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Parsha Perspectives by Ozer Alport
(ארץ אשר ד' אלהיך דרש אתה תמיד עיני ד' אלקיך בה מרשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה (11:12
“(Israel is) a land that Hashem your G-d seeks out. The eyes of Hashem your G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.”
The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 16b) homiletically derives from our verse that any year which is “poor” at the beginning will be rich and full of blessing at the end. As Rosh Hashana grows ever closer, how can we use this valuable message to ensure that the coming year will be a prosperous one for us and our loved ones?
Commenting on this Talmudic statement, Rashi explains that a “poor” year refers to one in which a person makes himself poor on Rosh Hashana to beg and supplicate for his needs. In order to follow this advice, we must first understand what it means to make oneself like a poor person.
Rabbi Chaim Friedlander (1923-1986), Mashgiach (spiritual leader) of the Ponovezh yeshiva in B’nei B’rak, explains that it isn’t sufficient to merely view oneself “as if” he is poor for the day. Rather, a person must honestly believe and internalize that his entire lot for the upcoming year – his health, happiness, family and financial situations – will be determined on this day. In other words, at the present moment, he has absolutely nothing to his name and must earn it all from scratch.
This may be a difficult task for a person who is fortunate enough to have a beautiful family, a good source of income, and no history of major medical problems. How can such a person honestly stand before Hashem and view himself as a poor person with nothing to his name?
Rabbi Friedlander explains that if a person understands that all that he has is only because Hashem willed it to be so until now, he will recognize that at the moment Hashem wills the situation to change, it will immediately do so. Although we often assume that this couldn’t happen to us, we all personally know of such stories which might help us better relate to this concept.
I recently learned this lesson the hard way. Last year, I was excited to travel to Israel. Shortly after arriving in Jerusalem, I took a taxi to the Kosel (Western Wall). My enthusiasm quickly turned to shocked disbelief when I suddenly realized that I’d forgotten my wallet in the back seat of the cab. After numerous frantic calls to the taxi’s company bore no fruit, instead of proceeding to pray at the Kosel, I had to first stop to call my bank to cancel my credit cards. Looking back a year later, I realize that I learned an important lesson; just because I have something and assume it to be firmly in my possession, I cannot rely on this belief and take it for granted.
On Rosh Hashana, Hashem decrees what will happen to every person at every moment of the upcoming year, including what they will have and to what extent they will be able to enjoy it. Therefore, each person must begin the year with a clean slate and merit to receive anew everything that he had until now.
If we view ourselves standing before Hashem like a poor person with no truly secure assets, we will realize that our entire existence in the year to come is completely dependent on Hashem’s kindness. A person who honestly feels this way can’t help but beg and plead for Divine mercy, and the Talmud promises that Hashem’s mercy will indeed be aroused to give him a decree of a wonderful year. May we all merit to experience such blessings in the year to come! return to top
Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org
talking points - parshas eikev
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
1. Minority Status Is Nothing To Fear
“Perhaps you may say to yourself, ‘These nations are far more numerous than I, how can I inherit them?’ Do not fear them. Remember well what Hashem, your G-d, did to Pharaoh and to all the Egyptians.” 7:17, 18
Sforno admonishes us to feel not fear, but confidence, when confronting our numerous enemies, because we know that we can rely upon Divine assistance. Although this verse speaks specifically of times past, the lesson is as pertinent today as it was then. If our goal is to live in the Land of Israel and abide by His Torah, we can feel safe and secure regardless of how many of our enemies openly express their desire to “drive us into the sea.”
2. Calling Evil By Another Name
“Do not bring abomination into your house [lest] you become cheirem [banned] like it; thoroughly revile and abominate it, for it is cheirem [off-limits].” 7:26
- Do Not Bring Abomination Into Your House – In it’s most literal sense, this verse contains a prohibition against allowing idols to be present in ones home [even if he will not worship them.] Our sages explain that this also includes even renting one’s home to one who will practice idolatry within it. – Talmud
- Do Not Bring Abomination Into Your House – The word “Cheirem” contains letters that spell Rama”ch and have a numerical equivalent of 248, which corresponds to the number of limbs in a person’s body. This teaches us that for the sin of allowing idolatry into ones home, he will be punished through his entire body. If one repents however, then he can count on Divine mercy to erase his offense and this is symbolized by the word Racheim [mercy], which is what emerges from these letters when they are rearranged. – Baal Haturim
- Thoroughly Revile And Abominate It – Idolatry is so vile, offensive, and harmful, that we must not tolerate it in any form whatsoever. It should not even be referred to by its proper name. Rather, a pejorative term that pokes fun at its name is more appropriate for such an unwelcome presence in our midst.
It is rather difficult for us to imagine just how offensive idolatry is given that we don’t often encounter it in modern times. Yet, given the Torah expends so much effort decrying its worship, even according it prestigious mention in the Ten Commandments, we can surmise that it was not only a false approach to life, but also highly dangerous and unproductive. In order to ensure that we would never be ensnared by it, the Torah bids us to mock and thoroughly reject it in any form whatsoever. What this approach lacks in political correctness, it more than makes up for with its strict insistence on moral integrity.
