Sunday, October 12, 2008

V'Zot HaBerakha: And This is the Blessing

"And Moses, the servant of the Lord died there."

Like all mortals, Moses was destined to leave his body and be rejoined with his ancestors. Yet, by the Torah defining the point of death, it also enjoins the reader to understand that the death of Moses was physical. His spirit, resiliency, and devotion remain alive. That is why the Torah states that Moses died "there". As long as we turn back to the Torah and invest our souls in the work of understanding the Will of the Almighty the spirit of Moses continues to live.

In much the same way, the last Sidra of the Torah deliberately ells us that Moses was the servant of God. That is why the Radak interprets this word to be an invitation for all future generations to imitate the path of Moses. Any person can devote themselves to something larger than their mortal self. Just as a servant is solicitous to his master so too anyone can follow the path of Moses using the same principle, love.

And, what if we do not have the internal strength to master ourselves? what if we fall short? That is why teshuva, return, is always an option. With the holy day of Yom Kippur just past we become aware that our lives are a process of moving towards becoming whole. It must ever be a forward-moving process. Even if at times we move in the wrong direction, it is critical to never give up trying to refine our character, become a servant of God.

That is also why as the Torah winds to a close we immediately open it up at the other end and commence the process of renewal. The Torah is bound on wooden spindles that ever roll. We walk through life, make attempts at growth, reach the end of a phase of life and then begin again.
In fact, it is remarkable that we celebrate the Torah with unbridled enthusiasm now when we finish the Torah and not at Shavuot, the anniversary of the Giving of Torah. Why? The Torah is perfect. Measuring ourselves against its light we fall silent, awestruck by its enormity and boundless power. The reading of the Torah, by contrast, is an exercise in movement, becoming. That is why Simhat Torah outstrips Shavuot in sheer joy. When we conclude the Torah we celebrate our renewal along with the renewal of the endless cycle of learning, and growth.

The name of the Torah reading is V'zot HaBerakha, "This is the Blessing." The Midrash states that when the Lord God told Moses that his life was about to end, Moses complained. He told God how troubled his life was a leader was: he had to cajole the people, threaten them, plead with them, plead for them and now as it was all about to end, he had a single request of the One: Let me bless them.

The blessing is upon you.

Haftara Insight:
Almost seamlessly the Torah portion segues into the Hafatara. Moses, our Teacher, has died, and the position of leadership has passed to his disciple, Joshua. The promise of God to continue His protective shield and maintain the covenant with His people remains firmly planted. Yet, as before, the Holy One demands that we carry our part of the covenant. We are to remain pledged and true to the mitzvot. With these instructions and words of encouragement the people respond as they had at Mt. Sinai. They reaffirmed their commitment and fidelity to the Word of the Almighty.

A Matter of Law:
Rambam teaches that the last eight pesukim -- verses --of the Torah may be read without a minyan. This is because they are ancillary to the Torah. Lower in holiness than the rest of the five books these pesukim detail the death and praise the life of Moshe Rabbenu.
Because we are forbidden from reading the same Torah portion twice, this sidra is always reserved for the night of Simhat Torah, not Shabbat.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Ha'azinu

In the modern era when we enjoy and take great naches from the new country of Israel we often remind ourselves of the miraculousness of her existence. She is the culmination of dreams and prayers that remained strong for two thousand years of exile. The fact that she still lives is remarkable given the ongoing threats that have continued unabated since her birth. Yet, Moses speaks even to our time. He announces to vast unknown generations that miracles abound when Jews place their trust in the Lord, God.

Perhaps one of the worst crimes against our self that we commit is to minimize the miracles of our time. In one old apocryphal tale a king asks his vizier for proof of the existence of God. The adviser answered, “The Jews, sire, the Jews.”
Much the same point is made by the Hafetz Hayim. The Hafetz Hayim once asked a man how he was feeling. The man responded to the master that things could be much better.

The Hafetz Hayim answered the man, “How do you know? How can you be really sure that things could be better? Perhaps you are wrong. Maybe life is exactly as it ought to be and if the balance were disturbed, your life would be much worse.”
I believe the Hafetz Hayim was deliberately telling the man to look at his life and like it. It is far too easy to be dismissive of what we have as we jealously look across to our neighbor and salivate with envy. The way of doubt is easy. The way of faith, on the other hand, is to appreciate what God has presented to us.

It is no great hochma, wisdom, to be dismissive. It is easy to be critical. It is easy to take pot-shots and shoot holes into beliefs. For those who wish to write-off America as hopelessly corrupt and a failure they can cite case after case to bolster their argument. Take a great leader and place under a microscope all their flaws and their dark underbelly strips away all the good things they did. One can criticize Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Maimonides, Akiva, anyone and find a world that is devoid of models of behavior. Schindler was a drinker, Freud was a druggie, Kennedy a womanizer. What is left? What have we proven? That we are smarter than they? No, only that there is no goodness in the world.

The Hazon Ish makes a similar point in speaking about a tailor. Someone watching sees him with a pair of scissors cutting strips of fabric from many bolts of cloth. The observer says to himself, what a mess. Why is this man ruining all these fine stretches of fabric? Only when the tailor does his work in crafting a master piece of clothing does it become apparent to all what he was doing. That is the way of God, says the Hazon Ish. We see only a fragment of what he does. Instead of making judgments, faith dictates that we observe and accept.

Perhaps that is also why the Israeli nation anthem nods to this principle when it states that this new national identity is the fruition of a two thousand year old promise. Israel came about, this implies, because God was the guiding force throughout the epochs. Israel came to be when God ordained that it was time. Because the people kept the prayers alive, the vision and dream undimmed, it came to pass.

A Matter of Law:
We all have debts. Some are larger than others. They, at times seem to consume our waking and sleeping hours. The Sages warn however that the honor of another person overwhelms even such an obligation. At no time are we ever permitted to embarrass another person for the sake of a loan or debt they have not repaid.
Haftara Insight:
An old man, King David readies himself to take leave of this universe. His powerful words so resonate with us that they are often used at funerals even today. They express the notion that God is above death. He is the ultimate rock of existence. Knowing that the Holy One reigns forever makes even death less frightening.
More, God redeems and forgives us for our earthly sins. That is the greatness of the love of God.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Vayeylech

Moses, in one of his last talks to the Jewish people sings a song that is both lyrical and enigmatic. One statement stands out among them all. Moses claims that now that he is aged, one hundred-twenty years old!, that he can no longer come or go" (Deut. 31:2). An admission of his waning strength Moses confesses to his people, in effect, that his bones ache and his joints no longer function as they used to. He is old, tired. Not much later the Torah informs us that “Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eye was not dim, and his force was not abated" (Deut. 34:7). How can Moses be at once old and ailing and vital and energetic on the other?

There is a powerful lesson here about self-deprecation verses revealing the shortcomings of others. I have no doubt Moses was full of fatigue and weary from many life-long struggles. He lived through tumultuous and painful times. Orphaned in a reed basket, Moses knew the courts of Pharaoh. He lost all that royalty in a pique of righteous indignation. The king-cum-shepherd was then coerced into becoming the great liberator of his people only to endure hardship and trial through the next forty years. No wonder he was tired!

Yet, it is not fitting for others to tell how weak the aged leader had become. It serves no good purpose to degrade another human being even if we are just agreeing with them! Lashon ha-ra, is often translated as gossip. But what if the lashon ha-ra is really true? Said for no reason other than idle chatter such statements are inflammatory and evil. Lashon ha-ra does not have to be a lie. It may be true! Its truth or falsehood is irrelevant to the fact that negative statements about another person should not be uttered.

Rashi explains that he means: he is no longer was able to maneuver in Torah. In other words, the wellsprings of Torah have been closed to him.

In addition to the physical fatigue and strain that Moses felt was also a sudden shift in leadership. The transfer of the mantle of leadership from Moses to Joshua was also happening now. The appointed successor to Moses was carefully instructed and trained and then brought into his new position to ensure a seamless transition. That could not have been easy for Moses.

Rashi, in fact, makes mention of the pain that Moses must have felt when Joshua moved into his place. He informs us that the Lord had also begin to transition from one leader to the next. Rashi is relying on an ancient midrash.

The Yalkut Shimoni cites: Moses went to visit Joshua in his tent. Joshua peered out from the folds of his home, saw Moses coming and ran out to greet him. Together they went to the Tent of Meeting. In the past the Holy One, blessed be He, would reveal to His faithful servant what needed to be done. On this occasion, Moses walked to the left of his servant, Joshua. This was sign that Moses was moving away from his key post.

When the two arrived at the Tent of Meeting the Shechina fell not on Moses, but Joshua. When the Will of the Lord was revealed to Joshua the two men exited together. Moses inquired, "What did the Lord God tell you?" Joshua replied that just as he did not share with him what God had said to him, Joshua would observe the same silence.

