Dvar Torah for Parshas Bamidbar

     “אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַחֲנוּ” “(Hashem told Moshe and Aharon) The Bnei Yisrael shall encamp, each man at his division according to the signs of their fathers’ house, at a distance surrounding the Mishkan shall they encamp” (Bamidbar 2:2). One of the themes of this week’s parshah is the system how the Jewish People traveled through the desert. Until this point, the people had been camping however and wherever they pleased, however, now that the Mishkan was built and the Nation was starting to travel towards Eretz Yisrael, a more precise system was set up. As we see in the pasuk, each person starting camping together with his tribe, which was based after whichever tribe his father was from. The pasuk also states that from now on, they would all travel and camp around the Mishkan. Each tribe had a flag signifying where they were camping and symbolizing their traits. On the Choshen Mishpat (Kohen Gadol’s breastplate), there was a stone for each tribe, each flag was the same color as its stone. Each flag also had a picture representing a certain attribute about the tribe.

      The way in which they camped and traveled is well documented in the Torah. Based on the Ramban and Kli Yakar, let’s see the significance of how the tribes were set up. The Kli Yakar explains that there are four acquired levels which encompass a person’s full potential. They are (in order of how they are acquired) wisdom, good character traits, strength, and wealth. Chazal in Maseches Nedarim (38a) explain that the Shechinah rests only on these four people. For the person of good character traits they name a specific trait, humility. This is the greatest middah a person can have as it allows you to fully understand the Torah and accept all Hashem’s laws. The Ramban explains it a little differently, as we will see as we go through the camps, but they agree that the point of the four camps and their placements is to show how the Bnei Yisrael had each of these four levels and were therefore well deserving to have the Mishkan together with the presence of Hashem in their midst. Let’s get started.  

    There were three tribes camped on each side of the Mishkan with the Tribe of Levi camped within the box. The eastern camp, and the front group during travel, consisted of the tribes of Yehuda, Yissachar, and Zevulun.  The Ramban explains that the direction East is significant because it is from where light comes into the world. These three tribes were all known for something which is known as “light”. The tribe of Yehuda is the tribe of the kingship, the House of King David is descended from Yehuda. The tribe of Yissachar is the tribe of Torah, the entire tribe of Yissachar did not work and studied Torah the whole day. Finally, Shevet (tribe) Zevulun was very wealthy. All three of these things are called “light” and therefore these tribes were on the side of the rising sun. The Kli Yakar says that all three of these tribes were known for Torah, which is the light of the world. Zevulun was a wealthy business tribe as well and they were responsible for supporting Shevet Yissachar. The reason this group traveled first is because the Jewish People do not fight with weapons, but rather with the zchus (merit) of Torah. There is no one better to have at the front of a hugh group of people to protect them. Torah, or wisdom, is the first and highest of the levels we spoke about that a person can reach.

      The second group camped on the southern side and consisted of Shevet Reuven, Shimon, and Gad. The Ramban explains that the South is where the rain comes from. Rain is brought on by Hashem’s mercy, which in turn is brought around by the Jews doing Teshuvah, repenting and recommitting to Hashem. Teshuvah, the greatest middah a person can have since it shows a person’s love for Hashem and causes Hashem to do good for us. The Ramban says that Teshuvah is only second to Torah. One of the greatest examples in history of teshuvah is with Reuven repenting for mixing up his father’s bed (see Parshas Vayishlach), so there is no more fitting tribe for this spot. Together with Gad’s might, physically and spiritually, they provide bookends for Shevet Shimon to receive a kaparah (atonement) for his sin (found later on in Parshas Balak).

     The Ramban’s explanation of Teshuvah is a substitution of the Kli Yakar’s second level for having the Shechinah in your midst, humility. Actually, if you think about it, they are very similar as you cannot really do real Teshuvah unless you humble yourself. And that is the explanation the Kli Yakar gives for why Reuven was in this group. In order to do complete Teshuvah, Reuven had to humble himself. Shimon’s tribe was mostly poor as they were the traveling teachers of Torah and lived off of whatever people gave them and there are also pesukim which speak about Gad’s charity. This middah was in the middle of the pack because the exact thing which these tribes wanted to avoid was the spotlight.

