Friday, August 29, 2014

Dvar Torah for Parshas Shoftim

AIMeMTorah would like to thank Mark Cheirif for filling in this week.

When superficially reading through sefer Devarim, one can't help but notice that each parsha seems to be a potpourri of random ideas awkwardly forced into one section. This week's parsha, Shoftim, is no exception. It covers such diverse topics as appointing judges and law enforcers, more laws regarding עבודה זרה, not to bring a בעל מום as a sacrifice, appointing a king, some מתנות כהונה, laws of interacting with נביאים, establishing ערי מקלט (again), not encroaching upon another's land, and various laws of war. Although it is often difficult to find one perfect theme to unify all the different topics in a parsha, it appears that Shoftim can be boiled down to two: the apportionment of land and positions of power. Considering the incongruity of these two motifs, it would seem appropriate for the parsha to list them in a linear, disassociated layout, never mixing one with the other. This cannot be further from the truth. Taking note of the פתוחות וסתומות, one can see that sections dealing with apportionment of authority and it's responsibilities are sporadically interspersed with the drawing and enforcement of appropriate delineation; appointment of judges is immediately followed by the prohibition of planting trees used for עבודה זרה within the borders of the מקום המקדש; the establishment of a king proceeds the reiteration of שבט לוי's homelessness; the laws of believing a נביא transition to the designation of cities of refuge. The truth is, not only are sections about laws of authority interspersed within sections regarding definition of borders; rather, much of the the former is defined by the latter. The Sanhedrin operates within the confines of the מקום המקדש only when ישראל retain a degree of sovereignty over their land, and specifically due to the Levites' lack of נחלה are they afforded the privilege of their alternative נחלה, the מתנות כהונה. But what is the reason for the Torah's interconnection of authority and space, land and leader? There always is the obvious practicality of the law official's responsibility in dealing with legal apportionment of land and property. But is the connection merely mundane, or is there some deeper philosophical underpinning lurking between the lines? Rashi seems to touch upon this idea in a comment on the pasuk "צדק צדק תרדף למען תחיה וירשת את הארץ אשר ה' אלקיך נתן לך" (דברים טז:כ)in which he says "כדאי הוא מנוי הדיינים הכשרים להחיות את ישראל ולהושיבן על אדמתן" "The appointment of proper judges is enough to sustain Yisrael and return them to their land." Rashi is answering the question of what inheritance of ארץ ישראל has to do with appointing judges. He answers quoting the ספרי that says that the act of assigning appropriate, fitting judges allows for the sustainability of ישראל and their establishment upon the land. Similarly, the Seforno says on the same pasuk that having appropriate judges is especially important בארץ, because the lack thereof prevents ירושת הארץ. These comments just deepen the question, still, what is the profound basis for connecting the parsha's disparate themes? To answer this question, one has to hone in on the wording of the pasuk linking the two ideas. The Torah doesn't merely say to choose judges, rather, it frames the appointment as an act of צדק צדק תרדוף. Leaders in ישראל are there to engage and literally chase צדק, not just to sit comfortably in their ivory tower and judge. The link between land and leadership is not just the mundane fact that it is the law official's responsibility to deal with legal apportionment of land and property. The judge cannot narrow his scope to monetary apportionment alone to ensure sustainability of ישראל on their land. They must, first and foremost set a tone of chasing justice, intensely seeking morality, because ארץ ישראל is not your average land. It is a land that spits out its inhabitants for violating their integrity, a נחלה that demands meticulous adherence to greatness. Mediocrity in any pursuit בארץ, no less the upholding of justice and morality, is simply untenable. As the Seforno says on the opening pasuk of last week's parsha, ראה, that before entering the ארץ, we were given only two options, a duality of opposite extremes, ברכה and קללה. Mediocrity is not an option, rather, one must choose between intense success and dismal failure. It is the leaders responsibility to uphold the nations moral fiber to ensure that they always chase greatness assuring the fulfillment of .ישמח ה' במעשיו לתת להם נחלת גוים

Shabbat Shalom!

Mark Cheirif originally hails from Dallas, Texas. He has studied in Yeshivas Derech Etz Chaim in Jerusalem and currently studies in Lander College for Men in Queens, New York. He is a first-time contributor to AIMeM.


Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Shoftim

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Friday, August 22, 2014

Dvar Torah for Parshas Re'eh

Due to the late start, this week’s Dvar Torah is more of a thought.
      
       Parshas Re’eh discusses that if someone come along and tells you that he received a prophecy from Hashem that we are no longer required to perform a certain mitzvah or keep certain laws, even if he correctly predicts certain miracles and events, there can be no doubt that he is lying. Moshe tells Bnei Yisrael that the Torah Hashem gave us is eternal and can never be changed no matter the circumstances. This sin is so great, that this false prophet is killed.
       This brings up an obvious question, if this person is telling false prophecy, how come Hashem allows his predictions to come true? The pasuk in Perek 13 Pasuk 4 gives us the reason, “ כִּי מְנַסֶּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֶתְכֶם לָדַעַת הֲיִשְׁכֶם אֹהֲבִים אֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁכֶם “For Hashem, your God, is testing you, to know whether you really love Hashem, your God, with all your heart and soul” (Devarim 13:4).
       The Ohr HaChaim asks another question. If this person is coming as a messenger of Hashem to test us, why do we kill him for fulfilling his mission? Isn’t he also, in a way, doing the will of Hashem? He answers that the false prophet’s predictions would not have happened, but once he comes with a vision and wants to tear apart the Torah, in order to make this episode a test for us (and give us reward in the process), Hashem allows the prophet’s predictions to come true. As we have stated before, Hashem tests us in order to give us more reward. In this case, what could have been one man’s failed quest to change the Torah, turns into an opportunity for us to show our faith in Hashem and the Torah, and pass this test.



Shabbat Shalom!




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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Dvar Torah for Parshas Eikev

       This week starts the fifth year of AIMeM. I would like to thank all those who have supported the blog over the past year and look forward to sharing many more divrei torah in the future!

       In Parshas Eikev, Moshe continues to impart his wisdom on Bnei Yisrael before he dies. In this week’s parshah, he stresses the importance of every single mitzvah, even the small, insignificant ones. By keeping even those small mitzvos, you have a guarantee that Hashem will watch over you.
       One example of this idea is found in Perek 8 Pasuk 1, “כָּל הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם תִּשְׁמְרוּן לַעֲשׂוֹת לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן…” “The commandment that I command you this day you shall keep to do, that you may live…” (Devarim 8:1). The different commentaries approach this pasuk differently, however, they all have a similar focus in that the word “commandment” in the pasuk is written in the singular tense.
       Rashi asks why the pasuk says “כָּל הַמִּצְוָה”, literally translated as “the entire commandment”. He explains that the pasuk is teaching you to finish any mitzvah that you begin because it is not considered that you fulfilled the commandment until the entire task is complete. This is an amazing idea to think about as this means that I can undertake a huge project, and complete 99% of it, but if there are some small details that I brush aside, than I have not truly fulfilled the commandment.
       The Kli Yakar asks why the pasuk begins by commanding an individual, “מְצַוְּךָ”, and then continues that fulfilling the mitzvah will be good for the community, “לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן”? He explains that a person must look at the world as if there are an equal number of aveiros and mitzvos being done at any specific time. Therefore, your next deed, be it a mitzvah or an aveirah, can tip the scales of the entire world towards good or evil! Therefore, the pasuk charges the individual with doing the mitzvah in order that the entire world should survive. Even if we tried, we probably would not be able to make every mitzvah we do one of (according to our calculations)      extreme significance; most of the time, the mitzvos we do are simple ones that only affect ourselves and maybe a few others. This idea that each mitzvah can tip the world to good shows that even the smallest mitzvah can have earth-shattering consequences (literally)!
       The Ohr HaChaim takes a different direction than the previous two commentaries. He asks why the pasuk needs to mention this idea of the importance of small mitzvos when the first words in the parshah express this idea as well! (See Rashi to 7:12.) Furthermore, what exactly is this mitzvah that the Torah writes about that I need to fulfill the whole thing? He explains that when it comes to mitzvos, most people take upon themselves several of them to do very well and take very seriously, and pretty much ignore the rest. Which mitzvos are the ones usually forgotten about? The ones that appear to us as insignificant. Moshe is telling us that this attitude of ignoring mitzvos, even “small” ones, is what causes people to suffer indignities. Therefore, he warns us to keep “כָּל הַמִּצְוָה”, every mitzvah, referring to every mitzvah in the entire Torah.
       The message from this parshah is clear. There are many chances for us to do mitzvos. Sometimes the mitzvah comes with fame and glory, those are the ones that everyone wants to do. But what about the ones that lack the spotlight, what about the ones that don’t come with the accolades and fanfare, who will do those mitzvos? Moshe is teaching us an important lesson, just because we don’t think those mitzvos are significant, that makes no difference. To Hashem, fulfilling His word and doing a mitzvah, is the most important thing in the world, regardless of what special earthly privileges come with it.       

Shabbat Shalom!







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Friday, August 8, 2014

Dvar Torah for Parshas Va'eschanan

       Coming out of a sad time like Tisha B’Av, it’s nice to have a parshah like Va’eschanan, where Hashem continuously tells us of His love for us. As Sefer Devarim is the farewell address for Moshe Rabbeinu, it is very important to understand what each parshah discusses. This is Moshe’s last chance to impart his wisdom to Bnei Yisrael so everything he says must be important for us to know.
       Near the end of the parshah, there is a very famous pasuk. “כִּי יִשְׁאָלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר לֵאמֹר מָה הָעֵדֹת וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶתְכֶם“When your son will ask you tomorrow, saying, ‘what are these testimonies, statutes, and ordinances, which Hashem, our God has commanded you?” (Devarim 6:20). The Ramban explains that first your son will ask you to explain the mitzvos, which are known as “testimonies” because they are usually a testimony to a particular wonder performed by Hashem. Some examples would include, Shabbos, which testifies to creation, Sukkah, which testifies to the Clouds of Glory, and Pesach, which testifies to our leaving Mitzrayim. The child then asks about the “chukim”, the laws for which the Torah does not give any reason for them. Finally, he asks about the “Mishpatim”, the judgments that come as a result of not keeping the mitzvos, such as death for desecrating Shabbos or being whipped for giving false testimony. The reason why the son wants to understands the punishments as well, explains the Ramban, is because through understanding the legal system, you can observe the true wisdom of the Torah.
       The answer the Torah tells us we are supposed to give this child is also a well-known pasuk. “וְאָמַרְתָּ לְבִנְךָ עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם וַיֹּצִיאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָהAnd you will say to your son, ‘we were servants to Paroh in Egypt and Hashem took us out of Egypt with a strong hand.” (6:21). We mention this pasuk on Pesach as the obligation to tell over the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim to our children. However, this pasuk is not just dealing with the holiday of Pesach, it is dealing with your child’s questions on any day of the year; so there must be an explanation why we answer a child’s questions about the Torah with this pasuk outside of our obligations on Pesach.
       The Ramban explains that the truth of the entire Torah can be seen in the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Through all the miracles and wonders that happened in Mitzrayim, we saw, and continue to see clearly, that Hashem is the creator of the world. Therefore, we owe Him honor and respect which we show through performing the “testimonies, statutes, and ordinances” of the Torah. This is the message that we give our children. The questions our children ask may appear to be technical queries about how the Torah works, however, they really come from a space of wanting to understand what Hashem wants from us. So we answer them the same way, that the whole reason we keep all the different aspects of mitzvos comes from the love and admiration we feel for Hashem, making this pasuk a perfect fit for Parshas Va’eschanan, the parshah where Moshe describes the incredible love Hashem feels for Bnei Yisrael.


Shabbat Shalom!




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