3. For How Long Our Land?
“Do not think in your heart, when Hashem, your G-d, crushes them before you, saying: ‘Because of my righteousness Hashem brought me to inherit this land, and because of the wickedness of these nations Hashem is expelling them before you. Not because of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart are you coming to inherit their land. Rather, because of the wickedness of these nations is Hashem, your G-d, expelling them before you, and in order to fulfill the promise that Hashem swore to your forefathers: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.” 9:4, 5
- Do Not Think In Your Heart – When you see how unusually successful you are in the wars against them and recognize Hashem’s involvement in the matter, do not delude yourself into thinking that it’s all in your own merit… – Sforno
Even before we ever entered the land for the first time, the Torah already cautioned us against thinking that our entitlement to the Land of Israel is an inalienable right. It isn’t, and never was. We’re there owing to a combination of factors, some out of our control, but others very much within our jurisdiction. The biggest mistake a Jew can make is to think that regardless of how we act, the Land is ours simply because we were born to a Jewish mother. return to top
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.orgThis page is dedicated to, and written for the 6,000 Partners in Torah mentors.
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Endless Blessings - Part 2 By: Rabbi Elazar Meisels
Dear Rabbi,
Thank you for your response in last week’s edition of Partner Talk. It was very informative and I intend to follow it up with further study. There is one more thing I’d like to ask you regarding blessings. What does the word “Baruch,” the first word of most blessings, actually mean? In the prayerbook it’s translated as, “Blessed [are You]” but I find that translation mystifying. Are we supposed to bless G-d? Does He really need our blessings?
Thank you, Madeline D.
Madeline,
You followed up a good question last week with a great one this week! The meaning of the word “Baruch” is discussed by many of the commentators who raise the very same point as you. Can a mere mortal truly bless G-d, the source of everything?
In response, some suggest that the word “Baruch” is rooted in the word, “breichah” which means “pond.” A pond represents a source: a pool of energy, growth, and creativity. When we recite the words “Baruch Attah,” depending on the context, we are acknowledging that G-d is either the source of our food and pleasure, the spiritual infusion that comes from the performance of Mitzvos, or of good tidings. In other words, we are not “blessing” G-d. Rather, we are recognizing and conceding that He is the source of everything and we are beholden to Him.
This explanation of the word “Baruch,” helps us understand an otherwise difficult Talmudic passage. In Tractate Brachos 54a, the Talmud writes, “It is incumbent on a person to bless [G-d] for the bad tidings, just as for the good tidings.” The Talmud follows that up with an explanation in the name of Rava, who clarifies this to mean that, "One must accept [the challenges of life] with gladness."
Certainly, Rava was not suggesting that we throw a party each time we encounter pain and adversity. Rather, he is explaining that we must always recognize that all that happens in life is directed by G-d. Just as we must recognize and appreciate the blessings that G-d gives us that make our life easier and more pleasurable, so too, we must recognize and appreciate the challenges that G-d places before us. The knowledge that they emanate from Him serve as a reassurance that although not pain-free, they are entirely for our benefit. This is the essence of the “blessing” that one must recite over bad tidings.
Another definition for the word “Baruch” is “increase,” as seen in the verse in Exodus 23:25, “And He will bless [increase] your bread and water”. When we “bless” G-d, we are in effect asking that He increase the blessing He has granted us. Similarly, when we bless another person, we are expressing our hope that they will merit increase and abundance in that particular area.
It is fascinating that this explanation is hinted to in the gematria (numerology) of the root letters [Beis, Reish, and Chof] of the word “Baruch”. The numerical equivalent of these letters is 2 [Beis], 20 [Chof], and 200 [Reish]. Interestingly, each of these numbers is found in a separate numerical category, single digits, tens, and hundreds. Each is also the second in its category. The mystics teach that the number “two,” represents “increase,” as it is the first number that follows the number one, which represents the lack of increase. It is therefore highly appropriate that all of the letters that comprise the word “Baruch” which means, “increase,” are representative of this number.
Contrast that with the Hebrew word for “curse,” which is “Arur,” and begins with an “Aleph,” whose numerical equivalent is 1. The number “one” symbolizes lack of increase, which is the essence of curse, as evidenced by the curse Adam received for the sin of eating from the Etz HaDaas [Tree of Knowledge] that the earth would no longer give forth its produce as before. May we always merit to receive Hashem’s increased blessings in our lives. return to top
Regards ,
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
Rabbi Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org
Parshas eikev
Moses prays to G-d that he be allowed to complete his ultimate mission and enter the Promised Land with his people. However, G-d does not grant this request, but allows him to view the land from afar. Moses elevates the people by describing the glory of being as close to G-d as they are, yet warns them that this relationship entails great responsibilities. The Ten Commandments are repeated, this time in the form of the Second Tablets (the first set was broken by Moses after the sin of the golden calf). The famous and now-beloved “Shma” is given to the people, the single sentence spoken by Jews throughout the ages when giving their lives to G-d – “Hear O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One.” This verse is followed by the first paragraph of “Krias Shma” which is termed by our Sages as the “Acceptance of the Yoke of Heaven.”return to top
R' Avraham Danzig (1748-1820) is best known today for his compendiums of Jewish law, Chayei Adam and Chochmas Adam. [He also wrote the well-known Yom Kippur eve prayer, Tefillah Zakkah.] R' Danzig was financially self-sufficient for most of his life, often conducting business at the fairs in Leipzig and Konigsberg. He refused to accept any salaried rabbinical or communal position (for which he was well qualified) until a business downturn left him insolvent. The following (paraphrased) extracts from the introduction to his work Chochmas Adam speak about the necessity for one to desire to study the Torah and fulfill the mitzvos, even though circumstances do not allow him to do so.
