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Parsha Perspectives

Amassing wealth — and then counting it

By Rabbi Z. Sklar

וכל מעשר בקר וצאן כל אשר יעבור תחת השבט העשירי יהיה… לה’

“Any tithe of cattle or of sheep, any that passes under the staff, the tenth one shall be holy to Hashem” (Leviticus 27:32).

The Mishnah in Brachot (9:7) explains exactly how a farmer goes about tithing newborn animals. Every animal born to the herd during the past season is put into a corral. An opening is made no larger than the size needed for one animal to pass, thus ensuring that the animals are counted one at a time. Then the farmer begins to count them with a staff: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. The tenth animal to exit is smeared with a red dye, and the farmer announces, “This one is ma’aser (the tithe).”

This long, drawn out procedure is the same regardless of whether the farmer has ten new animals or ten thousand. Couldn’t a more efficient and timely method be used to calculate the tithe? Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, a leader of the Teshe Yeshivah in Lithuania, once asked this question while on a fundraising visit. Rabbi Gordon encountered a wealthy entrepreneur and requested a donation of 500 rubles — a sizable amount in those days. The man was taken aback. “Rabbi, do you know how much 500 rubles is? I can give you 50 rubles or maybe even 100, but 500? How can you ask me for so much?”

Rabbi Gordon asked, “Are you familiar with the process of tithing newborn animals?”

“Of course,” the rich man replied.

“Listen, you’re in business,” said Rabbi Gordon. “Wouldn’t it have been more efficient to first count all the animals and then deduct one tenth of them for ma’aser? Why does the Torah command the owner to count them one at a time? It could take a person with a large herd many hours to tithe the thousands of newborn animals he has! This process is simply the most inefficient way to do this, not to mention the slowest.”

The wealthy person did not know how to respond.

Rabbi Gordon answered, “Let me explain. If the Torah would tell a wealthy Jew to count up his entire herd and then deduct 10 percent of them, the person would fulfill the commandment, but he’d feel somewhat reluctant. G-d, Who obviously understands human nature, stipulated the exact method for counting one’s flock. ‘One for me, two for me, three for me… nine for me, and one for G-d.’ The same thing then happens again. ‘One for me, two for me… nine for me, and one for G-d.’ After a while, the owner will likely feel that he isn’t giving enough! At the very least, he will give the ma’aser with joy and appreciate how much he himself has. This psychologically sound approach makes it easier for the owner to willingly fulfill his obligation. My friend, G-d has blessed you with great wealth. Among your many assets are factories, real estate, and shipping lines. Look how much you have! Is asking to give 500 rubles to charity too much to ask in return?”

When it comes to parting with our money, it’s natural to feel reluctant, even when we know we’re helping the poor. Contemplating the process involved in tithing one’s flock will not only make it easier for us to share our possessions with those less fortunate, it will also help us appreciate just how much we do have.

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Word of the Week

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

דרור

“Proclaim דרור — dror — liberty throughout the land” (Leviticus 25:10). The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 9b) understands that דרור is related to דר — to dwell. In the words of the Talmud, a free person is “one who can choose to live wherever he wants.” Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch translates the word as “return,” as in, “You shall proclaim a return throughout the land.” The Radak commentary (Sefer Hashorashim) relates the word to the expression for a pure, unadulterated spice, מר דרור — pure myrrh (Exodus 30:23) in that the spice is “free of foreign substances.” The word is also the name of a species of bird, mentioned in Psalms (84:4) and Proverbs (26:2), so called because it makes nests wherever it pleases, without any fear (Radak).

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

In ancient times, the shofar was also blown on occasions other than Rosh Hashanah. One such occasion was the release of indentured servants every jubilee (50th) year, which was proclaimed by the blowing of a shofar. The famous verse from the Torah portion this week is inscribed in part on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia: “[…Blow the shofar throughout your land...] Proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants…” (Leviticus 25:9-10). The sages of the Mishnah explained that the primary significance of the shofar, including that of Rosh Hashanah, is a proclamation of freedom (Sifri, Beha’alotcha, piska 19). The freedom proclaimed by the shofar is the freedom from our past, from our sins and failings. It is the freedom to change ourselves and the entire world through the power of free will and repentance. The shofar reminds us that we are always free to choose what is right and good, that our lives are not pre-determined, and that we are not slaves to the past.

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Dovid Gilman

In the Torah portion this week, we are taught the basic prohibition against charging interest. There are many subtle distinctions in Jewish law between transactions that carry a forbidden interest charge and those which are considered acceptable forms of business (Leviticus 25:35).

1. A loan is simply charging someone for the use of our money. Why might this be forbidden while it is permissible to charge money for lending out other possessions, such as a car?
2. In the verse in which the Torah forbids taking interest, it says, “Do not take interest, and you shall fear G-d” (Leviticus 25:36). Why might the Torah include the additional directive to fear of G-d specifically with this commandment, as opposed to any other prohibitions (e.g. stealing)?
3. When stating this law, the Torah says, “Do not give him money for interest… I am the L-rd your G-d Who took you out of Egypt” (Leviticus 25:37-38). What connection might there be between charging interest and our Exodus from (or our experience in) Egypt?

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

“For they are My servants, because I took them out of Egypt” (Leviticus 25:42). The Talmud (Bava Metzia 10a) expands the verse as follows: “They are My servants — and not servants to servants.” Based on this, Jewish law rules that a worker may not be forced to work and may always resign, even in the middle of a job. Even if he has already been paid and doesn’t have the money to pay back his employer, he may nevertheless resign, albeit with a debt to the employer (Code of Jewish Law, Choshen Mishpat 333:3). What about someone who contracted to perform a specific task, as opposed to a specific amount of time? Most authorities rule that he may not retract, since he has not given his time to the employer but rather a promise to fulfill a task, and hence forcing him to complete that task would not make him a “servant to servants” (ibid and commentaries). Some prohibit a worker from hiring himself for three years or more if he will be living on the property of his employer, because this would be similar to selling himself into slavery (Ramah, ibid. See Minchat Asher, Behar, 61)

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The Passover Seder. You just can’t wait to see Danny and Laura. Will they look the same as they did last year? You can’t wait to slowly sip at Grandma’s boiling hot chicken soup, the kind that only she knows how to make, from those antique (or so it seems to you) silver soup spoons, that she only takes out once a year. You can almost taste the fluffy matzah balls, bobbing up and down in the white china bowls. Passover is coming, and you just can’t wait.

It finally comes. You’re sitting around Grandma’s mahogany table, spread with the same white cloth she has used for the last fifty years, chairs stuffed together so closely that getting in and out is a noisy scene. But you don’t care. It’s the Seder. Cousins you haven’t seen for months are dressed up in their finest – and so are you! Your parents look so elegant you almost don’t recognize them. Excitement is in the air, and a warm, cozy feeling fills up your chest to the brim. You’re almost bursting with a sense of…a sense of…a sense of family. You look around at everyone sitting here and you know that you’re related to them all. You belong.

Jewish families have enjoyed the Seder as a time for remembering the great miracles that took place for the Jews in Egypt so long ago. But it’s also something else. Passover night is a yearly opportunity for the Jewish family to unite, to reunite. It’s a night to leave the jobs, schools, hobbies, computers and I-pods and join up with loved ones, catch up on the family news and bask in the warmth of the moment.

One Shabbat, recently, as I was sitting around our table (not sure if it’s mahogany or not) with my family, it dawned on me how fortunate I am to have that same opportunity every week. Our finest cutlery and plates set out on a shiny white tablecloth, with cheery napkins neatly tucked into the glasses (perhaps not quite on the same level of classiness of Grandma’s cloth napkins, but a lot easier to clean up after). The floor is clean (for the moment, anyway), we’re all dressed up. The smell of chicken soup wafting in from the kitchen. The candles adding a mystical glow to the scene.

Sounds like the Passover Seder, doesn’t it?

But it’s not. This is a weekly experience. Shabbat dinner. It’s a time when the Jewish family forgets about their weekday business, joins up and catches up with each other. Friday afternoon, as we’re rushing around the house, each with a job – mopping, wiping the cabinets, putting away clutter, we know we’re getting ready for a big event. Shabbat is a big event. Of course, the real meaning of Shabbat is very deep and mystical. It’s a day to recognize and contemplate that God created the world and keeps it going. It’s a time to disconnect from feelings of power and arrogance and admit that I’m not the one running the world.

However, just as Passover has the “side benefit” of being a yearly chance to unite the Jewish family, so is Shabbat a weekly opportunity. As we sit around the table in our finest, eating specially prepared foods, singing both moving and lively Shabbat songs, that Seder night feeling wells up in the chest. We talk about our week, raise challenging questions and topics of discussion, and try to focus on each child. Someone tells a joke, another adds an interesting point from the weekly Torah reading.

We are one. We are a unit. On a weekly basis, we come together and unite. We recreate that family feeling week after week.

Shabbat is referred to as a “treasure house,” implying that it contains hidden gifts. Perhaps one of those gifts is the sense of family oneness that it imparts on those who take the opportunity of tapping into it.

