Parshas Naso

Achoo! May Hashem Bless You!

“Speak to Aharon and to his sons, saying; This is how you shall bless Bnei Yisroel, saying to them.” (Bamidbar 6:26)

In Eretz Yisroel as well as in many Sefardic shules outside Eretz Yisroel, the birchas kohanim is said every day. In Ashkenazic communities it is only recited on Yom Tov.   The kohanim bless Klal Yisroel that Hashem should bless us, protect us, deal kindly with us, show us favor, and grant us peace. What beautiful brachos!

I would like to share a few fascinating thoughts about these beautiful brachos.

The pasuk says, “Speak to Aharon and to his sons, saying, This, is how you shall bless Bnei Yisroel, saying to them.”  (Bamidbar 6:26). Why does the Torah adds the seemingly repetitive phrase, “saying to them”? Ohr HaChaim says that these brachos were not meant only for this one time. Rather, the kohanim were to “say to them”, to tell their children, to continue this practice of blessing Klal Yisroel for all generations.

The Dubno Maggid asks the same question.  He also asks that since the kohanim are davening to Hashem to bless Klal Yisroel, why don’t the kohanim face the aron and daven towards Hashem as the chazan always does when leading the tefillos? Why do the kohanim face the tzibur? The Dubno Maggid answers that the kohanim don’t need to turn towards Hashem to ask Hashem to bless the Jewish People. Hashem wants to bless us! Hashem wants to constantly show us kindness as it says in Micha (7:18), “because He delights in lovingkindness.” It is only because of our sins that we cannot always enjoy Hashem’s mercy. Therefore, the kohanim turn towards the tzibur, as if to say to us, that we should behave in a manner to become worthy of being blessed. Now we also understand the meaning of the extra words.  Hashem was telling the kohanim to “say to them”, to give this message to the tzibur. (The Magid of Dubno and His Parables by Benno Heinemann)

Rabbi Yissocher Frand (Torah.org) quotes Rabbi Dovid Zucker, a Rosh Kollel in Chicago, who gives another insight into the birchas kohanim. The last bracha of birchas kohanim is, “וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם”, “And Hashem should give you peace”. The more common Hebrew word for the verb “to give” is “וְיִתֵּן”. Why does the Torah use the less common word “v’yasem”, which literally means “Hashem should place peace in you”?

We have the same unusual wording in the last bracha of Shmone Esrei. We ask Hashem, “sim shalom”, place peace, rather than “tain shalom”, give peace. Similarly, we conclude the evening Shmone Esrei with the words “shalom rav tasim.”, place a lot of peace on us. In all three places, the verb “place” is used instead of “give”. Why?

To answer this question, Rabbi Zucker quotes a comment from Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l. There are two ways of achieving peace when people are having an argument. One way is for both sides to make-up and return to their previous good relationship. Unfortunately, sometimes the divisiveness is so strong that the argument cannot be resolved. In such situations, the only way to have peace is by both parties separating from each other. This is what happened between Avram and Lot. Their shepherds had an argument. Avram suggested that the best plan was to separate. Lot agreed and that solution brought peace (Bereshis 13:9)  .

The Talmud (Temura 34A) discusses one of the jobs of the kohanim which was to remove some of the ashes from the mizbayach, altar, and place them on the ground near the mizbayach. The Torah says, “וְשָׂמוֹ אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ”, the ashes are placed near the mizbayach. The Talmud explains that “they are placed” means that the ashes are gently put down and that all of them are put down. Thus, the connotation of the word “samo” means places it, all together.

Based on this definition, we can explain that the bracha of the birchas kohanim is that there should be the optimum type of peace in which both parties make up and are friends again. Similarly, in our Shmone Esrei we are asking Hashem to give us the optimum peace that enables us to be together as before!

The Rokeach says that the blessings of Parshas Bechukosai are all conditional, as implied by the word “Im”, “if” you will follow My laws. However, the blessings of birchas kohanim, are unconditional.

Another interesting question is that previously, in Parshas Shemini, Aharon the Kohain was told to bless the Jewish People (Vayikra 9:22). Rashi explains that the blessings that Aharon gave were the birchas kohanim. If so, then why wasn’t the text of the birchas kohanim written in Parshas Shmini instead of waiting to write them in our Parsha?

