Bilaam says “Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov” Rashi translates this to mean that Bilaam is praising Klal Yisroel because he saw that the openings were not aligned.
R’ Isser Zalman Meltzer brought down in Derech Eitz Chaim teaches us What Rashi is telling us. Bilam’s intention was to cause harm to Klal Yisroel, and he was looking for a Pesach an opening to come to Hashem and say “look at what your children are doing they need to be punished.” However, what he found is that yes we are Human by nature. We all have pitfalls, but there is no one aveira that all of Klal Yisroel is weak in. The Pesach he was looking for was not aligning.
Friends, When tragedy befalls our people, unfortunately, it is very easy to pick the problems of the world and become G-d’s spokesman and tell us “why” this happened. Bilam is teaching us something very powerful here, there is no one thing. Every person knows what they need to work on.
I always admired kindergarten teachers, they are so talented at making the little things count, no?
The Torah in this week’s Parsha discusses the purification process for someone who is tamei, and one of the steps in the process is to wash one’s clothing. If Tumah and Tahara are spiritual things, then shouldn’t the process include korbanos and other kinds of spiritual things to make the purification? We see from here that even the small things count, such as washing one’s clothes, although it may seem insignificant, it is what shows Hashem, “I am trying to make a difference. “
During the Holocaust, there were many contagious diseases that were rampant amongst the “prisoners”. There was one fellow who used to soil his pants daily, and another inmate who noticed and started stealing clean cloths from the guards for this man and cleaned the dirty clothes, daily. After the war, the fellow that cleaned the clothing saw many different brachos in his life which he attributed to this small act of changing this man’s clothing.
Friends, in life, we are given many opportunities to help people with small things, it may be that someone is setting up a nice outdoor Sheva Brachos for a bbq supper, it starts pouring rain, and he is trying to salvage the food, do you have to get yourself wet? No! But, will it hurt that much to help someone else? It is the small acts of kindness that take us a long way. May we be zoche to grab every opportunity to do these acts of chessed and show how we love each other, and with that we remove all of Sinas Chinam and have only Ahavas Chinam, and, maybe, just maybe, Tisha B’Av, which is slowly creeping up on us, may very well be a Yom Tov in Yerushalayim, together with Mashiach Tzidkeinu Bm’heira B’yameinu, Amen!!
This week’s Parsha starts off and says “Korach the son of Yitzhar, the son of Kehus, the son of Levi took.” What did he take? Rashi gives numerous explanations. Additionally, Yaakov Avinu’s name is omitted from this genealogical listing because he davened that he be absent.
What is this all about? Whether or not Yaakov is mentioned, he is still Korach’s great-grandfather?
The answer expresses a most profound idea. Each family has talents and specialties. Parents grant certain natural temperaments and skills based on their creating and investing a part of themselves in their children. It is the power of a family’s energy and capabilities. Korach utilized his great power and charisma and used it for the negative to gather followers for his rebellion against Hashem.
What did Korach take? He took his family’s powers with him. The verse reads, “Korach took, (his power of) Yitzhar, Kehus, and Levi. This is why Yaakov wished to be left out, he did not want Korach to take his hard work and use it against Moshe and Hashem.
Sweetest friends, we see the opposite as well, one has the ability to connect with his family strengths. So much stress is given to the fact that we are descendants of Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, and Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, and Leah. Their genes are embedded into our psyche and empower us to become sincere servants of Hashem. We can ask ourselves when will our actions be in line with the goal of our illustrious grandparents who dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the honor and closeness with Hashem.
As you know whenever I write something down I am doing it for myself to learn from, but feel free to join me.
The Medrash Tanchuma on this week’s Parsha brings two incredible parables that I would like to share.
There was a king that approached his closest loyalty. He told him “Come with me to a place and I want to give you a special present.” While they were on this journey the loyalty passed on. The King called the son of this loyalty and told him, “Look, I promised your father that I would give him a present, and I am not taking back my word, please come and take it.”
