1. The Power of Commitment
After describing Aaron?s kindling of the Menorah and the consecration of the Levites in the service of G-d, the Parsha relates the laws of Pesach Sheni, the second Passover offering that is sacrificed on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, one month after Passover. The Torah relates that there were people who were unable to offer the first Passover sacrifice because they were ritually impure at the time of the festival. They approached Moshe and Aaron, distraught that they were unable to participate in the communal celebration: ?We are impure through contact with a corpse; why should we suffer by being unable to offer G-d?s sacrifice at its appointed time among the Children of Israel?? (Chap. 9, verse 7). G-d then told Moshe that anyone prevented from participating in the Passover sacrifice because of ritual impurity or because they are too far from the Temple to arrive in time, may instead take part in the Pesach Sheni sacrifice a month later. Thus, G-d gave them an opportunity to ?make up? for having missed the first one.
The question: The only instance in the entire Torah in which a mitzvah has a ?make up? option at a later date is the Passover sacrifice. Why is this the case?
The answer: The Tiferet Shlomo, Rabbi Shlomo of Radomsk, says the reason is that the people mentioned in our Parsha who were unable to participate in the Passover sacrifice demonstrated such a tremendous level of dedication to fulfilling the mitzvah that G-d decided to create the fall-back option of Pesach Sheni for them and for all future generations. The same holds true for the Final Redemption of the Jewish people, says the Tiferet Shlomo. At the end of the exile, when the Jews will pour their hearts and souls into bringing about the Messianic era, G-d will hear them and respond to their devotion by redeeming them before the appointed time, just as He did during the Exodus from Egypt.
The lesson: Dedication to fulfilling G-d?s will does not go unnoticed. We see above how G-d was willing to respond to the impassioned request of those unable to participate in the Passover sacrifice ? He actually ?added? a new mitzvah to the Torah as a result. Such is the power of sincere commitment. It can reverberate to the Heavens and bring about significant changes in the world, both physical and spiritual. Indeed, in our own day, we see similar examples of intense commitment and dedication - when the Land of Israel is under assault, when our foes seek to drive us out of our homeland, there are still Jews who are willing to brave it all and stick things out. Undeterred by gunfire or explosives, they cling to the Land, safeguarding it from those who would take it away. The Jews of Israel, and especially those of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, are a living example of courage and heroism, of sacrificing the comforts of an easy existence elsewhere on behalf of building and settling all parts of the Land of Israel. Their strength and commitment are an example to all of what a Jew?s priorities should be. And, as the Tiferet Shlomo noted, when the entire Jewish people display a similar level of profound dedication to G-d, then our efforts will be rewarded with a prompt reply ? the final redemption.
2. We?ve Got the Power
In our Parsha, G-d commands Moshe to make two trumpets out of silver, which he was to use to summon the nation or its leaders and to signal to the people when it was time to break camp and prepare to march in the desert. In addition, the trumpets were to be used when a war broke out, as the Torah states: ?When you go to wage war in your Land against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound short blasts of the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before Hashem your G-d and you shall be saved from your enemies? (Chap. 10, verse 9).
The question: What is the meaning of the commandment to sound the trumpets at a time of war?
The answer: In the Mishneh Torah (Laws of Fasts 1:1), the Rambam (Maimonides) cites this verse as the source of what he designates as a Biblical commandment to cry out to G-d and sound the trumpets whenever a calamity befalls the community, whether it is war, famine or a plague. In explaining this commandment, the Rambam writes as follows: ?This matter is from the ways of repentance. For at a time when calamity strikes, and they cry out and blow the trumpets, they will recognize that it is because of their evil ways that bad things have befallen them? and this will cause them to remove the catastrophe from upon themselves. But if they do not cry out and do not blow the trumpets, and instead say ?that is just the way things are in the world?? then this is a path of cruelty and causes them to stick with their evil ways, and additional calamities will come?.? (Laws of Fasts 1:2-3) Explaining the Rambam?s use of the term ?path of cruelty?, Rabbi Yissocher Frand of Yeshivat Ner Yisroel says the Rambam chose this phrase to emphasize the fact that the community has it within its power to change things. By instructing us to cry out to Him and to sound the trumpets, G-d is effectively giving us the key to saving the community from catastrophe. If we are fully aware of that fact, and yet we still refrain from crying out, then it is an act of cruelty on our part because we have the power to change things but fail to do so.
The lesson: In recent months, many of us have grown increasingly frustrated with the events here in Israel. The ongoing violence and the seeming inability to stop it, have led many people to despair, wondering what they can do about the situation. Of course, there are various things we can do, from writing letters to organizing demonstrations to increasing awareness about the dangers facing Israel. But as believing Jews, we must also not forget that the events around us are happening for a reason. The concept underlying the Rambam?s statement is one that is fundamental to Judaism: if we as a nation are not behaving properly, then we open the door to national disaster. The only way to break out of the crisis is to turn our eyes heavenward and cry out to G-d. There is no reason to despair, there is no reason to feel helpless. Each of us, wherever we may be, holds the key to ending the troubles that have befallen our people. We all have the power to pray, and it is a power that we largely allow to go to waste. Failure to do so, as the Rambam states, is the ?path of cruelty?, inevitably resulting in further trouble. We have tried everything else, to no avail. Now, more than ever, is the time to use it.
