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‫ | י”ב סיון תשע”ו | פרשת נשא‬18th June 2016 LONDON: 10:37 PM

‫מוצש’’ק‬

LONDON: 9:05 PM

Pirkei Avos ‫פרקי אבות‬

see back page

‫הדלקת נרות‬

’‫פרק א‬

RELATIONSHIP OF DOMESTIC HARMONY TO NATIONAL PEACE

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Rabbi Yissochor Frand | Rosh Yeshiva, Ner Yisrael Baltimore The parsha of the sotah does not seem to fit into the basic topics of the opening chapters of the book of Bamidbar, which primarily deal with the topics of national import, primarily the size, roles and position of the respective shevatim in the Jewish nation at this point in history.

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dispute we find in the Sifri. In the Torah, sotah and nazir are followed by Birkas Kohanim, which ends with the blessing “…v’yasem lecha shalom”. There is a dispute as to what this is referring to; Rav Chanina Segan haKohanim says this refers to peace in the home (Shalom Bayis). Rav Nasan says this refers to peace on a national level (Shalom Malchus Beis David). This seems to be a strange dispute with totally disparate opinions as to the nature of the Priestly Blessing.

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The Mikdash Mordechai explains that The Mikdash Mordechai reconciles there is a very strong connection between the two opinions and shows that the two the parsha of the sotah and the matter of the sages are not arguing! Everyone agrees shevatim: The linking factor is the concept of that the concern is for national peace — “Le mishpechosam l’beis avosam” [according ‫נלב‘‘ע‬ peace for Klal Yisrael. But in order to have to their families, according to their father’s peace for Klal Yisrael, two types of peace ‫ט‘‘ו סיון תשס‘‘ב‬ homes]. Here is a great nation, consisting of are necessary; peace with enemies on over 600,000 males of military age — and yet the Torah keeps on stressing over and over the borders, and peace at a national level. again the idea of “Le mishpechosam l’beis However, in order to achieve national peace, avosam” — that this nation and these tribes peace in the individual home is also a must. are all composed of family units. The idea is This huge, tremendous that Klal Yisrael as a whole is not stronger nation that is Klal BY BORUCH is nothing than those individual families. That is why Yisrael KAHAN the portion of sotah is inserted here. The more than a collection Torah is teaching us that when the basic of family units and if There is a number associated with this week’s Sedrah that also links it to a Chapter of Tehilim and one of the Masechtos family unit breaks down, eventually Klal the family unit is not of Talmud Bavli. Yisrael as a great nation breaks down as well. secure, peace on a What is the number and what are the other 2 items above? Using this concept, the Mikdash national level is not Any comments can be directed to bkahan47@yahoo.co.uk. Answer on back page Mordechai then explains an interesting secure either.

‫ה‬.‫ב‬.‫צ‬.‫נ‬.‫ת‬

Riddle of the Week

K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D

‫לעילוי נשמת הש"ץ שלמה בן אברהם משה ז"ל לעילוי נשמת חנה בת אלעזר ע"ה‬

Rabbi Zev Leff | Rav of Moshav Matityahu All the days of his abstinence, he is holy to Hashem (Bamidbar 6:8) The Kohen shall make one as a sin-offering and one as an elevation-offering, and he shall bring atonement on him for having sinned against the person; and he shall sanctify his head on that day. (Bamidbar 6:11) The Nazir who vows not to drink wine is elevated to a level of holiness similar to that of the Kohen Gadol. Like the Kohen Gadol, he is prohibited from defiling himself for the dead, even his closest relatives, and the Torah describes his hair, which he must let grow, as sanctified. Yet this very same Nazir must bring a korban chatas - a sin offering at the termination of his vow. The Gemara explains that this sacrifice is to atone for the sin of denying himself the pleasure of wine. Thus the same vow which elevates him to a level of holiness also causes him to be adjudged a sinner. Why? “All that the Holy One, Blessed is He, created in His world, He created solely for His glory” (Pirkei Avos 6:11). Hashem created the world for man to utilise in His service, not to be retreated from. Every aspect of creation can and must be utilized to aid one in understanding and drawing closer to its Creator. The Torah outlook on the physical world is diametrically opposed to the other religions who teach that the material world is inherently evil. Any enjoyment

PARSHAH

A HOLY SINNER of the pleasures of the physical world is permissible only as the lesser of two evils. The only sacrifice a gentile may bring is an olah, which is wholly consumed. The only kedusha understood by the nations of the world is total negation of the material world. By contrast, our most exalted sacrifice is the shelamim (literally a perfect, harmonious offering) where only a small portion of the offering is burnt on the altar. Most of the offering is eaten by the one who brought the sacrifice and the Kohen who offered it.

Recognizing one’s weakness and choosing abstinence over abuse renders one holy. But lest the Nazir lose sight of the ideal, the Torah reminds him that he is nevertheless a sinner. He has not yet achieved the goal of life of elevating the entire physical world. Were he on the ideal level, he would not have to abstain from wine, but would instead utilise it for spiritual growth. Thus the same vow that renders him holy is also a compromise of the true ideal.

My Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter zt’’l explains the verse, “Be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d am holy” (Vayikra 19:2), to mean that just as Hashem is intimately involved in every aspect of the physical world - since only His will at every moment allows anything to exist - so, too, must we have contact with the entire physical world. But our involvement must imitate Hashem’s: we must elevate and sanctify the physical, and not let the physical drag us into materialism devoid of spirituality. In the World to Come, we will be taken to task for everything in this world we could have enjoyed and elevated but did not. Every year we make a bracha over the blooming fruit trees to remind ourselves that Hashem created good and beneficial creations for man’s enjoyment.

In this context, we can better understand the requirement that the Nazir let his hair grow wild. The hair corresponds to the spiritual connections that link a person to his spiritual essence above. When the hair is in order, the physical and spiritual worlds mesh. Both the king and the Kohanim are required to cut their hair regularly as a sign of the orderly bond to the spiritual world that is necessary to properly fill their exalted positions of authority.

The wine forbidden to the Nazir can enhance our performance of various mitzvos and occasions of joy by helping us give expression to our innermost sentiments. When detached, however, from mitzvos and utilised as an end in itself, it degrades a person by robbing him of his most precious possession, his mind. Thus one who “sees a Sotah in her disgrace,” i.e., brought to shame from an abuse of wine, and who recognizes a similar weakness in himself, should vow to abstain from wine for a period of time to control his weakness.

A Nazir must let his hair grow wild to signify the short-circuit that necessitates his temperance. At the conclusion of his lesson in self-control, he shaves his hair to signify a new beginning, a total reorganisation and rewiring of his physical-spiritual bonds. The hair is then burnt under the pot in which his shelamim offering is cooked to signify this new found harmony. In this context the Torah states, “and after [this process] the Nazir can drink wine” (Bamidbar 6:20). This verse is problematic, since after the process is finished he is no longer a Nazir. The Torah is telling us that the purpose of his nezirus was not abstinence for its own sake, but rather as a lesson in how to properly drink wine after the period is over. Hence the goal of his nezirus is to drink wine as a Nazir, as one sanctified and uplifted.

T H I S P A G E I S K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D

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Parshas Nasso is the longest parsha with 176 pesukim, verses. What are the other two longest places that have the same number of 176?

Menachem Gertner | Trustee, Federation by explaining the dual nature of our

The Medrash (Bamidbar Rabba 6:1) quotes a passuk in Mishlei (3:15), “yekara hi mi’peinim, vechol chafatzecha lo yishvu bo” the Torah is more valuable than pearls and all that you desire is not equal to it”. The Medrash goes on to teach us that a great Talmid Chacham – even if he is a mamzer – is considered to be on a higher spiritual level than the Kohen Gadol. The message of the Medrash is that the Torah has the power to elevate any individual – no matter their background – to a higher level than even those with the most illustrious ancestry.

FEDERATION

CLOSEST TO HASHEM at will, whilst others may be

relationship with Hashem. As we say on

stationed in lowly or remote positions

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – im

where they will never have any contact with

ke’vanim, im ke’avadim – we are in some

the king. The king’s children, however, will

respects like children to Hashem and in

always maintain a close relationship with

others like slaves to Him. Each and every

their father regardless of where they are

Jew has a basic requirement to fulfil the

stationed and what duty they are fulfilling.

mitzvos as laid out in the Shulchan Aruch

When Klal Yisrael received the Torah they

and within this requirement the specific

said Na’aseh ve’nishma – we will do and

mitzvos an individual is commanded to

we will heed. This phrase reflects this dual

perform will vary depending on many

nature of our relationship with Hashem;

factors including: whether they are Kohanim,

Na’aseh – we will perform the mitzvos as

Levi’im or Yisraelim; their gender, their

commanded by Hashem and as per our

profession, the time of year etc. In this way

duty. But in addition to that, nishmah – we

each individual member of Klal Yisroel is

will go beyond the basic requirements and

assigned different roles with strictly defined

internalise our relationship with Hashem

duties, in much the same way as slaves will

to develop the deep closeness that children

be assigned their particular tasks.

have with their parents.

However, there is second aspect to our

In answering his initial question the Sfas

relationship with Hashem – that of being

Emes applies these concepts. Service in the

His children. We have a requirement to love

Beis Hamikdash is a privilege afforded to a

Hashem and to deepen our relationship with

select few by virtue of their birth, but not

Him beyond a basic observance of the 613

through having earned it on merit. It is duty

mitzvos and this can be achieved by studying

to be fulfilled by the Kohanim and should

Hashem’s wisdom as laid out in the Torah.

not be seen as being greater than the duties

Through the study of the Torah we can

fulfilled by any other member of Klal Yisrael.

gain a special connection to Him that can

Our strength comes from the collective

only be developed through time, effort and

clear (and inspiring!) but begs an obvious

efforts of all of Klal Yisroel each fulfilling

sacrifice. As the abovementioned passuk

question: if indeed the Torah system is a

their particular roles. Talmidei Chachamim

in Mishlei teaches us “kol chafatzecha” - all

meritocracy, why then can only the Kohen

on the other hand are like the beloved

one’s desires for wealth, success, prestige

Gadol perform the Yom Kippur service in

children of Hashem and have earned

and worldly possessions cannot begin to

the kodesh hakodoshim? If a great Talmid

their place through their hard work and

match the richness of total immersion in,

Chacham is on a higher spiritual level, then

dedication to the Torah. They are the ones

and devotion to, the Torah.