Hashem told Avraham, His Beloved, as it says “Bini Avraham Ohavai” “Avraham, my beloved “Lech Lecha Mei’Artzecha”, Come on a journey “El ha’Eretz asher Areckah” to a place that I will show you. “V’etein Lecha U’Lizarecha Es Ha’Eretz Hazos” and I will give to you and your children this land. Hashem says to Moshe “ Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov have died but I am still keeping the promise I made to give them and their children this land of Eretz Yisroel.
There was a king that approached his son and told him. “Llook, I found a beautiful good, and rich girl, one like no other, for you to marry. I want you to go and marry her.” The son does not believe his father and tells him “I want to see her”. The Father tells him ”You can’t see her yet but you can send a messenger to see her but I am not happy at your response because you don’t trust me, you will never see her in your home, as I am saving her for your son.”
Hashem had already told the Jewish nation before they left Egypt, I am taking you out to bring you to the land of milk and honey. Later on, it says again, “I am bringing you to a good place.” Even though it says “Shlach Lecha Anashim” you should send people to scout the land, you should know that it was not G-d who wanted them to go, He gave them permission, but because we did not trust Hashem, He said, “They will come back and tell you not to go, and you will not get it.” “Vayamas Kol Hador Hahu” and the entire generation who heard the Nevuah that Hashem took them out of Mitzrayim to take them to the Beautiful Eretz Yisroel died and it was left for their children.
And it was given to them, the children, those under 20 who did not die in the plague because Hashem made a promise that he will give to Avraham and his children, Eretz Yisroel.
My Friends, Hashem promised “V’heishiv es Shvus Ami Yisroel”, I will return the captives, my nation Israel. Do we believe Him? Do we really trust that it can happen at any moment?
Baruch Sheamar V’haya Haolam, Blessed in the one who spoke and there was a world…… is the Tefila we say every morning affirming our belief that Hashem creates and sustains the world through his speech so to speak.
The Possuk in Parshas Breishis tells Vayomer Elokim Yehi Ohr, Vayehi Ohr… Hashed said let there be light… and there was light.
So why do we need to light the Menorah, couldn’t Hashem have it lit on his own, does he really need us to light the Menorah?
The Medrash Tanchuma in this week’s Parsha says, “G-d says to Moshe ‘Don’t think that I Commanded you (the Israelites) to light the Menorah, because I need the light of a human being, but rather I gave you this commandment, just so I can give you more opportunities to do mitzvot’.”
We can’t do favors for G-d, G-d created us to give to us like a gushing faucet. It is our job to make ourselves into that “cup” to hold all that G-d gives us. How do we transform into that Kli HaMikabel / one that accepts? We build it with mitzvot, by doing mitzvot we build that vessel to house all that bracha. “Don’t think I need you to light the menorah, rather it is there as another opportunity to connect man and his creator. How Beautiful!!!!
The Medrash goes on to tell us, “G-d says to the Jewish people, ‘If you light the lights for Me, I will eventually light a big light for you when Mashiach comes’.”
Friends,We know that the Torah is compared to light “Orah Zu Torah”. I think we get just a little glimpse, over here, as to the reward that is destined for someone who ignites the spark of another Yid with Torah, what kind of reward he will get.
In this week’s Parsha, we see that when the Nesi’im, the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, give their donation to the Mishkan, the temporary tabernacle in the desert, they are giving enormous gifts, many animals, etc. Yet, when it comes to the wagons, there were only six, meaning that every two leaders joined to donate one wagon. Why is this so, why are they being cheap and carpooling, all of the sudden. Look at all the gold and all the animals that must have ran up a large bill at the Farmer.
Let us keep in mind, a Korban that is brought by an individual cannot be brought on Shabbos. However, the Korbanos of the Nesiim were brought on Shabbos. The Yalkut Shimoni, quoting R’ Yishmael, explains that when Hashem saw that the Nesiim respected each other by bringing the same Korbanos, He allowed them to bring their Korbanos on Shabbos.