Rabbi Frand answers this question based on what he saw in the sefer Chikrei Lev, from Rabbi Label Hyman, z”l. Previously, the total number of Jews were counted by the method of the “half-shekel”.  In Sefer Bamidbar, for the first time the census counted individuals.  Every male from the ages of 20 to 60 went in front of Moshe and Aharon to provide their exact genealogy. The Leviim had their own special count, even more individualized. Each male was counted from the age of one month!

Furthermore, in Sefer Bamidbar, everyone was assigned a specific formation for camping and for traveling. Some were the first to travel and some were the last to travel. This could have led to fighting. People may have argued why he is first or why I am last? Even within the Tribe of Levi, various families had unique assignments. The families of Gershon, Kehas, and Merari each had different jobs assigned to them. That could have led to complaining. They may have complained why are we carrying the boards while they are carrying the holy aron? That’s not fair!  Boruch Hashem, they did NOT argue all the many years that they were in the desert. The only exception was when Korach and his followers complained.

Everyone getting specific, individualized instructions could have led to jealousy. Therefore, Hashem gave the mitzvah of birchas Kohanim to bless us, that we should always have the optimum level of peace between us.

May Hashem grant us peace, which is the vessel that holds all the blessings.

Parshas Naso

I Bet You Can Do Even More!

“Then Ritzpa daughter of Aya… stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until rain from the sky fell on the bodies. She did not let the birds of the sky settle on them by day or the wild beasts [approach] by night.” ( II Shmuel 21:9)

As a result of a raging storm, a ship sank in the ocean. Amongst others, a Jewish man (according to one version of the story, it was the Vilna Gaon’s grandson) and his two children were thrown overboard. The father was able to swim to reach his two children, neither of whom knew how to swim. He held his son in one hand and his daughter in the other as he started swimming towards a distant shore. After a while, his arms became very fatigued, and he felt that he would be unable to make it to shore if he continued holding both of his children. He had to come to a decision that no parent would ever want to make! He felt that he would have to let go of one of his children to save himself and his other child. That meant that the child would drown. He conducted a lottery in his head to determine which child he would have to let go. He made the sad decision that he would have to let go of his daughter’s hand. He explained the situation to his daughter. As he was about to let go of her hand she screamed, “Daddy please save me!” No parent could ignore that cry. It pierced his heart! He told himself that he had to try even harder to save BOTH children. He infused himself with more strength and reached the shore safely, with BOTH of his children. He had truly felt that it was impossible. Infused with the added inspiration, he renewed his strength and succeeded in doing what he had previously thought would be impossible.

The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 8:4) quoting the Talmud (Yevamos 78B-79A) tells us that during the reign of King David there was famine in the land of Israel for three years. King David tried to determine if the famine was a result of certain specific sins of the people. When the king determined that the people had not transgressed those sins, he inquired from Hashem through the Urim veTumim to determine why there was a famine (The Kohen Gadol had a breastplate with 12 different precious stones, representing each of the 12 tribes. Each stone also had a few letters on it. In the breastplate was a scroll with an inscription of Hashem’s holy name which was called the Urim ve Tumim. When the Kohen Gadol inquired from Hashem through it, Hashem answered his question by causing the relevant letters on the breastplate to light up, with the answer. The Kohen, then had to put the letters in the correct order).

Hashem responded that the famine was due to two sins. One sin was that, as the pasuk (Shmuel beis 21:1) says, King Shaul had killed the Givonim, a nation of Canaani servants who had insincerely converted to Judaism. The Talmud explains that King Shaul did not actually kill them however, King Shaul had killed the people of Nov. The people of Nov had provided the Givonim with food and water. When the people of Nov were killed, the Givonim lost their source of food and water which they needed to live. This was considered as if King Shaul had killed the Givonim. The other sin that led to the famine was the lack of respect that the Jewish People had displayed to King Shaul by not eulogizing him properly. Hashem told King David that King Shaul had been a great man. “Is he not Shaul who was anointed with the anointing oil? Is he not Shaul, who, during his reign, no idol worship was performed in Israel? Is he not Shaul, whose portion is with Shmuel the prophet?”  Etz Yosef (Bamidbar Rabbah 8:4:21) explains that after King Shaul and his son, Yonasan died, they joined the great prophet, Shmuel in his elevated portion of Olam Haba, the World to Come. Hashem was also unhappy that King Shaul was not even buried in Eretz Yisroel.

