explains that the manner of creating a covenant was to cut something, usually an animal, into two and have both parties pass through between the parts:

“That you may pass through the covenant.”: This was the method of those who made covenants: They would set up a demarcation on one side and a demarcation on the other, and “passed through” between , as the verse says, “ they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts” 

At first glance, dividing something into two seems to be the antithesis of a covenant, which represents the idea of unity. On deeper reflection, however, the dividing of the parts actually captures the essence of the unconditional bond expressed through the covenant. The purpose of the covenant of marriage, as well as the covenant with G-d, is to express the idea that what seems to be two autonomous, independent parties are, in truth, two halves of one united entity. Husband and wife are one soul, separated in half, and reunited in the covenant of marriage. The essence of the Neshama, the Jewish soul, is a part of G-d. When the Jew enters into a covenant with G-d, he expresses the deeper truth that the bond is unbreakable and unconditional because it is essential. G-d and the Jew are one. 

 

Does G-d Regret the Exile? - כי תבוא

 

Does G-d Regret the Exile? 


The Talmudic sages teach that there are entities that G-d regrets having creating. They include, the evil inclination within man, and the Chaldean and Ishmaelite peoples who oppressed the Jewish people throughout history. 


There, however, seems to be a disagreement regarding a fourth phenomenon, the exile, about which we read in this week’s Torah portion. The Babylonian Talmud lists the exile as one of the circumstances that G-d regrets having created:


Rav Chana bar Acha said that the Sages in the school of Rav say: There are four things that the Holy One, Blessed be He, regrets creating, And these are they: Exile, Chaldeans, and Ishmaelites, and the evil inclination. (Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 55b)


Whereas the Jerusalem Talmud omits the exile from the list of G-d’s regrets: 


Rabbi Joshua Ben Yair in the name of Rabbi Phineas ben Yair {stated}: Three {things} the Holy One, praise to Him, created, and was wondering {regretting} why He created them. These are the Chaldeans, the Ishamalites, and the evil inclination. (Jerusalem Talmud, Taanit 3:4)


A careful analysis of both texts, reveal that this disagreement represents a profound philosophical difference in the way we view negativity and challenging circumstances in our world.  


In the Bablylonian Talmud the expression is “regrets creating”, highlighting the regret; whereas the expression employed by the Jerusalem Talmud is “created, and was wondering {regretting} why He created them”. The Jerusalem Talmud emphasizes, not only the regret (“wondering {regretting} why He created them”), but also that these were created by G-d (“The Holy One, praise to Him, created”). In other words, while the Babylonian Talmud focuses solely on the negative aspect of these creations, the Jerusalem Talmud, emphasizes not only the negative aspect (“wondering {regretting} why He created them”), but also the positive aspect (“The Holy One, praise to Him, created”). 


The Babylonian Talmud, was authored in the diaspora, in a state of relative spiritual darkness. Indeed, the Babylonian Talmud states that the Biblical verse in Lamentations, “He (G-d) placed me in darkness”, refers to the Babylonian Talmud, where there are far more questions and debates than in the Jerusalem Talmud. In a state of spiritual darkness the focus is not on what may happen in the future, but rather the focus is primarily on the present. Therefore, when the sages look at the negative state of affairs of exile they proclaim that the negativity within the experience of the exile, is something that G-d regrets, and therefore it will not endure.  


The Jerusalem Talmud, by contrast, was authored in the land of Israel, in a state of relative holiness and spiritual enlightenment and clarity. Therefore, as a rule, the Jerusalem Talmud takes into account not just the current state of affairs but also the future. In the future, the practical aspect of exile will cease to exist, and therefore the Jerusalem Talmud does not mention exile. The Jerusalem Talmud focuses on the future, where two things will happen, the negative aspect of reality will no longer exist, (“wondering {regretting} why He created them”), and more interesting and more novel than that,the energy of evil itself, the passion of the evil inclination and the wicked nations, which was created by G-d, will be transformed into positivity.


The Jerusalem Talmud teaches us to view reality by incorporating not only its current negative form, but to actually perceive the future transformation within the current state of darkness. 


Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Lekutei Sichos 24 Ki Savo 2 

 


Self-Doubt on the Road to Sinai - כי תצא

Self-Doubt on the Road to Sinai 


"You shall remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you went out of Egypt." 


Remembering Amalek is the final commandment in this week's portion, and is one of the "six remembrances", the daily recitation of six events in our history which we are commanded to remember.


What is the purpose of remembering Amalek? The Torah reminds us of what Amalek did, and tells us about the obligation to battle Amalek: 


How he happened upon you on the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God.

[Therefore,] it will be, when the Lord your God grants you respite from all your enemies around [you] in the land which the Lord, your God, gives to you as an inheritance to possess, that you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!


Why do we recite these verses every day if this commandment cannot be fulfilled in the practical sense? Battling Amalek cannot be done today since (a) the commandment is upon the Jewish monarch, which does not exist today, and (b) we currently cannot identify the lineage of Amalek. 


Chasidisim teaches that Amalek represents doubt. The Numerical value of the Hebrew letters that create Amalek is the same as the word for doubt, "Safek". Every morning, we awake with the goal of leaving the limitations and constraints of the metaphorical Egypt and moving closer to "Mount Sinai", the place where we connect to G-d and embrace our spiritual mission and inner purpose. And then, precisely when we begin our journey, Amalek strikes. The verse states, "How he happened upon you." The Hebrew word for "happened", Karcha, is the same word as "kor", coldness. Amalek steps in and drains us of passion and excitement with thoughts of self-doubt: perhaps my efforts won't bear fruit, perhaps I will not succeed, perhaps the people I love will not appreciate my efforts and commitment. Perhaps all this is meaningless. 


While a dose of doubt is beneficial to ensure that we are reaching the truth, not making mistakes or being taken advantage of, doubt "on the road", while we are beginning to work to achieve our goal, is always a terrible thing and must always be battled immediately and fiercely. For no endeavor will succeed without passion and excitement, no endeavor will succeed if one believes that he is in a situation by chance (as Amalek is described as "happened upon you"); to live a life of meaning and purpose, a person must believe that his endeavor is significant and precisely what he needs to engage in so that he proceeds to Sinai.   


Every morning, our tools to battle the coldness and self-doubt of Amalek are our enthusiastic passion in prayer and Torah study, and by remembering that we are critical partners in G-d's purpose for creation. 


Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichos vol. 2 Ki Teize 


 

 

 

Where are the Police? - שופטים

Where are the Police? 

Judges and police officers are the basis for a civilized nation. The law and its implementation are what ensure a just society. Thus, the opening statement of this week's portion is the commandment to establish a justice system: 

You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your cities that the Lord, your God, is giving you, for your tribes, and they shall judge the people [with] righteous judgment. (Deuteronomy 16:18)

Like every part of the Torah, this commandment has a spiritual and psychological meaning within every person's life. Judges who adjudicate and determine the law represent the human mind when it is in a state of clarity, enlightenment, and objectivity. The mind directs the person to make the right choice, just as the judge clarifies the law. Yet, occasionally, intellectual knowledge is insufficient to overcome the negative drives within a person. At these moments, a person must rely on his "police officers" to overcome his negative cravings and instincts, forcing himself, by the sheer power of commitment and willpower, to reject the negative while embracing positive actions. Conversely, "police officers", willpower and commitment alone are insufficient. For inner transformation results not from willpower alone, but rather from intellectual knowledge and awareness.    

Three times every weekday we pray for the restoration of the Jewish judiciary: "Restore our judges as at first and our counselors as in the beginning”. This blessing paraphrases the prophet Isaiah: "And I will restore your judges as at first and your counselors as in the beginning; afterwards you shall be called City of Righteousness, Faithful City. (Isaiah 1:26)"

While Moses, in this week's portion, refers to "judges and police officers", Isaiah, prophesying about the future redemption, speaks of judges and counselors. Because in the Messianic era, people will not need to be coerced to implement justice, nor will they have to push against inner negativity in order to live a wholesome life. For in the future, we will have an innate desire to follow and internalize the will of G-d as embodied by the just commandments of the Torah.  

Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Shabbat Shoftim 1991

 

Two Cities, Two States of Being - ראה

Two Cities, Two States of Being 

There are two locations in the land of Israel discussed in this week’s Torah portion. In the opening verses of the portion, we read about the ceremony that the Jewish people were to perform as soon as they entered the land: the declaration of the blessings and the curses between the two mountains Gerizim and Abal: 

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.

The blessing, that you will heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today;

and the curse, if you will not heed the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn away from the way I command you this day, to follow other gods, which you did not know.

And it will be, when the Lord, your God, will bring you to the land to which you come, to possess it, that you shall place those blessing upon Mount Gerizim, and those cursing upon Mount Ebal. (Deuteronomy 11:26-29)

Gerizim and Ebal surround the city of Shechem, which has a problematic history for the Jewish people. The outskirts of Shechem was the place where the sons of Jacob kidnapped and sold their brother as a slave. Quoting the Talmud, Rashi comments on the word Shechem and states: “A place destined for misfortune. There the tribes sinned, there Dinah was violated, there the kingdom of the house of David was divided”.

Later in the portion, the Torah describes another place, “the place G-d will choose”; a place where the Jewish people will go to celebrate the three annual pilgrim holidays and the place where they will gather to celebrate and consume the tithings of their produce: 

You shall tithe all the seed crop that the field gives forth, year by year.

And you shall eat before the Lord, your God, in the place He chooses to establish His Name therein, the tithes of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and of your sheep, so that you may learn to fear the Lord, your God, all the days. (Deuteronomy 14:22-23)

These two places, Shechem and Jerusalem, represent two stages in the spiritual development of the collective Jewish people as well as every individual Jew. When we first enter the land of Israel, when we first begin our journey to reach a state of meaning, holiness, and closeness to G-d, we encounter the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, where we have to exercise our free choice to decide between good and evil, between the blessing and the curse. At the beginning of our spiritual development, we are pulled between the power of the holy and the seductive lure of negativity. When we first enter Israel, we are in Shechem, the place where struggle, failure, and ultimately correction are possible.  

And then we reach Jerusalem. 

Historically, Jerusalem was selected as “the place G-d will choose”, more than four centuries after the people entered the land. Jerusalem represents the deeper place in our soul and psyche where there is no inner struggle, only a wholesome experience of awareness and celebration of our connection to G-d. In Jerusalem, there is no struggle between the positive and the negative, between the physical and the spiritual. In Jerusalem, celebrating and consuming our grain and wine and eating the meat of the offerings is, in fact, a holy experience. In Jerusalem, our deepest core emerges. In Jerusalem the physical and spiritual parts of our life are integrated with one desire to serve and celebrate our connection to G-d.    

 

The Great Voice With No Echo

The Great Voice That Has No Echo 

Describing the revelation at Mount Sinai and the voice that the people heard, Moses says:  

The Lord spoke these words to your entire assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the opaque darkness, with a great voice, which did not cease. And He inscribed them on two stone tablets and gave them to me. (Deuteronomy 5:19)

The Hebrew words "Vlo Yasaf", translated here as "(the great voice) that did not cease", is one of the tricky words in Hebrew that are difficult to decipher because they have two opposite meanings." Vlo Yasaf", could mean (1) it did not cease, meaning it is ongoing. Or "Vlo Yasaf" could mean (2) it did not repeat, implying that the voice only happened once. Indeed, Rashi offers these two possible interpretations for this verse:  

Which did not cease: Heb. וְלֹא יָסָף, interpreted by the Targum: וְלָא פְּסָק "and it did not cease"... for His voice is strong and exists continuously. Another explanation of וְלֹא יָסָף: He never again revealed Himself so publicly [as He did on Mount Sinai. Accordingly, we render: and He did not continue].

The Midrash offers another interpretation, consistent with the second meaning - "it did not repeat". The Midrash explains that the great voice that the Jewish people heard at Sinai, did not have an echo. 