We need to understand what R’ Yishmael is telling us.The Nesiim were not told to bring these Korbanos, they did it voluntarily. They did not speak to each other about what they would bring. So what was this respect that each gave the other Nesiim?
The fact that they all brought the same Korban tells us that they all had the same motivation, and, therefore, Hashem caused them all to bring the same Korban. Because their sole motivation was Kiddush K’vod Shamayim, and not personal Kavod, Hashem inspired each of the Nesiim to bring the same Korban, to show that they all had the same intentions.
Now we understand what respect the Nesiim had for each other. Sometimes, when a person does a good thing with the wrong intentions, he will not want others to do the same action, because he thinks they will take away from his Kavod. This was not the case here. Each Nasi’s sole intent was Kiddush K’vod Shamayim, to such an extent that they were happy to watch the same K’vod Shamayim coming from the other Nesiim’s Korbanos. The respect we are referring to here is the lack of bad feeling toward the others, for their Korbanos, and the genuine happiness that was felt instead.
When Yosef told his brothers to go tell their father, Yaakov Avinu, that he was still alive, he sent them with Agalos – Wagons. When we were kids, we were taught that the last thing Yaakov studied with Yosef was the case of EGLAH Arufa – a complicated case involving a dead man found between two cities, and who is responsible for the death. It is a very complicated case without going into too much detail though we are taught that the words Agalos – Wagons and Eglos – Calves are similar.
But let’s understand this deeper, when they came to Yaakov and told him Yosef was alive, he was happy but when they showed him the Agalos, his spirit was lifted. Why?
When the Shevatim told Yaakov that Yosef was alive he was happy to see that the hatred amongst the brothers did not lead to Yosef’s death, when he saw the the Agalos he got excited, because he saw in Ruach Hakodesh, many years later in the Midbar, at the inauguration of the Mishkan, when possibly different leaders would want to outdo the other one, they chose to bring the exact same korbanos and even the wagons they shared, showing a tremendous achdus amongst the brothers, that is what lifted Yaakov’s spirit.
This tells us why the Nesiim were allowed to bring their Korbanos on Shabbos. They all had one motivation: to cause a Kiddush Hashem. They were happy with their friends’ Korbanos and therefore their Korbanos were not considered individual Korbanos but rather as those of the Tzibur, which may be brought on Shabbos.
Friends, many times we feel like doing something great, but we should be careful to do it for the right reasons. Whatever you are doing, just make sure it is for Kavod Shamayim, and if someone else does it too, and it’s Marbeh kvoid Shamayim, all the better.
In the beginning of this week’s Parsha, the Torah informs us of the Mitzvah to count to the Jewish people. Some might think that means to give everyone a “bar code” or a “Social Security Number” or “Teudat Zehut” as a means to track the numbers. But friends, it is much deeper than that.
The Borei Kol Olamim, the Yotzer Kol, the Adon kol Haneshamos, the kol yachol, he creates and releases every Neshama into this world with his Ratzon L’heitiv, and when it is time to call it back he does so, knowing every person who is affected by it and makes sure they all have the resources they will need to cope with the Gzeira on them as a result. Yet, he needs Moshe to go crazy and count every yid, what for? Hashem, who did not put the earth any further or closer to the sun, and it is in the most perfect spot for all of earth’s living creatures to survive, He does not know how many Jews there are?!?!?
Sometimes a Yid will think to himself “What am I worth anyway?” He has to remember that he is special, just as every Yid is special. He has to remember that he is a Ben Melech, that Hashem says about him, “Yisroel Asher Becha Espaer,” and that will never change. He is counted as a Yid, just as Moshe Rabbeinu, and has the same opportunities as Moshe Rabbeinu. Just as Moshe grabbed every opportunity to become what he became, so too, this Yid, who is feeling down, has to know that he can grab every opportunity he can to become great.