With this knowledge, Kind David attempted to correct what he could, to end the famine. He begged forgiveness from the Givonim. The Givonim were not appeased by the offer of gold and silver. They wanted revenge! So, they murdered some of King Shaul’s children. Their bodies were left hanging for 7 months to show everyone the severity of the sin of harming converts. In fact, gentile passersby who saw the bodies hanging wondered why they were hanging. Upon hearing that they had harmed insincere converts, they were impressed. Even insincere converts were treated very respectfully. How much more so would sincere converts be respected.  The gentiles were so inspired by the importance that Jewish People attached to converts that over 150,000 gentiles converted to Judaism.

King David did not correct the second sin of improperly eulogizing King Shaul. He felt that the twelve months of mourning had already passed, and it was too late, halachically, to eulogize him.

Then King David heard something incredible about Ritzpa, daughter of Aya, who was the mother of two of the children whose bodies were left hanging. For the entire seven months that the bodies were hanging, she stayed with the bodies. protecting them during the day from the birds and at night from the beasts.

Hearing about this selfless action inspired King David. He had the body of King Shaul exhumed.  Chiddushei HaRadal (Bamidbar Rabbah 8:4:28) says that King Shaul’s body was intact, indicating that he had been a special tzadik.

King David traveled with King Shaul’s coffin around the country eulogizing him in every city. Then King David buried him in Eretz Yisroel. After that second sin was corrected, the drought ended.

King David had determined that according to halacha it was too late to eulogize King Shaul. Why did he change his mind? How did hearing about what Ritzpa had done cause him to reverse what appeared to be the correct halacha?

Rabbi Henach Leibowitz zt”l answered that this teaches us the power of added inspiration. Knowing that a lack of respect towards King Shaul was part of the reason for the famine, King David undoubtedly tried to find some allowance to permit him to halachically eulogize King Shaul. But he couldn’t find anything! When he heard about the self-sacrifice of Ritzpa, of her special kindness, that inspired him and made him more determined. He concentrated on an even deeper level than before until he finally found an allowance in halacha which permitted him to eulogize King Shaul.

Interestingly, although King David initially put in so much effort to find permission in halacha to eulogize King Shaul, the Maharzu (Bamidbar Rabbah 8:4:52) says that he exhibited a very slight degree of laziness which prevented him from understanding the depths of halacha. The added inspiration with which he was infused helped him overcome that very slight degree of laziness. With renewed vigor, he discovered the answer that he needed.

Often, we think that we have done all that we could, and we could not possibly do more. We see the limitless capacity of a human. An added inspiration can propel us to a higher level, enabling us to do more acts of chesed, learn more, etc, something that we did not think was possible before.

(based, in part, on a dvar Torah by Rabbi Henach Leibowitz zt”l

Parshas Naso

Open the Faucet and Receive the Flow of Mercy!

“They shall confess the sins which they committed and return the principal amount [of the object] of his guilt and add one fifth to that amount….” (Bamidbar 5:7)

The Jacoby’s were planning on celebrating sheva brachos that evening, in the yard that they shared with their neighbor. Mr. Jacoby asked his neighbor, Mr. Leibowitz, for permission to plug loudspeakers and lights into his electric outlets. Mr. Leibowitz graciously agreed. A few hours later, the sheva brachos began. At midnight, the festivities were still going strong. The music, singing, and speeches were amplified loudly by the loudspeakers. Finally, Mr. Leibowitz called Mr. Jacoby, asking him to please stop using the loudspeakers, since it was so late. Mr. Jacoby assured him that that the party would soon be over. A little while later, the loudspeakers were still booming. Mrs. Leibowitz suggested to her husband, “Why not just unplug their extension cord?” Mr. Leibowitz realized that, indeed, that would be the simplest solution since the electricity for the loudspeakers was coming from his own outlet. As he went to pull the cord, he looked outside. Just then, he saw that the men were dancing around the chosson. Everyone was smiling and happy. Mr. Leibowitz hesitated. How would the chosson, kallah, and their guests feel if the sheva brachos suddenly turned dark. He decided not to interrupt the festivities and did not unplug the electricity. (Tomer Devorah by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero adapted by Rabbi Shmuel Meir Riachi)