whose lives are defined by their adherence

This meaning of this Medrash seems

surely he should be the one to perform this

It is analogous to a king whose many

to the possuk “yekara hi mi’peinim, vechol

servants will have different positions within

chafatzecha lo yishvu bo” and are closer to

The Sfas Emes (R’ Yehudah Aryeh

his royal household. Some will have regular

Hashem than even those with the most

Leib Alter of Gur 1847–1905) answers

access to the king and may speak to him

distinguished yichus.

most important of services?

T H I S P A G E I S K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D B Y T H E F E D E R A T I O N

DO YOU HAVE A SHAILA? ASK THE federation

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What is the signiﬁcance of Parshas Nasso coming straight after Shavuos (in most years)?

Rabbi Daniel Fine

PARSHAH

ALL OVER THE PLACE? Community Rabbi, Stanmore and Canons Park US and the Hasmonean Beis Programme

There’s nothing like starting with some apologetics - it’s a very English thing to do (I caught my wife once saying sorry when someone errantly called her phone, asking for a Doctor Atlas - ‘sorry, that’s not me’ was her reply). I must admit that we don’t normally go for Divrei Torah of this genre and nature - we normally cite or expand on an explanation from one of the classic commentaries and bring the point home, or perhaps ask a penetrating question and outline various classic approaches or answers. Yet with this week’s mammoth sedra we shall outline an idea of our own regarding the structure of parshas Nasso. I have no proofs for this idea, so feel free to judge it on its own merits and consequently take it or leave it - if it is not to your liking you can always blame it on a Mattan Torah hangover of sorts...

specific questions: Why do we seem to begin and end with the Mishkan topic and then sandwiched between them we waver in speaking about the Sotah and Nazir, who seem to have very little to do with the Mishkan other than korbanos they offer? Second, the Ramban classifies Chumash Bamidar as the Chumash which includes mitzvos which relate to the Mishkan (but not the notion of the actual Mishkan itself) as well as mitzvos which are limited to the desert or one-off events. According to this categorisation the notions of Sotah and Nazir in our parsha are presented as related to the Mishkan - surely the fact that they happen to offer korbanos is ancillary to their essential themes in terms of loyalty to a marriage and the concept of vows? Further, one could ask why the roles of Gershon and Merari are mentioned in Nasso, whilst that of Kehas was mentioned in Bamidbar - why split them up? Perhaps this is best summarised via one simple question: what is the sequence and structure of our dear parsha? Let us define each part of the seven sections of the parsha and subsequently point out their structure and interrelationship. We shall suggest that the sequence/ order can be succinctly be described as ‘the Mishkan and its interrelationship with Bnei Yisrael’. Beginning with the tasks of Gershon and Merari is the tone-setter: we begin with the Mishkan itself and our task to disassemble, carry and reassemble it as we travel - this being the central feature of our encamping in the desert. Next we move on to retaining the sanctity of the Mishkan: those who are not allowed into the Mishkan precinct due to impurity (indeed, some mefarshim learn that even those who have to be sent out of three camps is an extension of the mitzvah to exit the Mishkan - hence some counting these as one mitzvah, not three). Then, after discussing the Mishkan itself and retaining its sanctity, we move outwards to the people who are the ‘keepers and workers’ of the Mishkan: the Kohanim. Thus, the portion of theft and lying under oath (the laws of which we have been taught before) to speak about theft relating to paying the Kohanim.

For if one looks at the structure of parshas Nasso one will notice the following sequence or events that appear: 1. The Mishkan jobs of Gershon and Merari (the job of Kehas was discussed last week in Bamidbar - we shall suggest why they were separated into different parshiyos later) 2. Sending the tzarua and the zav and the impure outside the camps (the tzarua from all three camps - Mishkan, Levi and Yisrael - the zav from two and the tamei from only the Mishkan) 3. A specific case of theft involving a consequent false oath and stealing from a convert, which obligates paying the Kohanim 4. The Sotah 5. The Nazir 6. The blessing of the Kohanim 7. The inaugural offerings of the tribe leaders The question we must ask is what exactly is the structure of parshas Nasso? We could ask individual