SHAVUOT IN THE TORAH

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“You shall count for yourselves, from the day after the day following the Passover holiday when you brought the omer wave-offering, seven complete weeks they shall be. Until the day after the seventh week, you shall count fifty days, and you shall bring a new meal-offering to Hashem. From the land upon which you dwell you shall bring two bread wave-offerings; of two tenths of wheat flour they shall be. You shall bake them leavened, as first-fruit-offering to Hashem. You shall bring, along with the bread, seven unblemished, yearling sheep, one young bullock and two rams; they shall be a burnt-offering to Hashem with their meal-offerings and wine-offerings, a fire-offering of pleasing fragrance to Hashem. You shall also prepare one he-goat as a sin-offering and two yearling sheep as peace-offerings. The Kohen shall wave them along with the bread of the first-fruit-offering as a wave-offering before Hashem with the two sheep; they shall be holy for Hashem, for the Kohen. This very day shall be celebrated as a sacred holiday when no service work may be done. This is an eternal law for all generations, no matter where you may live. When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not cut completely the corner of your field when you reap. [Also] do not pick up individual stalks that may have fallen. You must leave these for the poor and the stranger; I am Hashem, your G-d.”
Leviticus 23:15-22

וביום הבכורים בהקריבכם מנחה חדשה לה’ בשבעתיכם מקרא קדש יהיה לכם כל מלאכת עבדה לא תעשו: והקרבתם עולה לריח ניחח לה’ פרים בני בקר שנים איל אחד שבעה כבשים בני שנה: ומנחתם סלת בלולה בשמן שלשה עשרנים לפר האחד שני עשרנים לאיל האחד: עשרון עשרון לכבש האחד לשבעת הכבשים: שעיר עזים אחד לכפר עליכם: מלבד עלת התמיד ומנחתו תעשו תמימם יהיו לכם ונסכיהם:
במדבר כח: כו-לא

“The day of first fruits is when you bring a new grain offering to G-d as part of your Shavuot festival. It shall be a sacred holiday to you on which you may not do any mundane work. You shall present a burnt-offering of a pleasing aroma to Hashem; two young bulls, one ram, and seven yearling sheep. Their meal-offering shall consist of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths of an ephah for the one ram. One tenth of an ephah for each of the seven sheep. You shall also bring one he-goat to make atonement for you. In addition to bringing the daily burnt-offering and its meal-offering the sacrifices shall be unblemished, and their libations.”
Numbers 28:26-31

שבעה שבעת תספר לך מהחל חרמש בקמה תחל לספר שבעה שבעות: ועשית חג שבעות לה’ א-לקיך מסת נדבת ידך אשר תתן כאשר יברכך ה’ א-לקיך: ושמחת לפני ה’ א-לקיך אתה ובנך ובתך ועבדך ואמתך והלוי אשר בשעריך והגר והיתום והאלמנה אשר בקרבך במקום אשר יבחר ה’ א-לקיך לשכן שמו שם: וזכרת כי עבד היית במצרים ושמרת ועשית את החקים האלה:
דברים טז: ט-יב

“Seven weeks count for yourself, from the time the sickle begins cutting the standing grain, begin to count seven weeks. You are to celebrate the festival of Shavuot for Hashem, your G-d, presenting a hand-delivered offering according to the extent of the blessing that, as Hashem, your G-d, has blessed you. You are to rejoice in the presence of Hashem, your G-d, in the place that Hashem, your G-d, chooses to house His presence there — you, and your son and daughter… and the proselyte, and the orphan and the widow who are among you. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt; you are to guard and celebrate these statutes.”
Deuteronomy 16:9-12

FROM THE CHASIDIC MASTERS Why does the Torah insert the prohibition against harvesting the corners of the field among all the laws of the festivals? This teaches us that even while a person is engaged in lofty thoughts of spiritual pursuit, he must never forget the needs of the poor and hungry who lack adequate material sustenance.

FROM THE CHASIDIC MASTERS The farther we traveled away from Egypt and its spiritually poisonous environment, the closer we came to Sinai and the hallowed principles of Torah.

Why wait until the third Month to give them the Torah if it is so crucial to their existence? Why not the first or second month? The law is that a female convert, freed maidservant, or hostage, may not marry for the first three months [lest she bear a fetus whose Jewish status or lineage will later be called into question]. Following the Exodus, the Jewish people were considered converts, freed servants, and freed hostages. Fearing that they still perhaps bore some of the contamination of their experience, the almighty decided to wait for three months until he was satisfied they were untainted and then engaged us in “marriage” through the gift of his Torah.
Yalkut Shimoni, Remez 271

THE MONTH OF SIVAN

Sivan is the Babylonian name of this month which the Torah referred to as “the Third Month,” as it is the third month when counting from Nissan which is referred to as “the First Month.”

The Almighty waited until forty-nine days passed and then gave us the Torah in the Third Month. Forty-nine equals 7×7 and represents the spiritual cleansing process of counting seven, just a woman counts seven days before immersing in a mikvah. On the fiftieth day, the Almighty gave us the Torah which is compared to a mikvah and completed the cleansing process.

The mazal [“sign”] of the month of Sivan is “Twins.” This symbolizes Moses and Aharon, who — although one was older than the other — were equals in terms of spiritual greatness. Through them, the Torah was given during this month. Moses represented strict judgment whereas Aharon represented supreme kindness. Their influence in these two areas rendered the Jewish people suitable recipients of the Torah which expects us to blend and synthesize these two character traits.

Sifsei Kohen [Exodus 19:1] explains that the Torah was given under the mazal of “Twins” to denote the Almighty’s great love for us and the fact that He considers us His twin. The verse [Song of Songs 6:9] refers to the Jewish people as, “Achas Hi Yonassi Tamassi” — She is unique, My dove, My perfect one. Our sages explain that the word should also be read, “Te’umossi” — My twin, for we represent His interests in the universe. The Torah that He shared with us, also reflects this idea of duality. It was presented on not one, but Two Tablets, and speaks constantly about things that are:

• Permitted or Forbidden,
• Pure or Impure,
• Acceptable or Unacceptable,
• Positive Commandments or Negative Commandments
• Oral Law or Written Law

Why was the Torah given during the month whose sign is “twins?” This was done specifically to provide a refutation to those nations who would claim that if they would have been offered the Torah, they too, would have gladly accepted it. The month chosen was the month of twins, alluding to the fact that if Esav had decided to accept the Torah, he too, could have joined his twin, Jacob, and received it. He disdained the opportunity, thus negating his claim of unequal treatment.
Pesiktah D’rav Kahana 12:20

NAMES OF THE HOLIDAY

The holiday of Shavuot is referred to in the Torah by many names, but in the Talmud only one name is mentioned. Here is a list of those names and what they represent:

Chag Shavuot — The Feast of Weeks — It culminates the seven weeks of counting the Omer.

Zman Mattan Torateinu — The Time of the Giving of the Torah — The Torah was taught to the people at Mt. Sinai.

Atzeret — The Holiday of Being Restrained — This name is the only name used for this Holiday in the Talmud. It evokes a hint to Shemini Atzeret which concludes the Holiday of Sukkot. Similarly, Shavuot is in a certain sense not only an independent holiday, but a conclusion of the process of spiritual growth begun on Passover.

Chag HaBikkurim — The Holiday of the First Fruits — On Shavuot, a special Temple offering was brought called “The New Grain Offering.” Its offering made it permissible to bring further Grain Offerings from the New Grain. Additionally, during this time, the first fruits of all the Seven Species of Produce with which the Land of Israel is blessed (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates) were brought to the Temple in a special ceremony.

Chag HaKotzir — The Holiday of the cutting of the Crop — The crop referred to her is the wheat crop, the last of the crops to be harvested.

THE BIKKURIM OFFERING
Those who came from near to Jerusalem would bring figs and grapes (which were not likely to spoil on a short journey). Those who came from a distance from Jerusalem would bring dried figs and raisins. An ox walked before them, its horns overlaid with gold…a flute was played…until they approached Jerusalem. As they neared Jerusalem, messengers were sent ahead of them, and they would decorate their First Fruits.

Important dignitaries went out to greet them…all the craftsmen of Jerusalem would stand before them and inquire concerning their welfare, “our brothers, from wherever you come, welcome!” A flute was played before them…once they reached temple Mount, even King Agrippas would carry the basket on his shoulder and go in as far as the temple courtyard. once they reached the temple courtyard, the Levites would sing, “I will praise you, O G-d, for you have raised me up, and you have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me!”
Tractate Bikkurim, Chapter 3; Mishnah 3-4

FROM OUR CHASIDIC MASTERS Rav Boruch of Mezhibuz zt”l, used to say that the name atzeret [meaning “contained”] symbolized the fire of Torah that is “contained” in the bones of every Jew.

SIX DAYS IN SIVAN

In the early morning, Moshe ascended the mountain which he had been told (in the episode of the Burning Bush) would be the place where we would serve Hashem, and a cloud was over the mountain from which Hashem’s voice emanated to him once he was ascending the mountain.

Rosh Chodesh: They arrived at the Sinai Desert, as the verse says,

“In the third month following the Exodus of the Jewish People from Egypt, on that very day, they came to the Desert of Sinai.”
(Exodus 19:1)

G-d told Moses to share the following message with the Jewish People:

“You have seen what I did to Egypt, and how [I watched over you by carrying you] as if on the wings of eagles, to Me. If you hearken to Me, and observe My covenant, you will be for Me a cherished people among the nations, for the whole world is Mine. And you will be for Me a kingdom of ministers and a holy nation — These are the things you should say to the Children of Israel.”
(Exodus 19:4-6)

Upon hearing this message, the Jews responded, “All that G-d asks of us, we will do!”
(Exodus 19:8)

Day 4: Moshe shared the nation’s enthusiastic response with G-d, Who instructed him to set boundaries around Mt. Sinai and warn them, “Beware of ascending the mountain or touching its edge, for whoever touches the mountain shall surely perish.”
(Exodus 19:12)

They were also told to immerse themselves and their clothes in a mikvah and separate from their wives for the next three days.

Day 5: Moses arose early in the morning and built an altar of twelve stones for the Twelve Tribes of Israel. He brought sacrificial offerings and sprinkled their blood on the altar. He read to the nation the portions of the Torah that had already been written down, to ensure their agreement, and they responded,

“All that G-d wants, ‘Naaseh V’Nishma,’ – ‘We will do, and afterwards we will hear!’”
(Exodus 24:7)

Day 6: Moses took the People out of the encampment, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

“And Mt. Sinai was encased in smoke because G-d descended upon it in fire, and its smoke rose as the smoke of a furnace, and the people trembled greatly. And the sound of the Shofar was steadily increasing in intensity; Moses would speak, and the L-rd would echo him in thunder!”
(Exodus 19:18-19)

G-d insisted that Moses warn the nation again against breaching the encirclement and approaching Mt. Sinai. Then G-d came down to the People, and He spoke to them as the verse says,

“And the L-rd spoke all these Utterances, as follows…”
(Exodus 20:1)

“Mt. Sinai was encased in smoke” – Smoke rose from the mountain, but from the fire in which G-d descended no smoke rose. This is because Divine fire is so pure that it does not produce smoke. The purpose of the smoke was to obstruct the view of the nation and conceal the Divine Presence as it descended in fire.
Ksav V’Kaballah

“As the smoke of a furnace.” This is an imperfect analogy and is only used because we, being physical creatures, are wholly incapable of envisioning spiritual manifestations with anything other than material depictions.
Rabbeinu Bachya

“A kingdom of ministers and a holy nation.” Rabbi Yosef of Salant was once approached by an early follower of the Enlightenment who argued, “It’s true that the Torah says nice things, but that’s only from the standpoint of earlier, uncivilized, generations. Nowadays, we are enlightened; therefore we are not particularly impressed.” Rabbi Yosef responded, “You are still too drunk with excitement and flushed with success to perceive how unprogressive your ideas truly are. Wait 100 years and you’ll get smacked in the face with the true realization of how enlightened you really are.”
Repeated by R’ M. Hershovitz who was bound and trampled to death by the Nazis for refusing to work on Shabbat.