Moses was aghast, horrified. With this one exclusion, Moses felt his world begin to collapse all around him. For Moses this was the moment when age crushed his spirit like nothing else in all his years. The pangs of being left out and jealousy overwhelmed Moses. It was, he claimed, worse than one hundred deaths!
The feelings of another human being- even if we view them as steely characters with no signs of aging or cracks are all vulnerable.

Perhaps it is important to read this parasha as the New Year dawns and as we get ready to approach our Maker and ask forgiveness. It all begins with sensitivity.


Haftara Insight:
This is Shabbat Shuva. We are directed by Hosea to return to God, reform our behavior and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Wedged between Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur we are told to become introspective and assess who, or what, we have become. Hosea furthers this idea by warning us not to place our trust in the powers other than the One. God alone is the source of our salvation.
A Matter of Law:The mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah appears in this parasha. While most of us are unqualified to write a Torah we are still obligated to do so through the hands of others.
30:1-2 is not a done-deal. Teshuva is a force that moves earth and heaven The power of repentance redeems and even potentially changes the course of history.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Nitzavim: All of You

The parsha includes the compelling and slightly enigmatic phrase, "all of you who are standing before me today."

The Talmud has a fascinating interpretation for this pasuk. It says that both the body and soul will be held accountable to the Holy One in the aftermath of life. The soul cannot claim that it was coerced and the body also has no excuse for its actions. Here is how it phrases the idea:

A blind man and a lame man are hired by a farmer to watch his precious crops. The owner forbade them from eating any fruit. Yet, when the crops were harvested there was a paltry yield. The owner was suspicious. The two watchmen claimed they took nothing. How could they?
The blind man said, "It was not me. I cannot see!"
The lame man said, "It could not have been me. I cannot walk!"
The owner then placed the lame man on the back of the blind man and punished them together.1

Pirkay Avot takes another tack. It pronounces that no person should ever cut themselves off from a community. 2 What it observes is that all of us are an entity, an organism. We have a responsibility toward one another that stems from this Torah portion. Rambam further emphasizes this idea when he states that when a person cuts themselves off from the body of Israel and does not feel their pain or experience their joy totally severs his connection from them in the world-to-come as well. 3

The connective tissue that binds us must be inviolate. That is what all of you- in the parasha means. More specifically, it means – all of you - throughout all time.

Note that the Israelites are standing at the border of Israel. That is the precise location where they find themselves as the Divine command comes to them. The word stand is pivotal. Like the Amidah that we recite, which also means standing and is the same root word as here, the Jewish nation is poised to enter into the holy land. They stand – this exact word is used -before they cross over.
Likewise, each Jew needs to be focused and at attention when about to make any upward spiritual movement. Crossing over to a higher spiritual level is not simple and usually does not come without effort. We must try to approach God. Aliyah means ascending and one cannot go up without expending energy.

"All of you" also degrades any social standing. Any arbitrary or contrived social ladder is destroyed when taking into account the body of the people. Every member of the Israelites is vital. From the water-carrier to the kohen gadol each member is counted and needed. There is not a single person person that is expendable because they do not have the education, or breeding or money that others can claim. --All of you -- means that God needs every one of us especially the ones who stand at the margins. Remember that the vaunted Elijah may be one of them….

Midrash also reflects on the idea of Moses incorporating all those who stand before him this day. Later, Moses goes on to elaborate that even those who are not present. How can it be that if everyone is present, someone might be missing? Midrash answers that the call of Moses is to unborn generations. Those yet to come –you and I and the many generations in between were also part of the assemblage. 4

Those who move are comprised of flesh and blood. We are people given the task of conquering the world. Continually moving to conquer new realms we are rarely still. Yet, in another realm, those who stand still are the angels. That is why when we pray we place our feet together during the kedusha and do not budge from that place. We are imitating the angels on High who sing Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh to the glory of the One.

Idea: When we commanded to stand we are being asked by the Eternal One to imitate the angels. Perhaps it is intentional that we read this parsha before the Holy Days. On the first of Tishray we are to try to become as perfect before God as possible.


1. Sanhedrin 91b
2. Pirkay Avot 2:5
3. Laws of Repentance 3:11
4. Tanchuma and Sforno


Haftara Insight:
Despair gives way to excitement and rejoicing as this Haftara reading practically shouts outs in exuberance. No longer will there be any mourning. In its place will come flowing and abundant love. No longer silent we will send our message of hope and deliverance to the world.
Jerusalem will rejoice. Even its walls will convulse with song. Powerfully, Isaiah tells us for the sake of Zion to never be silent again!


A Matter of Law:
The mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah appears in this parasha. While most of us are unqualified to write a Torah we are still obligated to do so through the hands of others.
30:1-2 is not a done-deal. Teshuva is a force that moves earth and heaven The power of repentance redeems and even potentially changes the course of history.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Ki Tavo: My Father, an Aramean?

When the first fruits, or bikkkurim in Hebrew, were brought to the Temple, the farmer who brought them was supposed to declare, “My father was destroyed by wandering Aramean….” The Talmud tells us that this phrase is so powerful and compelling that it needs to be repeated at the Passover seder.1 Why? What does the sentence mean?

One interpretation of this phrase is that it refers back to Laban who attempted to murder Jacob. The Passover Haggadda uses this interpretation to define how ruthless Laban was: While Pharaoh only wanted to murder the Israelite boys, the plot of Laban would obliterate the Jewish nation had he succeeded in murdering the patriarch Jacob!

However, there is an entirely different possibility for this text. It might also mean that Jacob – my father - was wandering while in the land of Aram. If this reading is correct, the meaning of the Torah text changes to a statement about the patriarch’s impoverishment, not that Laban was out to kill him.2 That is to say we are to be reminded of the protection of God over Jacob while he was vulnerable and in exile.

This reading is compelling because for the past two thousand years the condition of the Jew has been the same as this journey of Jacob. Dependent upon the mercy of distant rulers and the whims of local authorities, the Jew has been in a long state of exile. Imagine what this would mean to our ancient ancestors as they ate their bread of affliction in constant dread of expulsion, or worse.

Reb Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin reads this segment of the Torah with a slightly different nuance. His understanding posits that Laban sought to take away from Jacob his father-hood. That is to say, Laban was jealous that Jacob was wealthy and destined to be the progenitor of the nascent Jewish people. Laban hoped to supplant young Jacob and become the patriarch in his stead. It was not his physical life that Laban wanted to end but his spiritual legacy.

The passage arises at the Passover Seder at the time of the second cup of wine. At that moment that participant is consumed with the idea that the Lord God took us from the depths of despair and raised us to a covenanted nation at Sinai. If this is the real intent of the text in Deuteronomy then, in its context, the humble farmer who brings his first fruits to the Temple is expressing the single notion of Deliverance. This farmer acknowledges through these words his moral an, spiritual and physical impoverishment. It is only through the great gift of God that he is able to present his first fruits to the Kohen at the Temple. It is as if he is saying, “If not for You, God, I would have nothing.”

One more idea. The phrase- a wandering Aramean – was only to be recited after the Jews had entered the Land of Israel. Until that time they were not to use those words. The graduation of the Israelites from desert nomads to inhabitants of the land made it imperative to never forget their roots. In much the same way, we who live in freedom repeat those ancient words to recall our humble beginnings.

Musar: The seeds of prayer are placed into the earth with the ever-resent thought that everything belongs to God. I am only here because He wills it.



1 Pesachim 116a
2 See Rashbam


Haftara Insight:
The series of prophetic readings that align with the topical thread of consolation reaches its apogee this week. Isaiah calls to the survivors of devastation to arise and allow their soulful self to shine outward. That inner luster will act as a beacon to the nations of the world. They will all witness the grandeur of the people of Jacob. The time for tears is over. The time of jubilation has begun....

A Matter of Law:
The parsha makes special mention of the widow, the orphan and the stranger. In Jewish society if any of these people are marginalized it is wicked. Our responsibility is to make sure there are no needy among these three groups. Accursed is the person who allows the Torah to be abrogated in his community. J.Sotah 7:4

Monday, September 8, 2008

Ki Tetze: The Many Faces of a Line

What does the Torah mean?

This question underlies every commentary on the Holy Text since the time of its giving. In fact in the first chapter of Deuteronomy it states that the Torah shall be explained explicitly. 1 This is taken to mean that even when the Torah was given it required wisdom to extract meaning from its inner core.

That is why the life of the Torah is so exciting and stretches for eons as sages have wrung new meaning from ancient text. A simple example opens the reading of this week. Torah says that when this nation goes off to war and a solider sees a woman with whom he becomes infatuated….

On the surface level the Torah is explicit about what is often permitted, or overlooked, at times of war. Those who are most vulnerable- even from the enemy side- require protection.