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Now we move down a level - after focussing on the Mishkan and the Kohanim we then speak about our own conduct and its relating to the Mishkan. The opening section here is the Sotah, a breakdown of a marriage and suspected disloyalty. The connection to the Mishkan here is twofold: the Kohanim are central to the Sotah process in their role of engendering peace and guardians of the oath process. In some ways this is a microcosm of defiling the Mishkan as we saw in reference to the zav et al: for the Gemara (Sotah) teaches us that ‘a man and woman who have peace between them have the Shechinah dwelling in such a home’. A successful marriage is no less than a creation of a personal Mishkan (Rav Wolbe use to thus say that the mitzvah of mesame’ach chassan ve’kallah is based on the notion of welcoming the Shechinah). A breakdown of a home is thus the defilement of a Mishkan in a microcosmic way, hence the Sotah bringing korbanos in

the Mishkan. Next is the Nazir, one who makes a vow prohibiting him from certain things: haircuts, becoming impure and drinking wine. It is noteworthy that the Nazir is also called holy and is compared to the Kohen Gadol in this capacity - indeed, note that the latter two of a Nazir’s three restrictions are also ones that bind Kohannim in general. The other, not cutting one’s hair, shares a relationship with a Kohen too (see Rashi Vayikra 21:10 in which each is learnt from each other), though a Kohen is to ensure his hair is not too long, whilst in a kedushaseeking effort, the Nazir is to refrain from cutting his hair. Yet a Nazir also brings a korban chattas and we are told that if one can work on their challenges without using the framework of a vow/Nazir then this is certainly preferable. The Nazir can thus be presented as one who overcooks his replicating a Kohen/Kohen Gadol: he reaches the heights of a Kohen, but only temporarily and perhaps ideally unnecessarily. In essence this second section has mirrored the first section. The first section was about the Mishkan’s existence and then retaining its sanctity and the Kohanim as its workers. And the second section emphasises our role in these two realms: Sotah cautions retaining the sanctity of our own mini-Mishkan abodes, and a Nazir cautions retaining the specialness of the Kohanim and regulates our ‘temporary Kohen phase’ of being a Nazir. Finally, after having spoken about three conceptual layers - the Mishkan’s existence and kedusha, the Kohanim and thirdly us realising our place vis-a-vis the Mishkan and Kohanim - we now have a fourth and final level: the inauguration of the Mishkan via the heads of the tribes (note, they are not Kohanim) speaks about our relationship with the Mishkan itself. True, we do not serve in the Mishkan, but the Mishkan’s sanctity and its impact on our nation goes hand-in-hand with the conduct of our nation and how seriously they take the privilege and responsibility of having a Mishkan in their midst. Thus, it is our korbanos that inaugurate the Mishkan. And how appropriate is it that the bridge between the third and fourth conceptual sections is the blessing of the Kohanim - the mix between the Kohanim and the nation, in which they serve as the conduit to bestow blessing on us. In short, the order of Nasso is one that goes from innermost outwards: it moves from the sanctity of the Mishkan itself to its workers, to our role in personal and national in safeguarding and inaugurating the Mishkan. Perhaps this is why the role of Kehas is not mentioned in Nasso - for Kehas were charged with looking after the most holy articles of the Mishkan, and we want to separate them from the rest of the people and nation: these are to be seen as untouchable and pristinely holy. For those looking for a practical message from our discussion, one facet to focus on is that kedusha does not exist in a vacuum. Rav Wolbe writes in his second volume of Alei Shur that kedusha is (predicated upon) knowledge of oneself, one’s place and talents. Though not everyone was privy to serve in the Mishkan, everyone was privy of contributing to their individual, national and centralised sanctity too.

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When else during the year do we read from Parshas Nasso?

Rabbi Moishe Kormornick | Author, Short Vort would have brought the husband here and whipped him on a bench and forced him to take his wife back!” Rebbi Meir answered them, “Is Meir’s honour greater than the Hashem’s honour? If, regarding the Holy Name that was written in holiness, the Torah says to erase in the [Sotah] Waters in order to restore peace between man and his wife; all the more so Meir’s honour!”2

‫וְ כָ ַתב ֶאת ָה ָאֹלת ָה ֵאּלֶ ה ַהּכ ֵֹהן‬ ‫ּומ ָחה ֶאל ֵמי ַה ָּמ ִרים‬ ָ ‫ַּב ֵּס ֶפר‬ And the Kohen shall write these curses on a scroll and erase it into the bitter waters (5:23) The Medrash relates that one Friday night after attending Rebbi Meir’s Shabbos drasha, a woman returned home to her obnoxious husband some time after the candle had already gone out. After answering that she had been to Rebbi Meir’s drasha, her husband childishly told his wife that he would not permit her back into the house until she spit in Rebbi Meir’s face. The Medrash continues to describe that Eliyahu Hanavi came to Rebbi Meir and told him exactly what had happened. In order to rectify the situation, Rebbi Meir went to the Beis Hamedrash where he found the woman praying. He made out as if he was suffering an ailment and walked over to her and asked if she knew how to heal his ailment by spitting in his eye1. Out of fear, she answered that she did not know, but Rebbi Meir insisted that she spit into his eye seven times. After she had done this, Rebbi Meir said to her “Go tell your husband, ‘You told me to spit in Rebbi Meir’s face one time, but I spat in his face seven times!’” Rebbi Meir’s students approached their Rebbe in astonishment and asked him, “Rebbi, how can you disgrace words of Torah (referring to Rebbi Meir himself) like this? If you would have told us, we