3. Bury Your Cravings
In this week?s Parsha, the Jewish people complain about the manna that G-d was sending them daily to feed them. Weeping about their condition, the people called out, ?Who will feed us meat? We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge, and the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now, our life is parched, there is nothing, we have nothing to anticipate but the manna? (Chap. 11, verses 4-6). Their nostalgic, and inaccurate, look back at the Egyptian slavery angered G-d, who told Moses that He would send the people meat for a month, such that they would grow tired of it and soon regret their complaints. G-d then sent quail, which the people gathered in large quantities. G-d then punished the people for wishing they were back in Egypt. The Torah states, ?The meat was still between their teeth, not yet chewed, when the wrath of G-d flared against the people, and G-d struck a very mighty blow against the people. He named that place Kivrot HaTaavah [lit. ?the graves of the desire?], because it was there that they buried the people who had been craving? (Chap. 11, verses 33-4).
The question: Why was the place where those who complained against G-d named Kivrot HaTaavah [?the graves of the desire?] rather than Kivrot HaMitavim [?the graves of those who craved?]?
The answer: The Maayanah Shel Torah cites the Binah L?Itim as explaining that it was not only the people who craved meat and wanted to return to Egypt who were buried there, but also the craving itself that was laid to rest. Everyone present who witnessed the punishment meted out to those who had complained was purged of his craving. Hence, the burial of those who craved also resulted in the burial of the craving itself, which is why the site was named Kivrot HaTaavah [?the graves of the desire?].
The lesson: With events swirling all around us, it is easy to lose sight of their significance as one horrific terrorist attack follows another. The bottom line of the past eight months of Palestinian violence is very simple: the craving to trade away parts of the Land of Israel to an unrepentant foe in the hopes of receiving peace in return have proven to be a vain fantasy. As we saw above, those who witnessed the result of the complaining against G-d were quickly cured of their cravings, for they learned the lesson of the events around them. That too, is what we must all do ? finally and unequivocally bury our illusions about our neighbors, before our neighbors bury us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
After describing Aaron?s kindling of the Menorah and the consecration of the Levites in the service of G-d, the Parsha relates the laws of Pesach Sheni, the second Passover offering that is sacrificed on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, one month after Passover. The Torah relates that there were people who were unable to offer the first Passover sacrifice because they were ritually impure at the time of the festival. They approached Moshe and Aaron, distraught that they were unable to participate in the communal celebration: ?We are impure through contact with a corpse; why should we suffer by being unable to offer G-d?s sacrifice at its appointed time among the Children of Israel?? (Chap. 9, verse 7). G-d then told Moshe that anyone prevented from participating in the Passover sacrifice because of ritual impurity or because they are too far from the Temple to arrive in time, may instead take part in the Pesach Sheni sacrifice a month later. Thus, G-d gave them an opportunity to ?make up? for having missed the first one.
The question: The only instance in the entire Torah in which a mitzvah has a ?make up? option at a later date is the Passover sacrifice. Why is this the case?
The answer: The Tiferet Shlomo, Rabbi Shlomo of Radomsk, says the reason is that the people mentioned in our Parsha who were unable to participate in the Passover sacrifice demonstrated such a tremendous level of dedication to fulfilling the mitzvah that G-d decided to create the fall-back option of Pesach Sheni for them and for all future generations. The same holds true for the Final Redemption of the Jewish people, says the Tiferet Shlomo. At the end of the exile, when the Jews will pour their hearts and souls into bringing about the Messianic era, G-d will hear them and respond to their devotion by redeeming them before the appointed time, just as He did during the Exodus from Egypt.
The lesson: Dedication to fulfilling G-d?s will does not go unnoticed. We see above how G-d was willing to respond to the impassioned request of those unable to participate in the Passover sacrifice ? He actually ?added? a new mitzvah to the Torah as a result. Such is the power of sincere commitment. It can reverberate to the Heavens and bring about significant changes in the world, both physical and spiritual. Indeed, in our own day, we see similar examples of intense commitment and dedication - when the Land of Israel is under assault, when our foes seek to drive us out of our homeland, there are still Jews who are willing to brave it all and stick things out. Undeterred by gunfire or explosives, they cling to the Land, safeguarding it from those who would take it away. The Jews of Israel, and especially those of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, are a living example of courage and heroism, of sacrificing the comforts of an easy existence elsewhere on behalf of building and settling all parts of the Land of Israel. Their strength and commitment are an example to all of what a Jew?s priorities should be. And, as the Tiferet Shlomo noted, when the entire Jewish people display a similar level of profound dedication to G-d, then our efforts will be rewarded with a prompt reply ? the final redemption.