One of the great sages noted that this passage immediately follows the law of the Egla arufa, the broken calf. This juxtaposition points to how seemingly trivial things can cause whole nations to go to war. The egla arufa refers to a corpse that is found outside a city. The closest city needs to do something to declaim responsibility for the death. Distances are measured, notes are taken, and words of confession and piety are spoken all for this nameless corpse. Then the Torah tells about the spoils of war. It seems to imply, says this sage, that for lack of culpability, someone taking responsibility, because of one death, hundreds or thousands might die. We must be ever vigilant to do the right thing and not turn away from being responsible.2

Musar: Avalanches start with a snowflake. They grow and gain velocity until they bury everything in their path. Grudges have the same growth pattern.

Others say the reason the two passages are next to one another is because of the thread of death that runs through both. We are urged to realize the fundamental principle that cuts through every act of war- death will result. The passages are meant to make us think not about glory but the ultimate result that comes from saber rattling; burying corpses.

Musar: we must never allow ourselves to become so carried away by the moment that we lose track of our humanity, our soul.

That same empathy resonates through the next passages as the captor must let the woman sit shiva for her dead relatives. He must watch as she tears her clothes and morns the part of her life that has been cut down. Torah clearly intends for the reader to have pathos and leads him away from reckless bravado.

Musar: it does not matter whether someone deserves to suffer or not. The only thing that matters is that at once we never identify with the victimizer and that our arms will be stretched out toward the victim.

The war described in this parsha describes a woman from a Canaanite nation that is taken captive. The word used from the captive being taken to the land of the victor is the same as the word for repentance, teshuva. What the Talmud understands from this seemingly obvious passage is something far deeper. Rabbi Simon says that when a person comes- even from a people that is utterly opposed to the Jewish nation – and seeks to embrace the faith of Abraham they need to be fully welcomed. 3

Musar: Who has wandered so far away from the Light of God they are no longer redeemable? No one.

Another commentator goes even further. He asks, would we have assumed that a proselyte, convert, from the Caananites would be welcomed into the Jewish people had god not permitted it? 4 Probably not. Although the question goes unspoken, we still need to ask ourselves if we need to be more strict, unforgiving than the good Lord God?

Musar: The lesson of God is the lesson of kindness. We lose nothing by forgiving others.



1 Deut 1:5
2 Baal Haturmin
3 Sotah 35b
4 M’or HaShemesh


Haftara Insight:
Shame and disgrace are the two sentiments that underlie this prophetic reading. While they have the potential to overwhelm us, God tells us that we are not forgotten. The covenant remains intact. Even though we abrogated our part of the agreement God remains firmly rooted to the pact of our ancestors. Isaiah declares the eternal nature of the compassion of the Holy One. You are loved, he says.

A Matter of Law:
A painful halacha is found in this reading that relates to a child who is uncontrollable. He will not listen to the voice of his parents. His actions are antithetical to all godly matters. The parents try to teach him ethical behavior but ultimately give up because he is wild, rebellious. The Law demands the child be put to death.
While this law was seldom, if ever, practiced, it decidedly points to the deepest pain of a parent; Their child rejects their learning and direction.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Shoftim: Holy Justice

The sidra opens with the command to establish judges. They are clearly told not to add or subtract from any of the given laws, not to show favoritism and to be unyielding the the quest for the truth.

Two ideas jump out of this declaration that demand attention. The first is that this mitzva is not directed at any particular person. It could have been aimed at the kohanim, leviim or a tribe. The law might have been directed at the wisest of the age. Instead, the mitzva is encumbent upon every Jew. Our mitzva is to use justice in every dealing.

King, farmer, jeweller, well-digger all must the same rule of not allowing for favoritism. The laws of the court are the laws of the individual.

Rabbi Isaiah Hurwitz examined the Torah text and saw the words aimed at the newly appointed judges, in your gates. He interpreted in all your gates as the pathways to the soul. When we are listening to another we are supposed to fully utilize all our senses, ears, mouth, smell, touch to ferret out the truth. These sensory areas are the gates which the Torah speak of. Only when we take full advantage of all our God-given attributes do we allow the information to enter our heart.

We are judges. Each time we meet and speak with individuals we are sated with great power; power enough to destroy a person. That is why it is as critical for us as for the traditional court of law to constantly seek truth.

In fact, later in the sidra, the Torah reading notices potential problems with trying hard cases. When that happens, it says, bring those difficult cases directly to the Levites. Why the Levites? Because according to the Rambam, the Levites unlike the other tribes, had no physical stake in the Promised Land. That would give them clearer vision in adjudicating cases as they would not be biased. See 17:8


The second idea is that the Text says "You shall come to the judge .... in those days. What does this mean "in those days?" Not every day? Not in each age? Rashi illumines this odd statement by saying that the mitzva of judgement applies specifically to every age, in your age. We may look backward and declare that since there is no one like Moses, or Rambam, or Akiva or Reb Yohanan that we cannot rely on our own scholars of our day. Such a statement would relegate our faith to a fossilized system.

While we never abandon the ways fo the past we are ever-vigilant to the wise scholars of our time. Their critical task is to be attentive to the needs of the present and to interpret the Law to our time.

Haftara Insight:

Isaiah speaks. Awaken. Get up. Look around. The word God focuses on the heart of the Jew that has been rent. When all seems lost, get up. If you open your eyes and witness the magnifient life that abounds on every side you will come out of the depths of despair that holds you in its grip. All is not lost. A new beginning awaits.

A Matter of Law:

We must always carry justice in our private lives to the extent that we must even reprove a friend if they have done something wrong. We do not judge them but point out where they have erred. To remain silent is to dismiss the ideal of justice. One Sage rules that if we say nothing we are like a judge that has accepted a bribe. What is the bribe? The threat of breaking a friendship.





Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Re'eh: Real Vision

The Torah portion commences with the word, re’eh meaning see. It then goes into detail the potential blessings and curses of the nation. Why does the text say "see" when it ought to say shma, "listen"? Equally perplexing is that re’eh is singular while the next verb tishmu is in the plural?

In the first instance, some scholars tell that the portion begins with "see" is because God was about to visually demonstrate the power and meaning of blessing and curses from the tops of two mountains. People were arrayed on either mountaintop facing one another and would see, as well as hear, the moral drama acted out.

D’var aher: The entire Israelite nation would "see" the mitzvot of God. As a single unit this people saw and heard the majesty of the Word of God. However, the nation does not observe mitzvot; only individuals can bind themselves to the commandments. That is why the second verb is in the plural. Each Jew alone must confront their willingness to follow after the Lord.

D’var aher: Perhaps the Torah is attempting a different modality of learning. Could it be that the power of "see" is about having unbleached vision. God is telling the Israelites- and us - to open our vision to the blindness of pre-judging the world. If we would only see the real blessings and cures of life, our understanding of what God wants would be complete.
Once our eyes are open our vison is clear, unimpaired. We see.

An old acquaintance of mine used to comment on the early morning blessings of the daily service. He said that the first few blessings were not congruent with a healthy mental outlook. Thanking God for what you are not (a heathen, a gentile, a woman, etc.) is not conducive to centering oneself on the self. Far better, he insisted was to thank the Lord for what we are, not what we are not.

Much of our lives is defined by who or what we are not. We are American and so much better than the Europeans. Or we are black and therefore superior to whites. Or Christians are saved. Jews are elevated. Even on the playground it was the girls vs. boys. Then, with age, we wonder why people become so polarized as not to see life our way, the proper way.

Perhaps Torah is telling us to focus on our side on the fence. Learn about who you are. Once confident about our identity, we can then reach out to others as equals not as potential converts or conquests. When we witness or see God’s role in the universe we then are able to join with others without borders or boundaries.

This may be the meaning of re’eh, "see" in the singular and then why it is followed by tishmu, "hear" in plural form. Only when we have seen truth we can relate well to one another.

D’var aher: Talmud tells us that we ought to envision our lives as if we were precariously perched between the mountains of blessing and curse, good and evil. So delicately straddled are we between the two mountains that one move in either direction will tip the scales. God therefore says "see" what is before you. The reason why the next verb is in plural is to show us how one small mitvza can change a life. Our life.

D’var aher: God gives blessings and curses to the people. Why would the Torah present this language to make it sound like God was giving them a gift? Who would want a curse? Yet one scholar, Pri Tzaddik, notes that not only is it a gift but has a strong connection to the first gift of God in the Garden of Eden.

Pri Tzaddik tells us that in the Garden we were gifted the privilege of choice. Adam and Havvah could choose the fruit of knowledge or remain within the boundaries of externality. They chose knowledge. In much the same way God again presents humanity with a choice. We can opt for goodness and blessing or deviance and curse.

The real gift of God is that we always have a choice. That is why two mountains. That is also why the Text shows us visually and auditorially.

