Remembering Rozi Davis Davidowitz, a”h

Torah Thought

Parshas Matos-Maasei

By Rabbi Berel Wein

The combination of these two sections of the Torah constitutes the question, raised by all commentators over the ages, as to whether there is a connection between these two parshiot or is it just a matter of calendar convenience that unites them is one Torah reading on this coming Sabbath.

I have always believed that there are no random occurrences or events as they appear in the text in the Torah and in other holy writings. The Torah is not a random work, and these sections of the book are also not randomly put together. There must be a connecting bond, a common denominator, that unites these two apparently disparate and different sections of the Torah.

I feel that it is in the relationship between the Jewish people and the land of Israel that is the connection that links Matot and Maasei. In this reading of Matot, we are told of the request of the tribes of Reuven and Gad to settle themselves and their families, their flocks, their wealth, and talents outside the strict borders of the land of Israel. They point out to Moshe all the advantages that they would enjoy if he allowed them to take their share in the land of Israel east of the Jordan River.

Moshe resists their plan, and sharply criticizes them for advancing it publicly. However, he is powerless to change their minds and alter their demands. He reaches an accommodation with them, i.e. that they will participate in the conquest of the land of Israel itself and not forsake their brothers in the struggle to obtain the land of Israel for the tribes of Israel. However, it is obvious that, even this result – to settle east of the Jordan River – is a disappointment.

Advancing in history, we see that centuries later, the tribes of Reuven and Gad were the earliest ones who were forced into exile, losing their land and independence.

In the second section of this week’s Torah reading, we have the entire list of all the way-stations that the Jewish people experienced during their sojourn in the Desert of Sinai. Rashi is quick to point out that every one of these places had memories for the Jewish people and were not just simply names of places, but, rather, descriptions of past events. Each place was a challenge and a test.

We find in Judaism and Jewish thought that maintaining Jewish values is not always convenient. It demands sacrifice and memory of historical importance. In our time, many Jews, if not most of them, have again chosen to live outside the confines of the land of Israel. I do not mean to criticize any of them for this choice, but I merely make the observation that for almost all these Jews, it is a matter of convenience. It is the same type of convenience that led the tribes of Reuven and Gad to prefer the pasture lands of Transjordan over the land of Israel itself. It certainly was more convenient for them to do so, but the hard truth about Judaism is that it is never convenient – it is demanding, insistent and unwavering.

Remembering fondly all the way stations that we have experienced over our long exile in this world may create within us a feeling of nostalgia, but that is only because we do not directly face the lessons of exile and what was endured throughout the centuries. It is certainly not for me to criticize Jews who choose to live outside of the land of Israel. It is their choice, and many, if not most, have good reasons to do so. But none of this changes the historical fact that only in the land of Israel do the Jewish people have a future, and only there will they be able to truly fulfill the mission set forth for them at Mount Sinai.

Shabbat shalom.

Low Cost Quality Insurance

Our Specialty

Free Consultation Free Policy Evaluation

SPECIAL DISCOUNTED PROGRAMS FOR A SYNAGOUGE,YESHIVA, NURSING & ADULT HOME FACILITIES (SAVE UP TO 50% AND MORE)

Large Commercial Insurance Policies Life Insurance Disability Insurance Self Employed Health Insurance Long Term Care Insurance

Rabbi S. M. Leiner, CLTC

Licensed Independent Broker for all types of Insurance Call: 917-543-0497 - Leave a message

Mail: Rabbi S. M. Leiner, CLTC P.O. Box # 7655 600 Franklin Ave. Ga Garden City, NY 11530

From the Fire

Parshas Maasei Jewish Warrior, King of Opposites

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

The Degel Machaneh Ephraim, zy”a, teaches, in the name of his grandfather the Baal Shem Tov, zy”a, that the forty-two journeys of the Jewish people in the desert correspond to the journeys each individual takes in his life. When a person leaves the womb, this corresponds to when the Jewish people left Egypt. And when the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisroel, this corresponds to a person’s journey into the land of eternal life after 120 years in this world.

How do we retain a sense of equanimity and centeredness when we must transition from one journey to another throughout our lives? Reb Leibele Eiger, zy”a, points out that the word “of them, bam, in the pasuk, “And you shall speak of them,” has the numerical value of forty-two. And the pasuk continues, “And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” We must speak of them, words of Torah and emunah, wherever we go and wherever we travel. We can thrive through every test and trial we face if we hold onto truth and faith. If we remain certain in our purpose, then we will succeed despite all of the contradictions and challenges of a world in which many people seem to have taken leave of basic human decency and morality.