     The third group, on the western side, consisted of Efraim, Menashe, and Binyamin, the three tribes of Rachel. Snow and hail come from the western side and the Ramban brings a midrash that these three tribes will be the ones to protect the nation from the snow. I believe the midrash means that when spiritual cold comes through, the spiritually mighty tribes of Rachel will protect the nation from the winds. For together with Torah and Teshuvah, Gevurah, might (and the third level), will strengthen your soul against the Yetzer Hara. The Kli Yakar adds that they camped on the western side, the side of the setting sun, to signify how your strength starts to wane from the time of birth until you leave this world just like the sun starts the setting process from the moment it rises.

     The last group on the northern side was made up of Dan, Asher, and Naftali. According to Chazal, darkness comes from the North, just as Shevet Dan brought darkness to the world through their making idols (see Sefer Melachim Aleph). Hashem therefore placed Shevet Asher with him since Asher was the tribe which made olive oil (once they entered Eretz Yisrael) and could “light up” the darkness. Shevet Naftali was a very much blessed tribe as evidenced by the portion they received in Eretz Yisrael which was very beautiful and fertile. They were added as another counteraction to the darkness brought on by Dan. The Ramban explains that they traveled last to show that anyone who serves Avodah Zarah (False Gods) only moves backwards. The Kli Yakar finishes up his four levels by pointing out how each of these tribes was very wealthy. Since this is the last level, they were in the back. He also says how Yehuda and Dan are both referred to as lions at separate times and are therefore the tribes in the front and back as those are the most important positions in battle.

     What comes out of all this? That every little detail is from Hashem. Even something as mundane as the order of traveling was put in a certain order to teach us something and to show how holy the nation was that they were worthy of having Hashem live among them. How were they worthy? The Torah shows how they had these four middos which are the key to becoming a complete person. May we all reach that level.

Shabbat Shalom!

    

AIMeM 

Dvar Torah for Parshas Bechukosai

     Parshas Bechukosai is best known for its third aliyah, a collection of pesukim known as the Tochachah, the sharp rebuke Hashem has for the Bnei Yisrael if they do not keep the Torah and mitzvos. Sadly, there have been times in history where these pesukim have seemingly come true. I want to focus on a different, more positive part of the parshah. Actually, it’s in the first pasuk.

     “אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם” “If you will go in My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them” (Vayikra 26:3). Rashi explains that I would assume that the first part of the pasuk, “אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ” refers to keeping the mitzvos, however, the second part of the pasuk says that explicitly so it can’t be that. Rather, the pasuk really refers to the persistent and serious study of Torah. Meaning that not only must you keep the mitzvos in order to receive the blessings mentioned from pesukim 3-13, you must also persist in the study of Torah, not only just for the sake of the mitzvos or even just for the sake of Torah knowledge, but purely for the sake of learning Hashem’s Torah over and over again.

     The Ohr HaChaim says that it is for this reason that Torah study is referred to as a חק, a law. In Torah terms, a חק is a mitzvah which has no reason. Studying something over and over again after you already know it perfectly is not logical, yet Chazal tell us we must review everything we learn 101 times! He also explains why the Torah writes “בְּחֻקֹּתַי” “laws” in plural. This refers to the Written and Oral Torah, that we have this obligation of study for both of them. Learning Torah goes beyond the logical reasons to do mitzvos, it shows the pure love we have for this gift Hashem has given us.

     The last point we learn from this pasuk is that a person must realize that his obligation to learn Torah does not end there. In fact this point is necessary in order for a person just to fulfill his obligation for the mitzvos! After a person studies a portion of the Torah for his own purposes, he has an obligation to share it with someone else. Chazal teach us “ללמוד על מנת ללמד”, you learn in order to teach. After you teach, it is then possible to keep and perform all the mitzvos in the Torah. This is why “laws” is written in plural, to teach us that both of these things, the learning and the teaching, are integral to the performance of the mitzvos.

     May we all be zoche to learn Torah “lishma”, completely for the sake of learning. And may we be able to learn in order to teach and teach in order to perform and keep all the mitzvos completely and receive all the brachos which Hashem promises us.

Shabbat Shalom!

    

AIMeM 

Dvar Torah for Parshas Behar

     Parshas Behar opens with Hashem teaching Moshe about the mitzvah of Shmittah. “שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמֹר כַּרְמֶךָ…וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַי־הֹוָ־ה שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תִזְמֹר” “For six years you may sow your field and for six years you may prune your vineyard…But on the seventh year a complete rest there shall be for the land, a Shabbos for Hashem; your field you shall not sow and your vineyard you shall not prune” (Vayikra 25:3-4). The mitzvah is that every seventh year, you are not allowed to plant or do any work in your fields. Anything which grows in the fields, even if it grows on its own, is considered hefker (ownerless), and may be taken by anyone and also obtains a status of kedushah (holiness). This mitzvah is only applicable to Jews living in Eretz Yisrael, anyone in Chutz La’aretz may continue planting like any other year. An explanation is needed to understand the purpose this mitzvah in general, even more so when we see that the punishment for not keeping shmittah is the eventual exile of the Jewish People from Israel!