On this Medrash, Rav Elya Lopian notes that Rebbi Meir did not argue with his students that their idea would not have been successful. Rather, he says that he wanted to emulate Hashem Who undermined His own honour even when it was not necessary, for Hashem could have made the Sota Waters work in the same way without needing to erase His Name. Yet, in order to show the great importance of making peace between man and wife, Hashem made sure that His Name would be included in the Parsha of Sotah and thus need to be erased. For this reason therefore, Rebbi Meir insisted that the woman spit into his face seven times and not only once (which was all that was required to satisfy her husband) due to the great Mitzvah of restoring peace to a husband and wife. The value of restoring peace is further learned from the Jewish People’s reaction to Aharon’s death which caused the Jewish People more distress than Moshe’s death explains Rabbeinu Bachya.3 This, explains Rabbeinu Bachya, is because specifically Aharon was known as a “pursuer of peace” who would constantly 2

Bamidbar Rabbah (9:20) together with Devarim Rabbah (5:14) 3 By Aharon’s death, the Torah says that “the entire House of Israel cried” (Bamidbar 20:29) whereas by Moshe’s death, the Torah says that merely “the Children of Israel cried” (Devarim 34:8)

1 Chazal describe this form of healing in several places. For instance, see the Gemora in Bava Basra (126b) which brings an opinion that only a father’s firstborn has the power to heal an eye ache in such a fashion.

PARSHAH

OHEV SHALOM

go out of his way to bring peace “between man and his friend and between husband and wife.” The importance of keeping peace is most pertinent when it comes to marriage. This was demonstrated by the Satmar Rebbe one Friday when he was visited by one of the leading members of the Satmar community. This visitor witnessed the following scene: The Rebbetzen was arranging her candles in the dining room of their house, and the Rebbe turned to her and asked, “Why are you arranging the candles in the house? (The custom was that the Rebbe would often organize a tisch in the Beis Medrash and therefore the Rebbetzen would light there because that is where they would eat.) The Rebbetzen answered, “I am not letting you do a tisch tonight, you’re not feeling well enough!” “But I must,” answered the Rebbe, “I’ve already announced the tisch and we’re expecting many guests to come especially for the occasion. After a few more minutes of discussion back and forth, the Rebbe bowed his head in defeat and agreed not to make the tisch. The visitor was standing there in amazement; he was sure that the strongest person in the entire world was the Satmar Rebbe — famous for being unable to be swayed by anyone or anything, and now he sees that the Rebbetzen is even stronger! While he was still in a state of shock the Rebbe turned to him and said with a smile, “You don’t understand, when it comes to Shalom Bayis, the one who gives in is the winner!”4 4 Related in the sefer, Tiv Hashiduchim.

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Why does Parshas Nasso start in the middle of describing the diﬀerent parts of Shevet Levi, tribe of Levi, that were allocated to carry diﬀerent parts of the Mishkan, tabernacle? Why does it start with the Bnei Gershon splitting it up from the Bnei Kehas who are already mentioned last week in Parshas Bamidbar?

Part One of Four Part Series

This series of short essays on different aspects of Shabbos was first printed in From Strength To Strength by Rabbi Fletcher, Menucha Publishing. It is now printed in the Oneg Shabbos by permission of the copyright holder.

Rabbi Michoel Fletcher

SHABBOS

KABBOLAS SHABBOS: OUR SPIRITUAL PIT STOP

Rabbi Fletcher has published several sefarim including Do You Know Hilchos Shabbos? Do You Know Hilchos Brachos? Do You Know Shas? (Berachos - Pesachim), From Strength to Strength, Dancing in our Hearts and other Torah articles

At the beginning of Parshas Vayeitzei we read, “And Yaakov went out of Be’er Sheva and he went to Charan” (Bereishis 28:10). Rashi asks why we need this pasuk; we already know that Yaakov was coming from Be’er Sheva and was going to Charan. There are a number of answers. One of them pertains to far more than this particular journey of Yaakov Avinu. It is an answer which Pirkei Avos says is so important that we have to remember it constantly, throughout our lives. We always have to know where we have come from and where we are going to. Where do we come from? Every Jew is a “chelek Eloka mimaal” (Zohar). Within us we have a spark of Hashem. Our neshamos come from the holiest and purest source. As we say in our daily brachos, “The soul that You gave me is pure.” And when you have something so valuable, you treasure it, you make sure it remains pure.

world is a spiritual quagmire. It’s easy to slip and fall. But Shabbos reminds us. She brings us back. If our neshamah is not quite so clean, Shabbos is the great cleanser. She is our spiritual pit stop for us to reassess, refuel our neshamos, and get back on track. If during the week we veered from the narrow path, Shabbos stretches out her hands to help us back. Not with harsh words but with love and warmth. Just saying and hearing “Lechu Neranenah” makes us want to come back home. When we say “Shiru laHashem shir chadash,” we want to join in the singing. When we sing “Lecha Dodi,” we feel and enjoy that closeness to Hashem that we missed for the last six days. When we turn around and sing, “Bo’i veshalom ateres baalah…toch emunei am segulah—Come in peace, crown of her husband…among the faithful ones, Hashem’s treasured nation.” We’re proud and happy to be part of Hashem’s treasured nation. We say, “Never again will I go away. Never again will I distance myself from Hashem. And if, despite all these beautiful intentions, I do slip once more, next week Shabbos will again embrace me and bring me back.

