37 minute read
Judaism
ASK THE RABBI
Looking for answers? Send your question to Rabbi@RabbiSchochet.com
AMALEK THEN AND NOW
Dear Rabbi
I know this weekend we yet again do the Zachor thing, remember what Amalek did to us all those years ago – and we’re talking more than 3000 years ago. My Rabbi harps on about how it is a Biblical commandment and encourages everyone to come. I really don’t get it. There’s a lot of things I can appreciate being a mitzvah but hearing about something someone tried to do to my ancestors so many years ago, bearing in mind there is hardly if any remnant of Amalek today, makes me wonder about some of these laws and their relevance.
Isadore
Dear Isadore
The “Zachor thing” as you call it, is indeed recalling what the Amalekites sought to do to us upon our Exodus from Egypt, when they tried to annihilate us. Our ancient Sages refer to it as chutzpas Amalek. The audacity or insolence of Amalek. Even as the rest of the world looked on in awe following the Exodus from Egypt, Amalek stepped up to launch an attack, thus cool the fervour, distort the image, and thereby expose vulnerability in the hearts of the Israelites. A mere number of weeks after having emerged from two centuries in servitude, and the fledgling nation is confronted by attack once more. Can you imagine that overwhelming sense of despair of “here we go again?” They would surely start to question themselves, “Is this going to be my perpetual reality? Do I have what it takes to rise to the challenge? Can I be bothered to muster the energy to persevere?
You say there’s hardly, if any remnant of Amalek today. I cannot tell you who, for certain, might be a descendant of Amalekites. But I can tell you that this same “chutzpah” is every bit existent, as it has been for more than 2000 years. Pogroms, Crusades, Inquisition, Holocaust and to one extent or another in corridors of the United Nations and the European Union today. It’s utterly naïve of you to think that there is no relevance to remembering what Amalek sought to do to us, especially, as we say at the Seder table, “in every generation they rise up against us…”
The question is, what should our response be? An Anti-Semitic inspector came to the home of a Jewish farmer. “I’m here to investigate as I have reason to believe there is unscrupulous activity going on in your fields. Don’t be giving me hard time I have full authority to inspect.” The Jewish farmer shrugs nonchalantly: “Do as you wish, just don’t be going into that field over there just behind my house.” The inspector was incredulous: “How dare you tell me where I can and cannot go. Do you have any idea who I am?” He proceeds to pull out his badge and shoves it in the farmer’s face: “Listen here Jew. You see this badge? It says I am a City inspector with full authority to wander where so I please. Don’t you dare tell me where to go!” And with that, he proceeded to march straight into the field behind the house. Not three minutes later there is a piercing scream. The inspector is running for his life toward the fence with big raging bull in hot pursuit. “Help me! “Help me!” He’s going to kill me!” “The farmer looks to him and yells back: “Show him your badge!”
Even as the raging bull of Anti-Semitism charges towards us, we respond by showing our badge of honour. The great secret of Jewish survival is Jewish identity and Jewish pride. Don’t run and hide. Confront Amalek head on and just as then, we will win the battle once more.
UKRAINE: WHAT CAN WE DO?
Dear Rabbi
Even as we sit here in the comfort of our own homes in the UK, I wonder what we can do for the plight of the many in the Ukraine. I know there are a lot of relief efforts, but would appreciate your perspective on the matter. Thank you in anticipation.
Sheldon
Dear Sheldon
It has been a long time since the hearts and minds of many millions of good and decent people have been unified, this time, filled with compassion for the people of the Ukraine. An egocentric autocrat who is in charge of the world’s largest country (by area), feels that he needs even more land. He has lied to the world that Ukraine poses a threat to his country and his people, and he has resorted to overwhelming that country, so he can conquer it as another feather in his hat, after several similar invasions in the recent past.
In the meantime, many innocent civilians going about their lives have been killed. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of mostly women and children have been displaced, desperately piled up in cars, busses and trains, turning instantly into refugees with only their shirts on their backs. Those who must remain there, mostly able-bodied men, are facing shortages of all sorts.
I did an interview with an old friend of mine last week, who is the Chief Rabbi of Kharkov, while he was literally on the run. You can listen to it here https:// youtu.be/9EKheWkRmlU It really captures the enormity of the emotional challenge. When asked by CNN and BBC what people can do, he replied simply, “pray more and do good deeds.” When his wife was asked the same by a CBS news reporter she spoke about women and girls lighting Shabbat candles. She received an email a few days later from the same reporter: “I am Jewish. I’ve never lit candles. This Friday night was the first time in my life.”