     A common explanation for this mitzvah is to provide what we call nowadays Ley farming, where in order to replenish the minerals in the ground, the field is not sowed for a length of time, in our case, a year. However, the Kli Yakar asks that this explanation simply does not make sense. Based on this reasoning, why would the punishment for shmittah be exile, why not that the land would not regain its previous strength? Also, pasuk 4 described shmittah as a, “שַׁבָּת לַי־הֹוָ־ה”, a Shabbos for Hashem, this reason makes it a Shabbos for the land rather than a Shabbos for Hashem?

     The Kli Yakar answers that the purpose of shmittah is to have us work on our אמונה וביטחון, trust and faith in Hashem. In general, farming is one of the hardest professions to believe that everything comes from Hashem. Can you imagine what it is to be a farmer? You work for months and months plowing and planting and fertilizing and watering and everything else that comes with planting and then it rains. When the crops grow, even though at the end of the day the rain is the final factor,  how are you supposed to automatically thank Hashem for all of it? Think of all the hard work you had to do over the past few months! Someone who can recognize form the start that the end result is all from Hashem is truly a special person. Now imagine not being able to do any of that work for an entire year… This takes this test to a whole other level. How could you possibly survive without farming! Nothing will grow! The fields will be ruined by all the people coming to take the free food! Someone who can pass this test definitely has a high level of belief.

     This level of belief transcends the realm of normalcy, therefore, for someone who keeps shmittah, Hashem also transcends this realm. First of all, the pasuk tells us to plant for six straight years. In farming, the same field is not planted for six straight years since it will completely drain the land of its minerals, yet Hashem tells us to plant non-stop for six years and to not worry about it. Furthermore, we learn from the pasuk that not only will the land not decrease over the six years, the land will become even stronger, growing enough grain in the six year to last for the six year, the shmittah year, and the year after shmittah until the new crops can grow!

     The question that remains is why would this mitzvah only apply in Eretz Yisrael? If the whole point is to strengthen our belief in Hashem, why would it not be required of every Jew in the world? I believe the Kli Yakar answers this question while explaining the historical perspective of shmittah. Hashem told Moshe this mitzvah right before Bnei Yisrael were expected to enter the land. Since they were now re-entering the normal world after an amazing two years in the desert which included the giving of the Torah and other miraculous events, Hashem was afraid that they would slip into normal human behavior and believe in the power of man over the power of God. In order to avoid that, Hashem gave us the mitzvah of shmittah which proves Hashem is in control of the world and your livelihood. More than that, Chazal say that the land itself will enforce shmittah! Eretz Yisrael wants the zchus that Bnei Yisrael receive from keeping the mitzvah of shmittah to come through it. As it says in the pasuk in next week’s parshah, “אז תרצה הארץ את-שבתותיה” “Then the land will appease its shmittah years” (26:34), the reason the punishment for not keeping shmittah is galus (exile) is because the land needs its time off for shmittah because it needs the Jewish People to have bitachon in Hashem because the land itself wants us to reach that dargah (level)!

     The answer now is obvious. The land outside of Eretz Yisrael is designed for Gentiles, so the land won’t get any zchus for their beliefs anyway. The same is true for Gentiles living in Israel, they do not have to keep shmittah because the mitzvah is not designed for them and because of that, the land will eventually throw them out as well to make room for people from whom the land can benefit.

     Even though this year is not shmittah, it does not mean that we cannot find ways to work on our faith ourselves. This week we commemorate amazing miracles which were done for us in Eretz Yisrael, we see from the pasuk that if we want to keep this land we must work on our bitachon. For at the end of the day, the land does not care if it’s the farmer in the field, the lawyer in the office, or the rabbi in the Beis Hamedrash who is working to become better, as long as we are all headed in that direction.

Shabbat Shalom!

AIMeM

Dvar Torah for Parshas Emor

     The time we are in between Pesach and Shavous is known as Sefiras Haomer, The Counting of the Omer. There is a special mitzvah to count the fifty days between these two holidays starting from the second day of Pesach, the day the Korban Omer (brought from barley by the way) was brought in the Beis Hamikdash, which allowed us to start eating from the grain harvested in the past year. Why we count, what’s the significance of the omer, and what is the whole deal with the “new” and “old” grain, is not what I want to discuss here. Instead I would like to focus on another part of the mitzvah.

      The mitzvah to count is brought down in this week’s parshah, Parshas Emor. “וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה. עַד מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁבִיעִת תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַי־הֹוָ־ה” “You shall count for yourselves from the day after the holiday, from the day when you bring the omer of the waving-- seven weeks, they shall be complete. Until the morrow of the seventh week you shall count, fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal-offering to Hashem.”(Vayikra 23:15-16) As it says in the pasuk, after the fifty days are up, meaning on Shavous itself, there is a mitzvah to bring a מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה, a new meal-offering. This korban acts as a bookend for the korban omer which was brought on Pesach when we started counting. The “new” part of the meal-offering refers to the fact that this is the first meal-offering brought from the new flour. What is the significance of the fact that the korban must be from the “new” flour? The Kli Yakar brings a Chazal that the Torah must be approached every day with the same excitement as if it is your first day learning it. When you first start something new and exciting, you are filled with such an enthusiasm for it and it is very easy to get into. Over time however, it gets less and less exciting until it becomes more like a chore then an exciting activity. Torah must never be treated like this; rather, you must come every day to learn Torah with the same excitement as if that day is the day that we got the Torah from Har Sinai with all the amazing miracles. To symbolize this, when you bring the korban on Shavous, the anniversary of our receiving the Torah, we bring it from new flour.

     The Kli Yakar continues this idea with the following question. Parshas Emor lists every holiday that we have which is an obligation from the Torah (FYI: this excludes Chanukah, Purim, and all fast days besides Yom Kippur). The pasukim go through the laws of each holiday and also state the dates that each holiday starts. All that is, but two: Rosh Hashanah and Shavous. This is extremely puzzling. Shavous, as the anniversary for the giving of the Torah is an extremely important day in Jewish history and Rosh Hashanah is the day when we are judged for all our deeds! Why would Hashem not want us to know those two dates?

     The answer is that we have an obligation that every day we should see the Torah in a new light. Someone who is completely devoted to a certain subject and really delves into it will find something new in it every day! It doesn’t matter what field it is. Similarly, someone who really connects himself to Torah (the same way a scientist or businessman would commit himself to whatever field he is involved in) finds something new in the Torah every day. Because of this, Hashem did not ascribe one specific day (at least in the Torah) to the holiday of Shavous, rather he made it possible that any and every day of the year could be called the day the Torah was given, thus fulfilling our obligation to appreciate the Torah.

     Rosh Hashanah is the same thing, Hashem wants us to be “on our toes” and constantly think about doing teshuvah, not just wait till Rosh Hashanah comes around each year to be forgiven. Also, the gemarah in Maseches Rosh Hashanah (16a) says that there is a judgment done every day to a certain degree. By not giving a date, a person can more easily get into that frame of mind.

     As a last piece to the Shavous puzzle, the Kli Yakar focuses on the end of pasuk 17, which goes into more detail of the Shavous offering. The pasuk says that the bread brought with the korban should be, “חָמֵץ תֵּאָפֶינָה” “they shall be baked as chametz (leaven)”. Chazal in Maseches Brachos (17a) say that the chametz is a parable for the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination). They explain that wherever there is Torah, the Yetzer Hara has no effect. This is based on another Chazal, this time in Maseches Kiddushin (30b), that Hashem says, “בראתי יצר הרע בראתי לו תורה תבלין” “I created the Yetzer Hara and I created the Torah as spices for it”. Just as spices bring out the true flavor of the food and make it taste good, so too the Torah acts as a spice for the Yetzer Hara and brings out its true flavor. On the holiday when we celebrate the giving of the Torah, we bring a chametz korban to represent the Yetzer Hara, symbolizing that together with Torah, it can be defeated.

     May we use this time of Sefira to prepare ourselves for the giving of the Torah. And when we count each night, think about these two things which are being represented here. The first thing is that the day we are counting towards is not the only day that we received the Torah, we receive the Torah each and every day and must act as such and learn and preform its laws with the proper enthusiasm. And secondly, that with the proper preparation, we will soon have all the tools we need to defeat the Yetzer Hara once and for all!

Shabbat Shalom!

AIMeM