Parshas Naso

Peace At All Costs!

“And the kohain shall write these curses in a scroll, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness” (Bamidbar 5:23)

The Midrash Rabbah (Bamidbar 9:20) cites a fascinating story. A certain woman used to attend Rabbi Meir’s weekly Friday evening shiur. One Friday night, the shiur ended a little later than usual. When this woman returned home, her husband asked her where she had been. She replied that she had been at Rabbi Meir’s shiur. Her husband was upset and told her that he would not let her come home until she would spit in Rabbi Meir’s face! The woman returned to the beis medrash to daven to Hashem. Meanwhile, Eliyahu the prophet revealed himself to Rabbi Meir. He told Rabbi Meir what had happened to this woman. When Rabbi Meir saw the woman, he pretended that his eye was bothering him. He asked the woman to please spit into his eye, seven times. When she finished, Rabbi Meir told her to return home and tell her husband the following: “You asked me to spit [in Rabbi Meir’s face] once, but I did it seven times!”

Rabbi Meir’s actions disturbed his students. They felt that allowing the woman to spit in his face was a degradation of Torah. Rabbi Meir responded that he had learned from Hashem to forego his own honor to bring peace between a husband and wife. Where did Rabbi Meir learn this?
From the story of the sotah, in this week’s parsha. The Torah discusses a case in which a husband was suspicious of his wife’s fidelity and told her not to seclude herself with a specific man. Yet, she ignored him and secluded herself (the rabbinic prohibition of not secluding oneself in a room with the opposite gender was instituted later, during the time of King David). Her husband then brought her to the kohain. If the woman did not admit her guilt, that she had not been faithful to her husband, she had to drink a special drink. It was a mixture of water, taken from the kiyor, together with some dirt from the floor of the Beis Hamikdash. In that mixture was a parchment, containing some psukim, including Hashem’s Holy Name. If the woman was guilty, her stomach swelled up and she died. [The waters of the sotah would only affect her if her husband had been faithful to her]. If she was innocent, then she returned to her husband. Hashem said that he would grant her children as a reward for the shame that she had suffered (Ibn Ezra). If she had difficult childbirths in the past, then future childbirths would more comfortable. She may also give birth to children who were more beautiful (Rashi). Drinking this potion and remaining alive proved beyond a doubt that she was free of guilt and her husband could take her back as a wife. Although it is normally prohibited to erase Hashem’s name, Hashem permitted His Holy Name to be erased to bring peace between husband and wife. This was the lesson that Rabbi Meir learned from the Torah. To foster peace between husband and wife, one should be willing to forego his own personal honor, even the honor of one representing Torah.

Although it may be difficult, sometimes a husband or wife must forego slights to their personal honor for the sake of peace.

Although guiltless of infidelity, the sotah still acted inappropriately. She secluded herself in a room with a man, after her husband had told her not to. Even for such a woman, Hashem permitted His Holy Name to be erased, to bring peace between the couple.

Aharon Hakohain also loved peace and actively pursued it (Pirkei Avos (1:12)). He had been anointed Kohain Gadol by Hashem. In many ways he was as great as Moshe Rabbeinu. Yet he was willing to sacrifice his personal prestige for the sake of peace.

The Talmud (Kallah Rabbasi Perek 3) tells us that when Aharon heard that two men had quarreled, he would go to one and say to him, “Peace be upon you, my master!” to which the man replied, “Peace be upon you, my master and teacher! What does my master seek here?” Then Aharon said, “Your friend sent me to you to appease you. He said, “I have offended my friend”. The man was so impressed that such a righteous man as Aharon had come to appease him. He said to Aharon, “Master, it was I who offended him”. Aharon went to the other man and said the same to him. When the two men met, they would ask each other for forgiveness. Similarly, when Aharon heard of a husband and wife who had quarreled, he would go out of his way to make peace.

Aharon’s actions earned him the love of the entire Jewish nation. In fact, after his death the entire Jewish People, both men and women, mourned him (Bamidbar 20:29) whereas by Moshe’s death, only the men mourned (Devarim 34:8).

Many couples whose marriages had been strengthened by Aharon, showed their gratitude by naming their next son after him. At Aharon’s funeral, there were 80,000 other “Aharon’s” that walked behind him in the funeral procession (Kallah Rabbasi Perek 3).