2. We?ve Got the Power
In our Parsha, G-d commands Moshe to make two trumpets out of silver, which he was to use to summon the nation or its leaders and to signal to the people when it was time to break camp and prepare to march in the desert. In addition, the trumpets were to be used when a war broke out, as the Torah states: ?When you go to wage war in your Land against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound short blasts of the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before Hashem your G-d and you shall be saved from your enemies? (Chap. 10, verse 9).
The question: What is the meaning of the commandment to sound the trumpets at a time of war?
The answer: In the Mishneh Torah (Laws of Fasts 1:1), the Rambam (Maimonides) cites this verse as the source of what he designates as a Biblical commandment to cry out to G-d and sound the trumpets whenever a calamity befalls the community, whether it is war, famine or a plague. In explaining this commandment, the Rambam writes as follows: ?This matter is from the ways of repentance. For at a time when calamity strikes, and they cry out and blow the trumpets, they will recognize that it is because of their evil ways that bad things have befallen them? and this will cause them to remove the catastrophe from upon themselves. But if they do not cry out and do not blow the trumpets, and instead say ?that is just the way things are in the world?? then this is a path of cruelty and causes them to stick with their evil ways, and additional calamities will come?.? (Laws of Fasts 1:2-3) Explaining the Rambam?s use of the term ?path of cruelty?, Rabbi Yissocher Frand of Yeshivat Ner Yisroel says the Rambam chose this phrase to emphasize the fact that the community has it within its power to change things. By instructing us to cry out to Him and to sound the trumpets, G-d is effectively giving us the key to saving the community from catastrophe. If we are fully aware of that fact, and yet we still refrain from crying out, then it is an act of cruelty on our part because we have the power to change things but fail to do so.
The lesson: In recent months, many of us have grown increasingly frustrated with the events here in Israel. The ongoing violence and the seeming inability to stop it, have led many people to despair, wondering what they can do about the situation. Of course, there are various things we can do, from writing letters to organizing demonstrations to increasing awareness about the dangers facing Israel. But as believing Jews, we must also not forget that the events around us are happening for a reason. The concept underlying the Rambam?s statement is one that is fundamental to Judaism: if we as a nation are not behaving properly, then we open the door to national disaster. The only way to break out of the crisis is to turn our eyes heavenward and cry out to G-d. There is no reason to despair, there is no reason to feel helpless. Each of us, wherever we may be, holds the key to ending the troubles that have befallen our people. We all have the power to pray, and it is a power that we largely allow to go to waste. Failure to do so, as the Rambam states, is the ?path of cruelty?, inevitably resulting in further trouble. We have tried everything else, to no avail. Now, more than ever, is the time to use it.
3. Bury Your Cravings
In this week?s Parsha, the Jewish people complain about the manna that G-d was sending them daily to feed them. Weeping about their condition, the people called out, ?Who will feed us meat? We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge, and the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now, our life is parched, there is nothing, we have nothing to anticipate but the manna? (Chap. 11, verses 4-6). Their nostalgic, and inaccurate, look back at the Egyptian slavery angered G-d, who told Moses that He would send the people meat for a month, such that they would grow tired of it and soon regret their complaints. G-d then sent quail, which the people gathered in large quantities. G-d then punished the people for wishing they were back in Egypt. The Torah states, ?The meat was still between their teeth, not yet chewed, when the wrath of G-d flared against the people, and G-d struck a very mighty blow against the people. He named that place Kivrot HaTaavah [lit. ?the graves of the desire?], because it was there that they buried the people who had been craving? (Chap. 11, verses 33-4).
The question: Why was the place where those who complained against G-d named Kivrot HaTaavah [?the graves of the desire?] rather than Kivrot HaMitavim [?the graves of those who craved?]?
The answer: The Maayanah Shel Torah cites the Binah L?Itim as explaining that it was not only the people who craved meat and wanted to return to Egypt who were buried there, but also the craving itself that was laid to rest. Everyone present who witnessed the punishment meted out to those who had complained was purged of his craving. Hence, the burial of those who craved also resulted in the burial of the craving itself, which is why the site was named Kivrot HaTaavah [?the graves of the desire?].
The lesson: With events swirling all around us, it is easy to lose sight of their significance as one horrific terrorist attack follows another. The bottom line of the past eight months of Palestinian violence is very simple: the craving to trade away parts of the Land of Israel to an unrepentant foe in the hopes of receiving peace in return have proven to be a vain fantasy. As we saw above, those who witnessed the result of the complaining against G-d were quickly cured of their cravings, for they learned the lesson of the events around them. That too, is what we must all do ? finally and unequivocally bury our illusions about our neighbors, before our neighbors bury us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com