You see, when life is shaken up, we must not be tentative and defensive. We must intensify our offensive, become even more proactive and initiate new means that will better the world. For every upheaval we must add a new commitment to goodness.
With Purim on the horizon, when we experienced a real miracle (and I’ll remind readers that the Iraq war, dropping Scuds on Israel also ended by Purim), we will surely merit the fulfillment of the prophet, “nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war no more.” May G-d indeed, immediately grant all people every reason in the world to celebrate with great joy once more, forever more!
Follow Rabbi Schochet at: RabbiSchochet.com Twitter: @RabbiYYS Facebook: facebook.com/Rabbiyys.
Pirkei Avot
ןיִנִּק ,רֵמוֹא אָמְסִח ןבּ רזעיִלֱא יִבַּר תוֹפוּקְתּ .תוֹכָלה יֵפוּגּ ןֵה ןֵה ,הָדִּנ יֵחְתִפוּ ...תוֹאָרְפְּרַפּ ,תוֹאיִרְטַמיִגְו
Rabbi Eliezer ben Hisma said: the laws of mixed bird offerings and the key to the calculations of menstruation days these, these are the body of the halakhah. The calculation of the equinoxes and gematria are the desserts of wisdom. This week we arrive at the end of the 3rd Perek of Pirkey Avot. We are now half way through, and we must remember that the whole point of this tractate is to help us to improve our midot, our characteristics and become better people. Better to our families, better to our friends and colleagues and better to ourselves.
The Tosafot Yom Tov quotes the last Mishnah of the first perek of Mashechet Chagigah, which this Mishna talk about, ‘Hein Hein Gufey Torah – these, these are the body of the Torah.” And since Rabbi Eliezer ben Chisma lived after the destruction, etc., and the laws of Kinin are only applicable, etc.; therefore he needed to make us understand that even they are the body of the law - even at the time when the Temple does not exist, since their study is in place of the Temple service. And that which it did not learn, “body of the Torah,” here is because here he is speaking about doubts, and there is nothing about that in the written Torah, but rather in the oral halakha.
It is interesting to note that those who learn Daf Hayomi (See page 30 and back page advert) have just finished learning Chagigah, and here it mentions it also. We learn in many places that if the learning you are doing in one Seder comes up in a other it is a sign that Hashem is happy with what you are doing! Let us hope as we embark on the last 3 perakim of this brilliant tractate that Hashem continues to be happy with our learning. Wishing all our readers a frelichen Purim.
Dedicated Lilui Nishnat Hayeled Yaakov Moshe ben Harav Avraham Perek 3: Mishna 18
38 JUDAISM
TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488 Torah from Israel
War in Ukraine, Moral Complexity in Jerusalem
BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN
Life is complex and rarely one-dimensional. Our greatest mistakes occur when we oversimplify complex issues. If our personal lives are complex, history is even more complicated, and mustn’t be simplified. Simplification distorts reality.
In many ways, though, the current war between Russia and the Ukraine is relatively “uncomplex”. Innocent Ukrainian civilians are facing a barrage of violence and death in an unprovoked war of naked aggression. Looking to recapture lost Russian empire, a totalitarian dictator has unleashed one of the mightiest armies in the world against defenceless civilians. Almost the entire Western world has expressed its moral outrage. All except one nation – the Jewish state.
Many are furious with Israel’s neutral or lukewarm response. Shouldn’t the people of G-d take a firm and unequivocal moral stand? Shouldn’t a people who have suffered for so many centuries, sympathize with the devastating suffering of the Ukrainians?
Obviously, we must deeply sympathize and commiserate with the suffering. However, our current precarious situation may not allow us to loudly vocalize this disapproval. There aren’t easy solutions to this frustrating predicament.
Russia wields significant regional influence and maintains military oversight in Syria and Lebanon. To this point, they have granted us “free hand” in pursuing terror cells and in thwarting potential attacks. Putin has proven to be spiteful and vociferous condemnation by Israel could very well elicit revenge. Limited deterrence capabilities could, G-d forbid lead to loss of life.
Is this situation ideal? Of course, it isn’t. The images of this lopsided war are horrifying and, are likely to get much worse before they get better. We are caught in a disturbing situation in which our overall agenda of defending our homeland creates an excruciating moral dilemma. This situation is a microcosm of the moral “obstacle course” we call modern Israel.
We are historically charged to represent Hashem in this world and to model ethical behavior. Alongside that mission, we are also warranted to live in the land of Hashem. This second mission of settling Israel is also a “moral” project. We dream of returning to Israel and advancing an era of universal welfare. There is no “daylight” between two missions. They are inseparable.