Haftara Insight:
A series of rhetorical questions are asked. If you have money can you buy what your desire? If you have water can you slake your thirst? If God is with you, what is not possible?We are so blessed through the words of the prophet Isaiah. He declares that all we need to do is listen and follow. The answer to the most trying issues of life is as terse and as simple as that.With that knowledge all things are possible

A Matter of Law:
Idolatry, we are explicitly told in the Torah text, we are supposed to uproot, eradicate. Why os this so powerfully and emphatically stated? It is clear from the pages of history that where competing gods contend for domination, people imitate their actions. The most damaging times of human history is when laws fall away at the whim of competing celestial and then earthly forces. Where there is no singular law binding all people evil becomes confused with good. The idea of idolatry is antithetical to monotheism.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Eikev: God and Us

Conciliation is a powerful theme that cuts through this time of year. Is it not remarkable that after an exile of nearly twenty centuries we are still here? All other nations that we read about in the Torah and history books have been reduced to historical footnotes. We alone remain.
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In the Torah reading there are references to our missteps and intentional violations of God’s will. In every instance there is a punishment , or at least a withdrawal of the Lord’s favor, in response to what was done. Yet the Talmud makes it very clear that when God’s name is called by a minyan, He answers. Such prayer is an invitation for the Holy to join us. His Presence reacts to us. 1 God wants us to respond to the Call. He yearns for our answer but we always have a choice as to how we respond.

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Eikev is usually translated as - because. It is an unusual use of the word. Rashi tells us that it means heel. Like the patriarch of long ago - Yakov - Eikev also has as its root, heel. What Rashi seems to be saying is that all the laws that God gave to us, whether from the lowly heel or to highest heights of heaven, are equally important before the One.

The Sassover Rebbe expanded this idea when he said that with every step of our heel we need to be cognizant of doing the Will of the Lord, God. We must be ever mindful of whether what we are saying or doing God would approve.

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Manna was food from heaven. The parasha tells us that the manna was a test, though. How would manna be a test?

We know that the manna was the daily sustenance of the people. It appeared every day and nourished the Israelites as they traipsed through the desert. How could the manna possibly be a test?

The Maggid of Mezritch provides illumination. The Maggid reveals that people have two spiritual obstacles. The first is when they do not have enough. People will then worry about where the bread of tomorrow will come from. Some are strong in faith that it will come. Others grow impatient and become negative-minded. There is another kind of test though; a test of affluence. For many, when they have everything that they need, they grow haughty, feel superior and then take their gifts for granted. This was the test for the Israelites. With their daily manna would they remain grateful or become possessive and selfish?

Which is more difficult? To be thankful in years of plenty or grateful in the lean years?

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The Torah tells us to circumcise our hearts. What does this mean? Like a flesh circumcision it will not be easy. Doing what we perceive to be in our best interest is often selfish and egotistical. It serves our needs, often to the detriment of others. For example, demeaning another person down may make us feel superior. Saying bad things however, degrades us more than them. Another example is hurting, stealing from another person or business and justifying by saying they deserved it. This kind of excuse-making is a mask for evil. It also corrupts us.

Circumcising the heart means always asking whether what we are about to do is a genuflecting before the altar of the ego or doing what God wants. It is a radical redirecting of the way we are taught to think. Circumcising the heart is not easy. It is self-critical living. Yet, the greatest benefit is the freedom from the ultimate slavery, obeisance to oneself.

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Often we are told in Torah and in this parasha, to Fear the Lord. The Baal Shem Tov reinterpreted this verse to mean that it is God who fears. How is it possible that God will fear anything? The Master of All has any fear?

The Baal Shem reminds us that a parent teaches a child proper conduct, rules of behavior, ways of conversing and interaction. Then when the education is complete the parent sends the child out into the world. The parent does not just let go of the offspring. They worry. They spend sleepless nights agonizing if they will fare well. Will they remember all the lessons they were taught? Will the recollect all the accumulated and imparted wisdom? Or will they forget the lessons?

That, says the Baal Shem, is the fear of the Lord. He has given us instructions, commandments, advice and lessons to equip us to face the world. Now, the Celestial One worries: Will My children remember what I have taught them?



Berachot 6a

Haftara Insight:
This is the second reading of Consolation in the aftermath of Destruction. The question is raised; Is it possible to forget your beloved? Would a mother not remember her offspring? Is it possible that the God of the ancient ones would dismiss His children?
The rhetorical question requires no response. Nonetheless, Isaiah reassures the nation of Israel that the love of the Almighty is eternal. With soothing language, the prophet buoys a despondent people


A Matter of Law:
On Bread: Whenever consuming more than a bite-ful of bread we are commanded to thank, bless God for that gift. Inasmuch as it is a mitzvah to thank God before eating it is an earlier biblical injunction to bless what we have already eaten. In other words, while saying grace before and after meals are both mitzvot, the blessing after meals is the only explicit Torah law of the two.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Va'etchanan: Listen and Love

In the aftermath of the most bleak day of the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av, we look for comfort. That is the theme of the haftara for this week. Starting with that word, comfort, nachamu, and then repeating it, we are told by Isaiah to feel comfort. Is it that easy to feel comforted that all we need to be told to feel that way?

Varied responses can be found in the Torah reading.

For one example, the Torah teaches the power of saying the Shma. A part of the Shma is the command which follows, v’ahavta, and you shall love. How do you love? You love by doing, not by feeling. Sure, love starts with a feeling but without tangible evidence is it truly love? Faith has little to do with this religion. It is all about translating what happens in the heart to the hands. We love God by expressing that love demonstrably.

Furthermore, love acted upon is love felt internally. Emotion translated into motions of the feet and tongue and hands is felt at least in equal measure in return. Perhaps part of the idea of comfort is reflect by what we do to feel the embrace of forgiveness and comfort.

A great luminary and founder of the Hasidic movement was known to have devoted his early years to educating children. The Baal Shem Tov was a helper to a teacher. He devoted these nascent years of his life to teaching the foundation of Jewish prayer to tots. Beginning with the modeh ani, the Baal Shem Tov sought to instil the idea of holiness from a young age.

The Baal Shem understood that the greatest thing of life is simple thanks, another way of expressing and feeling love.

In the Talmud 1 Rabbi Simlai reacts to Moses wanting to enter in to Israel. Told he would be barred entry, Moses contested the Divine decree and argued with God to go to Israel. Why would Moses actually argue this point with God? What did Moses want?

The Hafetz Hayim reveals that most people would look at the breadth of Jewish tradition and become overwhelmed by its magnitude. They may look at the 613 mitzvot, for example, and with a shrug, confess that they cannot do it. They will not even try.

That, says the Hafetz Hayim, is akin to a man walking along the beach. Suddenly seeing pearls and diamonds wash ashore he rushes to collect all the precious gems. The more he puts into his hands the more falls through his fingers. Finally, he gives up and walks away because he could not possibly gather them all.

This, warns the Haeftz Hayim, is the great trap to which humans fall prey. We give up because the enormity of the job seems to great. Do what you can! He bellows from the past.

Moses debated with God about entering into Israel because many commandments relate solely to the Land and could only be fulfilled there. Moses wanted to do more.
To compound the gravity of his complaint, remember that this request of Moses takes place forty years after the Exodus from slavery! After all the events of the past - the golden calf, the bitter waters, the disappointment of the people with their food, the rebellion of Korah and much more - Moses has not lost hope or desire for doing more mitzvot. Moses understands the most vital secret of life, do not give up!

Rabbi B. Melchior describes the tradition that if the Jews would only keep two Shabbatot God would unleash the annointed one, the Messiah. Further tradition states that the two Shabbatot are specific, Hazon and Nachamu, last week and this week.

Melchior quotes hearing a student provide his understanding of why those two weeks are the pivotal ones to observe. If you can withstand the tragedy of pain, if you can look at the breadth of laws that Judaism contains, if you can accept what is difficult for you and still remain faithful on the next Shabbat there will be the final and absolute consolation of the Messiah.

Love keeps hope and trust alive.




1. Sotah, 14a


Haftara Insight:
This first haftara of consolation following Tisha B'Av asks startling questions of us. While we may shake our heads at our misfortune, there is God Who makes all else shrink in comparison. Isaiah uses the imagery of grass which grows dull, withers and ultimately disappears. The grass is like our lives. Yet, the Lord stands above all life and will not change. Despite all else, the covenant endures. Lift up your eyes, declares the prophet, and see.

A Matter of Law:

Do not deviate to the left or the right, states the Torah text. In other words, do not misuse, misconstrue or alter the words of the holy Torah. It is timeless and immutable. The meaning of the pasuk extends so far as to listen to the advice and interpretations of the Sages. When they interpret Torah, listen intently and follow their words.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Devarim: The Postcript

What is in a name? The book Devarim, Deuteronomy, takes its name from the second word of the book. Hardly a descriptive title of the contents of the text—all it means is 'words.' An older name for this fifth book of the Bible is Mishneh Torah, Repetition of the Torah. It has that name because the entire book represents the final speech of Moses which reviews the history of the Jewish people under his leadership.