The mitzvah of viduy, confessing one’s sins, is the foundation of repentance for every sin. In that case, why is it specifically written in this pasuk which talks about repentance for the sin of theft? The Chidushei HaRim zt”l answers, that every sin which we do, has, within it, an aspect of theft. How so? Hashem gave us life to fulfill His will. When we use our lives and abilities to sin against Hashem, we are in effect stealing from Hashem. Therefore, it is appropriate to write viduy in the pasuk discussing theft. (Quoted in Iturei Torah by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg) 

The Midrash (Bereishis 33:3) tells of a time when there was a drought. The prayers of the tzaddikim did not bring relief. A simple act of kindness, performed by one ordinary person, was the final act that rescued everyone from starvation. Rabbi Tanchuma understood that mercy practiced in our world awakens corresponding mercy in heaven which then flows down to us. And that is why the famine ended.

After the sin of the golden calf, Moshe prayed to Hashem who forgave the Jewish People for it. After his supplications were accepted, Moses felt that it was an auspicious moment to ask Hashem to grant the Jewish people a way to obtain mercy, should they fall and sin again, in the future. Hashem revealed the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy with which Hashem conducts the world.

The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 17B) quotes Rabbi Yehudah who says that “a covenant was established regarding the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy that they will never be returned empty-handed.”

 The Talmud (Shabbos 133B) brings the pasuk, “This is my G-D and I will glorify Him.” (Shmos 15:2). Abba Shaul says, “Ve’anveihu” (“and I will glorify Him”) should be interpreted as if it were written in two words: Ani vaHu, me and Him [Hashem]. We should emulate Hashem’s ways. Just as Hashem is compassionate and merciful, so too should we be compassionate and merciful.

When we copy Hashem’s ways and transform our feelings into mercy, we awaken mercy in heaven, bringing a flow of blessing upon us.

Sefer Tomer Devorah teaches us how to emulate Hashem’s Thirteen Attributes which are hinted to in Neviim, sefer Micah (7: 18-20). “Who is a G-D like You, who pardons iniquity, and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He does not maintain his anger forever, because He delights in mercy.”

The Tomer Devorah says that the first of the Thirteen Attributes of mercy is that Hashem bears insult. At the very time that a person sins against Hashem, Hashem still allows that person life and movement of his limbs. The very limbs that are sinning against Hashem! Hashem bears the affront while still supplying the sinner the ability to sin against Him. Hashem’s patience is beyond description!

Although it is not always easy, we are supposed to copy this characteristic of Hashem. Even if we are insulted, we should not withhold our goodness and kindness to the very one who harms us. We should do so even if we constantly do favors for a person, and he displays such ingratitude by using the same favors to harm us.

When we ignore insults and emulate Hashem’s trait of forbearance and kindness,

we bring a flow of mercy from heaven to us and to our world!

Parshas Naso

Good Things Come in Small Packages!

“…A man or woman who shall separate themselves by taking a vow to become a nazir, to abstain for the sake of Hashem.” (Bamidbar 6:2)

I remember reading a very beautiful story.                                                               

Avrumi was nine years old. His mother had passed away a few years earlier and his older sister, Leah, was taking care of him. He felt so close to Leah who was like a mother to him. Leah’s birthday was approaching, and Avrumi wanted to do something special for her. One day, the two of them passed a jewelry store. Leah saw a necklace displayed in the window and remarked that it was so beautiful. Avrumi immediately decided that this was the gift that he wanted to buy for his sister. He went home, opened his piggy bank, and counted the money he had saved. He had thirteen dollars and seventy-six cents. He rushed to the jewelry store. He went inside and asked the owner how much the necklace in the window cost. The owner was surprised that a young child should be asking about buying a necklace that was valued at over one thousand dollars. He asked the boy why he wanted to buy it. Avrumi explained that his mother had passed away and his sister took such special care of him. Her birthday was approaching, and he wanted to give her a special present. The storeowner asked Avrumi how much money he had. Avrumi poured the contents of his piggy bank on the counter, a collection of pennies, dimes, nickels, and a few quarters.  He said that he had thirteen dollars and seventy-six cents. He asked with childish innocence, “Is this enough money?”. The store owner was a kind man and was touched by Avrumi’s total sincerity. He said, “What a coincidence. That is exactly what the necklace cost.” Avrumi gave a huge smile as the storeowner wrapped-up the necklace. A few days later, Avrumi gave Leah her present. She was so touched. Then she asked Avrumi where he had purchased it. She realized that this was an expensive necklace and felt that the storekeeper must have given it to Avrumi by mistake. She brought the necklace back to the store and said that there must have been a mistake. The storekeeper looked at Leah and told her that there was no mistake. The necklace was paid in full!  Avrumi’s complete love for his sister had touched the storeowner’s heartstrings and he accepted that love as full payment for the necklace. 