FROM THE CHASIDIC MASTERS “You shall set boundaries for the people around [the mountain]…” It is important for the people to recognize that their intellect is limited and that not all spiritual realms are within their intellectual grasp.
Beis Yitzchak

“An apple-tree among the trees of the forest, so is My beloved among the sons…”
[Song of Songs 2:3]

In what manner can the Jewish people be compared to apple trees? Just as the apple-tree produces its fruit before its leaves, so too, the Jewish nation proclaimed, “We will do” before, “We will understand.”
Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88a

The apple-tree hastens to give forth its fruit and forgoes the protection of its leaves. Similarly, the Jewish people committed themselves to mitzvah observance even before they truly understood what was being asked of them, and whether or not they were capable of adhering to it. Perhaps it is this unusual degree of dedication that we seek to recall when we dip an apple in honey and request a sweet new year on Rosh Hashanah; the Day of Judgment when we must muster all the merits we can.

THE REVELATION

HEAR YE’ HEAR YE’

Rabbi Elazar said: “When the People of Israel preceded the words, ‘We will hear’ with ‘We will do,’ a Heavenly Voice emerged, saying, ‘Who revealed unto My children this secret known only to the Heavenly angels?’ As it is written (Psalms 103), ‘Praise Hashem, His Angels, mighty in strength, who abide by His will, then understand His word’ — first they obey, and only afterwards, do they understand.”
Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88a

In what manner can the Jewish people be compared to apple trees? Just as the apple-tree produces its fruit before its leaves, so too, the Jewish nation proclaimed, “We will do” before, “We will understand.”
Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88a

When Adam was instructed in only one mitzvah, the Almighty equated him with the Divine Angels, saying, “Behold the man was like one of Us.” If so, the Jewish people who accepted upon themselves all 613 commandments, shouldn’t they live on for eternity?”
Medrash Rabbah, Shmos 32:2

Indeed, this would have been their fate had they not immediately sinned with the Golden Calf. As soon as they did, they descended from the level of Angels and became mortal again, just as Adam and Eve had become susceptible to death.
Rabbeinu Bachya, Shmos 23:20

Why did they precede “We will hear” with “We will do?” The Hebrew word for “do” is “Naasseh” which can also be read, “NeiOsseh” and implies that we have already done as we are being asked to do now. Yalkut Shimoni [Exodus 19:276] points out that a cursory review of early human history reveals that long before they were formally presented to us, our ancestors already observed the Ten Commandments:

1. I am the Lord your G-d – All three of the Patriarchs observed this meticulously.
2. You Shall Not Have Gods of Others – Jacob instructed his son: “Remove the foreign deities from within your midst.” (Genesis 35:23)
3. You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord in Vain – Abraham swore, “I raise my hand to the Lord… ” (Genesis 14:22)
4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy – Joseph observed the Sabbath as is evidenced in the verse in Genesis 43:16.
5. Honor your Father and Mother – Isaac honored his father’s wishes by agreeing to ascend the Altar and be sacrificed.
6. Do not murder – Judah warned his brothers not to murder Joseph. (Genesis 37:26)
7. Do not Commit Adultery – Joseph observed this by refusing the entreaties of Potiphera’s wife.
8. Do Not Steal – The brothers fulfilled this, as evidenced by the verse, “And how could we steal from the house of your master silver or gold?” (Genesis 44:8)
9. Do Not Bear False Testimony – Abraham observed this by bearing witness to the universe that the Almighty was its Creator.
10. Do Not Covet – Abraham fulfilled this when he refused to plunder the king of Soddom and proclaimed, “I will take neither a string nor a shoe strap… ” (Genesis 14:23)

It is in the merit of these great men that we, their humble descendants, were fortunate to have been entrusted with the duty of safeguarding these commandments and their multitude of off-shoots, the other 603 commandments.

FROM THE CHASIDIC MASTERS Rav Aharon of Chernobol zt”l would proclaim before the Almighty, “Master of the Universe, You desire that we abide by the laws of Your Torah. Remember, however, the conditions under which You gave us the Torah. We were wealthy thanks to the Egyptian booty, we were healed from all our ills, we were united under Your banner, and we were free to do as we pleased. Sadly, today we are impoverished and lack leaders like Moses. We are sick and downtrodden, suffering under the rule of foreign nations. Please, Almighty G-d, restore us to our original state so that we may once again serve You as You and we both desire.”

FROM THE CHASIDIC MASTERS As a child, Rav Avraham of Sochatchov studied at the feet of his father, the Rabbi of Biala. One time, Rav Avraham offered an original explanation for a segment of Talmud but his idea was rejected out of hand by his illustrious father. In his later years, his father chanced upon the very same idea written by a great scholar in earlier times. Remembering how he had dismissed it earlier when his son proffered it, he traveled to his son’s town to retract his rejection. Rav Avraham showed little emotion upon seeing his thoughts validated. When questioned about his unenthusiastic reaction, he explained, “I knew then too that had concurred with the thoughts of this great person. Since, however, my esteemed father dismissed my words, could not disrespect him and mention it.”

WHAT EXACTLY DID THEY HEAR FROM G-D?

Although tradition teaches that G-d taught us the Ten Commandments, there is some dispute regarding exactly what He taught, and what He left for Moses to teach us. Here are four dominant opinions:

• All Ten Commandments were taught to us simultaneously by G-d.
  Mechiltah
• Only the first two commandments were uttered by G-d. The remaining eight were spoken by Moses. Proof of this is the verse that says,
  “Moses taught the people the Torah.” The Hebrew word “Torah” has a numerical value of 611. This implies that Moses taught us 611 and the other two were taught by G-d.
  Talmud, Tractate Makkos 24a
• First, all ten were spoken by G-d simultaneously. Next, they were repeated one by one by G-d. After the first two, the people were overwhelmed by the spiritual intensity of the experience and pleaded with Moses to teach them the remaining eight. His voice was not powerful enough, so G-d amplified his voice so the entire nation could hear him.
  Rashi, Exodus 20:1
• The nation heard all ten spoken by G-d, however, although they heard the sound, they could not perceive the words. Only Moses understood the words and he taught them to Israel. Thus, the people experienced prophecy by hearing the sound, and their faith in Moses was reinforced because he alone understood what G-d had said.
  Maimonides, Guide to the Perplexed 2:32

Why were all Ten Commandments first taught simultaneously if they would have to be repeated later one by one? This teaches us that the although it is comprised of 613 mitzvot, the entire Torah is one unified body in which all the mitzvot are interdependent. One cannot not pick and choose from among the mitzvot and contend that some have ceased to be relevant, for to do so would destabilize the entire Torah.
Maharal, Gur Arye, Exodus 20:1

WATCH OUT BELOW

ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר אמר רב אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא מלמד שכפה הקדוש ברוך הוא עליהם את ההר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם:
מסכת שבת דף פח/א

“And they stood beneath the mountain.”
(Exodus 19:17)

Rabbi Avdimi bar Chama said, “This teaches that the Holy One suspended the mountain over their heads like an overturned flask, and said to them, ‘If you accept the Torah, good! But if not, there will be your graves!’”
Talmud, Tractate Shabbat, 88b

IF THEY HAD ALREADY SAID, “WE WILL DO AND WE WILL HEAR,” WHY DID HE HAVE TO COERCE THEM INTO ACCEPTING THE TORAH?

Because they accepted the mitzvos on a voluntary basis but without expectation of a penalty for failing to fulfill its precepts. The coercion was regarding accepting the penalty as well.
Ra’av, Exodus 19:17

They gladly accepted the Written Law which was easy to study and follow. They were reluctant to accept the Oral Law, which requires much greater dedication and resolve. The mountain suspended above them helped them realize that just as mountain entombs its victims, if they would only follow the Written Law, their hopes for eternal survival were nil, They would be entombed in the incomplete and limiting body of law that they were prepared to accept.
Midrash Tanchuma

When overturned, the top of the flask appears directly over one’s head as if it were resting solely upon him. This implied to the people that this was not only a communal acceptance of the Law, but an individual acceptance of the Law as well.
Rabbi Yosef Dov Solveitchik

“All the people saw the sounds, the flames, the blast of the ram’s horn, and the mountain smoking. The people trembled when they saw it, and kept their distance.”
Exodus 20:15

This teaches that all the blind people were miraculously healed and thus “all the people saw the sounds.” Additionally, all deaf, mute, lame, and insane people were healed too.
Mechiltah

FROM THE CHASIDIC MASTERS “And kept their distance.” Even when a Jew is traveling away from the Almighty, he must still hear His voice and see the sounds.
Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg

“When [God] finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him two tablets of the Testimony…” Rabbi Avahu taught, “All forty days that Moses spent in heaven, he would study the Torah and immediately forget it. He complained to the Almighty that all he had was forty days to learn it and he still knew nothing. What did the Almighty do? At the conclusion of forty days, He gave it to him as a gift.”
Medrash Rabbah, Exodus 41:6

THE THREE OF LIFE

דרש ההוא גלילאה עליה דרב חסדא בריך רחמנא דיהב אוריאן תליתאי לעם תליתאי על ידי תליתאי ביום תליתאי בירחא תליתאי
תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף פח/א

“A certain Galilean taught in the presence of Rav Chisda, ‘Blessed is the Merciful One Who gave us a Torah which is divided into three parts, to a People that is divided into three parts, through one who himself was a third [child], on the third day, in the third month.”
Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88a

A TORAH OF THREE PARTS:

1) The Five Books of Moses 2) The Books of the Prophets 3) The Sacred Writings

TO A PEOPLE THAT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS:

1) Kohanim 2) Levites 3) Israelites

THROUGH ONE WHO WAS A THIRD:

Moses, the third child of Amram and Yocheved, born to his mother after Aharon and Miriam.