And if we think, Sure, our neshamah came from a holy place, but now we live in this world and our neshamah is bound to lose its purity. Then we have to remember the next part: Where we are going to? We will all eventually go back to Shamayim. There, Hashem will ask us, “How is the neshamah I gave you? Is it still pure and holy?” If we remember this, we won’t let our neshamah be sullied. We don’t want to be shamed by having to show Hashem that the beautiful neshamah teharah He gave us is now impure. The trouble is that we forget. We look at our neighbour. Compared to him or her I’m not bad. We so easily ignore our final destination. This world is so overpowering. We want to be successful in this world and sometimes a little lie, a little lashon hara would make life easier. We like to be popular and we’re tempted to be one of the boys just once, just twice, just three times… How can we remember our destination and keep our neshamos untainted? To preserve the wholesomeness of our neshamos we have Shabbos every week. True, the

Shabbos is me’ein Olam Haba, like the World to Come. But not just in the usual understanding that we are removed on Shabbos from all material distractions and can concentrate on ruchnius. It is also in the sense that we meet Hashem and present our neshamah just as we will in the World to Come. Yet there is a difference. In the real World to Come we have to present our neshamah for judgment. There are no more chances. On Shabbos we also present our neshamah, but here we have another chance. If we can be inspired to try to grow from now on, our journey through this world can still be successful. Shabbos is our weekly opportunity to get back on track, to make sure we are going in the right direction. Just in case we have temporarily forgotten, Shabbos will remind us about our true destination—where we are going to and in front of Whom will we have to give din vecheshbon. The parashah says more about Yaakov’s journey: “And he came to the place and stayed there overnight because the sun had set. He took some stones and put them under his head and lay down for the night. He had a dream and behold there was a ladder standing on the ground and the top

reached to the heavens. To order Rabbi Fletcher’s And sefarim or to be added behold, to his mailing list please the email rabbimfletcher@ angels of G-d gmail.com were going up and down on it. And Hashem was standing at the top” (Bereishis 28:11–13). If we think about it, Yaakov Avinu’s journey is similar to the journey we travel in our own lives. We also have our dreams—what we want to achieve; how we see our future, materially, spiritually. Sometimes the malachim who represent us go up and everything we touch turns to gold. At other times our malachim go down— we have our failures, our disappointments. But as in Yaakov’s dream, Hashem is at the top of the ladder to help us, support us, and when necessary comfort us. As the pasuk continues, “And He said, ‘I am Hashem, the G-d of your father Avraham and your father Yitzchak…I am with you and will look after you. I will guard you and will not forsake you until I have fulfilled what I said to you.’” When each of arrives at our destination, after 120 years, we will appreciate that everything which happened to us was for the best. The successes and the failures, the happy times and the disappointing times, peaceful times and times of war were all according to Hashem’s precise plan. “And Yaakov woke up from his sleep and he said, ‘Surely G-d is in this place and I didn’t know.’” We will realize that even when we could not see Hashem, He was with us all the time. We have to remember where we came from—the highest levels of sanctity and purity. Where we are going to—back to Hashem’s loving embrace. We should use Shabbos as our weekly inspiration to maintain the purity of our neshamos and to strengthen our emunah and our bitachon. Then when we come to our appointment with Hashem, He will congratulate us on a job well done and welcome us Home.

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5. Why do the people who are tamei, impure, need to be sent out of the camp? livingwithmitzvos.com

Rabbi Mordechai Appel | Shomrei Shabbos Chevra Mishnayos & ‫דרכים בפרשה‬ ‫ולבני קהת לא נתן כי עבדת הקדש‬ )‫ט‬:‫עלהם בכתף ישאו (ז‬ And to the sons of Kehas he did not give; since the sacred service was upon them, they carried on their shoulder (7:9) Rashi1 explains that on the day that the Mishkan was dedicated, the Nesiim donated wagons and oxen for the Leviim to use in transporting it. Moshe apportioned the wagons among the Levi families of Gershon and Merari according to their need, but allotted no wagons to the family of Kehas, for they were charged with “safeguarding” the holiness of the Aron. This required that they carry it on their own shoulders, not on wagons pulled by animals. The Gemara2 relates a discussion between Hashem and Dovid Hamelech. In Tehillim3, Dovid reflects on the time spent fleeing from his enemies. Those were dark times for him, but the Torah was like a song to gladden him. ‫זמרות היו לי חקיך בבית מגורי‬- Your Torah/statutes were as songs to me in my dwelling of fear. Dovid refers to the Torah as zemiros, and Hashem warns him, “You call the Torah zemiros? The Torah requires the most intense concentration; even the blink of an eye can cause its loss, yet, you refer to it as a song? I promise that you will forget the most basic passuk that even young children know, instructing that the Aron be carried on one’s shoulders, “Bakasef yisa’u”. The Gemara then goes on to cite the story of Dovid and Uzza. Now that Dovid’s kingdom was firmly established, Dovid attempted to finally bring the Aron to Yerushalayim. They fashioned a brand new wagon for the journey. On the way, Uzza noticed that the Aron was slipping and reached out to grab it. Hashem was angered by this action, and Uzza died on the spot. Uzza should have known that if the Aron could carry those that carry it4 surely it could carry itself. Ultimately, Uzza’s death was the result of Dovid having forgotten that “Bakasef yisa’u”, the Aron needed to be carried on their shoulders and not in a wagon. Had Dovid remembered this passuk, none of this would have happened. The mefarshim wonder why Dovid was specifically punished by forgetting this particular passuk of “bakasef 1 2 3 4