But the Baal Shem Tov’s teaching about the 42 travels of the Jewish people does not only apply to people on an individual level. It also speaks to the travails of our nation as a whole as we journey on toward the times of Moshiach.

The Encampments – A Paradox of Opposites

We know that the names of our stops during our journey in the desert (Bamidbar 33:5-49) have profound meaning. And as I read through the names of our encampments in the parsha with the upheaval in Eretz Yisroel in mind, I was struck by the contradictions implicit in those names and how they speak to the contradictions of life today, particularly in Eretz Yisroel.

On one hand, it says we camped in Miska, from the Hebrew word meaning sweetness. Many aspects of our lives are sweet and we have much to be thankful for. But we also camped in Mara, meaning bitterness. Dozens of our brothers have been killed sanctifying G-d’s name and millions of our brothers, sisters, and friends in Eretz Yisroel are running for bomb shelters multiple times every day. Their lives are in a state of upheaval and they experience bitterness day after day.

The Jewish people camped in Har Shafer, meaning “beautiful mountain.” Sometimes are on top of the world. The view is stunning. But at other times, we camp in Tachas, meaning “low.” When we watch the parents, brothers, sisters, and wives of all of the soldiers killed protecting our people, we feel like we are living at the opening of Geihinom, at the lowest place.

We camped at Refidim, which means weakness. Our Torah, mitzvos, and emunah suffer, and we often do not do what Hashem expects of us. But we also camped in Midbar Sinai, where we received the Torah, attaining the highest level of prophecy and connection to G-d’s will. Today, too, we have seen how even people with little outward connection to Torah and mitzvos have begun saying Tehillim, lighting Shabbos candles, putting on tefillin, and doing many other mitzvos and acts of kindness in order to merit the salvation of the Jewish people.

At one point, the pasuk tells us we camped in Makheilos, meaning, “community” or “congregation.” We were united. And we see how, in the past few weeks, our people have been united more than any other time in the recent past. We are united in prayer and resolve, knowing that our cause is righteous. But at other times, we stop off in a place called Chatzeiros, meaning “courtyards.” Especially when we are not besieged from the outside, every Jewish group separates itself into its own courtyard and unfortunately barely views other Jews as part of the same people.

We camped in Sukkos, a place named after temporary, rickety structures. With thousands of rockets falling all over Eretz Yisroel, with tunnels dug under our communities and neighborhoods, we feel vulnerable and frightened. We feel as if our entire existence is dependent on the protection of some flimsy walls and roof which the wind could blow away at any moment, leaving us completely exposed. But at other times, we feel we are camped in Eisam, meaning, strong. We feel grateful for how Hashem has blessed our people with the resolve, ingenuity, resources, and intelligence to build up one of the most powerful militaries in the world in just a short time.

We sometimes feel we are encamped by the Red Sea, encircled on all sides by enemies and pushed up against the sea. We feel we have no escape. But

at other times, we sense that we are camped in Eilim, where the pesukim tell us there were wellsprings, date palms, and where we were able to rest from the weariness of our travels. We enjoy the prosperity and economic success with which Hashem has blessed our people.

But at other times, we feel we are camped in Dafka, meaning “stricken” or “beaten.” We feel pressed, hit, and beaten by attacks from all directions, physically, emotionally, and diplomatically. We feel we are under siege wherever we live in the world, whether it is in the U.S., Britain, Paris, Morocco, or anywhere else in the world.

We sometimes feel camped in Rimon Paretz, meaning “break through.” We break through every attempt by our enemies to attack us and put us on the run. But, sadly, too often we are camped in Charada, meaning “trembling.” Our brothers and sisters tremble in fear in their bomb shelters and safe rooms. And now, our enemies are wearing IDF uniforms, so that it becomes even more difficult to discern the difference between fellow soldiers and our enemies. Even the Nazis, as far as I know, never stooped to such a tactic.

We sometimes feel we are camped in Chashmonah, where we feel as mighty as the Chashmonayim, or in Etzyon Gaver, meaning “effective strategy” and “strength.” At those times, we take pride and comfort in how our military neutralizes our enemies while protecting our soldiers and minimizing the battle’s impact on civilians.

But at other times, we feel like we are in Kivros Hata’avah, buried in the desires of this world, completely helpless to use all of our might to reign in our own animalistic desires. And at other times, we camp at Kadesh, meaning “holiness.” Our connection to holiness and our desire to do Hashem’s will is often strong and we use those times to increase our connection to Hashem and improve ourselves.

Dovid Hamelech, King of Opposites

As the events in Eretz Yisroel swirl through my mind all day, every day, my thoughts continually return to the ultimate hero of the Jewish people: Dovid Hamelech.