ON THE THIRD DAY:

After the prescribed “three days of Preparation,” before they could receive the Torah. Moshe commanded the Jewish People to “Make yourselves ready by the third day.”

IN THE THIRD MONTH:

Nissan is called the First Month in the Torah, followed by Iyar and then Sivan.

Maharal explains the significance of the number three in relationship to the Torah as follows:

The number three connotes a sense of balance by embracing two items and creating a middle ground between the two. Minus the middle ground, each item represents an extreme. The third item creates a middle ground that unifies and harmonizes the inner edges of the extremes.

The Torah asks of us to lead a life of balance and moderation, in which all aspects of the physical universe may be utilized for our pleasure, but never taken to extremes. Eating is wonderful, but only in moderation; sleep is good, but only within reason; sexuality can be a holy or unholy endeavor, depending largely on whether it’s carried to an extreme; taking a human life is forbidden unless a capital crime has been committed; one must honor his parents, but not past the point where their will conflicts with G-d’s, etc.

When all aspects of the Torah and its presentation to the Jewish people echo the theme of three, it symbolizes this central idea of promoting a life of holistic balance.

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF THE NUMBER THREE IN JUDAISM ARE:

• The Hebrew spelling for Moses name contains three letters: משה
• Mt. Sinai in Hebrew contains three letters: סני
• Three Pilgrimages Festivals: Pesach, Shavuot, Succot.
• Three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
• The three prerequisites of atonement: Repentance, Prayer, Charity.
• Three days may not pass with the Torah being read publicly. Therefore it is read every Monday, Thursday and Shabbat.
• The primary commandments of the Passover Seder: Paschal Lamb, Matzah, Bitter Herbs.
• Three daily prayers: Shacharit, Minchah, Maariv.
• A person should divide his day into three parts and devote one third to Torah study, one third to prayer, and one third to earning a livelihood.
• The daily Amidah is comprised of three sections: Avot, Emtzoiot, Hodaah.
• Three pillars upon which the universe stands: Torah, Avodah, Gemilut Chassadim.

“This very day shall be celebrated…” [Leviticus 23:21] The words, “this very day,” are used in the Torah by only two holidays, Yom Kippur and Shavuot. This is because these two holidays are unique in the sense that they are not merely commemorative celebrations of events in years past, but every year at this time, the same events occur anew. We are not merely celebrating the Receiving of the Torah that occurred back 3,300 years ago. Rather, we are receiving it once more and renewing our original commitment.

CUSTOMS OF SHAVUOT

Shavuot features a number of widespread customs. Following is a short list of the most prevalent, and reasons for their practice:

STUDYING TORAH THROUGH THE NIGHT

Strangely, rather than spend the night prior to the Sinai revelation steeped in spiritual pursuits, the nation went to sleep instead and had to be awakened by the Almighty with thunder and Shofar-blowing to receive the Torah. Although their intentions were pure, for they sought to ensure that they’d be rested the next morning and in a proper frame of mind to receive the Torah, it was seen as a negative that they were able to sleep so soundly and weren’t too excited to fall asleep. To rectify this slight shortcoming, many people remain awake throughout the night, studying Torah in anticipation of the Receiving the Torah in the morning.

GOING GREEN

Mt. Sinai was not only a relatively small mountain, it was also essentially barren. Miraculously, in honor of the Revelation, the Almighty caused it to grow lush with flowers and grass. Thus, there exists a custom of decorating the synagogue on Shavuot with flowers and greens, in commemoration of that event.
Levush Mordechai

There used to be a custom to bring trees into the synagogue, but that practice was discontinued by the Gaon of Vilna for it too closely resembled the pagan practice of the non-Jews who celebrate their holiday with trees.

EATING DAIRY

There is a custom to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Some fulfill this by eating a dairy meal. Others prefer to begin a meal with dairy dishes, rinse their mouths well, clear the table of all vestiges of dairy dishes, and resume their meal with meat dishes, in fulfillment of the Talmudic dictum, Tractate Pesachim 109a, “Rejoicing is incomplete without meat.”

Among the reasons offered for this custom are:

• Prior to the Revelation at Sinai, meat was eaten without “shechitah” — ritual slaughter. Following the Revelation, meat could only be eaten if it was ritually slaughtered. The Revelation occurred on Shabbat and “shechitah” may not be done on Shabbat. Consequently, upon their return from the Revelation, all the Jews could eat was dairy foods. We therefore eat dairy to commemorate the way they immediately implemented all that they’d just learned.
• Moses received the Torah after spending forty days in heaven studying it. The numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word for milk, “chalav,” is forty. By eating dairy we show our awareness that although it was “given” to us as a gift, it was a gift that had to be earned through dedicated study.
• The rule is that one loaf of bread may not be used at both a dairy and meat meal. Therefore, by beginning the meal with dairy and concluding with meat, this forces us to use two, not one, loaves of bread throughout the meal. The two loaves evoke memories of special offering of “Shtei HaLechem” [Two Loaves of Wheat] which were brought in the Temple on Shavuot.

THE SCROLL OF RUTH

Most congregations have a custom to read the Scroll of Ruth following Shacharit on the first [for those who live in Israel], or second [for those who live outside of Israel and observe two days], morning of Shavuot. According to the Talmud, the Scroll of Ruth was authored by Samuel the Prophet to dispel slanderous allegations against King David’s lineage. Its four chapters tell the story of how Ruth, a Moabite princess, bravely converts to Judaism, marries Boaz, a prominent descendant of the House of Judah, and bears him a child, Oveid, who is the grandfather of King David. As King David was born and died on Shavuot, it is a fitting time to read the story of his ancestry and the many Divine machinations involved in his emergence as our leader.

Additional reasons for reading the Scroll of Ruth are:

1. To commemorate Ruth’s arduous path to Torah and take inspiration from her dedication to truth.
2. Ruth’s conversion to Judaism was — on a personal scale — a recreation of the monumental acceptance of Torah at Mt. Sinai by the entire Jewish nation many years prior, which is the theme of Shavuos. Just as Ruth “entered under the wings of the Divine” and committed herself to a life of Torah, so did the Jewish nation.

THE POEM OF AKDAMOT

It is the custom in Ashkenazic congregations to recite the poem known as Akdamot on the first morning of Shavuot just prior to reading from the Torah, which includes the Ten Commandments. Composed during the First Crusade by Rabbi Meir, son of Rabbi Yitzchak, a leading scholar of the City of Vermaizia, in Germany, it describes the words of the author as he “debated” the truths of Judaism to a hostile audience, a frequent and tragic occurrence in those unfortunate times, and one in which the author himself, was forced to participate. Lest the Christian world learn its meaning and visit even greater catastrophes upon the Jews, its words were disguised for posterity in the Aramaic language, a language not understood by the Christian world at the time.

Akdamut contains ninety lines; the first forty-four begin with a double Aleph-Bet; Aleph, Aleph, Bet, Bet, etc. The first letters of the next forty-six lines make up an acrostic in which the author expresses the prayer that G-d will bless him with the ability and opportunity, even in the extremely hostile environment in which he found himself, to grow in knowledge of Torah and the performance of good deeds.

SHAVUOT FUN FACTS

• The first day of Shavuos will always occur on the same day as the second day of Passover and Chanukah the following year usually occurs on that day as well.
• The Torah was given on Shabbat, on either the sixth or seventh day of Sivan.
• No sound was made in the world at the time at the time the Torah was given.
• The sixth of Sivan is the day that Moses, who would later be so instrumental in the giving of the Torah, was rescued from the water by Batya, Pharaoh’s daughter.
• According to our sages, on that day, Batya immersed in the water as part of her conversion ceremony to monotheism, setting the stage for the sixth of Sivan to serve as a day of mass conversion to Judaism.
• Every verse of the Scroll of Ruth begins with the letter, “vov” with the exception of eight verses.
• Boaz passed away the morning after he married Ruth.

FROM OUR CHASIDIC MASTERS “All agree that on Shavuot we must also tend to our own needs” [Talmud, Tractate Pesachim, 68b] When the Rabbi Moshe Betzalel of Gur reached midlife, he declared, “The first half of my life I dedicated to tending to my own needs. From this point onward, I must attempt to dedicate myself to His needs.” His adoring students stared in amazement at this person whose entire essence embodied spiritual pursuit yet who found himself lacking in dedication to the Almighty.

MAKE IT MEANINGFUL

If Shavuot this year is just like all the others in past years, it will not have the same meaning. Here are six suggestions for how you can make this Shavuot even more meaningful than all the others:

1. Don’t Be Ruth-less: If Hebrew is not one of your languages, take advantage of the many translations of the Scroll of Ruth and learn her story and what it meant for the Jewish people. My personal favorites: A Harvest of Majesty by Rabbi Moshe Alshich, and Ruth Talk by Rabbi Moshe Pinchas Weisblum.
2. Take Three: Traditionally the three days prior to the holiday were designated for preparation for receiving the Torah. Plan ahead and you’ll enjoy the holiday so much more.
3. Pull an All-Nighter: I know it sounds radical, but consider spending the night engaged in Torah study. There are Shavuot night programs in every city that will fascinate you and leave you energized to last a long time.
4. Say Cheese: Shavuot just isn’t the same without the cheesecake or other dairy dishes that make up the traditional Shavuot menu.
5. Book Ahead of Time: Check out the tremendous selection of books on the holiday of Shavuot and reserve room in your brain for all the extra information that you want to hold on to.
6. Re-examine Your Commitment: Shavuot is best experienced when the focus in on our commitment to Torah and its study. Re-examine yours and ask yourself what you can do to add Torah study to your schedule.

POINTS TO PONDER

• Is my daily schedule really too tightly packed to accommodate more Torah study?
• Why is Torah study such an important part of Judaism?
• Would you too, have preceded “We will hear” with “We will do?” If not, why not?
• Why are so many Jews unaware of the holiday of Shavuot?
• Will your children celebrate the Holiday of Shavuot when they mature? How about their children?
• Must one celebrate Shavuot if he’s allergic to milk or a vegan? Is soy an acceptable alternative?
• How can Ruth’s example be incorporated into your daily life?
• Why did Elimelech’s behavior result in his premature death?
• If there’s one lesson to take from the Shavuot experience, what would it be?

