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Parsha Perspectives

by RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

Last week’s Torah portion described the census that was taken of the tribe of Levi, starting with those 1 month and older. This week’s parsha continues with another census of the members of the tribe of Levi, this one only of males between the ages of 30-50. In both countings, we find a surprisingly low number: 22,273 in last week’s portion, 8,580 in this week’s – far fewer in number than any other tribe.

What makes this even stranger is the fact that Levi was the only tribe that was not forced into labor in Egypt. The Medrash records that the slave labor in Egypt was started by a massive public works campaign, one in which Pharaoh himself participated. But soon afterwards, the Egyptians slipped away and forced the Jews to remain. The tribe of Levi, who were preoccupied with Torah study, never joined the labor, and were thus never forced to remain. Knowing this, one would think that they should have been the largest tribe.

Nachmonides explains that it was precisely the fact that they were not subjugated that led to their small numbers. He explains that G-d gave a special blessing to the Jewish people that the “the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied, and so did they gain strength” (Exodus 1:12). Thus it was the tribes that were oppressed that grew with prodigious blessing, while the tribe of Levi only grew at a normal rate, and consequently had the comparatively lower numbers they had. Oppression, though something few would welcome, can sometimes be the harbinger of special blessing.

This message is reinforced in a verse in Psalms. The Psalmist praises G-d by saying, “He covers the heavens with clouds, He prepares rain for the land,” (Psalms 147:8). Rav Tzadok HaCohen explains that we often go through difficult times – times in which the horizon appears dark and cloudy – but what is really happening is that G-d is preparing for an outpouring of rain, and blessing. We see this in the germination of seeds, as well, the process that allows for all life on earth. At first, the seed disintegrates, seemingly beaten to nothingness. But then a new life sprouts forth. G-d’s miraculous nature has a way of showing us the light when all we can see is darkness.

A friend shared the following slice of life that underscores this point. Growing up, he had two classmates who were stepbrothers. The mother of one was a divorcee who married a successful attorney who had two children of his own. The woman indulged her child, taking care of all his expenses, providing him with a nice car, and not requiring him to work. The father, who achieved his success through hard work, treated his children much differently. He made them work hard for everything they received. That classmate constantly worked odd jobs, earning low wages in order to buy the things he wanted.

Ironically, the indulged son of the woman is today a baggage handler in a local airport. The husband’s son is a world renowned psychiatrist, who has published dozens of articles, written two books, and is frequently featured on CNN. The hard work, the stress, and the difficulty he went through as a teen certainly paid off. In a similar vein, people with physical handicaps, or who have undergone a serious illness, surprisingly tend to score much higher than others on tests that measure levels of happiness.

Many people are facing new challenges today, due to the economic climate and the market meltdown. This week’s counting of the tribe of Levi gives us a perspective that may help us see the silver lining behind those challenges. That silver lining may come in the form of some bountiful rain about to be showered upon them, or it may come in the form of us developing a deeper appreciation for our family, our health, or other aspects of our life that we may have neglected to appreciate.

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Parsha Talking Points

Rabbi Elazar Meisels

1. YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE

“And they shall place upon it a cover made of the hides of the Tachash and they shall spread a garment of woven techeiles (blue thread) above (that) and they shall emplace its staves.” 4:6

A cover…hides of Tachash…Techeiles above it – Placing the Tachash under the Techeiles was the reverse of the manner in which all other Holy Utensils were packed for traveling. The Menorah, Table, and Inner Altar, for example, were all first packed in Techeiles, and then Tachash hides were placed above that.

Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin) explains that each of those three symbolized a specific area in which man can interact with the spiritual world and influence it. For example, the Menorah represents the Oral Law which was given to the Jewish people to study and implement in the universe. The Techeiles, made of blue thread, symbolizes the heavens, and ultimately the Heavenly Throne which controls all that occurs in the universe. The Tachash hides were used for a more practical reason: to protect the Holy Utensils from the physical elements, such as rain, and symbolized the physical world. Placing the Tachash covering above the Techeiles covering is appropriate for the other utensils because, although their holiness was rooted in the Heavenly Throne, we were given a certain mastery over them. The Holy Ark, on the other hand, represents Divine Supremacy over the universe and offers no hope for human domination. It was unique among the Holy Utensils in that it bore those who bore it. We couldn’t even carry it. It carried us, instead. Thus, the Tachash was placed beneath the Techeiles so that to all appearances, it was obvious that this was under total Divine domination.