In fact, the Talmud agrees that Moses, not God, was the author of this entire book of Devarim. While not disagreeing with the masters of the Talmud, the later Tosafot add that Moses was clearing operating under the Ruach HaKodesh, the Spiritual Force of Heaven, when he delivered this speech. With a scant thirty-six days to live, Moses carefully crafted his words to his extended family, the Israelite nation. It would contain the most poignant reminders of their experiences throughout forty years of wandering.

Moses does not spend time dwelling on the events of the Exodus. Instead his focus is more narrow, and what he does not say is at least as interesting as what he does in his talk.
This book Moses can be divided the book into three essential parts. They are a harsh rebuke of the people for their behavior, a recapitulation of the primary mitzvot which would guide the nation, and a review of the covenant between the Holy One and the Jewish people.

The Vilna Gaon went so far as to say that each of these three segments corresponds to the three preceding books of the Torah. The covenant covers the second book, Exodus, where God takes this nation and gives them the Torah. The mitzvot are enumerated by the next book of the Torah, Leviticus, while the rebuke covers Numbers.

What can we learn from the talk? Ramban gives us a hint. He writes, "These words of introduction and reproof extend until... the verse 'Observe His laws and commandments, which I enjoin upon you this day, that it may go well with you and your children after you, and that you may long remain in the land that the Lord your God is assigning to you for all time' (4:40). Moses then called to all of Israel who were before him and said, 'Hear O Israel, the laws...' and began explaining the Torah, the Ten Commandments."

Moses has learned a powerful lesson about human nature after leading the Jews for so many years. Experience has a short shelf life. People do not remember miraculous events or life-changing moments. They absorb the actions of that time and then move on to more pressing needs like food, raising the kids, making a living…. That is why Moses does not dwell on the interweaving of God into history in this testament to his life with his people. Instead, Moses focuses on the responsibilities of the nation, the punishments for acting outside the boundaries of law, and the enduring nature of this relationship.

Question: Everyone is seeking deeper meaning from life. Is it possible to be spiritual without first knowing what God wants from us?



What about hutzpah? Is it hutzpah to include the words of Moses into the Torah alongside the words of God? None of the Sages seem to think so. They believe that the Holy One, blessed be He, wants our involvement, our holy hutzpah. The worst crime we can be guilty of is ignoring God. The proof this comes at the conclusion of the Torah when God writes the epitaph for Moses. He states, “There was no prophet that ever arose in Israel as Moses.” God approved of Moses reiterating His message.

Moral: God wants us to be engaged.

And speaking of prophecy, Moses, we know, is acclaimed the greatest prophet that ever lived. Yet, Ramban, as we saw above, said that Moses was operating under Ruach HaKodesh when he spoke the entire book of Devarim. Is there a difference between prophecy and Ruach HaKodesh? There is a significant distinction between them.

A prophet is elected by God. They are not self-appointed and they usually do not strive to find the favor of God by becoming His emissary. The opposite is usually true. Someone operating under the Ruach HaKodesh actively seeks God. They hunger for the connection with the Divine.

When Moses tells the Israelites his message of their ongoing journey without him as their leader he is speaking not through his prophetic ability but with his Ruach HaKodesh. Moses, unlike all those before and after, possessed both gifts. Not only did God speak through Moses to the Jewish nation but the soul Moses wanted even more of God. Perhaps then, that is why the final book of the Torah is endowed with great sanctity and is appended to the previous four despite the fact that it was delivered by a man of flesh and blood.

Idea: Ruach HaKodesh is the open heart toward God. The door is available to all.


Haftara Insight:
In every court case there are the litigants on each side; each bringing their own witnesses. In the instance of Israel, the prophet informs us that God will accuse the people of wrong-doing, if they are not scrupulous about their actions. When that great trial commences the earth and sky will be called as witnesses by God against us.Isaiah uses this imagery to warn us that there is no thing we can ever do that will be hidden from the eyes of God. We must always behave as if we will be called to account for what we do.

A Matter of Law:
The Torah portion opens with a number of obscure names which many sages throughout time have been hard-pressed to explain. It is ultimately Rashi who reveals that each place name is intentionally opaque. They are the places where the Jews had sinned in the desert. Why then are their names hidden? To teach us that once a person has done something wrong we do not remind them of their past sins.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Ma'asei: Life's Lessons

I. The first verse of the parsha records that these are "their goings according to their journeys, and these were their journeys according to their goings"(33:2). The language is odd as it is both redundant and reverses the two main ideas.

Bachya tell us that the first us that the first part of the phrase refers to the past. We study the wanderings and actions of the past to learn what works and how to behave. The second part refers to the future. This is the blank slate that is waiting to be written. Inasmuch as the past provides clues for us it does not mean that we are stapled to what has already happened. We do not have to repeat what we or others have done before. God has given us the leeway to be free from addictive or well-trodden pathways.

The word that means "goings", motza'hem, comes from the Hebrew root word that means "find". The goings that we experience must always be fresh and novel. In truth, we never know what we will find on any day. It is vital that we do not become depressed or so blasé about ourselves that life becomes something that we cannot wait to get over.

Another commentator, Sefat Emet, observes that when we move out of our past –the Egypts of our lives – and move toward the future –- Israel – we experience a growth in our neshama, soul. Leaving behind us the baser elements of our past allows our soul to reach new spiritual heights.


II. The reading details the division of land between the various tribes of Israel. The single exception was the tribe of Levi. They were to be dispersed among the existing cities of the Israelites. They had a special mission. The Levites were to present moral behavior to the rest of the populace. As strangers among the people their job was remain slightly apart from the rest of the community and register whether others were going astray. Their function was to be the rudder for each of these communities. At the same time, each Levite lived in galut, exile. They did not have a parcel of land to hold as their own. There was no territory possess or defend. For the Levites, it was a long, seemingly endless exile.

Perhaps the Levites are supposed to be an example to us. With their lives living amongst foreign faces they were to function with their peers, study Torah, observe the mitzvot, and maintain a purposeful existence. We must never forget our covenant.


III. Who is the only person whose yahrzeit, date of death, is mentioned in the Torah? Aaron. He died on the first day of the fifth month, Av. There are not many Torah readings that coincide with the actual anniversary date of that event. The yahrzeit of Aaron is an exception. The first of Av comes now in the summer. Why is this date so noteworthy?
1. The month of Av is a time of deep mourning for the Jewish people. Terrible tragedies occurred throughout the epochs at this time.
2. The Clouds of Glory disappeared from the Israelite camp on the day Aaron died.
Both historical notes are important because they are antithetical to the life of Aaron. Remember this was the man who strove to make peace between husbands and wives, children and parents, and even avowed enemies. Now that he no longer traveled in the land of the living surely the plight of the nation would worsen. The death of Aaron would only fuel the pain of the people.

No. The point of his yahrzeit is to remind us that nothing is ever hopeless. We must never give up. In recalling the life of Aaron we are supposed to carry on his legacy of mending the brokenness inside and outside of us.


IV. The Torah reading tells the Israelites to establish Cities of Refuge. The purpose of these Cities was to be a haven for people to flee from vengeful relatives. Say a person dropped a stone on his peer and they died. The family of the dead person may be so full of rage that they want revenge on the poor person that killed their relative. In such an instance the person who committees the manslaughter may run for safety.

In the Talmud it informs us that the road to the Cities must be kept clear of any obstructions and needs to be wide. The Court is obligated to straighten the roads to the Cities of Refuge to both repair and widen them. They must remove all impediments and obstacles. REFUGE REFUGE was written at every crossroads so that no one would miss the route to the City.
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Mishneh Torah

It is so easy to be judgmental and unforgiving. All we have to do is look at pothers with a superficial superior air and with the facts at our disposal pronounce them guilty. It is one of the gravest acts that friends and neighbors do all the time to one another. Perhaps the law of the Cities of Refuge is to teach us that we must not impede someone from teshuvah, repentance, by blocking their way. When we form an opinion of them that we share with others we effectively seal the pathway to healing. The roadway must be kept wide, like our opinion, because we may also be totally wrong in our assessment of them.

Haftara Insight:

To remember is important. We are not to hold onto grudges and bitterness but recall the lessons of the past. God warns His people that we should gaze at the miraculous past and then understand the power of God. We are not alone. We have not been abandoned. The great sins of our life begin with forgetfulness. Even the creatures of the first remember their father. Why do we not recall ours? The prophet concludes with a word that is familiar and yet need repeating: Return.

A Matter of Law:

Cain murdered Abel and God protected him from retribution. Following the same line of thought, even the most heinous crime cannot be summarily dispatched by a person. Law requires and investigation, a tribunal and justice. Vigilante justice is not justice but evil disguised as virtue. That is the deepest meaning of the Cities of Refuge.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Mattot: The Legacy of War

How painful is the reading this week! That the Israelites were given instructions on making war against the Midianites is at once heartredning and difficult to understand. After all, everything that we learn from biblical instruction is antithetical to the idea of war.