Avoda Zara 35a Ibid. 119:54 See Yehoshua 4:18

yisa’u”, and not another If you would like to rec eive a weekly dvar torah on the passuk? The parsha and yomim tovim, please Maharsha email appel.mordechai@gmail. explains that com with “ADD ME” in the sub Dovid was ject. punished midah kineged midah (measure for measure). Learning Torah in the manner of a song causes it to be swiftly forgotten. Therefore, calling Torah “a song” causes Dovid to forget a Torah law. Furthermore5, Rav Dovid Povarski explains that when it comes to the learning of Torah, mere knowledge does not suffice. One must accept upon himself the yoke of learning and the responsibility to learn; he must carry it on his shoulders - bakasef yisa’u. The foundation for one’s success and learning only comes through his effort and toil in learning. The effort and the Torah are intrinsically bound, inseparable from one another. I saw another explanation in the Yaaros Devash6 that is extremely worthy of note. Rav Yonasan Eibeshitz zt’’l writes that Dovid lacked a certain insight into the loftiness of the Torah. In brief, he explains that two sorts of malachim serve Hashem on high. Those of the outer court serve through joy and song (shirah); those of the inner sanctum stand with reverence and awe. Dovid assumed that study of the Torah is analogous to service in the outer court; he therefore studies joyfully, using Torah to gladden his heart. This was his mistake. The Torah’s avodah reaches all the way into the inner sanctum. It demands not joy but reverence, not song but serious contemplation. The Aron as well is just like the avodah of the innermost malachim. Its avodah requires awe, not joy. I found this explanation fascinating because at the core, I believe that if we would realise just how much we can accomplish from our learning, we would assign it a much higher value (each person on their own level). Of course we know that the Torah penetrates the highest heavens, but do we realize that it mamash goes “lifnai vilifnim”? We stand now just days after Matan Torah. Let us be zocheh to carry the Torah in the manner of “bakasef yisa’u”. At the same time, we should appreciate just how valuable our Torah learning is to Hashem Yisborach.

PARSHAH

DERACHIM BAPARSHA ANSWERS

1. The other longest places that have the number 176 is the longest , chapter in Tehillim, Chapter 119. It has each of the twenty-two letters of the AlephBeis in eight pesukim, verses. The longest Mesechta is Bava Basra with 176 dapim. 2. Parshas Nasso, the longest parsha, comes after Shavuos to demonstrate that coming out of Shavuos we put the love for Torah into practice by having longer and more Torah. This is why the Midrash Rabba on Parshas Nasso is so large, much more than other parshios. Also, the Zohar on Parshas Nasso is the large Idra Rabba. (See Chidushei HaRim in Sefer Hazechus) 3. We also read Parshas Nasso during the eight days of Chanuka. Some also have the minhag, custom, to read from it the first twelve days of the month of Nissan. The reading here is the korbonos, sacrifices, brought by the Nesiyim, leaders, during the inauguration of the Mishkan. 4. The Abarbanel explains that really the order of the tribe of Levi from most important to least was Kehas, Gershon and Merari, as seen by which parts of the Mishkan, that they were allocated to carry when travelling. Gershon was the oldest and in order to placate him not being given the most important job, he instead was made to start the new parsha, Parshas Nasso. 5. Purity enables closeness to Hashem while tuma, impurity, acts as a separation to make Hashem distance Himself from us. In order to ensure that Hashem remains close to the Jewish Nation and is not penalised by individuals, people who were in impure states were told to leave the camp, ensuring that the Shechina, Divine Presence, remained with the rest of the people. 6. The connection is that Parshas Nasso contains in it the parsha of nazir, the nazarite, while the haftora deals with the informing the parents of Shimshon that he would be a nazir.

Riddle Answer 176

a) This is the amount of Pesukim in this week’s Parshah b) The amount of Pesukim in Tehilim Chapter 119

5 As heard from Rav Nissan Kaplan shlita 6 2:1

c) Maseches Bava Basra goes up to Daf 176 (it actually has 175 Daf since it starts on Daf 2)

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6. What is the connection between Parshas Nasso and the haftara that deals with the informing of the birth of Shimshon?