"I know that people will murmur about me, `We know that he was one of the merchants of Frankfurt and Leipzig for over fifteen years — when did he learn Torah?' Indeed, the Talmud (Tractate Eruvin 55a) tells us that one does not commonly find Torah knowledge in businessmen and merchants.
"Know this, my brothers: Learning Torah is an intellectual pursuit. The Sages (Tractate Yevamos 34b) say that a woman who is not married for ten years will no longer be capable of bearing children — yet, they add, that if she but desires to get married she will not lose her capacity for childbirth, even after many more years.
"Likewise, if a Jew abandons the Torah, it leaves him and his intellect loses the capacity for it. However, if one does not study Torah because of circumstances beyond his control and does not intend to leave it, the Torah waits for him to come back to her, and he does not lose his ability to learn it.
"Accordingly, I say about myself: Although I traveled far and was engaged in trade, my Torah still stayed with me because I would think of it when I traveled, and I would think of it when I sat in a shop. To my credit, even while I was engaged in a business transaction I would often be thinking of an inkling of a Torah interpretation or question.
"My fellow merchants can testify that even while traveling in Leipzig I took along a Gemara (Talmud), a Mishnayos and a Chumash; almost every day I learned one-and-a-half dafim (pages) of Gemara, in addition to Mishnah — even during the fair.
"I swear by my life that I am not writing this to be arrogant or to boast. I write this only to say that the merchants who travel (and specifically during the fair) are making a big error. They joke that they are not bound by the mitzvos. This is not the way of the Torah! The obligation to learn Torah applies at all times, as the verse says (Devarim 6:7): בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, while you sit in your home, and while you walk on the way.'' return to top
Hey, I never knew that! By Ozer Alport
Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha
Q:In discussing the sin of the golden calf, Moses tells the people (9:21) that “your sin which you committed, I took and burned it in fire.” While Moses indeed took the physical calf and burned it, what did he mean when he said that he burned the actual sin, something which has no physical manifestation?
A:Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz, more commonly referred to as the Shelah HaKadosh, explains that every act which a person performs mystically creates a corresponding angel. Mitzvos create good angels, while sins bring about bad ones. Moses recognized that simply burning the calf itself, while necessary, wouldn’t suffice to erase the spiritual effect of their actions. He therefore additionally took the destructive angel which was created through their sin and burned it as well. Moses related this to the people to teach us that when repenting for our misdeeds, we must sincerely regret our actions and accept upon ourselves not to repeat them in order to uproot not only the physical consequences of the sin but the spiritual ones as well.
Q: Moses stressed (11:10-12) that the land of Israel would be different than the land of Egypt from which the Jews were coming. Whereas the fields of the land of Egypt were watered by irrigation from the Nile river, those in Israel received their water from the rain supply. Although Rashi notes that a natural water supply is advantageous in that it requires substantially less exertion, what deeper message was Moses trying to impart?
A:Rabbi Shimshon Pinkus symbolically explains that Moses wasn’t merely relating an agricultural fact, but was teaching that the Egyptians were a totally “natural” people. It never rained in their country as it did in Israel, so they never had to look skyward to see when the clouds were changing. As a result, their hearts also never gazed toward the Heavens, thus effectively cutting them off from perceiving any dependence on or relationship with the Almighty. Everything which occurred in their lives could be explained scientifically, appearing to be totally “natural.” In light of this, the Exodus from Egypt to Israel wasn’t merely a physical redemption from agonizing enslavement. It also allowed the fledgling Jewish nation to exchange a worldview devoid of spirituality, through which everything is understood and explained according to science and nature, for one in which we confidently declare that Hashem runs every aspect of the universe and that we are dependent on Him for every detail of our daily lives.return to top
Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org
Table Talk: For discussion around the Shabbos Table
א)Moses told the Jewish people (8:5) that just as a father chastises his son, so too does Hashem rebuke them. What could we learn from this comparison about the way a parent should punish his child? (Ramban)
ב)The Talmud (Berachos 35b) teaches that eating without reciting the appropriate blessing is considered a form of stealing. Why wouldn’t non-Jews, who are also forbidden to steal, be obligated to recite blessings before and after their meals? return to top
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