Yet, the world hardly sees them as such. We still inhabit a broken world which hasn’t fully accepted Jewish presence in the land of Hashem. As we struggle to settle our land, we continue to face difficult moral quandaries. Chief among them is our interaction with resident Palestinians who also lay claim to this land. Respecting their national rights doesn’t signal lesser belief in our own divine right to Israel. If anything, disrespecting the rights of other residents of this land betrays our Jewish mission to care about the “welfare of the world”. If we fail at that mission our warrant to this land diminishes.
The dilemma of how to respond to the war in the Ukraine has merely magnified a moral struggle we have navigated for decades. How can we settle and defend the land while upholding moral standards? The current version of this dilemma is: How we can defend our land while expressing moral outrage at hideous war crimes? Morality in the promised land is very complex and shouldn’t be simplified.
This specific dilemma has occurred before. The end of the first mikdash era was plagued by murderous and idolatrous monarchs. Finally, in the 7th century BCE, a “great white hope” emerged. King Yoshiyahu ascended the throne, restored the lost grandeur of the mikdash and bolstered the faith of a confused nation. His reign introduced great promise that our fallen kingdom could be resuscitated.
However, war was brewing upon the horizon between Egypt and the ascendent Assyrians in the north. On their way to battle the Assyrians, an Egyptian army convoy traveled through Israel. This was not our war, and we should have remained neutral, focusing on our own domestic renewal project. Yet, Yoshiyahu bristled at the prospect of foreign armies marching through Israel and spreading violence and moral corruption in their wake. Taking a firm moral stand, he banned Egyptian passage, inciting a war with an army which was merely “passing through”. Yoshiyahu’s death in battle killed any last hopes for our spiraling nation.
Yoshiyahu’s stand was moral but ill-timed. He was politically vulnerable, and the general moral state of the people didn’t justify such a staunch “stand”. He was torn between his “absolute” moral agenda and the practical limitations given his shaky political situation. We are living through Yoshiyahu’s conundrum, and our decision must be more prudent.
Though we may have to acknowledge “constraints” upon our condemnation, moral behavior is never “all or nothing”. Political restraints may mute our voices, but shouldn’t anesthetize our hearts or shut our hands. Thankfully, Israel has responded to this crisis in many other ways: we have delivered significant humanitarian aid while also providing safe haven for both Jewish and non-Jewish war refugees. Hundreds of volunteers have streamed to the front lines to help alleviate some of the suffering. As I write these lines, I am wishing well to an older student of my yeshiva on his way to Moldova to contribute to the relief efforts.
As children of G-d it is our moral responsibility to defend justice and oppose cruelty wherever it rears its head. Sadly, our broken world doesn’t always allow us a full “broadcast”. One day we hope to be given that podium, but as we struggle to rebuild and to defend our land, we still walk a moral tightrope. We all pray and hope that no more innocent victims suffer.
Do Ukrainians Deserve Our Pity?
This issue has also become a moral minefield. After all, Ukrainians viciously colluded with Nazis in their genocidal attack against our people. Additionally, vicious antisemitism still runs rampant in many parts of this country. How can we feel compassion for a “people” who murdered us in the past, and hate us in the present?
The answer to this important question is twofold. Firstly, nations can perform teshuva, just as individuals can. Germany itself performed teshuva, becoming the leading supporter of Israel in Western Europe. Though vile antisemitism still exists it doesn’t reflect the policies of the Ukrainian government. Yonah and the story of Ninveh remind us that teshuva isn’t limited to individuals and isn’t limited to Jews.
Furthermore, Ukraine, annually hosts tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims to Uman. Undoubtedly, there is financial incentive to this accommodation, however, the Torah instructs us to appreciate hospitality of all forms. Unlike other barred nations, Egyptians have a pathway to Jewish conversion and aren’t to be militarily “baited”. This preferential treatment is compensation for the Egyptians hosting us for two centuries. No one in their right mind would award the Egyptians a five-star rating for their treatment of Jews, yet the Torah acknowledges their hospitality. Dismissing the Ukrainians as Nazi collaborators and antisemites, ignores the passing of generations, the possibility of teshuva, and changed political realities.
More importantly than the “grade” we assign to the current country of Ukraine, Jews never wish suffering upon “our enemies”. We are tasked with drawing humanity closer to G-d and, one day we will inspire the entire world. The world is our audience not our enemies. Obviously, people who actively attack our people must be thwarted, but we never wish lethal harm to those who oppose us- even if their opposition is voiced in spite and hatred. We hope that they fail. We pray for their tongues to be tied, not their wrists. Wishing physical suffering to our ideological opponents, is a betrayal of our mission to deliver prosperity to the world.