‫פרקי אבות‬

Pirkei Avos

Reproduced with permission from the ArtScroll / Mesorah Heritage Foundation:

The Noé Edition PIRKEI AVOS ’‫פרק א’ משנה א‬

,‫ ומסרה ליהושע‬,‫משה קבל תורה מסיני‬ ‫ ונביאים‬,‫ וזקנים לנביאים‬,‫ויהושע לזקנים‬ ‫מסרוה לאנשי כנסת הגדולה‬ Moses received the Torah from [Hashem who revealed Himself at Mount] Sinai and conveyed it to Joshua; Joshua [conveyed it] to the Elders; the Elders [conveyed it] to the Prophets; and the Prophets [conveyed it] to the Men of the Great Assembly. MISHNAH 1 The masechta begins by tracing the links in the chain of Torah transmission through the generations, in order to emphasize the Divine origin of Avos and to equate its importance with that of the legal and ritual laws of the Torah. This is essential in order to differentiate Avos from ethical tracts composed by human beings (e.g., Aristotle’s Ethics), for even the greatest of them are products of human intellect. Avos, however, was given at Sinai and transmitted through the generations, beginning with Moses; it is an integral part of the corpus of Torah that Moses received from Hashem (Rav; also see Meiri). The delineation of the chain of transmission indicates that even Torah study and the fulfilment of its commandments are insufficient means for man to achieve perfection, unless they are joined with refinement of character and the maintenance of proper interpersonal relationships – areas that are the subject of Avos. Our Sages teach (Yoma 86a): “Woe is to one who occupies himself with Torah yet does not conduct his business honestly and act cordially towards others” (Tiferes Yisrael).

‫ּתֹורה‬ ָ ‫ – מֹ ֶֹשה ִק ֵּבל‬MOSES RECEIVED THE TORAH R’ Yonah stresses the fundamental principle of faith that the term “Torah” includes both the Written Law [‫ּתֹורה ֶׁש ִּבכְ ָתב‬ ָ , i.e., the Five Books of Moses] and the accompanying Oral Law [‫ּתֹורה ֶׁש ַּב ַעל‬ ָ ‫] ֶּפה‬, the interpretation of the text. God gave the Oral Law to Moses in its entirety and it was expounded by successive generations of sages (see Berachos 5a). Without the Oral Law, the Torah would be unintelligible. Thus, in the light of the Oral Law, the generic negative commandment ‫ֹלא ְתגזֹול‬, You shall not steal (Leviticus 19:13), covers not only the stealing of money, but extends to liability for damages inflicted by one person or his property upon another person or his property. Likewise, many terms remain undefined in the written text of the Torah, and the Oral Law indentifies them [e.g., an eye for an eye (Exodus 21:24) is not literal

but means monetary compensation; the ambiguous term fruit of a beautiful tree (Leviticus 23:40) refers to the commandment to take an esrog on Succos] (R’ Yonah).

ÂÂ Like a lecturer’s notes. R’ S. R. Hirsch

compares the Written Law to the notes which a lecturer prepares for himself before making his presentation. Were an outsider, who did not hear the oral presentation, to find those notes, they would be totally unintelligible; the notes are meaningful only in conjunction with the verbal lecture. Similarly, much of the Written Torah makes sense only when accompanied by the Oral Tradition.

ÂÂ The Torah within us. When He presented

us with the Written Torah, Hashem also implanted in us the intelligence and understanding to develop and penetrate the depths of its meaning – to outline its minute details and chart its pathways. As we say in our prayers, “Blessed is He, our G-d, Who created us for His glory, separated us from those who stray, gave us the Torah of truth, and implanted eternal life within us.” Hashem “gave” us the Written Law in its entirety, but in addition He implanted within His people the national character through which G-d-fearing Torah scholars would have the ability and wisdom to interpret the nuances of the Written Text and apply its words to life situations as they unfold. It is in this sense that the Oral Law is described metaphorically like a tree that is implanted... within us. Just as a tree, once planted, has the capacity to grow and produce fruit and the seeds for more trees, so the Oral Law enables those who study it to elucidate the Written Law and produce ever more wisdom and applications, all emanating from the same roots.

ANCIENT AND REVERED

It is commonly accepted that the more august an article’s origin and the more ancient its pedigree,

the more it is respected and the more it is worth. For example, an old uniform may be nothing more than a rag, but if it can be proven that it was once worn by a famous athlete or soldier, it becomes a valuable collector’s item. In contrast, an article that is intrinsically precious, such as a piece of jewellery made of gold and platinum and studded with many large diamonds and pearls, is valuable even if it is of recent origin. Avos begins by pointing out the infinite value of Torah. Not only is it of very ancient origin, it was given by Hashem Himself, and treasured by the greatest people in the history of Israel.

INTRINSICALLY FLAWED Human definitions of ethics are unavoidably influenced by the thinking and moral climate prevalent at the time of their formulation. Rather than expressing timeless truths and objective moral certitudes, they tend to reflect circumstances. It is not surprising, therefore, that what was once unequivocally deemed murder may be considered mercy killing (euthanasia) or an expression of the right to control one’s body; and behaviour once considered abominable may come to be regarded as nothing more than an “alternative life-style.” Only Hasehm, through His Torah, can define truth and goodness.

HASHEM’S STREET MAP Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l likened the relationship of the two Torahs to the difference between a world map and a street map. On the huge world map New York City appears as a small black dot. Using only that map, one could never find a particular location within the city. Only with the help of a detailed map, which provides the block-by-block picture of the city, would one be able to locate his destination. Similarly, the basic map – the Written Torah – was given by Hashem, and the Oral Torah fills out its details.

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