Both Aharon Hakohain and Rabbi Meir learned their lesson from Hashem. It is a lesson for all of us.

To foster peace between two people or between husband and wife, one should be willing to forego his own personal honor.

Parshas Bamidbar

Win a Phew, Lose a Few!

“The sons of Yosef, the sons of Ephraim…The sons of Menashe” (Bamidbar 1:32,34)

The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 16B) says that we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashana to confuse the Satan. The Satan thinks that the sound he hears is the sound of the shofar, heralding the arrival of Moshiach. Therefore, he restrains himself from bringing accusations against the Jews in the Heavenly court. The Talmud quotes Rabbi Yitzchok who says whenever the shofar is not blown at the beginning of the year, on Rosh Hashana, will be a year that ends with suffering. Tosefos explains in the name of the Hilchos Gedolos that the Talmud is not referring to a year when the first day of Rosh Hashana is on Shabbos, when the shofar may not be blown. Rather, the Talmud means that the shofar was not blown due to an o’ness, an unforeseen circumstance that was out of our control.  We see that even if the shofar can’t be blown due to no fault of our own, the fact remains that the Satan will not be confused. He will bring accusations against the Jews and some harm will result.

Our forefather, Yaakov, told Yosef that his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, would be considered as Yaakov’s own sons: they would head separate shevatim, tribes. 

The parsha lists the numbers of men in each tribe between the ages of 20 and 60. The Ba’al Haturim questions why the Torah didn’t say, when counting Ephraim and Menashe, these are the children of Yosef; Ephraim had such and such and Menashe had such and such. Rather the Torah says, “These are the children of Yosef. These are the children of Ephraim…These are the children of Menashe.” The Torah seems to be excluding Yosef from the count. The Ba’al Haturim attributes this to the fact that Yosef did not personally carry Yaakov’s coffin from Mitzrayim to Eretz Yisroel. Yosef was considered royalty and royalty was not permitted to carry coffins. Since Yosef did not carry his father’s coffin, the Torah did not want to attribute to him the count of his shevet.

Obviously, Yosef wanted to carry his father’s coffin and due to no fault of his own, was unable to. It was an o’ness, not in his control. Yet, since he did not show this honor to his father, the Torah did not give him this honor of having his family counted under his name.

Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rubin in his Sefer Talelei Oros quotes HaRav, Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Altar of Kelm who draws a beautiful lesson from this Ba’al Haturim. Even if a person has an excellent excuse for not doing a mitzvah due to no fault of his own, the fact remains that he still did not perform the mitzvah. “If others are counted as having performed a mitzvah, and you are not counted amongst them, then your portion will have to be smaller than theirs, even if your absence was not your fault!”

When the Jews brought their first Pesach sacrifice, there was a group who were impure and were unable to bring the sacrifice. They were impure because they were involved in a very important mitzvah, carrying a dead body. (Some say they were carrying Yosef‘s remains to be buried in the Land of Israel. Others say they were carrying a mes mitzvah, a dead body that had no one else to bury it). They were unable to bring the sacrifice due to an o’ness. Yet, it still would not have been considered as if they brought the korban Pesach. They were not happy with that and complained to Moshe about the lack of fairness. Hashem responded that they will have an opportunity to bring their Pesach korban one month later, during Pesach Sheni.

We should always be grateful for the opportunity to do a mitzvah and not feel relief when we are unable to do it.

Parshas Chukas

Derech Eretz Moves Mountains!

“The outpouring of the rivers when it veered to dwell at Ar, and leaned against the border of Moav.” (Bamidbar, 21:15)

Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spector was one of the most famous Rabbis and Talmudic sages of the 19th century. One day when he was busy in his study, one of his students knocked on the door to tell him that his student, Yaacov, had been excused from the army draft. Rabbi Spector had been anxiously awaiting the news whether or not his student would be conscripted into the Russian army. He heartedly thanked the bearer of the good news. A few minutes later, another student knocked on the door with the same message. Rav Yitzchak Elchonon did not want to tell him that he already knew because he wanted the boy to feel joy of being the bearer of good news. He excitedly thanked this second boy. A few minutes later another student knocked on his door. Again, Rav Yitzchak Elchonon expressed his great happiness at hearing the good news. In this way he made this student too, feel that he was the only one informing him of the good news. This is an example of Derech Eretz.