War? ….In Europe?
Modern society has evolved to become more civil and less violent. Education, mutual interests and strategic alliances have created international harmony and universal consensus. Evil has been almost completely eradicated. Recovering from the horrors of the 20th century, Western civilization sometimes adopts a fiction that war has become a relic of the past. Wars are waged in the uncivilized third world or in the deserts of Arab rivalries, but not in enlightened and liberated Europe.
The “Amalek command” reminds us that evil will always exit, until the end of history. There are evil people in our world, and we must never forget that nor allow progress to lull us into a state of naivete. Modern man sometimes loses the ability to identify evil as pure evil. Putin’s lunacy and bloodletting reminds us that evil always lurks and can sabotage decades of human progress. The Amalek battle is perennial.
The writer is a rabbi at Yeshivat Har Etzion/Gush, a hesder yeshiva. He has smicha and a BA in computer science from Yeshiva University as well as a masters degree in English literature from the City University of New York.
Weekly Dvar Torah
FROM ERETZ YISRAEL The War of Amalek – Yehoshua and Mordechai
BY RAV YOSEF ZVI RIMON
When Moshe hears that Amalek is attacking Israel, he does not gear up for battle, but sends Yehoshua: “And Moshe said to Yehoshua... go to battle against Amalek.” (Shemot 17:9) Why did he not go out to fight himself?
Our Sages discussed this in the Mechilta, saying that because Moshe sent Yehoshua to fight, rather than going himself, his hands became heavy, “Due to his indolence regarding this mitzvah and his appointing another [Yehoshua] instead – his hands became heavy.”
However, we find another answer in the Midrash: “Could it be that Moshe stood and told Yehoshua to go to war with Amalek? Rather, there is a tradition that Esav’s sons will only fall in the hands of Rachel’s sons.” (Mechilta D’Rashbi 71)
And we ask yet again: Why is it specifically the sons of Rachel who defeat Amalek?
The answer to all this lies in the nature and character of Amalek. Amalek does not believe in G-d’s providence in the world, as our Sages state that Amalek’s ideology was that of chance: “who have met you by chance along the way” (Esther Rabbah 8). Amalek sees miracles happening to Israel, but explains them as natural occurrences. Amalek sees the parting of the Red Sea, but explains it as a natural tidal event, which occurred only by chance. Amalek believed Israel merely had a ‘lucky strike’; that their victory over Egypt was but a coincidence, unlikely to happen again. Therefore, Amalek is not afraid to battle Israel.
Yosef is Rachel’s son, and his descendants are the ones who can fight Amalek, because that is the essence of Yosef, who felt G-d’s providence every moment of his life (except for one incident at the end of Parashat Vayeshev). Both when talking to his brothers and to the Egyptians, Yosef mentions G-d again and again.
Yosef not only tries, but also succeeds, in instilling in the nations of the world the reality of G-d. Pharaoh says of Yosef: “Could we find another like him, a man with the spirit of G-d?” (Bereishit 41:38). This statement of Pharaoh is obviously a result of Yosef’s repetitive mentioning of G-d.
Therefore, Yehoshua, who is of Rachel’s lineage, is suitable for this leadership role. Indeed, eventually it is Yehoshua who brings Israel into the Promised Land, where Divine Providence operates within the framework of nature.
This idea can be learned from the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 26): “Why to Yehoshua? He said to him: Your elder [Yosef] said: ‘I fear the Almighty’; let the son of he who said that, defeat he of whom it is said ‘and he did not fear G-d’ (Amalek).
The Book of Esther, too, is entirely natural. Even the name of G-d is not mentioned in the Megillah. Mordechai commands the observance of the days of Purim, and by this the people come to an awareness that even things that may seem natural, are led by G-d.
Is a hidden miracle worth less than a visible miracle? On the one hand, it lacks the might and surprise of a visible miracle. However, on the other hand, G-d is revealed within reality, within nature. He does not have to ‘break’ nature in order to be revealed.
There is a difficulty in recognizing a hidden miracle, as it comes on top of our own actions. Indeed, our goal is to act within nature, and at the same time to feel that G-d is the one behind everything. This is one of the great messages of the Book of Esther: To establish a State, to act with the Israel Defense Forces, but to know that G-d is the Orchestrator, He is our Leader, and to Him we pray and give thanks.
Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon is Head of Mizrachi’s Educational Advisory Board and Rabbinic Council. He serves as the Rabbi of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Rosh Yeshiva of the Jerusalem College of Technology and is the Founder and Chairman of Sulamot. He is a member of Mizrachi’s Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/ speakers).
Vayikra / Zachor Sidra Summary
1ST ALIYA (KOHEN) – VAYIKRA 1:1-13
The Book of Vayikra starts by detailing the olah (elevation) offering. One who brought an offering had to lay their hands upon it (semicha). The shechita (slaughter) of the animal could be done by a non-Kohen, but the processes thereafter (catching the blood and sprinkling it on the altar) were performed only by the Kohanim. The olah offering was cut up and all of the pieces were burned on the mizbeach (altar). The verses detail an olah offering brought from cattle, sheep or goats.
2ND ALIYA (LEVI) – 1:14-2:6
The Torah now details the laws of an olah offering brought from fowl. The process of killing the fowl differed from an animal offering; notably, the Kohen used his fingernail (melika) instead of a knife. It was also possible to bring an offering from fine flour (mincha), a handful of which was mixed with oil and thrown onto the altar’s fire. The rest was baked and eaten by the Kohanim. Point to Consider: From what stage could the service of the meal offering be performed only by Kohanim (see Rashi to 2:2)
3RD ALIYA (SHLISHI) – 2:7-16
Several voluntary meal offerings are listed, some baked, some fried. These offerings had to be unleavened. Every offering – whether animal, fowl or flour – had salt added to it. The laws of the Torah of the parched Omer offering are stated, which was brought on 16 Nisan (Rashi).
4TH ALIYA (REVI’I) – 3:1-17
A voluntary peace offering (shelamim) could be brought from cattle, sheep or goats. Only parts of it were burned on the mizbeach – other parts were eaten by the Kohanim and by the person who brought the offering (see Rashi).
5TH ALIYA (CHAMISHI) – 4:1-26
People were commanded to bring sin offerings (chata’ot) for various inadvertent transgressions. A Kohen Gadol who accidentally contravened specific serious prohibitions had to bring a bull, parts of which were burned on the mizbeach; the rest were burned outside the camp. A similar process had to be done if the High Court’s (Sanhedrin) ruling caused an accidental transgression by the people. If a king (referred to here as Nasi) accidentally transgressed certain mitzvot, he had to bring a male goat as an offering.
“The Kohen shall cause [the offering] to go up in smoke on the Altar, on the fires of God; and the Kohen shall provide him atonement” (Vayikra 4:35).
7TH ALIYA (SHEVI’I) – 5:11-26
An individual who unintentionally derived benefit from sanctified objects had to bring a male ram as a guilt offering (asham), as well as paying for the ‘damage’ and adding an additional fifth to the cost. An asham was also brought by someone who was not sure whether they had inadvertently committed the type of sin for which one would normally bring a chatat.
6TH ALIYA (SHISHI) – 4:27-5:10
The variable offering (korban oleh ve’yored) was dependent on the financial means of the person who brought it – it could be an animal, birds or flour. This offering was brought by someone who intentionally refused to testify as a witness or who made a false oath. It was also brought by one who accidentally entered parts of the Temple (Beit Hamikdash) or touched sanctified objects when in a state of ritual impurity.
MAFTIR (DEVARIM 25:17-19)
The special reading for Parashat Zachor is from the end of Parashat Ki Tetze, commanding us to remember how the Amalekite nation started a war against the Israelites after they left Egypt, as well as the imperative to eradicate Amalek.
HAFTARAH
The prophet Shmuel (Samuel) relates how King Shaul (Saul) defeated Amalek, but took pity on their king, Agag. In defiance of a Divine command, Shaul refrained from killing Agag, as well as sparing his cattle. Shmuel rebuked Shaul and told him that he would lose the monarchy because of this misplaced mercy. Shmuel himself then killed Agag.
42 JUDAISM TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488
10 MARCH 2022 Haman and Today’s Battle Against Amalek
BY RABBI SHMUEL REICHMAN
After an overwhelming week at work, Daniel decides to go on a nature hike to recharge. Without letting anyone know of his plans, he heads off into the mountains. As he is enjoying the view and the peaceful quiet around him, he suddenly slips and tumbles off the edge of a cliff. He plunges downwards, but somehow manages to grasp onto a branch jutting out of the cliff face. He clings to the branch for dear life, trying not to look down at the ravine below.
As his life flashes before his eyes, he is struck by a disheartening thought: “I am alone. Nobody knows I am here, and I have no way of escaping. I am going to die.” He begins to take stock of his life, thinking about the good times he’s had and what he has managed to accomplish in his short existence. He thinks about his family, and how much they are going to miss him. Just then, a rope soars past his head, hanging directly in front of him. After a moment’s shock, he grabs the rope and holds on for dear life as someone on the other end begins to pull him up over the cliff edge.