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Parsha Perspectives

Receiving the Torah Every Day

By Rabbi Dovid Gilman

וקראתם בעצם היום הזה מקרא קדש יהיה לכם…

“You shall convoke on this very day; there shall a holy convocation for yourselves…” (Leviticus 23:21).

Are you in a rut? Most people live their adult lives on a fixed course, without anything new or revolutionary happening to them for years on end. Is that inevitable, or can a person break free from monotony?

In the Torah portion this week, the Torah enumerates the holidays, their dates, why they are celebrated, and their unique laws. For example, the holiday of Sukkot falls on the fifteenth day of the seventh Hebrew month (Tishrei); we sit in sukkahs because the Israelites sat in sukkahs in the desert. The one holiday for which the Torah does not provide an explanation is Shavuot, the holiday which commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Important details about Shavuot are noticeably missing. Instead of specifying a particular date on which Shavuot falls (the sixth of Sivan), the Torah says that it takes place on the fiftieth day after the second day of Passover. The Torah says to make that day a holy day but does not explain why we celebrate it, nor does it make any mention of Torah study, an essential focus of the day. Why wouldn’t the Torah spell out these aspects of Shavuot as fully as it does for Passover and Sukkot?

The Kli Yakar commentary says that elaborating on these details about Shavuot would defeat its purpose. When a person studies Torah, he should not simply “read” the text; he must endeavor to delve into it and discover its deeper meaning — even if he is studying a topic he has learned many times before. When studying the laws of slaughtering, the laws of damages, or even the laws of Shabbat, he has the potential to receive a “new” Torah each day through his new insights and new perspectives. Stating that the Torah was given on the sixth of Sivan would imply that the giving of the Torah was merely a one-time event.

The Talmud tells the story of King Yannai who was purportedly insulted by the rabbis of his time. One of his advisors told him to simply execute all the rabbis. The king asked him, “But if I kill them all, then who will study and interpret the Torah for us?” His advisor answered, “The Torah is out there for anyone to reference if they need to.” The king decreed a death sentence against the rabbis, and they fled the country.

King Yannai’s advisor had it all wrong. While anyone can open up a Torah and read through it, it is not an encyclopedia in which one can simply look up laws when necessary. It is a treasure chest filled with an infinite quantity of priceless gems. New insights can be gleaned from it every time it is studied. The seemingly missing details regarding Shavuot remind us of the need to search for a new and deeper meaning each time we study Torah. By doing so, we will not only have a deeper appreciation for the Shavuot holiday, but we will have the privilege of receiving the Torah anew, each and every day.

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Word of the Week

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

חלל

“You shall not desecrate — תחללו — techallelu My holy name” (Leviticus 22:32). Most commentaries relate the word חלל — desecrate or profane to the word חול, which means weekday, non-holy, or profane. Thus, the commandment forbids us from acting in such a way as to profane or diminish the holiness associated with G-d’s name and His Torah. Others understand חלל as “a hollow space,” because when one acts in an inappropriate fashion one is creating a moment that seems to be devoid of G-d’s presence; in other words, a “holiness vacuum,” or empty space (Rabbi Moshe Shapiro). In Modern Hebrew, the word denotes an empty space, as in spaceship — חללית.

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The Torah sanctifies Shabbat and the festivals with prohibitions against various work activities. Ramban (Nachmanides) maintains that in addition to the formal list of prohibited work, there are other ways to sanctify these times. The Torah calls the festivals “holy convocations” (Leviticus 23:2) which the Ramban understands as an obligation “to gather together in the house of G-d and to publicly pray and praise G-d, while wearing appropriate, clean clothing and celebrating with a feast” (Ramban, ad loc.). The Torah also declares the festivals and Shabbat as “days of rest” (Leviticus 23:24) which the Ramban (ad loc.) explains as an obligation to desist from weekday activities, strenuous activities, and anything that would make the festival into a semblance of a weekday.

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Yoav Druyan

The Torah portion this week describes the holidays. These are repeatedly referred to as mo’adim, which literally means occasions or appointed times. The first verse on the topic (Leviticus 23:2) mentions the holidays. The second verse refers to Shabbat, and the third verse reverts back to the holidays, detailing their laws. In connection with Shavuot, a time which celebrates the harvest, the Torah mentions an obligation unique to famers: they must leave a corner of their field unharvested, so that the needy may harvest crops for themselves.

1. In the times when the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, was still functioning, they determined the day on which the holidays fell based on when the new moon was sighted. Thus, the length of the months were dynamic — they were thus truly mo’adim, or times appointed by the high court.  Shabbat, on the other hand, occurs every seven days, without any need for the court to designate or appoint that day as Shabbat. Why, then, would Shabbat be mentioned along with the mo’adim?
2. If one is obligated to support the poor with charitable contributions, why require them to come to the field and get the produce themselves? It would seem that delivering the crops to the poor would be a more dignified means of charity. Additionally, outright giving would seem to be a more just distribution of goods than a system based on “first come, first served.” What benefit(s) could there be with this pick-it-up-yourself system?

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The Torah commands us to sanctify the name of G-d, as the verse states, “And I will be sanctified among the children of Israel” (Leviticus 22:32). The Talmud (Sanhedrin 74a) explains that this mitzvah includes the obligation to give up one’s life rather than worship idols or convert to an idolatrous religion. Throughout Jewish history, many Jews both old and young have fulfilled this commandment and sacrificed their lives rather than submit to conversion and apostasy. However, commandments are generally only incumbent upon adult Jews (13 years of age for males, 12 years for females). Are minors included in the commandment of sanctification of G-d’s name? Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky (Emet L’Yaakov, Leviticus, ibid) maintains that since the commandment is phrased in passive form, “I will be sanctified,” it is not the action which is the commandment, but the resultant sanctification that is crucial. If the action would be emphasized then it would follow the normal rules for commandments and children would be exempt. However, since the goal is the result and that can be achieved by anyone, therefore all are obligated, even children.

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Parsha Perspectives

By Rabbi Z. Sklar

ואהבת לרעך כמוך אני ה’

“You shall love your fellow as yourself, I am Hashem” (Leviticus 19:18).

According to Rabbi Akiva, this statement is the most fundamental law of the Torah. Hillel, a Talmudic sage, boiled this down into one statement that has become a well-known adage: “What is hateful to you, do not do to others” (Shabbat 31a). The sages based quite a few laws on this statement, demonstrating the kind of sensitivity that is required of all Jews. For example, a capital offender receives the least painful death possible (Ketubot 37b, Sanhedrin 45a); even a person deserving of death should be subjected to minimal pain and embarrassment.

Ramban (Nachmanides) wonders if it is really possible to love another person like you love yourself. Perhaps a saintly person can reach this lofty level of feeling the same love for another person as he or she does for himself; yet for a regular person, this presents quite a challenge. Consequently, Ramban concludes that this is not what the Torah is demanding of us. (He proves this through another law in the Torah: if a person finds himself in a dangerous situation, he is obligated to save his own life before the life of someone else.) He says that G-d does not demand that we love another like we love ourselves; rather, we should want others to have the same degree of success and prosperity that we want for ourselves, and that we treat others with the same respect and consideration as we would want.

How can I become a person of high moral caliber — one who truly desires the success of another as much as for myself? Ramban says that key to loving others, and wishing them well, is to work on eliminating envy from our hearts.

In order to understand how envy is related to love, we must first understand how envy can affect a person. In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers 4:28) it says, “Jealousy, lust, and glory remove a person from the world.” Rashi explains this sentence by quoting a verse from Proverbs (14:30): “Jealousy makes a person’s bones rot.” A person overcome with jealousy is so fixated on what someone else has that it becomes the focus of his life, pushing everything else out of his mind and preventing him from enjoying what he does have. If the person is unable to control these feelings, it can ultimately cause his downfall, as it can lead to even greater crimes, such as murder.

Ramban’s response teaches us that removing jealousy from our hearts enables us to genuinely love the people around us. Such opportunities abound: your neighbor gets a raise; your friend buys a bigger house; your sister goes on a nicer vacation than you could ever afford. When these situations arise, they provide an opportunity to evaluate — and work through — your feelings. Though part of you is sincerely happy for your friend, another part of you may be jealous. Identifying this jealousy is the first step toward eliminating it from your heart. You can then consciously affirm that the success of others does not detract from your own worth. This is the key to true inner happiness.

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Word of the Week

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

קדוש

Parshat Kedoshim is named after the word that appears as a commandment in the second verse, “You shall be kedoshim — קדושים, because I, the L-rd your G-d, am קדוש — kadosh.” Kadosh — קדוש is usually translated as “holy.” Rabbi David Kimchi (Sefer Hashorashim) explains the word to mean “elevated” and also “dedicated.” Rabbi Hirsch also understands it to mean “total dedication” (Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew). Along these lines, Rabbi Shimon Shkop (introduction to Shaarei Yashar) maintains that the commandment to be kadosh means that we should attempt to be dedicated to the good of the whole of existence, as G-d is dedicated, and acts only for the good of His creation.

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The Torah states, “You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which a man shall do and shall live in them; I am the L-rd” (Leviticus 18:5). The Talmud (Yoma 85b) understands the words “live in them” as the source for the idea that life takes precedence over virtually all the commandments. The Talmud (ibid) rules that if a person is buried under a collapsed house on Shabbat, even if an expert believes that he will only live for a short time, and even that is doubtful, one must nevertheless do everything possible to extract him. Some explain that the reason we must save this victim is because even if he lives only a short time he may be able to repent (Meiri, ad loc). However the Chafetz Chaim points out that in fact, even if the victim will be completely unconscious during the short time he remains alive, we would still be obligated to save him, because “we push aside the mitzvot for the life of a Jew, as derived from ‘you shall live in them’ ” (Biur Halacha 329).

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Dovid Gilman

The Torah commands us not to secretly hate another Jew. Rather, if someone wronged you, be open with him, giving him the opportunity to ask for forgiveness and clear the air. The Torah also forbids taking revenge (e.g. by not lending him things) and bearing a grudge (e.g. lending him something but reminding him that he previously refused to lend him an item). The Torah concludes that we should love our fellow man as ourselves.