However, I think there is an even deeper, yet basic lesson here, you see, Moshe was not told to count the “Masmidim” of Klal Yisroel, the “Bnei Torah’, “Chareidim”, “Daati”, “Chassidi”, “Sefardi”, “Teimani” ETC. He is not told count the “streimelach”, “hambergs”, “up hats”, “Down hats”, “no hats”. He is not told to count the “velvet”, “leather”, “srugie” or even the “no Yamulka”. He is told count every family, but count all of Klal Yisroel, because every single Jew has value in the eyes of Hashem with no exception, and he loves every single Jew, even if his Avoda is a bit different than yours.
Friends, you know what our problem is? We sometimes forget how much Hashem loves us and believes in us and how we carry a special value in the Eyes of Hashem. Do you really think that Hashem created you just to torture you on this world, because he enjoys the pain you are growing (no, that is not a typo) through, that is so wrong, “Imo Anochi B’Tzara” Hashem suffers with us when we are in pain? Hashem created each of us with a mission that only we can accomplish in this world that no one can, and we need to grab that opportunity, because “Mi Yodea Im L’eis K’Zos” you were sent to this world, we need to realize we are unique and each has our own Avodas Hakodesh, that Hashem sent us to this world to accomplish. We must realize that we are all so special, and that we are going to be the ones when Mashiach comes, let it be today, let it be tonight, to be spared from Milchemes Gog Umagog. We are the ones to whom the whole world will come running, begging to join us, speedily in our days. Be proud of who you are!!!
This week we will lein two Parshios B’har and B’chukosai. The first Possuk in Parshas Bechukosai tells us “If you follow in my ways and you keep y Mitzvos and do (live by) them.” The Psukim go on to describe the rewards.
Rashi tells us “If you go in my ways, means you should be Amel/Toil in Torah, and through the toil it will come to keeping the Mitzvos etc”
The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh, has forty two understanding of the words “Im Bechukosai Teileichu / If you go in my ways” The preface is that Bechukosai is a plural, that there are many ways what does this mean? The attention here is not to go through all thirty two understandings, but we will look at the first three. First he tells us “there is Torah Sh’Biksav, the written Torah and there is Torah SheBaal Peh, the oral law” second he tells us that there is Torah learned during the day, and Torah learned at night, the plural here is referring to the times in the day one should learn.
Now let’s us take this a bit deeper, The third Psht the Ohr Hachaim brings down is as follows, here he brings down from the Zohar Hakadosh, that there are four ways to learn any Pasuk, there is the Pshat meaning the simple understanding of the words. Drush, which means that we take things a little deeper and learn things out through connections etc. Remez, when after knowing the basic understanding, and digging it deeper to the drush, we learn what the Torah is hinting to us, on a much deeper level. The deepest level is Sod, where we learn the secrets of the Torah from within the letters in the words. After we have these four ways, they , and break down into shivim panim l’torah, seventy faces to look at with in the Torah, within in those seventy ways, we have different Gdolei umanhigei hamesora, leaders throughout the generations who had their understanding and this why it says Chokosai in a plural language.
The Ohr Hachaim goes on to say “Don’t say that there is just one understanding, understood by all.”
Last week something indescribable happened in Miron, many people brought different opinions on how to process what happened and what we should be doing if we should be doing something different as a result. This is a very important nekuda to keep in mind, what happened is a sugya, a tough sugya, but we need to understand that there are different way to decipher, learn and grow, and don’t think that that there one thing that we all need to work on, everyone knows what they need to work on within the framework of the Torah, under the guidance of their Rav, and these things should not be manufactured on a wholesale level to tell every walking and breathing Jew, that “THIS” is what we need to work on.