As Daniel reaches the top, he is still gasping and amazed at the fact that he just survived. He immediately asks the man who saved him, “How did you know that I was hanging off the edge of the cliff and needed rescuing?” The man stares back at him blankly and says, “I didn’t. This morning, I randomly decided to practice throwing ropes over cliff faces.”
There are two reactions that Daniel can have to this series of events. He can recognize the miracle that just occurred, thanking God for sending him salvation when all hope seemed lost. Or he can laugh at the unlikely coincidence that this man decided to practice rope-throwing the same exact day that he fell over a cliff face, thankful that he happened to get lucky this time.
This is the exact decision we face in every moment and aspect of life, and this theme runs through the entire Purim story.
HAMAN AND OUR BATTLE AGAINST AMALEK
As we encounter Purim and our victory over Haman, let us delve deeper into the unique spiritual and existential battle that the Jewish People must continue to wage against the philosophy of Amalek. As a descendant of Amalek, Haman continued their legacy of Jewish obliteration. As the Maharal explains, Amalek rejects Hashem’s connection to this world or any connection between the spiritual and the physical. Essentially, Amalek denies Hashem’s control of this world and the ability for man to uplift himself to the level of the spiritual. Torah is the epitome of both of these principles, and it provides the guidelines for how to achieve this spiritual elevation. It is based on the axiom of Hashem’s connection with this world, and it is the means for elevating ourselves and all of physicality to a higher purpose. Amalek stands in direct opposition to this, and when they saw that the Jewish People were ready to adopt the Torah way of life, they had no choice but to attack. Amalek’s entire existence is predicated on a lack of connection between Hashem and this world, therefore an acceptance of that principle would mean the cessation of Amalek’s existence. Amalek therefore attacked the Jewish People in order to prevent Matan Torah — to stop the world from accepting Hashem’s Torah and the truth that lies within it. Let us delve deeper into the spiritual nature of Haman in order to understand our battle against Amalek on an even deeper level.
The essence of Haman, the person who most potently expressed the characteristics and mission of Amalek, is revealed in a very strange discussion in the Gemara (Chullin 139b). The Gemara asks, “Where is Haman found in the Torah?” Before we discuss the Gemara’s answer, it is essential that we fully understand the nature of this question. After all, Haman was a man, not a halachic principle, so why is it important to find a source for Haman in the Torah? Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth; it is the blueprint and DNA of this physical world. In other words, our physical world is a projection and emanation of the deep spiritual reality described in the Torah. This is the meaning behind the famous Midrash that says, “Istakel b’Oraisa u’bara alma — [Hashem] looked into the Torah and used it to create the world” (Bereishis Rabbah 1:1). Torah is the blueprint of the world; the physical world is an emanation and expression of Torah, the spiritual root of existence.
To illustrate this concept, imagine a projector. The image that you see on the screen emanates from the film in the projector so that everything you see on the screen is simply an expression of what is contained within the film. So too, every single thing that we see and experience in the physical world stems from the spiritual world — the transcendent dimension of Torah. This is what the Gemara means by “Where is Haman found in the Torah?” Haman’s spiritual root as well must be found within the Torah, and by understanding this source, we can understand his spiritual nature and purpose.
The Gemara answers: “Ha’min ha’eitz.” Ha’min shares the letters as Haman. Right after Adam and Chavah sinned, they were embarrassed, so they hid behind a bush. Hashem then asks them, “Ha’min ha’eitz — Did you eat from the tree?” (Bereishis 3:11). Let us try to understand the profound meaning of this Gemara. Before Adam sinned, he was on an angelic level, almost perfect. He saw reality through a crystal-clear lens; his body itself was transcendent, and he lived in the spiritual realm of Gan Eden. However, once Adam sinned, his entire existence, his body, and the world itself fell to a lower, incomparably more physical level. The physical no longer revealed the spiritual; it now hid it instead. Once he ate from the Eitz HaDaas, his spiritual vision became distorted and he became confused. At this point, he does the impossible: he hides from Hashem. The problem is obvious: How can Adam expect to hide from Hashem? He knows fully well that this is impossible, but he does so because he is confused. Evil and doubt have become mixed into his very self. While he knows this behavior is ridiculous, a small voice of doubt within him whispers, “Maybe it is possible to hide from Hashem.” In fact, it was the very shame and embarrassment of having eaten from the Eitz HaDaas that made him want to hide from Hashem. He was hiding from the truth — from the consequences of his actions.