2. POLLUTION CONTROLS

“Instruct the Children of Israel and they shall send forth from the encampment any person afflicted with Tzaraas, any person contaminated with Zav, anyone contaminated by a dead body” 5:2

They shall send forth from the encampment- The entire mobile community was divided into three distinct camps.

• Within the outer curtains of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was considered “Machaneh Shechinah,” the holiest section.
• The section reserved for the Leviim surrounding the Mishkan was known as “Machaneh Leviah” and was endowed with an intermediate level of holiness.
• From the edge of Machanah Leviah throughout the entire expanse of the general populace in all four directions, was called, “Machaneh Yisrael” and represented the third and lowest level of sanctity.

The Metzora was expelled from all three camps, the Zav from the first two, and one contaminated by a corpse was only expelled from the highest level, that of Machaneh Shechinah. – Rashi

Instruct the Children of Israel – Since this was an unpleasant thing to ask of the people, the Torah used the word, “Tzav” [instruct] which connotes acting with haste and conviction to emphasize that there must not be any hesitation in carrying out these orders.

Living a spiritually rich existence requires an atmosphere of sanctity. This could not be achieved in a community that is polluted by a lack of respect for human life, interpersonal relationships, or sexual purity. Each of these three symbolizes a moral deficiency in one of these areas and greatly pollutes the environment. However distasteful it may have been to expel the offenders, there was no alternative if we were to achieve even a minimal standard of being an “Am Kadosh” – a nation of holiness.

3. THE SILVER LINING

“May Hashem turn His face toward you and grant you peace.” 6:26

And grant you peace – To conclude all of these beautiful blessings, the Kohanim request that Hashem grant us peace, the receptacle in which all of these blessings will be held. – Ibn Ezra, Chizkuni

The time that was spent in the desert was remarkable in numerous ways. They survived on the heavenly mannah, enjoyed the conditioned air of the Clouds of Glory, drank from the traveling well, and so much more. Perhaps however, one of the most outstanding aspects of their existence there was their clear-headed understanding of their roles. Each tribe represented something unique in the framework of Judaism, and they steadfastly adhered to their designated roles. The time they spent in the desert was intended to inculcate them with their mission, and thus it was essential that they travel and live together as a unit. In all their years in the desert, no one tried to escape or exchange his position for that of another tribe. This was a truly remarkable accomplishment in light of human nature.

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Partner Talk

BROTHERLY BLESSINGS - Rabbi Leiby Burnham

Dear Rabbi,

Recently, my wife and I joined my co-worker for a traditional Shabbat meal, which was quite beautiful. Toward the beginning of the meal, our host and hostess called over each of their children, place their hands on the children’s heads, and blessed them. The boys were blessed “to be like Ephraim and Menashe”, and the girls like the matriarchs. I was very moved by this and would like to do the same when we have dinneShabbatr with our family, but frankly feel I need to understand this blessing before I say it myself. What is it about Ephraim & Menashe that we invoke their names in blessing our children?

Thanks,
Danny S.

Hi Danny,

Thanks for your astute observation and excellent question. Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin (1881-1966, Lithuania – Israel) explains that the reason we bless our children that they be like Ephraim and Menashe is based on the upbringing they had, which differed from the other tribes. The other eleven tribes grew up with our great forefather, Yaakov, living in a small community of pious people. The people surrounding them, who would influence them most, were noble and upright, thus they were not challenged by an environment hostile to Jewish values. If anything, they were brought up in an area that stressed spirituality and a connection with G-d.

Ephraim and Menashe, on the other hand, grew up in Egypt, a country which the Sages describe as being “awash with immorality.” Not only that, but they were brought up as royalty, and had the time and resources to indulge in any pursuit they desired. They must have struggled mightily to maintain their purity, their G-dliness, and their sense of purpose in a world where everything beckoned them to abandon their values and indulge in the societal norms.

When Yaakov saw that Ephraim and Menashe had been able to maintain their traditions, despite the temptations surrounding them, he determined that they should be the role models by which we bless our children. Yaakov knew that there would be many generations in which we would be in challenging exiles, in places where the societal mores would often conflict with Jewish values. He therefore ensured that every week we would be reminded of the exemplars of holding steady in a difficult environment.

Another explanation suggested by the author of Mikdash Mordechai is that until Ephraim and Menashe, every other set of brothers in the Biblical narrative had difficulties with each other. Kayin and Hevel, Yitzchak and Yishmael, Yaakov and Eisav, Yosef and the other tribes, all fought each other or displayed jealousy and hatred for one another. Ephraim and Menashe finally broke this chain, as we find no record of any discord between them.