The tzaddikim teach that our job at the end of days is to reveal the great soul of Dovid Hamelech, as the pasuk (Hoshea 3:5) says, “And they sought Hashem, their G-d, and Dovid, their king.” In all of his journeys, he seemed to be full of contradictions. The Gemara (Moed Katan 16b) says that “when [Dovid Hamelech] would sit and study Torah, he would be as refined as silk, and when he went out to war, he hardened himself like wood.” Chazal are not

teaching us that Dovid suffered from multiple personality disorder. Rather, his personality was so great and all-encompassing that it contained everything within it. He was simultaneously composed of the might of war and the highest and most refined level of ethics and morality. These two extremes complement one another. The more perfection one has attained, the more he includes apparent opposites within himself.

That is why Reb Leibele Eiger teaches that the 42 journeys of the Jewish people in the desert, which seem to contain so many opposites within them, are hinted at in the mitzvah of “And you shall speak of them when you sit in your home and when you go on your way…” We must be prepared to cling to the Torah and the certainty of our faith in the midst of the full range of disparate experiences during our travels through this world.

If we remain certain in our purpose, then we will succeed despite all of the contradictions and challenges of a world in which many people seem to have taken leave of basic human decency and morality.

The Illumination Within War

Who else but Rav Kook, zy”a, could have written a section in Oros called “Oros Hamilchama, The “Illumination of War?” Rav Kook writes, as translated by Rabbi Betzalel Noar, as follows:

We regard the early generations, recounted in Torah, Prophets, and Writings; those generations that were engaged in war – they are great people we cherish and glorify. We understand that the spark of soul is the determining factor: that state of the world that necessitated war caused these souls (whose inner feeling was whole) to appear. The battle for existence, for existence of the nation, the War of G-d, was with an inner consciousness.

Mighty in spirit, they knew in the depth of darkness to choose good and eschew evil. Yeah, though I

go in the valley of the shadow of

death I shall fear no evil. When we meditate on them, we, with all the spirituality that we so desire, long for their strength, for the solid life force that dwelled in their midst, and out of this longing our spiritual strength is hardened and our physical strength is softened, and those strong souls return to live in us as ever.

Rav Kook is teaching us that we cannot view the strength and might of warriors as somehow alien to our religious, Torah-based life. During our two-thousand-year exile, we have become accustomed to thinking of a Jew purely as the refined, pale student in the beis medrash. We began thinking that we should only be encamped in Maska, a place of sweetness. We forgot that we must sometimes set up camp in Etzyon Gaver and Rimon Paretz, places of strategy, might, and breaking through all obstacles.

Dovid Hamelech and Rav Kook teach us that while there is a time for gentleness and refinement, there is also a time to kiss our Gemaras, place them down, pick up our weapons, and go to battle against the enemies of the Jewish people who seek to destroy us. That is no less a part of Torah and Yiddishkeit than the study of Torah. Indeed, even a simple reading of Tanach reveals that most of it is comprised of how the Jewish people conducted themselves in war.

Now is the time in history when we must enclothe ourselves for battle and clean the world of the cockroaches of Hamas and their ilk. The whole world is trembling in fear as radical Islamists populate their countries. They look on helplessly. Right now, our people are the only ones making way for Hashem’s kingship in the world. We are the only ones who have taken it upon ourselves to finally clean house, ridding the terrorists of their missiles, guns, grenade launchers, and attack tunnels. We are the only ones standing up to the evil of Hamas, which prides itself on its love of death and bloodshed.

We are like Dovid Hamelech, “redhaired with beautiful eyes” (Shmuel I 16:12); red like Eisav the warrior with the refinement and elevated spirit reflected in his beautiful eyes. Chazal say (Bereishis Raba 63:8) about Dovid Hamelech, “He killed with the consent of the Sanhedrin.” Even when Dovid Hamelech expressed the warrior aspect of his personality, he did not do so with cruel abandon. He conducted himself in war according to halacha and morality. We also see this in our brave brothers in the IDF. While the enemies of our people stoop to lower and lower depths of cruelty both to our people and their own, the Jewish warriors in Eretz Yisroel never stoop to the level of their degraded enemies. They go above and beyond what any nation has done when defending themselves against the imminent threats we face today.

When I see how our nation is rising to the challenge against it with greater moral clarity, more davening, more mitzvos, and more resolve to use the truth to fight against the attacks, lies, and propaganda of our enemies, I feel a surge of pride in our nation. In this current conflict, I am filled with love and nachas when I think about the Israeli soldiers, commanders, political leaders, and people. I am proud to be a Jew. Indeed, when we hold onto our faith and know with certainty that destroying terrorists who attempt to kill every single Jew as they hide behind