However, deep down, Adam hoped that Hashem would come and tell him that everything will be okay, that Adam would be able to recreate the closeness to Hashem that he previously possessed, and that everything would go back to the way it was. This was the true pain of Hashem’s response: “Ayekah — Where are you?” “Ha’min ha’eitz — [Did you eat] from the tree?” The moment Adam acts as if Hashem can’t see him, i.e., the moment he relates to Hashem with doubt and uncertainty, Hashem responds in kind. This is because Hashem relates to us in exactly the way we relate to him. As the pasuk says, “Hashem tzilcha — Hashem is your shadow (Tehillim 121:5).” However you relate to Hashem, He will mirror (Nefesh Hachaim 1:7).
Ayekah, a question of doubt and uncertainty, would become the foundation for all of history. Ayekah has the same letters as “Eichah,” the Megillah we read describing the destruction of the Jewish People’s connection with Hashem. Our destruction is the direct result of denying Hashem’s connection to the world, acting as if He does not see what occurs here. The question of “Ha’min ha’eitz” is the source of Haman, the source of Amalek, the source of all doubt and uncertainty in this world. Hashem asks, “Did you eat from the tree?” as if He does not know. It is this question itself that represents the gap between us and Hashem, a gap that Amalek battles to keep open, a gap that the Jewish People must forever strive to close.
WHY ISN’T HASHEM MENTIONED IN THE MEGILLAH?
Megillas Esther is unique in that it is one of the only books in Tanach in which Hashem’s name is not mentioned. This is because Purim marks a transition in history, when our battle against Amalek manifested in a new form. Until Purim, history was permeated with consistent open miracles, nevuah was common, and Hashem was openly revealed in the world.
The second stage, ushered in by Purim, is characterized by hidden miracles. In our present world, Hashem is no longer openly manifest and clearly visible. In this stage, we must choose to see Hashem within the darkness — to peer past the façade of a meaningless world. It is in this stage that Amalek’s claims are all the more tempting to believe, as it is so easy to ignore Hashem’s involvement in this world. Our challenge is to see past the surface, to see the miraculous within the natural, the ethereal within the mundane, and the infinite within the finite.
A TIMELESS BATTLE
Amalek fights for a God-less reality, devoid of spirituality and meaning; a world of Haman, of doubt, where a gap exists between us and Hashem. Only when you look closer, deepening your gaze, do you see the deeper layer of reality, the transcendent root. Hashem is echad - one - and our goal is to see the spiritual oneness inherent within every event and object in this world. Amalek seeks to hide the truth, to disconnect us from our Source, and thus to strip all meaning from life. Only when we see past the surface, when we trace everything that happens in this world back to Hashem- our spiritual Source, will we ultimately defeat Amalek and all that they stand for.
Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the author of the bestselling book, “The Journey to Your Ultimate Self,” which serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is an educator and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. He is also the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah. After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago. To invite Rabbi Reichman to speak in your community or to enjoy more of his deep and inspiring content, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com
Parshat Vayikra: What Does Esther have to do with Korbanot?
BY GAVRIEL COHN
Is there any connection between Purim and Parshat Vayikra? Animal offerings are one of the central topics of Sefer Vayikra: “When a person from among you will bring an offering to God from his animals, cattle, or sheep, he shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before God; it shall be considered pleasing for him to cleanse him. The Kohanim shall bring the blood and throw the blood around the Alter, they shall skin the animal… and arrange the pieces, its head and its fats, on the wood that is on the fire upon the Alter… and cause it to go up in smoke… a pleasant fragrance for God…”
Many reasons have been advanced to explain the purpose of sacrifices in Judaism, why we need to slaughter an animal to atone for our sins. Some of these proposals created tremendous controversy and debate in the Jewish world (I wrote about that last year!).
However perhaps, broadly speaking, a key purpose of animal sacrifices is resoundingly clear, and is also a central message of the Purim story: that the legacy of our lives depends on what we do, our choices shape our lives and give them meaning.
Slaughtering an animal, burning it’s fat and blood, serves as a substitute for sacrificing ourselves. “Let one creature come and atone for another” quips Rashi. In the sobering reflective words of the Ramban: “A person should realize that when he commits a serious crime, his blood should really be spilled and his body burned were it not for the loving-kindness of the Creator Who took from him a substitute and a ransom, namely this animal; its life stands in place of his own.” When a person offers a sacrifice, he has to repent and regret his sins. Then he takes an animal he has cared for and raised, and slaughters it almost in his stead. Animal offerings are a way of realising the severity and weight of our actions, how sometimes our very lives can depend on whether we do the right thing or not.