We are told to emulate Aaron, to use a single example. Aaron always endeavored to make peace between feuding people and groups. Further, so many of the prayers we utter beseech God to send us an era when there will be no war. We pray for the Messiah who will release man from such pain. The prophets exhort the people to stop hating each other. What then are we to make of these laws that tell us to fight against the Midianite nation?

Were the laws to preserve the good people from the clutches of those who would destroy them? Certainly the cultures that surrounded the Israelite were worse than immoral, they were amoral. They had not gripes about child sacrifice. They were unconcerned with brutal force being used against the weak. That which is evil had become good; acts of goodness were construed as evil. Was the only response to this utter disregard for human life to wipe them out?

Moses was ordered to dispatch 12,000 men to the front; one thousand men from each of the twelve tribes. We can only imagine the absolute pain of this leader, Moses, who had fought so hard to preserve human life throughout his career.

The Torah indicates the rationale for the war in an earlier biblical segment: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Oppose the Midianites and attack them, for they opposed you with their wiles with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Kozbi, daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague on account of Peor (Numbers 25:16-17).

Perhaps the reason for waging war against the Midiantes was the survival of the nascent Jewish people. Could the Torah be speaking of the inability of the Israelites to morally conquer the Midianites? Had the Jews met them perhaps the Israelites would have turned their back on God and enwrap themselves in the ways of this evil nation? If this is so, consider how different the world would be today if God had not commanded the attack.

Think: Cannot we simply let people who think differently than we do (nations that torture their own people, rampant acts of brutality in subcontinents, murder camps for learning how to kill) live their own lifestyle? Is not religion about improving oneself and refraining from judging others? The way of peace is the way of letting others choose their own path, is it not? In Kings II, 15:16, a tale is told of a wicked despot, Menachem of Tirtzah, who attacked a town killing all the males and splitting open all pregnant women. What then? Is the rationale for fighting against evil to change the world for the better or at least protect the weak? Is it to stop the rampages of those who inflict pain and subjugate others? Defend the innocent from those who would use and exploit them?

Both reasons are correct. If we do not attempt to stop evil, it will eventually overtake us. We will ultimately become that which we hate. There is also the moral imperative that we are to champion the cause of the defenseless. As the past Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir once said, “To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don’t be.” At a time when we are confronted with evil, equivocation serves the purposes of the enemy. Perhaps the world ought to have learned this lesson at the time of the Holocaust. Or the Armenian genocide. Or Pol Pot. Or in Rwanda. Or in Darfur…..Yes, we have a responsibility to fight for the lives and wellbeing of others. We are “our brother’s keeper.”

The passage from this week also reveals, through the great teacher Rambam, that even when fighting an evil tyrant, you must never attack on all four sides. There must be an escape route for those who do not wish to fight. What does this say about the war on evil? That we are to allow them an escape route?

There is no getting around the issue that while we are taught the moral duty to fight against evil there is always the potential that we can become what we dread most. By waging war we may come to like the perverse notion that we enjoy hurting others. That is perhaps why we are also directed to not indiscriminately hurt those who want to flee conflict. And later, when we come to Deuteronomy 20:19 we will learn that a campaign that deforests tracts of land is also forbidden. The idea of the Torah is that at all costs we must preserve our own humanity, even while fighting evil. Perhaps this concept is best put by Golda Meir. “I can forgive the Arabs for hating us. I can forgive them for killing us. What I can never forgive them for is making our children into killers.”




Haftara Insight:
The great election of the prophet Jeremiah is told. Called upon by God, Jeremiah feels unworthy. God answers him by saying that he makes no mistakes. He is far more capable than Jeremiah recognizes or is willing to acknowledge. The Lord then spells out to His servant what He wants him to do. While the words are intended for Jeremiah they really speak powerfully to us.

A Matter of Law:
Words, vows, promises bear great legal weight in Judaism. When we say we are going to do something it is critical that we fulfill or word. Else wise, one brings their reputation, their people, and God into disrepute. Words are never so simple meaningless as to have no bearing on others or the universe. If one makes a vow and cannot do it they must seek release from the Court of Law. There are two kinds of vows: shavua and neder. Both are referred to in the great service of Kol Nidre.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Pinchas: Hero or Villain?

Psalm 106 tells the breadth of Jewish history through the eyes of King David. Recounting powerful episodes from the Torah, David uses this psalm as a vehicle for a prayer. In every act of the past. the poet expresses his awe at seeing the hand of the Almighty in all things.

When David comes to this reading, he understands Pinchas as having stayed the hand of God. Had it not been for his quick action, the Israelite nation would have suffered terrible consequences. A plague was about to strike at the heart of the Jewish people. Only Pinchas stood in the way. He acted so that God would not have to.

David was recalling the terrible plague that attacked the followers of Korach. Last week we read of a terrible insurrection that threatened Moses and the future of the people whom he led. God stopped the villains by causing the earth to swallow the worst of the evil ones. The remainder of the holders-on to Korach, were wiped out by plague. Understanding the dreadful consequences of disobeying the Lord, Pinchas assuaged the anger of God – so he thought based on what happened to Korach – and carried out the Law himself thus saving the rest of the nation.

Talmud: Interpreting the biblical text the Talmud reads the passage from psalms, Vaya’amod Pinchas Vayifallel as meaning Pinchas quarreled with God. How was Pinchas quarreling with God? The angels saw the zeal of Pinchas as he elbowed his way past them. They tried to stop him from reaching the Celestial Throne but God ordered his angels to leave Pinchas alone. The angels cried to their Master, “But he is a wrathful zealot, offspring of a wrathful zealot!” Still, God allowed Pinchas an audience.

Pinchas argued with God to not punish the Israelites because of the sin of one man, Zimri. The Holy One was not swayed by his plea, so Pinchas himself took action to protect his people.

In this interpretation, Pinchas is a hero, a protector of the Jewish people, willing to go to any lengths to shield them from harm. He went so far as to argue and even defy with God!

As a direct relative of Aaron, the man of peace, Pinchas learned how best to bring about the greatest peace for the nation of Israel. The Psalm of David mentioned above goes on to say that Pinchas was awarded a mark of righteousness to the end of time. This is probably a rewording of the episode where the Torah states that Pinchas was granted a “Covenant of Peace” as a reward for his quick action. Is this really a reward?

Midrash: In contemplating the mind of Pinchas on a yet deeper level one ancient teacher opines what Pinchas may have been thinking at the time. Rabbi Jose in an illuminating midrash explains, "Pinchas said to himself: If a horse risks his life for the day of battle even though he may die, he is nevertheless ready to give his life for his master. What should I do? Should I do less? But what can I do? Two people can overcome one, but can one overcome two?"

Pinchas weighed the options in confronting the sinful actions of Zimri. He knew that if he followed the Law he might die. After all there were two offenders. Pinchas nonetheless decided to intervene and risk his life for God.


The entire story is uncomfortable. We who live at a time when any kind of violence is seen as bad find it hard to be cozy with Pinchas. While Pinchas takes action what was everyone else doing? What were the bystanders doing? What were they thinking? What would you have done had you witnessed the event?

Moses was not happy with the brutal and swift act of Pinchas. The Talmud tells us that Moses actually wanted to place the ban on Pinchas. He wished to excommunicate him. The leader of Israel was horrified with Pinchas and his zealotry.

Another ancient source goes even further by imagining that had Zimri fought against his assailant and killed him, the Beit Din – the Court of Law - would have cleared him of guilt on the grounds of self-defense. Sanhedrin 82a. What then are we to make of Pinchas? Hero? Villain? Savior? Scoundrel?

Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the first Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, was once asked why he was so sharp towards people who were irreligious and flaunted their lack of observance. Are not the righteous and most religious folk supposed to pray for the ones who have lost their way? Are they not supposed to try to change them through kindness?

Rabbi Sonnenfeld responded: When speaking to the people I make it clear that their behavior is unacceptable. They must know they hey are wrong and sinful. However, every day I say holy psalms and prayers and cry to HaShem on their behalf.




Haftara Insight:
The great Elijah confronts his two arch foes: Ahab and Jezebel tell their God-intoxicated enemy they are tired of the mouse and cat games. They issued a challenge to the prophet that would put an end to the vexations of Elijah and railings against their idolatrous practices. God meets his servant Elijah and assures him in the most powerful way that He will guide and protect him. It is a scene oft recounted by generations. The language is stirring and sated with meaning.

A Matter of Law:
Is zealotry allowable by Jewish law? In the instance of Pinchas, he killed two people committing a sin. Is this a mitzvah? There is no disagreement that Pinchas was justified in his actions. Does this mean his actions are endorsed? The reward for Pinchas was a Covenant of Peace. In other words, his reward was to not be in a position to do it again.
Talmud: Had Pinchas consulted a Sage they would have not permitted his violent act. It is like stealing a vessel for the sake of the Temple. While it may have a higher purpose we do not encourage such zealotry.
As we now approach the Three Weeks leading to Tisha B’Av we refrain from cutting our hair and not eating meat during the Three Weeks, except on Shabbat.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Balak: The Force?