The Jews were on their way to enter the Land of Israel. They reached the territory of the Emorim. Rashi says that the Emorim planned a surprise attack to annihilate all the Jews. The Jews had to pass through a very narrow valley between two mountains that were quite close to each other. The Emorim concealed themselves in mountain caves. They planned to shoot arrows and hurl stones at the Jews as they passed in the very narrow valley below. The Jews would be helpless against them. As the Jews approached the valley, the mountain on the Emorite side (which later became part of Eretz Yisroel) started moving. It moved toward the other mountain until it was pressed against it. Jagged rock formations from that mountain entered perfectly into the caves of the other mountain, crushing all the Emorite soldiers. The Jews were unaware of the danger that they had been saved from. When the Jews passed the area, the mountain that had moved returned to its original position. Hashem wanted the Jews to appreciate the great miracle that He had done to save their lives. Hashem sent the well of Miriam to flow through the valley and carry the blood and smashed limbs of the dead Emorites to the encampment of the Jews. When the Jews realized the great miracle that had saved their lives, they sang a song of praise to Hashem.

Why did the mountain on the side of Eretz Yisroel move? Rashi compared it to a maidservant who upon seeing her mistress, rushes to great her. When the mountain saw the Jews, the true owners of Eretz Yisroel, approaching, it humbly moved towards them. When the Jews passed on, the mountain returned to its original place.

The Sifsei Chachamim asks, Why didn’t the mountain move back immediately after killing the Emorites, allowing the Jews to see Hashem’s miracle right away? Why did the mountain wait until the Jews passed through before it moved back? We know that Hashem does not do any unnecessary miracles. Had the mountain moved back immediately, Hashem would not have needed the additional miracle of having the well of Miriam flow through the valley to bring the Emorite remains to the Jewish encampment.

The Sifsei Chachamim answers that a servant who goes to greet his master does not return to his place until his master passes out of his sight. Thus, the mountain of Eretz Yisroel waited until the Jewish people, its “master”, was out of sight before returning to its place.

The Sifsei Chachamim is teaching us a very important lesson in derech eretz, respectful conduct. Hashem performed an extra, “redundant” miracle for the mountain in order to show proper derech eretz for the Jewish people.

Acting like a mensch precedes our Torah learning. The Rabbeinu Yonah explains that having derech eretz helps one attain and retain his Torah learning. The Sefas Emes (Mishpatim 12) says that the mitzvos between man and his fellow man, ones’ behavior to his friend, is part of the Oral Torah that Hashem gave us. Furthermore, we merit Torah on a level commensurate with the refinement of our middos. The Torah learning then helps one to achieve a higher level of refinement in middos, which in turn helps one to achieve an even higher level of learning. This cycle continues.

We must always act with derech eretz, proper and refined conduct. It is more than just being nice. It is a Torah obligation.

Parshas Korach

Peace at All Costs!

Moshe sent a request to summon Dasan and Aviram…but they said, “We will not go up!” (Bamidbar 16:12)

It was my job as president of the synagogue to uphold its long-standing policies. A group of congregants wanted to change one of the policies. At the membership meeting they embarrassed me publicly. They called all the members of the synagogue, slandering me with vicious lies. They even called my house and threatened me with physical harm. My wife said that I should swallow my pride, go to the home of the instigator of this dispute, and try to make peace. Was my wife right? They started this fight and were very nasty to me. Should I swallow my pride, demean myself, and go to them?

Korach started a major dispute against Moshe. It showed a lack of belief in Moshe and ultimately a lack of belief that the Torah was from Hashem. Korach encouraged others to join with him against Moshe. Moshe unsuccessfully tried to reason with Korach. When Moshe saw the rebellion spreading, he tried to minimize it as much as possible. Moshe sent a message that he wanted to speak to Dasan and Aviram, two of the leaders of this argument against Moshe. Dasan and Aviram arrogantly refused to come. Immediately before Korach and his followers were to be punished, Moshe tried again to curb this rebellion. He went to the tents of Dasan and Aviram with a plea to leave the rebellion. Moshe also indicated that if they wouldn’t change their minds then Hashem would punish them severely. Dasan and Aviram responded arrogantly, refused to budge, and cursed Moshe (see Rashi on pasuk 27). Hashem punished the rebels with death; Hashem caused the earth to swallow them up.