Queen Esther is perhaps the personification of this idea. As Rav Aharon Lichtenstein charts, Esther began her life passive and unassertive. Later she is reluctant to intercede for the Jewish people, fearful of approaching Achashverosh. Mordechai has to push her. He rings out to her with some of the most powerful words in all of Tanach:
“Do not imagine to yourself that you will escape in the king’s palace from among all the Jews. If you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will arise for the Jews from elsewhere, and you and your father’s household will perish; who knows whether for a time like this you reached royalty.”
Esther then became an active fearless leader, the figure who was almost single handedly responsible for Haman’s downfall. If she had not done the right thing, Mordechai warned her, her name would have perished, her life’s legacy would have been disappeared. Such is also the lesson of the korbanot. These animals’ fate shows us just how powerful our actions are, the significance of doing a transgression, one could almost perish or ruin our legacy. Esther, however, changed her actions and rose to greatness. After each sacrifice, we too are meant to make better choices. These animal offerings act like Mordechai’s desperate pleas, “change your ways, don’t perish with bad choices; perhaps to do good is the reason we are alive!”
Yet it’s not all doom and gloom. It is the animal that is offered up, not us. By bringing korbanot, we are simply and helpfully jolted, just like Queen Esther was, to be re-empowered to do what’s right, to act only pleasantly towards God and our fellow man.
Vayikra
RABBI DR RAYMOND APPLE
ADAM WAS NO THIEF
The beginning of Sefer Vayikra gives Adam a mention (Lev. 1:2). G-d calls Moses and tells him what to do if “Adam ki yakriv mikkem” (literally, “if any man of you) brings a sacrifice to G-d”.
Rashi says we can learn from this that anyone who brings a sacrifice must be like Adam, who did not steal anybody else’s property because there was nobody else on earth. Hence one cannot and must not steal something that belongs to another person and then offer it to G-d as a sacrifice.
The whole principle of sacrifice is that everything you have derives directly from G-d and must be acknowledged as such.
The important thing is not that the offering gives G-d a gift – does G-d want to be a rich property owner? – but it gives thanks to the Almighty Giver of all things.
A CORPORATE SIN
It is not only the individual who, when necessary, brings a sin-offering to G-d. The community as a whole can go astray and need Divine forgiveness.
Chapter 4 of Vayikra says (verse 13), “If the whole congregation of Israel shall err… and do any of the things which the L-rd commanded not to be done…”
On Rosh HaShanah we have a section of the Musaf service which speaks of G-d remembering the deeds of nations and communities. Commenting on today’s sidra, Rashi utilises the Midrash to suggest that even the Great Sanhedrin is capable of sinning.
If we move the discussion to our own much later generation, we see that even leaders can go wrong, even people who are known for their political capacity, even wise people who normally decide wisely.
No-one – and no community – is always right. No-one can manage without submitting their thoughts, ideas and plans to the One who made us all.
Gav works as an Account Executive in Public Relations. The views expressed here are entirely his own. Questions? gavcohn@ gmail.com
BRINGING AN OFFERING
The root of “korban”, “an offering” is a verb that means to come near. The person who brought an offering to the sanctuary was determined to come near to G-d.
Maimonides regarded sacrifices as a means of leading Israel to abandon the ways of the environment and cleave to G-d alone.
Animals were deities – sheep were the gods of Egypt, cattle the gods of India, and so on. The ideal would have been an instant command to cease all idolatrous practices forthwith, but gradually weaning the people off such usages seemed better.
Sheep and cattle could remain in the worship system, but they were to be visibly subjected to G-d’s rulership.
Abravanel backed Maimonides by quoting a Midrash that said, “A king saw that his son was enjoying forbidden meat, so the father said, ‘Let him eat at my table and he will give up that bad habit’.”
Other commentators profoundly disagreed; Nachmanides, for instance, said that the sacrifices were part of the mystique of the heavenly realms.
When we have no Temple or sacrificial system, however, we have other means of coming closer to G-d, especially by deeds of love and compassion..
Rabbi Raymond Apple was for many years Australia’s highest profile rabbi and the leading spokesman on Judaism. After serving congregations in London, Rabbi Apple was chief minister of the Great Synagogue, Sydney, for 32 years. He also held many public roles, particularly in the fields of chaplaincy, interfaith dialogue and Freemasonry, and is the recipient of several national and civic honours. Now retired, he lives in Jerusalem and blogs at http://www.oztorah.com