Underlying the text are some powerful messages that lurk just beneath the veneer of the words. One of them is the imagery of the sword. The first time in the story where a sword appears is in the hands of the angel that stands in the way of Bilaam. A donkey, frightened by the vision of the angel with the sword, veers off course and finally refuses to budge.

It is highly evocative and frankly bizarre that the Torah depicts a non-Jewish prophet, Bilaam, going out to curse the Israelite nation. On the way God sent an angel to impede the way of Bilaam. The angel wards off the donkey that the prophet rides on. Bilaam, unaware of the presence of the angel, continues to urge the animal forward. When Bilaam ultimately realizes that God has dispatched an emissary to stop him he confesses that he has sinned.

Yet, there is a problem with the text: how could Bilaam have sinned when he did not see that his way was being blocked? Can he really be blamed for sinning when he did not know the angel was there?


This was precisely the sin. Bilaam erred because he did not see the messenger of the Lord. He should have realized that there was an angel there but he was so preoccupied by his own thoughts that Bilaam was basically blind. How can this be? Being a person of vision is what a prophet does. He is supposed to see what others cannot! That is why the Torah states, Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell on his face.

Compare this episode to the one in Genesis where Abraham marches with his servants and son to the appointed place of the Sacrifice. When they arrive at Moriah only the father and son are able to recognize it. The servants, and the donkey!, see nothing. 1 This is the way of the real man of God. He sees. Making matters worse for Bilaam, he had already identified himself as a prophet of God. Surely then his inability to see the holy emissary of the Lord is at best evidence of a lapse in his seer-hood, at worst exposes him as a fraud.

Is this the sin of Bilaam? Early in the reading Bilaam is identified as a man whose blessings and curses becomes reality. At least that is what the king Balak believes and says. When Bilaam appeals to God for guidance he is told that the people of Israel are blessed and that he must not place a curse on them. What does this prophet then do? He mounts his donkey to level a curse at the Israelites! He even has the chutzpah to tell the king that he is not motivated by all the gold and silver in the treasury. Then why does he go? The only reasonable conclusions would be pure hatred, megalomania – Bilaam was in love with himself – or he was not a real prophet after all.

The Mishna makes its choice. It states, "Whoever has three particular traits is counted among the students of Abraham, and whoever has three other traits is among the students of Bilaam. He who has a good eye, humility and contentedness is a student of Abraham, while he who has an evil eye, arrogance and greed is a student of Bilaam." 2

This teaching would indicate megalomania on the part of Bilaam. He was consumed with his own power and prestige. He only saw what he was predisposed to see, i.e. anything that would advance his self-interest. Yet, how is it possible that even a self- consumed person would brazenly reject the spoken Word of God?

Looking at the tale carefully there is another problem. Torah tells that the elders of Moab and Midian approached Bilaam conveying the demand of King Balak. Bilaam replied they should wait until the morning because he first needed to consult with God. The next morning Bilaam gave his answer to the officials of King Balak. Wait! What happened to the elders of Midian and Moab?

The Talmud 3 tells that as soon as the elders of Midian and Moab heard that Bilaam was going to consult God, they went home. They said: "No father hates his son." These high ranking emissaries knew about the relationship between the Jews and God. They understood their cause was lost. Again we are confronted with the question, what was wrong with Bilaam that everyone, including his donkey, seems to know but not him?

The end of the tale of course is that Bilaam, against his will, blesses the Israelites three times. Afterward, however, Bilaam dies by the sword. Was it the same sword that the angel held when he stopped the donkey?

In the final analysis it is impossible to know what motivates a person to do what they do. What matters is what a person does. Like Bilaam, Hitler never personally murdered anyone. Yet his words brought millions to agonizing torture and death. Perhaps then this is the real lesson of the Torah: Be concerned with the import of what we say. It could lead to terrible consequences. An evil word maybe the equivalent of a steel blade. And when God speaks, listen.



1 Rashi Genesis 22:4-5
2 Pirkei Avot 5:22
3 Sanhedrin 105



Haftara Insight:
The "Remnant of Jacob" is community of faithful that have been loyal and are the linkage which connect the generations. The promise to Abraham has been kept. We are here.
The words of Micah conclude with a stirring and powerful message. It is the answer to the question: What does God want in return? "….He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your God. "


A Matter of Law:
The halacha to maintain only intimate relations with Jews is in this reading. As Bilaam makes fun of this nation we learn that mockery is unacceptable. Disagreements need to be kept serious and not reduced to personal attack. Finally, respect all people as even a mercenary like Bilaam can sometimes be privy to the Word of God.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Hukkat: The Ultimate Mystery

The mitzvah of the red cow is the most perplexing tale in the Torah. That is why it is called a chok, a mitzvah that escapes logic. Maimonides tried to understand it. King Solomon was confounded by it. For some unknown reason the ashes of the animal make pure the impure.

Perhaps the mitzvah of the cow is connected with the mystery of death itself. Death consumes endless hours of deep thought. We want to know that there is something greater, more lasting than the lifetime of a human being. We know that people have a limited lifetime, but is that all there is? There must be more!

When Miriam and then Aaron die in the parasha we are deeply pained. We have carefully followed their lives, hopes, aspirations throughout the long years of slavery and exile. Is this truly then end of their life? All that remains is a story to be told. It is very sad. The chok of the cow hints that there is a border between life and death. When one has crossed over to the other side it is not simply a dull end to physical existence but also a beginning.

"A child made the palace floor filthy. The king said: Let his mother come and clean up her child's dirt. By the same token, God says: Let the cow atone for the deed of the calf. " - Tanchuma, Chukat 8.

Life and death are part of the same whole. We are interconnected. Just as the cow is the purification for the next generation, so too one universe, albeit unseen, flows into t he next.
In a later segment of the Torah reading the Israelites fall sick. Moses then sets up a bronze curled snake on a large pole. Anyone who saw the serpent was cured of their illnesses. What does this mean? In the Talmud, it is explained by Rashi that the sign of the serpent was an inspiration to the people that there was a power in the universe greater than anything else. The power exceeded the strength of their sickness. It transcended life. It was even more powerful than death. Represented by the bronze serpent the power of God is over life everything.

Perhaps the real message of the Torah reading is a subtle reassurance that our eyes have limited vision. The universe is far more expansive than what we see. The borders of life and death themselves are a chok, a mystery to us, but they are governed by God.

The people of the Israel suffer in the Torah reading too. They are affected by the death of the prophetess Miriam. They too question the meaning of life and its abrupt end. Now that the generation is nearing the end of its forty year wandering they also stare at their own mortality. When God answers their plaintive call for comfort He gives them water. And then the people break out into song. Why do they sing? Because, they realize, death is not the end of them. The waters represent a continuation of a soul. That is why the Lord God says, "From Midbar to Mattanah.: Literally -- "Fom the desert to the gift." The "gift" is not temporal; it represents eternity.

Samson Raphael Hirsch taught, "Happy is he who takes note of the unseen fiery serpents that beset his path, put to flight by the Almighty." Without God all is lost. With God all is possible.

Haftarah Insight:
From the start of the tale of Yiftach there is great sorrow. As a young man he was purged from his home like noxious bile that no one could stand. Running to a distant land, Yiftach became a warlord whose ferocity was well-known. Who knows? Perhaps it was all those years of pent up rage that made him so fearless?
Yiftach is recruited by his own people to lead a war against the relentless enemies of the Jews, the Ammonites. Making a pact with the Israelite leaders, Yiftach also makes an unholy vow to God. Praying for victory Yiftach promises to deliver whatever comes to his door after winning the war against Ammon.
What is the message? Be careful with words? Perhaps. Only ask for what your heart desires? Perhaps. Do not let anger rule your thoughts? Most likely.

A Matter of Law:
Death contaminates. The Sages ask, why does death make people impure? 1. Life is holy and we need to ensure that life and death are never confused. 2. No human remains may be used for any purpose, eg bones for utensils, skin for clothes. In this way, human life is respected. 3. Since the dead make impure no one would dare ever make a shrine out of a final resting place.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Korach, An Argument II

In this second segment about Korach I want to explore a different question, a question of psychology. What makes a person act they way he does? In our case, why did Korach mount an insurrection that not only resulted in many deaths but a wound that would fester for millennia to come? David wrote Psalms about Korach. Sages contemplated his actions and mulled his fate for countless centuries. He captures our imagination even now.

An odd fact. The Torah indicates that not only was Korach and his followers consumed by the earth but their houses as well. Houses, in this usage, means wealth. Not only did Korach disappear but everything connected to him, down to his last shekel, was swallowed by the ground.

Not so many centuries before Korah, Egypt was a haven for the Israelite nation. There they found safety and, for some, prosperity. The most notable man of success was Joseph. He not only saved Egypt from starvation and kept his family intact but he also became very wealthy.