1. When we tell another that he has wronged us, it does give the other person an opportunity to apologize. However, it may also make him feel bad or spark an angry confrontation. Why might the possibility of clearing the air outweigh the danger of a potentially ugly confrontation?
2. We are commanded to love our fellow as ourselves. If I don’t mind people insulting me, I’m obviously still not permitted to insult others in the same way. The wording of the commandment, however, might suggest otherwise. Why, then, might the commandment be written this way?

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

“And you shall not walk in their statutes” (Leviticus 18:3) is the source for the prohibition against imitating the ways of the pagans (Avodah Zarah 11a). How far does this prohibition extend? Pagans wear glasses, use cars, electricity and medication; clearly these are not prohibited. Why? Rabbi Moshe Isserless (Yoreh Deah 178) rules that if a particular activity of the pagans has a logical reason and tangible benefit, it is permitted. Only those statutes and practices that can be traced to paganism or to immorality, or whose origin is unknown but they lack tangible benefit or logical reasons are prohibited. According to the Gaon of Vilna (Shulchan Aruch ad loc) anything which the pagans would do independently of their religion, such as, clothing, technology, and medicine, are not considered “statutes” of the pagans and are thus not included in the prohibition.

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Parsha Perspectives

Outside the Camp

By Rabbi Ami Neuman

כל ימי אשר הנגע בו יטמא טמא הוא בדד יישב מחוץ למחנה…

“He shall dwell alone, outside the camp should be his dwelling place” (Leviticus 13:46).

Our sages teach that an individual contracted tzara’at (a skin disease in some ways similar to leprosy) as a punishment for the sin of lashon hara — speaking negatively about others. As a result, the afflicted individual had to be removed from the rest of the people, to sit in solitude until he was healed.

Rashi tells us that the person could not even stay together with others who were ritually impure, but rather had to be kept in total, absolute isolation. The goal was to root out the inherent, core “affliction” of this person. Instead of being focused on other people and all their faults, he should have been paying attention to himself, concentrating on how he could grow and improve.

Though there was great celebration among Jews at the time of the creation of the State of Israel, there was also great fear. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, Israel and her people were under immediate and constant attack. During this period, one of the students of Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik (known as the Brisker Rav) went to his venerable teacher and said, “I know why all this bloodshed has befallen us; it is because of the desecration of the holy Sabbath in the Land. If only more people would observe the Sabbath, our troubles would disappear.”

The great rabbi turned to his student and reminded him of the story of Jonah. Tasked with warning the wicked people of Nineveh to change their ways, Jonah instead fled to the sea from before G-d. When Jonah stood on the ship as it was being tossed and turned in the stormy sea, he looked around and realized that he was standing amongst a band of idol worshippers; not good people, not even neutral ones, but idol worshippers! It would have been so easy for Jonah to ignore his own faults and responsibilities and point at the company in which he found himself as the reason for the devastating tempest. Instead, he ultimately admitted that, “It is because of me that this storm has befallen you.” Though his companions were steeped in idolatry — arguably the worst of all sins — Jonah was able to look at himself and claim responsibility.

This is the invaluable lesson that Rabbi Soloveitchik taught his student. It’s always easy to look at others and judge them; indeed, we oftentimes feel better about ourselves when we do. But our “healing” and redemption will not be brought any closer by whispering into our friends’ ears all the things that they or others need to do to fix themselves. Instead, we need to look inward, to take stock of our own deeds and, ultimately, our misdeeds. Just as the person suffering from tzara’at is freed from his own personal exile, so, too, we can hope to look toward our national redemption when we can reflect on our own service of G-d, while encouraging others to join along.

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Word of the Week

 לחטא

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

“And he shall take in order to לחטא — lechateih — to cleanse the [impure] house” (Leviticus 14:49). The word לחטא — to cleanse is based on the word חטא, which usually means “sin.” Here, according to Rabbi Hirsch, the meaning is “to expiate or to free from sin.” Onkelos translates the word as “to cleanse,” and in Modern Hebrew the word is used to mean “disinfect.” The use of a word for two opposite meanings (sin-clean) is a common feature in Hebrew, and according to the Maharal (Gevurot Hashem, Second Introduction) is an illustration of the monotheistic idea that everything, even complete opposites, have their origin in the One G-d.

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The Torah portion this week discusses in detail the disease known as tzara’at. This is usually identified as leprosy, and it is often, mistakenly, assumed that the laws surrounding the disease are designed to prevent infection. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that the disease in the Torah is not leprosy, and that the laws are designed to be moral and spiritual therapies for one who transgressed morally and spiritually against his fellow Jew by gossiping or slandering. His separation from society is not a medical quarantine but a reaction to his contribution to the breakdown of society by his sinful speech. He quotes the following from a British government report on leprosy in 1868 by the Royal College of Physicians: “The all-important question for the government is whether this disease is contagious or not. There can be no doubt that the Jews considered it to be so, and that the strictest quarantine was imposed upon those who contracted it. Nevertheless, it seems probable from several indications that the Jews of old classed all skin diseases as leprous… It is a remarkable fact, moreover, that present-day Jews seem to be less liable to the attacks of contagious illnesses than their European neighbors, which may be due to a trace which still remains from these ceremonious practices which exercised great influence on the physical forces and energies of the ancient Jews.”

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Yoav Druyan

Though tzara’at, a skin affliction, was somewhat similar to leprosy, it was entirely spiritual in origin. Tzara’at appeared on the skin in white patches and had different marks based on the skin tone and hair present at the site of the affliction. Our sages teach us that tzara’at was a Divine punishment for certain improprieties, amongst them: slander, haughtiness, tale bearing, and stinginess (Erchin 16a). Because of its spiritual nature, tzara’at could only be diagnosed in a spiritual manner by a Kohen (priest).

1. White is the color that represents purity and holiness, as in the Yom Kippur service, when a scarlet cloth would turn white when Israel’s atonement was achieved. Additionally, G-d’s presence is described as being white at the revelation at Sinai (Exodus 24:10). Why, then, might white also be a color that represents impurity?
2. The Talmud (Brachot 5b) teaches us that the location of the blemish was a factor in determining the necessary atonement for the sin. A publicly visible blemish represented a sin in need of greater atonement, since the subsequent shame was that much greater. Curiously, one whose skin was affected in its entirety was considered pure! How might we understand the paradox of an affliction over the entire body being declared pure, while a small blemish was considered impure? (Leviticus 13:12-13)

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The verse in the Torah portion this week states, “And on the eighth day you shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin” (Leviticus 12:3). The Talmud (Shabbat 132b) derives from this verse that although circumcision itself is a desecration of the Sabbath, nevertheless if the eighth day falls on Shabbat, the child must be circumcised. Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wozner was asked about delaying a bris that fell on Shabbat because most of the guests, and probably the parents of the child as well, would drive to the bris, and hence having the bris on Shabbat would cause mass desecration of Shabbat (Responsa Shevet Halevi 1:205). His response was that it is indeed appropriate to delay the bris until after Shabbat. Even though the Torah permits the bris itself on Shabbat, desecration of the Shabbat day for anything other than the actual circumcision itself is prohibited. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe, Yoreh Deah 1:156) was asked if the mohel (the one who performs the circumcision) should not do a bris where he would have to be in an environment where desecration of Shabbat was taking place. His response was that while one should try not to be in a place where Shabbat is being desecrated, however, one should certainly not delay the mitzvah of circumcision in order to avoid this situation.

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Parsha Perspectives

Kosher Food, Kosher Actions

By Rabbi Yoav Druyan

וכל כלי חרש אשר ייפול מהם אל תוכו כול אשר בתוכו יטמא

“And concerning the earthenware vessels, if something (impure) falls into it, the entire contents are rendered impure” (Leviticus 11:33).

Conventional wisdom has it that “you are what you eat.” Logic would also seem to dictate that to get better performance out you have to be acutely aware of what you put in. While we may not understand why kosher food is better for our spiritual nourishment, we can certainly fathom that food is important; after all, we do eat every day, usually several times a day. We can also easily understand that the numerous guidelines concerning what we consume are meant to lead us in a certain direction.

The latter half of the Torah portion of Shemini deals with foods that are kosher. The Torah also lists guidelines for which foods can become impure (in a spiritual sense). The sages (Chulin 24b) present a perplexing case concerning these laws. Two food containers, a metallic one and a ceramic one, both come into external contact with an impure item (such as the carcass of a non-kosher animal). The metallic vessel becomes impure while the ceramic vessel remains pure. Why should identical contact produce diametrically opposite results?

The Kotzker Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Morgenstern) explains that it is because of the nature of the utensils themselves. Metal utensils are items of value; as such, when they come into contact with impurity they contract it and pass it on to the food inside. Earthenware vessels, on the other hand, are simple utensils and are only valued for the protection they provide to their contents. Since the outside of a ceramic utensil is merely a shell for its essence (what it holds inside), it cannot become impure by external contact.

However, if an impure item falls inside an earthenware vessel, then not only does the food become impure, it also transfers that impurity to the vessel as well. In the same case, however, a metal vessel would not necessary transfer its impurity to the entire vessel.

Man (adam) was made of earth (adamah) and returns to the earth. He is, says the Kotzker Rebbe, essentially an earthenware vessel. Our bodies are only as valuable as what we contain. On one level, this does mean that “you are what you eat,” and the laws of kashrut help keep us spiritually healthy. On a deeper lever, we contain far more than just food; our actions, our beliefs — these are what define us. When we actively seek to fill ourselves with proper nourishment, we make our bodies into worthwhile vessels. With the right “fuel,” we can begin the task of performing worthwhile deeds that give the vessel — our bodies — its value.

Just as we are routinely careful with what we put into our bodies, we can also scrutinize our actions and beliefs with the same care.

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Word of the Week

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

מקוה — mikveh

“However a spring, a pit, and a מקוה — mikveh of water, shall be pure” (Leviticus 11:36). The word מקוה is translated by Onkelos and Rav David Kimchi as a “collection” of water. In Genesis (1:10) the verse states, “And to the מקוה — collection of waters, He called the oceans.” We also find the word as a verb in Jeremiah (3:17): “And then Jerusalem will be called the throne of G-d, and all the nations will be gathered — — ונקוו to it.” From Mishnaic times the word has been used as the name for a ritual bath that has been specifically constructed for purification according to Jewish law, as in “going to the mikveh.” Although the term is not often used today, the English term for a mikveh is a “ritualarium.”