In the time of the Beis HaMikdash, a person could choose to take a vow to become closer to Hashem by becoming a nazir. As such, he was forbidden to have wine or grape byproducts, he was forbidden to cut his hair, and he was forbidden to become tamei lmais, ritually impure through proximity to a dead body. Usually, one became a nazir for thirty days, after which he had to shave his head and bring specific sacrifices to Hashem. If the nazir became tamei lmais, he had to shave his head, bring a special korban, sacrifice, and had to restart his time as a nazir. The Talmud (Nedarim 9B) states that Shimon HaTzadik, the Kohain Gadol, never ate the korban of a ritually impure nazir, except once. A very handsome a nazir, became tamei lmais and went to offer a korban. Shimon HaTazadik saw him and asked why he had decided to become a nazir, necessitating him to shave off his beautiful hair. The nazir replied that once while shepherding his father’s flock, he had noticed his reflection in the water. After he saw his beautiful hair, the yetzer hara had tried to entice him to sin. He responded by becoming a nazir and shaving his hair for the sake of Hashem. Shimon HaTzaddik was exceedingly impressed. This nazir had done something beautiful but why did Shimon HaTzadik accept only his korban and no other nazirs.

The Eitz Yosef (in sefer Ein Yaakov, in Nedarim) explains that some nazirs who became ritually impure regretted having ever become nazirs because they had to restart their time as a nazir. Their regret diminished the holiness of the korban that they had to bring. That is why Shimon HaTzadik never accepted any of their korbanos. However, this nazir became a nazir in private, without fanfare. He did it totally for the sake of Hashem. So much so, that Shimon HaTzadik was certain that this nazir felt no such regret. Thus, his korban maintained its holiness. Therefore, Shimon HaTzadik accepted it and attributed to him the pasuk, “ki yafli lidor” (Bamidbar 6:2), which the Ibn Ezra explains, means that by becoming a nazir, one is doing something wonderous.

Is the action of a nazir so special that it is considered wonderous? Is it so difficult to abstain from wine and not take a haircut for a mere thirty days? Rabbi Yaakov Neiman in sefer Darchei Mussar (as quoted in Yalkut Lekech Tov by Rabbi Yisroel Beifus) says, that abstention, in of itself, was not such a big deal. However, if the intent was totally for Hashem, that elevated a mundane action into something very special. A very special mitzvah can become tainted if done with ulterior motives such as for personal aggrandizement or praise.  However, a relatively “small mitzvah” done with total purity of heart, totally for the sake of Hashem, is very precious to Hashem, as a pure korban.

Our goal should be to try to perform mitzvos with total purity of heart. Each chapter of Pirkei Avos ends with a quote from the Talmud (Makos 23B), “Rabbi Chanania ben Akashya says, “Hashem, blessed is He, wants to give merit to the Jewish People, therefore He gave us Torah and an abundance of mitzvos….” The Rambam (in his Perush Al HaMishnayos) says that one of the foundations of our belief is that one merits life in the World to Come by doing at least one mitzvah properly, with total heartfelt devotion to Hashem. It must be done out of love for Hashem, solely to fulfill Hashem’s will. Then he will merit life in the World to Come. Therefore, Hashem gave us many different mitzvos to give each of us the opportunity to observe at least one mitzvah perfectly, thereby inheriting a portion in Olam Haba.