In the Talmud, 1 there is a hint of the massive wealth that Joseph accumulated as viceroy. He became so rich that there was no place to store his burgeoning possession. He had to divide his gold, jewels and other valuables into three lots and hide them away. According to this tradition, Korach found one of them when he was treasurer to the Pharaoh. He took the money of Joseph. Korach was profoundly wealthy.

Now, the biblical insight of the earth swallowing the possessions of Korach begins to make sense. The loot he took from Joseph was what was lost, eaten by the earth, along with the man that held it.

Yet, there is a hidden, more powerful message at work here. Korach had no need for anything. He had more money, more possessions, more everything than the rest of the Israelites. Why then would he want to wrest control from Moses for himself? Did he not already have enough? That is precisely the hidden message of the Torah. Wealth does not make us whole. It does not bring us joy and fill in the gaping psychic holes in our life. In fact, if taken as a goal it can utterly corrupt to the point where money becomes a god.For Korach, wealth corrupted his values. Instead of focusing on the mitzvot, what God wanted from the people, he chose his own path.


1 Pesachim 119

Haftarah Insight: The prophet Samuel addresses the people as he readies himself to install Saul as the first monarch of Israel. Samuel, as a descendant of Korach, carefully picks his words to reflect what Moses says in the Torah reading. Both leaders, Moses and Samuel, declare that they have not harmed anyone. This is a telling and deliberate statement from the descendant of Korach.When Samuel concludes his speech the air is punctuated by a storm. God thus validates the words of his servant.
A Matter of Halakha:
It is vital to argue for the sake of truth. However, when the argument takes the form of personal attack that is an evil punished by God Himself.Two opinions emerge from the Talmud regarding Korach and his assault on the leadership of Moses. Rav said it is forbidden to fight like Korach against an accepted authority. Rav Ashi is a bit more lenient. Rav Ashi says that it is forbidden to continue to argue against an authority like Moses after stating the premise of the disagreement.All embrace the idea that it is a terrible wrong to assault the integrity of the person.



Korah: An Argument

Human nature compels us to look for meaningful signals in the sands of the past. It is no different for Korach. The name has two meanings. One meaning of Korach is “ice.” It was not just the presence and words of Korach that was chilling as much as it was his cold and cruel attacks on Moses. The Talmud also sees the name Korach as relating to “bald.” When the land split and yawned open to swallow Korach and his cohorts the only thing left was an empty or bald patch of earth where nothing else could grow.

There are a number of fascinating insights that are revealed in the Mishna and Gemara regarding Korach.

1. The crevice of the earth that would engulf Korach was one of the last acts by God during the Creation. 1 As the sun began to set on the sixth day, just at twilight, God created the vast chasm that would only be needed thousands of years later.

Interpretation: God operates in the universe of the physical. He uses only what was crafted when the universe was born.
Interpretation: The Holy One knows the heart the potential of every individual. While He anticipates we always have a choice…

2. There are two kinds of controversy. One is for the sake of heaven; the other has nothing to do with heaven. The illustrations for the sides of such an argument are Hillel and Shammai and Korach and Moses. 2 Korach was not arguing for truth. His desire was far from noble; Korach was seeking power for himself while dethroning Moses. Hillel and Shammai, on the other hand, argued philosophy, interpretation, law and much more. Yet, these factions never reduced their disagreements to invective or tried to undermine the character of each other. They argued for God.

3. A long discussion of the punishment of Korach takes place in the Talmud. What happens to him in the narrative of the Torah is clear. What is less clear is what happens to Korach afterward. Was Korach doomed forever? Was he denied entry to the Universe Beyond? One opinion is that when the Torah states that the earth “sealed” itself after Korach, this means that he was gone forever. There was no eternal life for him. Another rabbi disagrees by saying that life-after-death is part of the ongoing promise of the Lord. No one is excluded. 3

4. Another commentator, Or HaChayim, stated that Korach went to Sheol. Sheol comes from the Hebrew, to ask or borrow. Korach went to a place, the Or HaChayim tells, where there was no death. Just eternal suffering. This is explained by Rabbah bar bar Hanah who told that once he was taken to the Sinai by a desert merchant to be shown the place where Korach disappeared. Bar bar Hanah says that he saw the crust of the earth rise and from deep inside the earth came billowing smoke. He claimed to have placed his ear close to the crack and heard, "Moses and his Torah are true; Korach and his band are deceivers." 4

Whatever is the ultimate historic truth we will never know. At the same time, the bald facts of the story point to the incontestable truth of the tale of Korach: We must be self-critical enough to always ask what is our motivation and endeavor to place love and respect before invective and hatred.








1 Avot 5:6
2 Avot 5:17
3 Sanhedrin 108-9
4 Bava Batra 74a

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Shlach Lecha: The Etilology of Mistrust

Shelach lecha means “Send for you."

Comment: God did not ask the Israelites to dispatch spies. The people demanded it. God had already promised the Israelites both the land and that the land was “good.” The first time God promised the land of Israel to the Jewish people was with Abraham our Father so many years before. (Genesis 13) Reiterated time and again throughout the Torah, these descendents of Father Abraham had lost all faith in the Divine Word.

There was no reason for the spies to pass through the land on a mission except if they were already filled with doubts. Just think of the revealing statement by the returning spies who claimed that "We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them." (Numbers 13:33) To imply that the Israelites looked like tiny insects to the inhabitants of the land is a depressing, and unreliable, thought.

Perhaps “Send for you” means send a message to yourself about the reality of the situation.

Comment: The word “you” is singular.

The Zohar says that the underlying reason for the spies, really princes, of each tribe, giving such a negative report was they feared for their positions. The delegates/princes/spies believed that the change from escaped slaves to freemen in Israel might mean they would lose their position as princes of their tribes. Afraid of demotion they chose to frighten the people into remaining in the wilderness. In that way the princes remained in power. Perhaps then the reason "you" is in singular form is to tell us that HaShem was specifically speaking to the spies, not the congregation of Israel. God knew their hearts were dark and was warning each of them to think clearly.

Comment: When God declared to Moses to send out the spies what He really meant was, ‘send them out for yourself, if you have so little faith in My word. Did I not already tell you that the Land would be yours?’

In other words, God was telling the doubters that He was surprised at their utter lack of faith. How could the people have so little trust in the Lord after the plagues in Egypt? After the walls of water that parted for them at the Sea? After Mt Sinai? After the manna?

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner invents, based on a midrash, a conversation between two Israelites, Reuven and Shimon. At the splitting of the sea they converse:

"What is this muck?"Shimon scowled, "There's mud all over the place!""This is just like the slime pits of Egypt!" replied Reuven."What's the difference?" complained Shimon. "Mud here, mud there; it's all the same."... For Reuven and Shimon the miracle never happened.

Could this be the problem with the spies? Is it a natural human response to life to have short-term memory lapses?

A Hasidic Master, grandson of the famed Baal Shem Tov, noted that Moses asked the spies to take note of whether the land had trees (yesh) or not (ayin). The word yesh is a positive attitude of life. It is the predisposition of the faithful to see the hand of God in everything. Ayin, on the other hand, is a note of negativism. It is the unwillingness to see hope. Life is nothing more than a battle to stop the steady downhill pull into the dank abyss.

Despite all the implicit warnings to the spies, they were oblivious to hope; their trust in God was minimal.

Noteworthy is the date when these terrible events occurred: the day the spies returned from their mission was the most awful day on the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av.

Perhaps this great tragedy is why the Torah reading takes a strange turn toward the end of the parasha. The reading ends with the commandment to wear tzitzit – fringes on the corners of our garments. Why the mitzvah for the tzitzit? “To look and remember all the commandments of the Lord, God, to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes.” (15:39)

Since our ego so strongly influences our yesh, God gives us a commandment which will act as a constant reminder that we must be aware of Providence. When doubts come to mind we are supposed to look at the fringes and be assured that we are not alone.



Haftarah insight:
Once again, spies are dispatched to view the land of Israel. This time, however, takes place some forty years after the debacle in Moses' time. The two spies were Pinchas and Caleb - who went the first time with Joshua.
Joshua carefully picked two individuals whose belief and trust is God is absolute. Their insight led to the home of Rahab. An unlikely hero, Rahab saves the spies. Who could have predicted that a whore would deliver Caleb and Pinchas? Yet, Rahab succeeds where the earlier leaders of ten tribes fail.
Faith is a more important criteria for the people than credentials or familial ties.


A Matter of Halakha:
Three things were gifted to the Jewish people but will only be delivered through trial, reveals the Talmud. They are Torah, Israel and Olam HaBa.
In the first instance, Torah is earned through effort. While a gift, its true essence can only be apprehended when a person applies energy to it.
Israel too, is an inheritance but like Torah, gleaning its true power means travelling there and for the truely devoted, living in Eretz Yisrael.
Olam HaBa, while waiting for each of us, requires us to live a righteous life.
All three gifts come with a price-tag: we must earn them.