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

Kashrut has contributed very significantly to our survival as a distinct nation. Jews all over the world have common dietary patterns. I can be confident that the curried hamin of the Calcutta Jews has no milk and meat mixed together in its ingredients. When I eat kosher French cuisine I know that the meat is not pork and that the animals have been slaughtered according to Jewish law. Jews meet each other at the local kosher bakery; they shop at the same grocery and patronize kosher butchers and restaurants. These laws are a major force in maintaining Jewish unity and act as a social barrier against assimilation by creating a feeling of community among the Jewish people. This effect of the dietary laws, is, in fact, alluded to in the Torah portion this week: “You shall distinguish between the clean animal and the unclean and between the clean bird and the unclean… You shall be holy for Me, for I, G-d, am Holy; and I have separated you from the peoples to be Mine” (Leviticus 20:25-26). These verses suggest that there is a link between observing the laws of kashrut and maintaining our identity as a distinct, unique people among the nations of the world (Or Hachaim, ad loc.).

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Dovid Gilman

The lives of Nadav and Avihu, two sons of Aaron, were cut short by G-d for some highly objectionable activity in the Tabernacle (Mishkan). Rashi offers two insights into their offense: 1) they innovated a Tabernacle service without first consulting with Moses and 2) they entered the tabernacle in a drunken state. Shortly thereafter, G-d instructed Aaron and his descendants not to drink alcoholic beverages before serving in the Tabernacle or rendering a decision on Jewish law (Leviticus 10:8-9).

1. The lesson about not drinking alcohol before serving in the Tabernacle seems appropriate if that was their offense. But if they were sober, and their offense was that they decided on Jewish law without consulting with Moses, why would the lesson conveyed to Aaron at this time concern rendering decisions on Jewish law while under the influence of alcohol instead of concerning the need to consult with one’s elder teacher before deciding on Jewish law?
2. Jewish law states that a person who drinks only four ounces of wine — half a cup — may not serve in the Tabernacle or render a ruling. But such a small amount of wine is generally not enough to impair someone’s judgment. Why, then, might this be forbidden?

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The Torah portion this week gives signs of kashrut for animals (cloven hooves, chewing cud) and for sea creatures (fins and scales). However, no signs of kashrut are given for birds. Instead, the Torah gives a list of non-kosher birds, and the sages deduced signs that indicate that a bird is not kosher from the Torah’s list (Mishnah, Chullin 59a). The custom of the European Jewish communities is not to rely upon these signs regarding birds and to eat only those birds for which there exists a tradition that they are kosher (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 82:3). When the North American turkey was first imported to Europe and Israel, the question arose as whether it was kosher. The Sephardic communities, relying on the absence of non-kosher signs, the presence of indications of kashrut, and on the bird’s similarity to kosher fowl, permitted the consumption of turkey. However, the matter was controversial amongst the Ashkenazim, and many rabbis at the time were asked about turkey (Darchei Teshuvah 82:26). The majority maintained that turkey is a kosher bird, and the overwhelming majority of Ashkenazi Jews indeed consume turkey (Responsa Shoel Umeishiv 5:1:69).

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Pesach Perspectives

Modern day slavery

By Rabbi Dovid Gilman

בכל דור ודור חייב אדם לראות את עצמו כאלו הוא יצא ממצרים

In every generation a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Egypt… (Passover Haggadah)

We start the main section of the Haggadah, “Maggid,” by inviting those who don’t have a Seder to join ours. The first paragraph concludes with a prayer that although we are now in exile, next year we will celebrate in rebuilt Jerusalem; that although we are currently in a state of slavery, next year we will be free men.

This statement seems to contradict the rest of the Haggadah, where we are described as being freed from Egypt, as the Haggadah says, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt” — in the past tense. Furthermore, we live in a country where we are free; we have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to think and be whomever or whatever we want. We might be dependent on, or subservient to, other nations, but we are certainly no longer slaves! What kind of slavery is the Haggadah referring to?

Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik answered that there are two types of servitude: physical and psychological. Every individual is a product of his family, his society, and his own inclinations. Eventually, we craft our own beliefs, emotions, and goals in life. Are they truly ours, though? Being in Exile among the other nations, many of our ideas have been thrust upon us by our environment and by societal pressures. This form of slavery can be so subtle that we don’t even realize how we may be parroting ideas and notions that aren’t our own, ideas that are fed to our senses by the media. Whether we choose to go with the flow or against it, we are rarely the originators of our viewpoints.

A truly free person is one who builds his own self, one who is active, not passive, in molding his thought processes and viewpoints. As Rabbi Soloveitchik said, “Until a man constructs his own self, he can be controlled so profoundly and thoroughly that he cannot even see his own shackles.” Only when we find ourselves can we be truly free to make our own decisions, which go beyond Western society. Pharaoh was a prime example of someone who lost his own ability to make decisions and choices for himself; he became just a product of Egyptian society, a society which couldn’t survive without slavery.

No one wants to be enslaved — not by bad habits, not by negative thought patterns nor turbulent emotions, and certainly not by ideas planted there by a society whose values seem to decline day by day. And yet each of us has our own personal Egypt. Before the Seder this year, let’s take a few moments to ponder which areas of our lives have been subtly molded by others — and think of ways  that we can begin to take charge of such thoughts, emotions, or actions. With G-d’s help, the Seder can provide us with the inspiration we need to break free of our bondage and reestablish our own free will.

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Word of the Week

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

אפיקומן

The last piece of matzah eaten at the Seder is commonly referred to as the אפיקומן — afikoman. However, the Mishnah (Pesachim 10:8) and Talmud (Pesachim 119b) use the word afikoman to mean “dessert.” The word is originally Greek and according to some means “after the fatty foods” (Tiferet Yisrael) or dessert (Yerushalmi). Others understand it as a combination of two Aramaic words, אפיקן מנייכו — “take out the utensils”; that is, “the meal is finished” (Rav Ovadiah Mibartenuro). The Talmud suggests that the word is an acronym for the phrase אפיקו מן — “bring out the manna” or “bring out the sweets.” Because the Mishnah forbids eating anything after the last piece of matzah by saying “do not end with afikoman,” it became the norm to refer to the last piece of matzah itself as “the afikoman” (Shiltei Giborim on Rif).

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

Matzah is the food of a humble slave, who does not have time to let the bread rise, and who eats foods that will leave him feeling full for hours afterwards (Orchot Chaim on Haggadah). For this reason, matzah is called “the bread of affliction” (Deuteronomy 16:3). The fact that the Jewish people ate slave food at the moment of their redemption indicates that the Jews were powerless to save themselves. They were slaves up to the last moment, and only through G-d’s miraculous intervention did they go free. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains, “In the great hour of liberation it would be impressed deeply on their minds that they had contributed nothing to their liberation, that in the very hour of liberation they were still slaves eating the bread of affliction until the word of G-d created anew the freedom which had been wrested from man… Thus did unleavened bread become an everlasting memorial throughout the generations to the redemption from Egypt brought about by G-d alone” (Horeb 26:199). Matzah teaches us that the Jews did not leave Egypt through a successful slave revolt. It symbolizes the fact that the Jews were not liberated through outstanding human leadership, bravery, or military cunning. Understanding the meaning of matzah teaches us humility and inspires us to have gratitude to G-d.

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Yoav Druyan

The first time matzah is mentioned at the Passover Seder, it is introduced as the “bread of affliction.” The Haggadah states, “This is the bread of affliction that our forefathers ate in Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are needy partake of the Passover offering. This year we are here, next year let us be in theLandofIsrael. This year we are enslaved, next year may we be free men.”

1. In the Torah (Exodus 12:39), it says that the Jews ate matzah “because they were rushed out of Egypt and could not wait [for the dough to rise].” Based on this verse alone, we would believe that they ate matzah only after they were redeemed from Egypt. The Haggadah, however, states that they ate it in Egypt. What message can there be in the matzah serving both as a sign of our affliction and our freedom?
2. By the time we are gathered around the table for a Passover Seder, the guest list has long been established. Why, then, might we issue the invitation that “all who need, let them come and eat”? Could anybody possibly be around to accept such an invitation? If not, why offer it?

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

More than any other time of the year, one should invite guests to join in the festival meals, as Maimonides writes (Mishneh Torah, “Laws of Festivals” 6:18), “When one eats and drinks on the festival, one is obligated to feed the stranger, the orphan, and the widow together with others who are poor and unfortunate. However, one who closes the doors of his courtyard and eats and drinks with his wife and children and does not give food and drink to the poor and the depressed, he does not celebrate the happiness of a mitzvah, but rather the happiness of his stomach. About these people the verse (Hosea 9:4) states, “All who partake will be defiled, for their bread is only for themselves.” In addition, before the holiday, every Jew in the community is obligated to contribute to a special fund that helps needy people purchase items for the festival. The fund, called Maot Chittin, is necessary above and beyond the regular charitable funds, because Passover is such a costly festival (Code of Jewish Law, Ruach Chaim, 429:1, Ramah)

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Parsha Perspectives

Being Saved From Grave Danger

By Rabbi Z. Sklar

וזאת תורת זבח השלמים אשר יקריב…

“If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering…” (Leviticus 7:11).

The Hebrew word todah means thank you. In the times of the Temple, when a person survived a life-threatening situation, he or she brought a korban todah — a thanksgiving offering. This offering, which consisted of a cow, sheep, or goat, was brought together with thirty matzahs and ten loaves of bread. One tenth of this was given to the kohen (priest), and the rest was to be eaten within one day and a night.

The Netziv (an acronym for Rabbi Naftail Zvi Yehuda Berlin) asks how the Torah can require a person to eat an entire animal plus a tableful of matzah and bread — all within 24 hours (Ha’emek Davar, 7:13). In fact, it is nearly impossible. The person bringing the todah offering therefore had no choice but to invite family and friends to take part in his meal. At this meal, he would explain to all of his guests what had transpired to require him to bring the todah, publicly acknowledging G-d’s help in saving him from a dangerous situation. All those present would hear a moving, firsthand account of G-d’s benevolence.