In analyzing Moshe’s actions, we would be apt to focus solely on Moshe’s sterling Middos. A prestigious and influential group started an argument, questioning Moshe’s honesty in his appointment of others to leadership positions. They approached him in a very demeaning way. They used logical arguments to try to prove that Moshe made up (without Hashem’s directive) leadership appointments as well as making up laws by himself. They asked Moshe, if a tallis was totally dyed with techeiles (a special blue dye) would it require tzitzis (fringes). Moshe said that of course it would. They laughed at Moshe saying that this law was senseless (see Rashi on pasuk 3). Despite all this, Moshe tried to peacefully end the rebellion. When he wasn’t successful, Moshe still tried to bring peace by personally calling for two of the leaders of the rebellion. Moshe was rudely rebuffed. Yet, he tried again to bring peace by personally going to the homes of Dasan and Aviram. Moshe exhibited extreme humbleness and was willing to forgo his honor despite the strong accusations and the humiliation. We see a further degree of humility when we realize who it was that Moshe swallowed his pride to save. They were two people who had caused much suffering to Moshe! Dasan and Aviram were the two Jews who had tattled on Moshe to Pharaoh. They said that that Moshe had killed an Egyptian taskmaster who had been beating a Jew. Moshe would have been beheaded, as a result, if not for a miracle by Hashem. Moshe, then, had to run away for his life. Dasan and Aviram had also incited their followers to clamor about wanting to return to Egypt. This occurred when the Jews were at the bank of the Yam Suf with the Egyptian army behind them. Dasan and Aviram also disobeyed Moshe. They had saved their Mann and had secretly put it out on Shabbos morning. They tried to show that Moshe was a liar by pretending that the Mann did indeed rain down on the holy Shabbos. These are the type of people that Moshe swallowed his pride in order to save?

It seems that Moshe was so special; he acted above and beyond what was required of him. Not so! Moshe was required by the Torah to do what he did! Even though he was the leader, he was OBLIGATED to humble himself before such people. If he had not gone out of his way to try to bring peace, it would have been considered as if Moshe had strengthened the dispute and made it worse (Rashi quoting the Talmud, Meseches Sanhedrin 110A). Had Moshe not gone to try to make peace, HE would have been considered a sinner!

Machlokes, strife, is very serious. Even if one is in the right, the Torah obligates him to do whatever he can to end the argument. Even if one must humble oneself to make peace, he must do so. If he doesn’t, he is considered a sinner, like Korach and his followers.

Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz zt”l, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim

Parshas Shelach

Feeling Safe in our Father’s Hands!

“… The land through which we passed… is a land that eats up its inhabitants….” (Bamidbar 13:32)

Six-year-old Chani walked onto the airplane all by herself. The nearby passengers decided to keep an eye on her to make sure she would be safe. Suddenly, the plane began to shake because they were flying through bad weather. Many people on the plane became nervous. Chani remained totally calm. Suddenly the plane began bouncing up and down from the strong winds. Many of the passengers grew more and more nervous. Some started crying. Others began to pray. Chani was totally calm and resumed playing with her doll as if nothing was happening. The plane finally passed through the bad weather and landed in Israel. When the plane landed, one of the passengers turned to Chani and asked, “You are alone on this plane. How did you stay so calm during all that terrible weather?” Chani answered, “My father is the pilot. He is the best pilot in the whole world, and he is taking me home. Why should I be afraid?”

All of us are like young children in the hands of our father, Hashem. When we believe that, we will always feel safe, no matter what is happening around us. (story from Living Emunah by Rabbi David Ashear)

The Jewish People were on their way to enter the Land of Israel. They approached Moshe and requested permission to spy-out the land before going to conquer it from the nations that lived there. Hashem knew that wherever the Jewish spies would go they would be noticed. In order to protect the spies, Hashem performed a miracle. Wherever the spies went there were huge funerals. The people living there were too occupied with the funerals to even notice the Jewish spies. Hashem had caused the deaths of the leaders of the non-Jewish nations living in the Land of Israel. There were so many “State funerals” that the spies went unnoticed.