This would have been a big accomplishment in its own right, but it was even more unique in light of what transpired between these brothers in front of Yaakov, moments before he blessed them. When Yaakov asked Yosef to bring his sons over for a blessing, Yosef positioned them so that Menashe, the older brother, would be in front of Yaakov’s right hand, the favored hand. But Yaakov crossed his hands and put his right hand on Ephraim, the younger brother, and his left on Menashe. Menashe could have felt slighted or jealous, and lodged a complaint or said something, but he remained silent. He was happy with what he received and happy to see his brother being elevated, even if it meant that he would get blessed with what is considered the inferior hand. Upon seeing brothers who not only got along well, but were happy with each other’s success, Yaakov said that we should bless our children by them for all of eternity.

Ephraim and Menashe set the bar high in two areas: in living righteous lives amidst immoral people, and in having the strongest of brotherly love. Let’s hope that the children we bless with their names walk in their paths, and continue to push that bar!

Have a Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Leiby Burnham

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Soul Talk

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchov, better known as The Kedushas Levi, explains the Birkas Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) as essentially a blessing that Klal Yisrael (the entire Jewish nation) should merit Hashem’s bounty through their own efforts at improvement. As he makes clear in another place (Avos 2:4), the converse is true as well.

Quoting the Maggid of Mezritch, Kedushas Levi provides an answer to the age-old question: Why does Hashem need our prayers? Is it not a principle of our faith that He is whole, and never needed anything and never will?

Compounding the subject, the Talmud (Berachos 32a) states: “A person should always relate Hashem’s praises and then pray (Shemoneh Esrei).” From this Talmud, it seems that praising Hashem is actually a prerequisite to tefillah (prayer)! In order to understand this, writes Kedushas Levi, it is important to understand the cause-and-effect of tefillah, and to know at whom it is directed.

The Maggid of Mezritch describes the process of praising Hashem – the essence of Pesukei D’Zimrah (songs of praise to be said before morning prayers) – as a way of enveloping Hashem, as it were, in the very attributes with which we are praising Him. This is unlike a human ruler who craves excessive admiration to satisfy his ego; since Hashem does not change, there is no difference in His conduct in ruling the world before His receiving praise or afterward, says the Maggid.

As an example, the Maggid cites the middah (character trait) of רַחוּם , “compassion”. By invoking the element of compassion in our pre-prayer recital, we are for all intents and purposes strengthening that trait in His hands. Through the power of prayer that Hashem imbued within His people, they have the means to influence His choosing of attributes with which to rule the world. Through our focus on the ones that are desirable, the Jews have the sway to manipulate things in that direction.

This praise, continues the Maggid, gives way to the next stage: tefillah. After strengthening the attributes of compassion, mercy, and graciousness, tefillah then utilizes the opportunity to solicit from Him all our needs according to those traits.

Kedushas Levi continues with a more enhanced way of securing the compassionate attributes in Hashem’s hand: by actually emulating His actions. He quotes the Talmud (Shabbos 151b) that says that whoever has compassion on others, Hashem will have compassion on him. This is so, he explains, since one who has a certain middah ingrained in him invokes the utilization of that same middah in Hashem’s behavior toward him.

Kedushas Levi cites the Midrash that records an incident where a sage was walking with his students when they came upon a rotting animal carcass.

“How foul-smelling is the carcass!” exclaimed the students.

“How white are its teeth!” rejoined the sage.

What the sage was teaching his students, explains Kedushas Levi, is that focusing on the good in every circumstance causes a person to become one who looks for good intrinsically – even if it appears elusive. This will have an effect on the way Hashem treats him, by seeking out his good deeds even if he is undeserving.

What the students were doing was spotlighting the bad side of an admittedly unpleasant sight. Although there was nothing wrong or inaccurate with their observation or manner of portraying it, it would not gain for them any positive advocacy in Heaven.

With permission from Artscroll’s Daily Dose

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Table Talk

א) The priestly blessing starts with “May Hashem bless you and protect you” (6:24), which the commentaries almost unanimously consider a blessing for material possessions and a prayer for safekeeping of those possessions. The blessings in the following verses are more spiritual in nature. While all would agree that material possessions play a significant role in our service of G-d, why would the material blessing come first? Isn’t that giving the wrong message about arranging priorities?

ב)The Talmud (Sotah 2a) teaches that upon seeing a sotah (a wayward wife as described in 5:11-31) in her degraded state, one should accept upon himself the nazir vow and abstain from wine. As explained by the Medrash, wine triggers the kind of conduct that may have led to the sotah‘s downfall. That being the case, why wouldn’t other alcoholic beverages be likewise forbidden?

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Parsha Summary

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