26 JUDAISM
21 JULY 2022
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Weekly Dvar Torah F R O M E R E TZ Y I S R A E L
Intellectual and emotional transmission of Torah BY RABBI SHALOM ROSNER
In this week’s parasha, there is a formulation that appears only once in the Torah. The Torah states: “Moshe spoke to the L-rd saying” (Bamidbar 27:15). Typically, a verse would state that G-d spoke with Moshe. In this instance, Moshe initiated the contact. The verse stresses that Moshe spoke to Hashem. After being informed that he will only see but not enter the Land of Israel, Moshe asks Hashem to appoint a successor. Once again, we witness Moshe’s greatness. Rather than considering his own needs and desires as he nears his departure from this world, he first and foremost expresses his concern about the future of Am Yisrael. Moshe specifically requests that Hashem select a leader for the nation so that they not wander like “sheep without a shepherd”. The language used is: katzon asher ayn lahem ro’eh which translates the same in English as katzon le’lo ro’eh. Why the addition of the term asher ayn lahem – “that they lack”?
The Lekach Tov explains that this choice of words is to underscore that a leader’s main concern needs to be with the interests of the people (lahem), not their personal interests. Hashem responds by informing Moshe that indeed Yehoshua will be his successor. In verse 18, Hashem instructs Moshe “you shall lay your hand upon him”. Yet, when Moshe appoints Yehoshua, it states: “He laid his hands upon him” (verse 23). The instruction was to do smicha, to lay with one hand, yet Moshe used two hands. It may seem trivial, yet, Rav Yosef Soloveitchik (Masoret HaRav) derives an important message from this distinction. The Rav explains in verse 20 that Hashem instructs Moshe to not only appoint Yehoshua but also “you shall bestow some of
your majesty (hod) upon him”. This “majesty” was figuratively imparted via Moshe’s second hand. There are two mesorot, traditions, that Moshe transferred to Yehoshua. One is the tradition of learning Torah. The second (hod) was experiential. For example, one can learn the laws of Shabbat yet not truly comprehend the unique and special aspect of Shabbat. To truly understand Shabbat, one has to experience it. Yehoshua was selected not only because of his intellectual pursuit of Torah but rather because he never left Moshe’s side, as is stated: “His attendant, Yehoshua Bin-Nun, a lad, would not depart from the tent” (Shemot 33:11). Yehoshua learned from the way
Yehoshua was selected not only because of his intellectual pursuit of Torah but rather because he never left Moshe’s side
Pinchas
Moshe spoke to others, prayed, and conducted himself on a daily basis. It is interesting to note that Yehoshua is often referred to as lad (na’ar) even though he was clearly in his fifties! He had the attitude of a na’ar, someone willing to learn and absorb from every act of his rebbe. Therefore, Yehoshua merited two mesorot, the mesorah of the mind and the mesorah of the heart – transmitted via Moshe’s two hands. Our task is to be able to transmit these two mesorot to our students and children. Torah is not just an intellectual pursuit, but one that has to pierce the heart and emotions of an individual. Like Moshe, we need to serve as a personal example and do all we can in order to convey the emotional as well as the intellectual beauty of the Torah. Rabbi Shalom Rosner is a Rebbe at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh and Rabbi of the Nofei HaShemesh community. He is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www. mizrachi.org/speakers).
“God said to Moshe saying, ‘the daughters of Tzelofchad speak properly… You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass over to them’” (Bemidbar 27:6-7)
Sidra Summary 2ND ALIYA (LEVI) – 26:5-51
The main descendants of each tribe are listed, as well as the overall number within each tribe, as counted in the census. When detailing the tribe of Reuven, the Torah recalls that Datan and Aviram were from this tribe and that the ground swallowed them in Korach’s rebellion. The overall census number is 601,730.
3RD ALIYA (SHLISHI) – 26:52-27:5 1ST ALIYA (KOHEN) – BEMIDBAR 25:10-26:4
G-d tells Moshe that Pinchas, Aharon’s grandson, is to become a Kohen in recognition of his righteous actions in stopping the public display of immorality described at the end of last week’s sidra. The names of the two offenders are given – Zimri from the tribe of Shimon and Kozbi, a Midianite princess. G-d commands Moshe to smite the Midianites as retribution for luring the Israelites into idol worship and immorality. Moshe and Elazar, the Kohen Gadol, are told to take a census of men above the age of 20. Point to Consider: Why was Pinchas not already considered a Kohen if he was a grandson of Aharon? (see Rashi to 25:13)
G-d tells Moshe to apportion the Land to those counted in the census. The tribes with more people will receive proportionally more land area. Although this distribution was calculated mathematically, it was carried out through Elazar drawing lots, guided by Divine inspiration (Rashi). The main Levite families, who were not included in the census, are listed. They number 23,000 males above the age of one month. No one who was included in the first census when the Israelites left Egypt is included in this census, as they had died in the desert, apart from Yehoshua (Joshua) and Calev. The five daughters of Tzelofchad, a descendant of Menashe, ask Moshe to be given their deceased father’s share in the Land, as they have no brothers to inherit him. Moshe consults G-d about their request.
4TH ALIYA (REVI’I) – 27:6-23
G-d declares that Tzelofchad’s daughters
are justified in their request and that, in the absence of sons, daughters are to inherit their father. Other hierarchical inheritance rights are stated. G-d tells Moshe to ascend Mount Avarim and look at the Land of Cana’an from afar, reminding him that he will not come into the Land because of his mistake of hitting the rock (see Bemidbar 20:9-12). Moshe asks G-d to appoint a new leader. G-d tells him to appoint Yehoshua, which Moshe does, in the presence of Elazar and the Sanhedrin (Rashi).
5TH ALIYA (CHAMISHI) – 28:1-15
G-d instructs Moshe to tell the Israelites to bring the twice-daily tamid (continual) offering, consisting of a male lamb, together with a flour offering mixed with oil and a wine libation. The additional Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh offerings are detailed.
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6TH ALIYA (SHISHI) – 28:16-29:11
The special offerings for Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are also detailed.
7TH ALIYA (SHEVI’I) – 29:12-30:1
The Torah details the many extra offerings brought during Succot, including 70 bulls. Shemini Atzeret, the day after Succot, has its own set of offerings.
HAFTARAH
Taken from the start of the book of Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah), this haftarah is the first of the three ‘haftarot of tribulation’ read in the build-up to Tisha B’Av. The prophet is told by G-d that an invader will come ‘from the north’ to attack Jerusalem, as happened at the time of the destruction of the First Temple, because of the sinfulness of its inhabitants.