Sweetest Friends, we need to learn how to respect each other, and we do not all have to agree, there are shivi ponim l’torah and then some and they are all emes l’amito, they are all one hundred percent authentic, and just because someone follows a different derech does not make him wrong. Parents, Educators, Rebbeim, If a Talmid or child chooses a path in avodas Hashem that is different than yours, be thankful that it is a path in avodas Hashem and shep the nachas. It does warrant a fight. We need to respect our diversity, after all it would be pretty boring if we all looked exactly the same.
Everyone asks, why the double Language Emor/V’Amarta? Chazal teaches us that alludes to the Mitzvah of Chinuch.
What is Chinuch? Chinuch is training our Children/Students to live life based on the Torah.
What is the way to teach them how to live based on the Torah? We look to no other than R’ Shimon Bar Yochai, how after he came out of a cave learning day and night eating carab with his Son R’ Elozar, the first thing he asks is what by others needs to be fixed. How can I help someone else. As the Mitteler Rebbe of Chabbad says, he was worried about the Gashmius of another.
After Seven years of working on his own spirituality, he came out worrying and trying to help and Daven for other Yidden. Toraso MAgen Lanu, Hu Meiras Eineinu, Hu Yamlitz Tov Badeinu….
As R’ Akiva Says that is the Klal Gadol Batorah, to love another Yid.
That is the Torah we want to give over and teach our children, that the Torah you learn has to bring you to worry about someone else, otherwise what is it worth?
Tonight a terrible tragedy happened, sadly many lost their lives. We may not know their names, and when we hear them we may not know who they are. LEt’s cry for their Parents, let’s cry for their children, let’s cry for their siblings who just lost their loved one, it is the least we can do is to do something Leiluy Nishmasam.
In Parshas Shemini, we learn about the death of the children of Aharon Hakohen. In Parshas Tazria we learn about when a woman conceives and gives birth which then leads into Tzaras. Parshas Metzora continues with the Halachos of Metzora. In Parshas Acharei Mos we learn about the Avoda of Yom Kippur. In Parshas Kedoshim we learn about being holy.
Unfortunately, sometimes we see people doing things that may not align with our view of what we should be doing, and what is acceptable. An idea enters our minds, and we start discussing what we saw with other people, of course with the right intention we start talking badly about these individuals, to set the example of what we don’t want to be like. What a sad attitude of life! Nebbach!
Let’s look at the outset of these Parshios. When we hear about the deaths about the death of the children of Aharon, people start coming up with all kind of reasons, which leads to the Tzaras. This is Hashem’s way of saying do not talk bad about other people, period. Hashem tells us the correct way to deal with this issue, After the death of the children of Aharon, Hashem told Moshe, “tell Aharon not to go into the Kodesh Hakodashim, except when it is the right time, which is Yom Kippur, and here is the process in how to the avoda in there properly, where what may seem to have been an aveira for Aharon’s children is a mitzvah for Aharon, not only that, when Aharon does this avoda, he attains forgiveness for the entire Jewish people.
So the first step to do is remind the person (sometimes ourselves) that there is a Yom Kippur, there is forgiveness when done with the proper avoda. The next step is to remind the person to be holy. Why is it not enough to just not do the wrong thing, why do I have to be holy? Hashem says “you be holy, because I am holy” “Um yea, your G-d, of course, your holy, but does that have to with me?”
Let us take a look at the very end of Parshas Kedoshim, Hashem tells us “I am going to give you the tremendous gift of Eretz Yisroel….. be holy, because I am holy, I have separated you from amongst the other nations so you can be mine.
Friends, I think again this is just a thought, that what Hashem wants from us when we see something we perceive perhaps as going against his will is. Hashem definitely does not want us to spread the rumors about what happened. Hashem wants us to educate the person, simply saying “just so you should know for the future, we do not do things this way, it is done as follows, and it becomes the right thing to do”. Hashem wants us to remind him there is a Yom Kippur when Hashem will forgive him and he should not beat himself over it, here is the proper way to fix what happened. Hashem wants us to remind him to be holy because G-d who is holy wants nothing less than a relationship with him/her. Again one man’s observation on the weekly Torah portion.