What is the significance of the voice at Sinai not having an echo? Wouldn't the powerful, booming voice of G-d create an enormous, awe-inspiring echo? An echo is formed when the sound waves hit a surface in which they cannot be absorbed; the sound waves bounce off the resistant substance and create an echo. When the Midrash says that the voice of Sinai had no echo, it indicates that the physical world did not resist the voice. Every aspect of the creation absorbed and internalized the word of G-d. 

Like every part of Torah this, too, is a message for our life. The Torah we study is not relegated to an abstract idea or thought-provoking belief system. The Torah permeates each and every part of our life, and infuses it with holiness. That is why the Ten Commandments address not only abstract belief systems: belief in one G-d, rejection of idolatry, and commemorating the Shabbat, but also mundane life: honor your parents, treat human life with dignity, and respect other people's property. The Ten Commandments cover the full gamut of The human experience, from the abstract to the practical, because the Torah has no echo; it permeates every part of our lives.

 

 

Where Do You Get Your Oil? - דברים

 

Where Do You Get Your Oil?


The Torah seems to spend a lot of time discussing the lands that the Jewish people conquered and settled east of the Jordan River, outside the borders of the original land of Israel. 


One of the cities mentioned in this week’s Parsha, Argov, or, as the Mishnah refers to it, Regev, was a city known for the quality of its oil, which was the second best in all the land of Israel. As the Mishnah tells us: 


Tekoa was the primary source of olive oil (for use in the Temple. The oil obtained from the city of Tekoa was the first grade and choicest among oils). Abba Shaul says, ‘Second best to Tekoa was Regev on the east bank of the Jordan River. (Mishnah, Menachot 8:3)


Like every word, law, and episode in the Torah, the discussion about the location of the choicest oil for the temple has a deeper spiritual meaning as well. 


Oil represents wisdom, enlightenment, and humility; the ability to put one’s ego, perspective, and limitations of self aside, in order to connect and be absorbed in something greater than self. The first opinion of the Mishnah implies that the oil for the temple, the ultimate state of negation of self and absorption within the holiness of G-d, can come only from the land of Israel, the land chosen and sanctified by G-d Himself. Only an extraordinary holiness can overwhelm the sense of self and pull the person into a greater spiritual experience and perspective. 


Abba Shaul disagrees.


True, Tekoa, in the land of Israel, is the “primary source of olive oil”, yet there is a “Second best to Tekoa”. The lands east of the Jordan, which were added to the land of Israel by the initiation, effort, and actions of the Jewish people, represent “man-made” holiness. This spiritual enlightenment and perspective is one that a person can create through their own effort and meditation. Abba Shaul teaches that the self-transcendence that a person can create through their own effort is “second to”, and therefore in the same category as, the holiness and inspiration that G-d created from above. 


The first opinion of the Mishnah teaches that the “oil” is accessible only through an extraordinary experience. Abba Shaul teaches that one can generate extraordinary inspiration within the ordinary experience. 


Perhaps this explains the fascination of the Torah with the lands east of Jordan. While a more intense and loftier holiness is available in Israel, the lands east of the Jordan represent a greater novelty, the ability to create holiness through human effort and enterprise. The lands east of the Jordan represent the ability of the Jewish people to generate holiness, not only in the land of Israel but in every part of the earth.


Adopted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichos Devarim 24:3

The Meaning of the Land of Israel - מטות מסעי

The Meaning of the Land of Israel 

The story seems straightforward. Two tribes approach Moses and ask to be settled outside the land of Israel, in the lands which the Jewish people conquered east of the Jordan river. At first Moses is furious and frightened at what he sees as a potential reenactment of the episode of the spies forty years earlier. He suspects that the request is motivated by a fear to enter the land and is a rejection of the land of Israel. Moses agrees to their request only when the two tribes promise to lead the rest of the Jewish people in  battle for the conquest of Israel. If they keep their promise, Moses told them, they would be entitled to the land east of the Jordan. 

A careful reading of the discussion between Moses and the two tribes reveals, perhaps, that Moses was not just negotiating a deal with the tribes, but rather he was emphasizing to them the true meaning and value of the settlement in the land of Israel. 