The Jewish spies misinterpreted what had happened. When they returned from their mission, they reported that the climate of the Land of Israel was so harsh that people were constantly dying.

This interpretation of the events that the spies had seen was very logical. Yet, Hashem was angered by it. The Midrash Rabba (16:24) quotes Hashem’s feeling. “With that which I did for their benefit, they angered me.” Hashem said that I caused the multiple funerals to occur to save the spies. The spies took those very same events as a reason NOT to enter the Land of Israel.

The question is, what did the spies do wrong? They interpreted the facts as they had seen them. They did not lie or exaggerate.

The Rosh HaYeshiva zt”l answered, had the spies had the proper degree of faith and trust in Hashem, they would have had a different interpretation of the events that they had seen. They would have thought to themselves:

Hashem had promised them the Land of Israel as a very special place. If it was so special, how could the climate be so harsh? It must be that the climate wasn’t harsh. Rather, Hashem, in His loving kindness, was performing a miracle to save them.

The Maharzu on the Midrash indicates that the evaluation of the spies showed a lack of faith in Hashem. He says that Hashem expected the Jews to act like their forefathers who had total faith in whatever Hashem did.

We see from this that the degree of one’s faith and trust in Hashem can make a difference in how he views and interprets different events that occur in his life. As said before, all of us are like young children in the hands of our father, Hashem. When we believe that, we will always feel safe, no matter what is happening around us.

Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz zt”l, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim

Parshas Beha’aloscha

Travel with Hashem and See the World!

“…According to the word of Hashem they would encamp and according to the word of Hashem they would journey.” (Bamidbar 9:20)

The advertisement for the hotel was so exciting. I was looking forward to a long-awaited vacation, after having a very difficult year. When I arrived at the hotel, it looked nothing like the advertisement. The walls were cracking. Springs popped out from the furniture cushions. The shower had no hot water. The outdoor swimming pool was a garden of weeds. I couldn’t afford to lose my deposit. I was stuck. I stayed in those difficult conditions for 3 weeks!

The following summer, I thoroughly and extensively researched a hotel before booking it. When I arrived, it was wonderful. The hotel was magnificent. I was treated like royalty. The rooms were beautiful and the beds were so comfortable. The hotel staff even left a tray of pastries in the room. There were two outdoor pools with clear and fresh water. There was an indoor pool, an exercise room, and an indoor basketball court. I was looking forward to three weeks of “heaven”. After enjoying the hotel stay for just one day, I got a phone call from home. There was a medical emergency and I had to leave immediately.

This was the story of the Jews in the desert, on their way into the Land of Israel. They camped numerous times. Sometimes the resting place was very uncomfortable. Yet they had to stay. Sometimes they stayed for such a short time that they didn’t even have the time to unpack their belongings. Sometimes their encampment was beautiful. Weary, after a long journey, they encamped in a paradise. Yet, there were times that they stayed in such beautiful surroundings but had to leave after a brief rest.

Although the travel seemed so difficult, each resting stop was restful and relaxing for the Jewish people. Nothing disturbed them because they “went with Hashem”. Hashem determined where they would rest and when they would go. “According to the word of Hashem they would encamp and according to the word of Hashem they would journey”. Since they traveled “with Hashem”, with emunah and bitachon; total faith and trust in Hashem, their travels were peaceful and restful.

The Jews already had seen how much love Hashem had shown them and how He had taken care of them. They had witnessed how Hashem took them out of Egypt with great miracles, contrary to the laws of nature. They benefited when Hashem provided them in the desert with miraculous food that fell from the sky and with a well that provided water, daily, for all three million people and their animals too. They saw how Hashem protected them from the elements with Holy Clouds. Hashem leveled the ground so that wouldn’t need to climb hills or descend into steep valleys. They felt Hashem’s infinite love. They realized that everything that Hashem did came from His love for the Jewish People and was for their ultimate benefit, whether or not they understood it.

Our forefather Avraham had an excruciating test, to sacrifice his beloved son to Hashem. Yet, the Alter of Slabodka says that Avraham was able to sleep peacefully the night before, because he had total faith in Hashem.

Everyone has challenges in life. The more faith and trust we have in Hashem, the less stress we will feel. We will understand that Hashem has a master plan for everything that happens to us, and that it is all for our benefit.

Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz zt”l, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim