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Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
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An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: [email protected]
1. Not a Shadow of a Doubt
The question: This Parsha is the only one from the beginning of the book of Exodus until the end of the book of Numbers in which Moshe?s name is not mentioned. Why?
The answer: Rabbi Elye Haim Meisel of Lodz (cited in Iturei Torah) offers a novel reason. He says that in last week?s Parsha, Terumah, the Torah deals with the collecting of funds and Moshe?s name was mentioned numerous times. In our Parsha, however, which involves the use of the funds that had been collected, Moshe did not want his name mentioned because he wanted to avoid any suspicion. We see that Moshe was so meticulously honest that he wished to avoid even the remotest appearance of impropriety in the distribution of the funds.
The lesson: This past week, Israelis were treated to the ritual of watching the political parties in the Knesset bargain, haggle and quibble over the terms of their entry in to the new government coalition. Demands are made, promises are given and power is sought. Parties seek to maximize their influence by gaining control over larger or more prominent ministries, thereby putting huge budgets at their disposal. Some show outright disdain for the ?smaller? ministries, regardless of how important their work may be, as they do not offer the same political or budgetary clout. Yet we see from Moshe that a Jewish leader is supposed to act differently. When it comes to spending the nation?s money, a leader should conduct himself with modesty and honesty. His focus should not be on seizing the limelight ? but rather on getting the job done properly and appropriately. The temptations of power may be great, but to be a true leader, one has to preserve his integrity. Let us hope that our leaders will learn from Moshe?s example and remember that the power of government derives from the people, and not the other way around.
2. Every Drop Counts
The Parsha begins with a brief description of the oil to be used for lighting the Menorah every day in the Tabernacle. It says that the priests were required to use pure, pressed olive oil. The Torah says that the oil was to be used ?to kindle the lamp continually? (Chap. 27, verse 20), and the subsequent verse says that it was to burn from evening until morning.
The question: The Midrash Tanchuma quotes Rabbi Hanina, who held a senior priestly position, as saying, ?I served in the Temple and miracles occurred with the Menorah. When they lit it on Rosh HaShanah, it remained lit throughout the entire year.? If that is the case, then how did the priests in the Temple fulfill the command in our Parsha to light the Menorah every day?
The answer: This question was posed by Rabbi Avraham Mordechai of Ger to Rabbi Chaim of Brisk. Rabbi Chaim replied by citing a ruling of Maimonides (Laws of Shabbat 12:2), according to which one who adds oil on Shabbat to an oil lamp already burning has violated the prohibition against kindling a flame on the Sabbath. From this we see that even the addition of a drop of oil to an already existing flame is considered to be an act of lighting. Similarly, says Rabbi Chaim, the priests in the Temple would add a single drop of oil to the Menorah every day (even though it was miraculously still burning from when it had been kindled on Rosh HaShanah), thereby fulfilling the commandment to light it on a daily basis.
The lesson: When issues arise that disturb us, from the quality of our school system to the withdrawal from parts of the Land of Israel, some people are wont to say that there is no point in protesting because what difference will one more person possibly make? Who will listen to the lonely voice of the individual? And yet we see from the lighting of the Menorah in the Temple that every little bit can and does make a difference. A small, solitary drop of oil added to the flame of the Menorah was all that was necessary for the commandment of kindling to be fulfilled. The drop of oil perhaps did not transform the physical flame, but it did transform it in terms of its status ? it was now considered to be newly-lit in accordance with G-d?s wishes. That tiny bit of oil, then, has profound spiritual impact. Additionally, it transformed the person doing the kindling as well, for by adding that drop, he had now fulfilled the mitzvah, elevating himself in the process. The same can be said for our actions ? no cry goes unheeded, no protest is without an impact. For at a minimum, the act of protesting transforms you into a better person, making you into someone who gets involved and tries to change things. So don?t sit back and throw up your hands in despair ? if you want to make things better, get involved. For everyone can and should make a difference.
3. Purim
At the end of the Megilla, after the Jewish people had been saved from their enemies, we are told that Mordechai wrote down all the events that had occurred and sent copies of the text to Jews throughout the empire of King Ahashverosh (Chap. 9, verse 20). Mordechai did this to encourage the Jews to accept upon themselves to celebrate the holiday of Purim every year. The Megilla then tells us that the Jews accepted what Mordechai had written (Chap. 9, verse 23). In the next verse, we are told, ?For Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted to eliminate the Jews and he cast the pur ? that is, the lot ? to terrify them and to destroy them? (Chap. 9, verse 24).
The question: Why does the Megilla need to repeat that Haman sought to kill the Jews and cast lots for this purpose? Don?t we know this already from the story itself?
The answer: The Malbim answers by saying that this verse is coming to underline the fact that one should not think that it was because of Mordechai?s refusal to bow to Haman (see Chap. 3 verses 2-5) that the latter sought to destroy the Jewish people. Rather, as the verse informs us, it was because Haman was an Agagite (a descendant of Amalek, Israel?s archenemy) and an ?enemy of all the Jews? that he sought to destroy them. Haman?s evil plot had nothing to do with Mordechai?s refusal to bow, but it had everything to do with Haman?s anti-Semitism and hatred.
The lesson: The more things change, the more they stay the same. We see how Mordechai, the author of the Megillah, felt it necessary to include the extra verse cited above simply because there were likely some Jews who were ready to cast the blame on him for Haman?s plot to destroy the Jewish people. After all, they would have argued, it was only after Mordechai ?provocatively? refused to bow to Haman that the plot was spun. Of course, such thinking is utterly ridiculous ? why would Haman seek to punish the entire Jewish people for the actions of one man? Nevertheless, it was necessary for the Megillah to make clear that Haman wanted to destroy the Jews because he was an anti-Semite, and not because of anything that Mordechai may or may not have done. Sadly, this tendency among our people to blame ourselves for what others do to us still exists: when the Palestinians launched their wave of violence and terror against Israel nearly six months ago, many chose to lay the blame for the unrest on Ariel Sharon?s visit to the Temple Mount. They argued that his visit was a ?provocation? which sparked the Palestinian ?response?. But such thinking is morally misguided and myopically obtuse ? why would one man?s visit to a holy site possibly justify acts of terror against innocent civilians? Indeed, the Palestinian Minister of Communications, Imad Faluji, admitted last week that the intifada had been planned back in July 2000 and that Sharon?s visit had nothing to do with its outbreak. Yet, just as in the time of Mordechai, there are still those among us who prefer to be more forgiving of our foes than of our own people. We need to stop berating ourselves for the sins of others and start acting like a proud and independent nation. We do not need to apologize for surviving, and Israel has every right to defend itself against those who would attack it. And when such attacks occur, we need to focus the blame on where it belongs: not on the victim, but on the perpetrator.
Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: [email protected]
1. Not a Shadow of a Doubt
The question: This Parsha is the only one from the beginning of the book of Exodus until the end of the book of Numbers in which Moshe?s name is not mentioned. Why?
The answer: Rabbi Elye Haim Meisel of Lodz (cited in Iturei Torah) offers a novel reason. He says that in last week?s Parsha, Terumah, the Torah deals with the collecting of funds and Moshe?s name was mentioned numerous times. In our Parsha, however, which involves the use of the funds that had been collected, Moshe did not want his name mentioned because he wanted to avoid any suspicion. We see that Moshe was so meticulously honest that he wished to avoid even the remotest appearance of impropriety in the distribution of the funds.
The lesson: This past week, Israelis were treated to the ritual of watching the political parties in the Knesset bargain, haggle and quibble over the terms of their entry in to the new government coalition. Demands are made, promises are given and power is sought. Parties seek to maximize their influence by gaining control over larger or more prominent ministries, thereby putting huge budgets at their disposal. Some show outright disdain for the ?smaller? ministries, regardless of how important their work may be, as they do not offer the same political or budgetary clout. Yet we see from Moshe that a Jewish leader is supposed to act differently. When it comes to spending the nation?s money, a leader should conduct himself with modesty and honesty. His focus should not be on seizing the limelight ? but rather on getting the job done properly and appropriately. The temptations of power may be great, but to be a true leader, one has to preserve his integrity. Let us hope that our leaders will learn from Moshe?s example and remember that the power of government derives from the people, and not the other way around.
2. Every Drop Counts
The Parsha begins with a brief description of the oil to be used for lighting the Menorah every day in the Tabernacle. It says that the priests were required to use pure, pressed olive oil. The Torah says that the oil was to be used ?to kindle the lamp continually? (Chap. 27, verse 20), and the subsequent verse says that it was to burn from evening until morning.
The question: The Midrash Tanchuma quotes Rabbi Hanina, who held a senior priestly position, as saying, ?I served in the Temple and miracles occurred with the Menorah. When they lit it on Rosh HaShanah, it remained lit throughout the entire year.? If that is the case, then how did the priests in the Temple fulfill the command in our Parsha to light the Menorah every day?
The answer: This question was posed by Rabbi Avraham Mordechai of Ger to Rabbi Chaim of Brisk. Rabbi Chaim replied by citing a ruling of Maimonides (Laws of Shabbat 12:2), according to which one who adds oil on Shabbat to an oil lamp already burning has violated the prohibition against kindling a flame on the Sabbath. From this we see that even the addition of a drop of oil to an already existing flame is considered to be an act of lighting. Similarly, says Rabbi Chaim, the priests in the Temple would add a single drop of oil to the Menorah every day (even though it was miraculously still burning from when it had been kindled on Rosh HaShanah), thereby fulfilling the commandment to light it on a daily basis.
The lesson: When issues arise that disturb us, from the quality of our school system to the withdrawal from parts of the Land of Israel, some people are wont to say that there is no point in protesting because what difference will one more person possibly make? Who will listen to the lonely voice of the individual? And yet we see from the lighting of the Menorah in the Temple that every little bit can and does make a difference. A small, solitary drop of oil added to the flame of the Menorah was all that was necessary for the commandment of kindling to be fulfilled. The drop of oil perhaps did not transform the physical flame, but it did transform it in terms of its status ? it was now considered to be newly-lit in accordance with G-d?s wishes. That tiny bit of oil, then, has profound spiritual impact. Additionally, it transformed the person doing the kindling as well, for by adding that drop, he had now fulfilled the mitzvah, elevating himself in the process. The same can be said for our actions ? no cry goes unheeded, no protest is without an impact. For at a minimum, the act of protesting transforms you into a better person, making you into someone who gets involved and tries to change things. So don?t sit back and throw up your hands in despair ? if you want to make things better, get involved. For everyone can and should make a difference.
3. Purim
At the end of the Megilla, after the Jewish people had been saved from their enemies, we are told that Mordechai wrote down all the events that had occurred and sent copies of the text to Jews throughout the empire of King Ahashverosh (Chap. 9, verse 20). Mordechai did this to encourage the Jews to accept upon themselves to celebrate the holiday of Purim every year. The Megilla then tells us that the Jews accepted what Mordechai had written (Chap. 9, verse 23). In the next verse, we are told, ?For Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted to eliminate the Jews and he cast the pur ? that is, the lot ? to terrify them and to destroy them? (Chap. 9, verse 24).
The question: Why does the Megilla need to repeat that Haman sought to kill the Jews and cast lots for this purpose? Don?t we know this already from the story itself?
The answer: The Malbim answers by saying that this verse is coming to underline the fact that one should not think that it was because of Mordechai?s refusal to bow to Haman (see Chap. 3 verses 2-5) that the latter sought to destroy the Jewish people. Rather, as the verse informs us, it was because Haman was an Agagite (a descendant of Amalek, Israel?s archenemy) and an ?enemy of all the Jews? that he sought to destroy them. Haman?s evil plot had nothing to do with Mordechai?s refusal to bow, but it had everything to do with Haman?s anti-Semitism and hatred.
The lesson: The more things change, the more they stay the same. We see how Mordechai, the author of the Megillah, felt it necessary to include the extra verse cited above simply because there were likely some Jews who were ready to cast the blame on him for Haman?s plot to destroy the Jewish people. After all, they would have argued, it was only after Mordechai ?provocatively? refused to bow to Haman that the plot was spun. Of course, such thinking is utterly ridiculous ? why would Haman seek to punish the entire Jewish people for the actions of one man? Nevertheless, it was necessary for the Megillah to make clear that Haman wanted to destroy the Jews because he was an anti-Semite, and not because of anything that Mordechai may or may not have done. Sadly, this tendency among our people to blame ourselves for what others do to us still exists: when the Palestinians launched their wave of violence and terror against Israel nearly six months ago, many chose to lay the blame for the unrest on Ariel Sharon?s visit to the Temple Mount. They argued that his visit was a ?provocation? which sparked the Palestinian ?response?. But such thinking is morally misguided and myopically obtuse ? why would one man?s visit to a holy site possibly justify acts of terror against innocent civilians? Indeed, the Palestinian Minister of Communications, Imad Faluji, admitted last week that the intifada had been planned back in July 2000 and that Sharon?s visit had nothing to do with its outbreak. Yet, just as in the time of Mordechai, there are still those among us who prefer to be more forgiving of our foes than of our own people. We need to stop berating ourselves for the sins of others and start acting like a proud and independent nation. We do not need to apologize for surviving, and Israel has every right to defend itself against those who would attack it. And when such attacks occur, we need to focus the blame on where it belongs: not on the victim, but on the perpetrator.