The two tribes tell Moses that they have abundant cattle, and they describe the lands east of the Joradan as “a land of livestock”:  

The land that the Lord struck down before the congregation of Israel is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." They said, "If it pleases you, let this land be given to your servants as a heritage; do not take us across the Jordan." (Numbers 32:4-5)

One of the major problems with their request is that it offers a glimpse into their perception of the land of Israel. If Israel is merely a place for the Jeiwsh people to settle and build a life for themselves, then indeed, there is no superior value to Israel over the lands east of the Jordan. On the contrary, for people who raise cattle, the lands east of the Jordan are better. 

In his response to the two tribes Moses keeps repeating one phrase: “before the Lord”:

Moses said to them, "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, `and your armed force crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him, (32:20-21)

Moses was telling them that the value of Israel is primarily in the fact that it is the Holy Land, the land where one senses the presence of G-d, the land where we are “before the Lord”.  

Only once they understand and internalize the unique holiness of Israel does Moses allow them to embark on their spiritual purpose, which is also the purpose of each of us who live outside the borders of the land of Israel, namely, to spread the awareness of G-d that is native in Israel to the lands outside of Israel.  

Not Once, But Twice Everyday - פנחס

Not Once, But Twice Everyday 

The daily offering in the temple was offered twice every day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. As the Torah relates in this week’s portion, G-d conveys the message to the people of Israel through Moses: 

And you shall say to them: This is the fire offering which you shall offer to the Lord: two unblemished lambs in their first year each day as a continual burnt offering. The one lamb you shall offer up in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon. (Numbers 28:3-4)

Similarly, there is one other commandment that we are commanded to perform not just every day but twice every day: the commandment to recite the Shema, the declaration of the most fundamental principle of Judaism, the unity of G-d.  

In general, life can be divided into two phases: morning and evening. Morning represents the times when the figurative light is shining, we feel the blessings in our lives, we are filled with joy and enthusiasm, and we sense the Divine presence at our side. Life, however, contains moments and experiences of “evening” and “night”, moments of pain, darkness and despair, when we feel abandoned, alone, and G-d’s embrace is not felt. 

Judaism’s most important principle, the unity of G-d, means not only that there are no other G-ds, but rather that there is nothing that exists independent of G-d, and that G-d permeates all of reality. The mystical meaning of the verse in Genesis, “and there was evening and there was morning one day” is that both the figurative “evening” and the figurative “morning” are part of the “one”, the oneness of G-d. 

Twice a day, we declare, and in the tomes of the temple, we express through the daily offerings, that G-d is present and available both in the morning and in the evening, both in the times when we can sense his presence and in the moments when he can be felt through faith alone. 

“The one lamb”, representing complete devotion and connection to the one G-d, is offered in the morning and in the evening.  

Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, 12 Tamuz, 1984 

 

 

 

Is Love Blinding? - Balak

 

Is Love Blinding? 


Do you see the faults of the people You Love? 


People fall in love, and when they do, they are blind to the faults of their beloved. They are oblivious even to faults that seem obvious to others. Such is the intoxicating power of exhilarating love.


Inevitably, however, the lovers awake to reality. They learn that, spoiler alert, the person they love is human and, like the rest of us, is imperfect. How do they respond then? Some resent the faults; some learn to make peace with them; others feel betrayed, deceived by the blinding love. 


In this week's Parsha, Billam, the greatest gentile prophet who was hired to curse the Jews, tries to remind G-d of the faults of his beloved Jewish people; alas, he fails completely. In his frustration, he declares:   


He {G-d} does not look at evil in Jacob, and has seen no perversity in Israel; the Lord, his God, is with him, and he has the King's friendship. (Numbers 23:21)


What is the meaning of "He does not look at evil in Jacob?" There are three interpretations of the verse, each representing a deeper level of love. 


Rashi begins by directing it to the Targum Onkolos's Aramaic translation of the Torah. According to Onkelos, it is absurd to think that G-d sees no iniquity in Jacob; after all, the Torah is full of episodes where the Jewish people are less than perfect. Instead, Onkelos explains that the verse refers to the most severe sin, the sin of idol worship.


He does not look at evil in Jacob: According to the Targum {Onkelos it means: I have looked. There are no idol worshippers in Jacob}.