Hearing a story — even a certifiably true story — third- or fourth-hand can be uplifting, even inspiring, but it doesn’t compare to hearing a first-person account of how G-d clearly saved the day. Everyone present at such a meal would hopefully reflect on the role G-d plays in their own lives and realize that, when the chips are down, G-d can come to my aid. If He helped that person, He can do the same for me.

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 9:7) explains that when the Messiah comes, there will no longer be a need for sacrifices to atone for sin; as there will be no evil inclination, sin will no longer exist. However, not all sacrifices will cease. The todah sacrifice will still be offered. Why? According to Rabbi Henoch Zundel (a commentator on the Midrash known as the Eitz Yosef), there will be no illness and no grave perils after the Messiah arrives. What evil can G-d save a person from, that he would be required to offer a todah sacrifice?

The Eitz Yosef understands that the todah will no longer be an obligatory offering when the Messiah comes. Rather, it will be brought voluntarily, as a way for people to express their utter appreciation for everything G-d does. And when it is shared, as it must be, with a large group of people, the whole group will develop a greater appreciation for G-d’s goodness.

The todah offering teaches us the value of thanking G-d not only when He saves us from grave danger, but for everything He does. It also teaches us the need to express our gratitude to anyone who has done something for our benefit — even for something as trivial as emptying our trash can. How much more so must we express our appreciation for those who do much greater things for us! How about our parents? Or spouses? It wouldn’t hurt to ask ourselves whether there are things we’ve taken for granted over the years.

Thanking people not only prevents us from taking favors for granted, but it also helps us realize all the good we actually do have in our lives.

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Word of the Week

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

צו

The parsha is called tzav — צו which means “command” as an imperative, as in the verse, “Command the children of Israel.” The word has the same root, צוה , as mitzvah — מצוה , a commandment. Rashi, based on the Talmud, understands that the expression צו is always meant to enthuse and encourage, especially where there may be reason for a person to hesitate or hold back. Some maintain that the word is related to צות, meaning “group” or “joined together,” since a mitzvah — מצוה is that which binds together the Commander and the commanded (Rabbi Moshe Shapiro).

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The Torah forbids the consumption of cheilev, a specific type of fat found around the kidneys and loins of an animal (Leviticus 7:23). However, the Torah explicitly permits the use of this fat for “all manner of work” (ibid 7:24). This means that one may benefit from forbidden fat, but one may not eat it (Mishneh Torah, Ma’achalot Asurot 8:15). Rabbeinu Bachya (commentary on Exodus 12:4) quotes a statement of the sages that “The Torah cares about the money of the Jews” and demonstrates from a number of different laws that the Torah attempts to alleviate, as much as possible, monetary loss. One of the examples that he cites is the law permitting the use of forbidden fat for anything other than food. Similarly, the Torah states that one may sell or give away an animal that died in any way other than kosher slaughter, so that we do not incur the loss of having to destroy the carcass.

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Dovid Gilman

The sages compare the leavening in bread to the evil inclination within — the yetzer hara — which influences a person to sin. On Passover, when we commemorate that G-d took us out of Egypt, away from its culture of rampant sinning, we do not eat chametz (leavened bread) or se’or (leavening agents, such as yeast or sourdough), symbolizing that we, too, must remove ourselves from sin. Likewise, leavened bread is forbidden to be used in sacrifices. Sacrifices were brought after a person sinned (following his evil inclination); therefore, as on Passover, we avoid chametz in a sacrifice, since the person is now repenting, distancing himself from his evil inclination. However, there are two sacrifices that do contain chametz: the korban todah (thanksgiving offering), and the korban shtei halechem which was sacrificed on Shavuot.

1. The korban todah, brought when a person survived a life-threatening situation, includes leavened bread. Why might the normal consideration of avoiding leaven, associated with one’s evil inclination, not be necessary for a person who survived a life-threatening situation?
2. Shavuot celebrates the receiving of the Torah. The offering brought on Shavuot, which was intended to bring blessing to the upcoming harvest, consisted of leavened bread, suggesting that we are not as concerned about our evil inclination at that point as we are on Passover. How could receiving the Torah affect how we relate to the yetzer hara?

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The chazzan (cantor) of a community was growing old and was not capable of leading the community in prayer. He appointed his son to assist him and to lead the prayers. But the son’s voice was not as good as the father’s. Members of the community objected to the son leading the prayers and asked the Rashba (Responsa Rashba 1:300) if they could prevent the son from leading prayers. The Rashba concluded that if the son was a G-d-fearing individual, and was competent in leading the prayers, even if his voice was not as pleasant as his father’s, he had the right to take his father’s place. He cites the verse in the Torah portion this week as evidence for his ruling. The verse states that, “The priest who is anointed instead of him from his sons shall do [the service]” (Leviticus 6:15), implying that the anointed successor to the High Priest should be one of his sons. The Code of Jewish Law cites this response and rules in accordance with the Rashba (Orach Chaim 53:25).

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Parsha Perspectives

By Rabbi Ami Neuman

ויקרא אל משה…

“And G-d called to Moses” (Vayikra 1:1).

If you drive by a construction site, you can’t help but notice that it looks more like an advertising billboard than a work in progress. Company A is doing the actual building, while Company B is the architect. Every window proclaims that it is the product of Company C, and every beam, every fixture calls out the name of its manufacturer. While all this self-advertising may not create the most attractive view, we can certainly understand why the companies involved want to advertise their services.

Imagine, then, if a construction company is contracted to build a beautiful palace. Upon completion, the king is taken on a grand tour. He is thrilled with the magnificent architecture, the enormous rooms, the grand stairways, the impressive columns — until he looks more closely and notices that every beam, every fixture, bears the name of the individual who created that particular item. The king would be greatly disappointed that his royal palace was being used as a P.R. campaign. It would be safe to assume that he would be so angry with the builder that he would never want to see him again!

The Ksav Sofer tells us that when G-d told Moses to build the Tabernacle (Mishkan), He gave very specific instructions as to how to build it, down to precise dimensions and exact locations of the items therein, all to create a dwelling place for G-d’s presence in this world.

Such a work of art would be the perfect way for the craftsmen to proclaim their expertise! Everyone would know that Mrs. Seamstress sews the most even stitches in the world, and Mr. Carpenter builds the sturdiest furniture ever created. And yet, not only were there no logos adorning each piece in the Tabernacle, the Torah doesn’t even tell us who made what! The building of the Tabernacle was not meant to bring glory to the builders, but to the One for Whom it was built. Every inch of wood, every yard of fabric used in the building of the Tabernacle had G-d’s name stamped on it, so that every beam and nail was clearly intended towards serving G-d. In so doing, Moses taught us that to build a sanctuary for G-d, we must have him in mind from the very beginning, and carry that through.

The Medrash teaches us that once G-d saw that Moses fulfilled His instructions to the letter, He summoned him into the Tabernacle, to join Him there in His holy place.

We build many edifices. It is clear that our synagogues must be built with G-d in mind — and so, too, should our homes! Our homes serve as our own, small sanctuaries. When we design the service of G-d into the foundations, we invite Him to join us there and make it, too, into a holy place.

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Word of the Week

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

סמך

Many times in the weekly Torah portion we find that the person who offers a sacrifice must place his hands on its head and confess to G-d before the sacrifice is offered. The verb used for the placing of hands is סמך — samach. Similarly, when Moses confers authority to Joshua and places his hand on his head, the verb used is סמך. The word samach — to support, or to be close to — also means to deputize and to rely upon. When one places one’s hands on the sacrifice, one is relying on its effectiveness to bring one close to G-d, and one is also, in a sense, deputizing the animal to stand in for the sinner. The term is also used to refer to סמיכה — rabbinic ordination, because the process of conferring authority, which began with Moses and Joshua, continues through the granting of rabbinic ordination (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch).

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Hey, I Never Knew That

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The book of Leviticus begins with and details the laws of the sacrifices. It opens with the statement, “A person who brings from among you, an offering” (Leviticus 1:2). The Sforno understands this to mean that every sacrifice must be preceded by the giving of oneself over to G-d, as implied by the phraseology of the verse. It should have said, “A person from among you, who brings an offering.” Instead it states, “A person who brings from among you, an offering.” This sounds as if the offering itself is “from among you.” The Sforno explains that first one must repent one’s sin and confess, in other words, offer himself to G-d, and only then may he bring an offering. He goes on to say that G-d has “no desire for fools who bring sacrifices without humbling themselves beforehand.” Similarly, the Talmud (Chullin 5a) understands that when the verse states “from among you” it means to say “from among you, but not all of you,” and thus excludes an apostate or an unrepentant evildoer from bringing an offering.

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Table Talk

By Rabbi Yoav Druyan

The end of this week’s Torah portion describes various laws pertaining to someone who deceitfully withholds another person’s money. One who is entrusted with a possession and denies receiving it, or has found an item and now denies having it in his possession, has sinned against G-d (Leviticus 5:21-23).

1. Why does the verse say that one who denies possession has sinned against G-d, rather than against man — specifically, the man who rightfully owns the item?
2. If the deceiver goes so far as to swear falsely, he must pay the full value of the item he denied plus a surcharge equivalent to one-fifth of the item’s worth (Leviticus 5:24). As the loss to the rightful owner was not affected by the fact the deceiver swore falsely, why is he the beneficiary of the one-fifth penalty? How does paying a penalty to the damaged party address his compounded sin of swearing falsely?

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A Question for the Rabbis

By Rabbi Mordechai Becher

The Torah commands the Jews to bring salt together with every offering on the altar: “On all your offerings you shall bring salt” (Leviticus 2:13). The Code of Jewish Law (Orach Chaim 167:5) rules that since the table upon which we eat is in place of the altar and our food is in place of the sacrifices, we should have salt on the table at every meal. The Mishnah Berurah explains that when we share our food with the needy, we receive atonement as though we brought an offering in the Temple, and when we eat with the intent to strengthen ourselves to serve G-d, then our food is like a sacrifice. Since salt is a preservative, we put it on the altar as a sign that our covenant and relationship with G-d is permanent and will never “decay,” and to remind us that without the “salt” of the service to G-d we will in fact “decay” (Chinuch 119). Later authorities were asked if one can use sugar instead if one does not have salt. Many authorities permit this, since sugar also acts as a preservative and could have been used on the altar in the absence of salt (Respona Halachot Ketanot 218, Responsa Divrei Chaim Yoreh Deah 1:25).

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