According to Onkelos, G-d certainly sees the faults of the Jewish people, yet he can still love us because we are free of idol worship, the severest of all sins.


Rashi, however, introduces a second interpretation, a deeper level of love, which he refers to as "beautiful":

 

Another interpretation: Its literal meaning can be expounded beautifully. The Holy One, blessed is He, does not look at evil in Jacob. When they transgress His word, He does not deal punctiliously with them to scrutinize their wicked deeds and their iniquity in violation of His law. 


According to the second interpretation, we, of course, possess faults, yet G-d chooses to not focus on them. No one is perfect, but when people love each other they focus on each other's positive qualities and choose not to direct their attention toward the negative qualities. 


And finally, we reach the deepest level of love where there is no need to look away from any part of the other person. As the Rebbe explained:


He does not look at evil in Jacob: The reason G-d does not look at the evil in Jacob is because He looks at the Jew as having already fulfilled his potential to reorient the animal concerns of his consciousness (his animal "soul") toward Divinity. He thus transforms the animal soul into a positive force in his Jewish life, harnessing its raw power to pursue its interests in the service of his higher, Divine consciousness (his "Divine soul"). 

(Adapted from the Rebbe by the Kehot Chumash)


The third level of love is deep enough to allow us to view every aspect of the other person through the lens of love. For when we look at the other person's fault, we see not the current incarnation of the fault but rather the potential of the deeper connection and positive growth that can emerge from it. 



When The Jewish People Began to Sing On Their Own - חוקת

 

When The Jewish People Began to Sing On Their Own


At first glance, it is a very sad story. 


This week's Torah portion is a collection of somber episodes, among them the passing of Miriam and Aaron, who, together with Moses, led the Jewish people with love and dedication for more than forty years. It seems that even after an entire generation had passed, they were back to square one; once again, the Jewish people complained about the lack of water, questioning why Moses and Aaron led them out of Egypt. And, in a heartbreaking scene, as a result of Moses and Aaron striking the rock instead of speaking to it, it was decreed that Moses and Aaron would not lead the Jewish people into the promised land. 


Yet, when we take a more careful look, we can see that in many ways, this week's portion alludes to the profound success of Moses' mission. We look at the Jewish people in this week's portion the way parents often look at their teenage children who superficially seem utterly uninterested in the perspective and values of their parents, yet, in truth, under the rebellious spirit, the children are listening. The influence of their parents is germinating and taking root, and in time, will emerge and flourish. Specifically in this week's portion, we notice that the Jewish people have internalized Moses' influence. 


Toward the end of the portion, we read of the messengers dispatched to Sichon, the Emorite king, requesting permission to pass through his land. The verse states: 


​​Israel sent messengers to Sihon the king of the Amorites, saying: (Numbers 21:21) 


Rashi points out, that in the book of Deuteronomy, when Moses retells this story, Moses ascribes the sending of the messengers, not to Israel but to himself:


Israel sent messengers: Elsewhere, the sending [of messengers] is ascribed to Moses, as it says, "So I sent messengers from the desert of Kedemoth" (Deut. 2:26)... These verses supplement each other; one holds back [information by not informing us who authorized the sending of the messengers] and the other reveals [that Moses sent them]. Moses is Israel, and Israel is Moses. 


After all these years of complaints, of tension between Moses' effort to raise the people to a higher vision and consciousness and the Jewish people's fear, insecurity, lack of faith, and pettiness, we read these powerful words. The visions are aligned, the teachings have been internalized, "Moses is Israel and Israel is Moses". 


Forty years earlier, when the Jewish people crossed the sea, Moses led the Jewish people in the song of the sea: 


Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and they spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for very exalted is He; a horse and its rider He cast into the sea. (Exodus 15:1)


The Talmud explains that the verse "Moses and the children of Israel" implies that Moses sang the words, and the Jewish people repeated the words Moses spoke. 


Forty years later, in our Parsha, the Jews once again sang a song of praise about water. They sang the song of the well: 


Then Israel sang this song: "'Ascend, O well,' sing to it! (21:17)


This time, however, the verse does not mention Moses. This time, the people did not repeat the words Moses was saying. By this time, Moses had taught them to sing on their own. 


Can Anyone Be a Levite? The Unconventional Takeaway from the Korach Story - קרח

Can Anyone Be a Levite? The Unconventional Takeaway From the Korach Story

The rebellion erupted. 

Korach, a member of the tribe of Levi, leads a rebellion against Moses and Aaron's leadership. "the entire congregation are all holy, and the Lord is in their midst", they proclaimed, "So why", says Korach, "do you raise yourselves above the Lord's assembly?"

In the aftermath of the rebellion's tragic results, G-d reiterates the unique status and position of the priests and the Levites, who are appointed to perform the service in the temple and who, therefore do not receive a portion within the land of Israel, and rely instead on the produce gifted to them by the Israelites. The Torah states that G-d tells the Levite that he will not receive a portion in the land of Israel, instead: 

"I am your inheritance and portion among the children of Israel." (Numbers 17:20)

Quoting this verse, Maimonides states what seems to be the precise opposite of the message of this week's Torah portion and the exact opposite of the original meaning of the verse. Maimonides states that not only the tribe of Levi but any person can attain this level of holiness, concerning whom G-d states, "I am your inheritance". 

Maimonides describes the unique position of the tribe of Levi: 

Why did the Levites not receive a portion in the inheritance of Eretz Yisrael and in the spoils of war like their brethren? Because they were set aside to serve God and minister unto Him and to instruct people at large in His just paths and righteous judgments, as [Deuteronomy 33:10] states: "They will teach Your judgments to Jacob and Your Torah to Israel." Therefore they were set apart from the ways of the world. They do not wage war like the remainder of the Jewish people, nor do they receive an inheritance, nor do they acquire for themselves through their physical power. Instead, they are God's legion, as [ibid.:11]: states: "God has blessed His legion" and He provides for them, as [Numbers 18:20] states: "I am your portion and your inheritance."

Maimonides then continues to explain that, in fact, any person can attain the same degree of holiness: 

Not the tribe of Levi alone, but rather any one of the inhabitants of the world whose spirit generously motivates him and he understands with his wisdom to set himself aside and stand before G-d to serve Him and minister to Him and to know G-d, proceeding justly as G-d made him, removing from his neck the yoke of the many reckonings which people seek, he is sanctified as holy of holies. God will be His portion and heritage forever and will provide what is sufficient for him in this world like He provides for the priests and the Levites. And thus David declared : "God is the lot of my portion; You are my cup, You support my lot."

While the conventional understanding is that the story's objective is to discourage an attempt to be like Korach and demand additional spiritual holiness, according to Maimonides, the precise opposite is true. The takeaway of the story is that anybody can achieve the holiness of a Levite and even a high priest, provided they do not follow the model of Korach,, who rebelled against Aaron in order to achieve the status of priesthood in the literal sense, but rather "any one of the inhabitants of the world" can attain the status of a Levite and Priest, by learning from Aaron's example and achieving the devotion and holiness of the Priest in the spiritual sense, by sharing the Torah wisdom and inspiration with others.

In 1990, the Rebbe presented this interpretation of Maimonides and suggested what, perhaps, captures the Rebbe's essential and eternal message for each of us. Each person, said the Rebbe, should follow this teaching of Maimonides and see himself or herself as a Levite. Each and every person can share the wisdom of the Torah, by increasing their own learning and then sharing with others. Each and every person should establish a formal or informal Torah class and teach the Torah's Divine wisdom to the people in their circle of influence. 

[in this video clip, esteemed philanthropist Mr. Sami Rohr of blessed memory, father of our dear friend and member of Chabad of Greenwich Mr. George Rohr, headed the Rebbe’s call and then visited the Rebbe to offer thanks for encouraging him to teach a Torah class to others in his community.]

 As we approach the Rebbe's thirtieth Yahrtzeit, this Monday night, the Third of Tamuz, let us internalize the Rebbe's inspiration and calling. Each of us is a Levite. Each of us is responsible for building a figurative temple and home for G-d in our surroundings, ultimately transforming the entire earth into a dwelling place for the Divine presence with the coming of Moshiach. 


 

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