Weekly Torah Reading...
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Invitation to GodÂ’s House
Parasha: "Re'eh Behold"
For Aug 4 to 11
Torah : Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17
Haftarah : Isaiah 54:11–55:5
Brit Chadashah : Acts 8, 9
Thought for the Week:
Why do people face towards Jerusalem while praying? When King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem, he petitioned God that He might place His Name upon the Temple. He asked that God would hear from heaven and answer anyone who prayed toward that place. The LORD answered Solomon’s prayer saying, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually” (1 Kings 9:3).
Commentary:
In Deuteronomy 12, Jerusalem is described as “the place which the LORD your God will choose.” It is the place of God’s Name. Deuteronomy 12 is an invitation to God’s house in Jerusalem. God invites His people to come to Jerusalem to seek Him there. Anyone seeking God in prayer or desiring to draw near to His presence was invited to His house in the holy city. “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7) He invited Israel to bring their sacrifices and gifts to Him there, to bring their tithes and offerings and to rejoice before Him in that place.
Imagine a common man receiving an invitation from a great king. “Come to my palace and spend time with me. Bring your family and eat at my banquet table.” How privileged such a man would feel! Would he not hurry to that place? This is the essence of Deuteronomy 12. God invites Israel to appear before Him in His holy house:
There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:7)
And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates Â… (Deuteronomy 12:12)
Messiah offers us a similar invitation. He invites us into the Father’s house eternally. He tells His disciples, “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2) He invites us into the LORD’s house, not just as invited guests, but as family members. Thanks to Yeshua, we will rejoice before the Father in His holy house for all eternity. We will sit at the table in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all Israel. How could we ever refuse such a fabulous invitation?
The invitation reminds us that, in a metaphoric sense, Yeshua is the holy Temple of God. Yeshua is the chosen one from among all the children of Israel, just as Jerusalem is the place God chose from all the tribes. God’s presence remains in Yeshua forever, as it says, “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:9) His Name remains on Yeshua forever, as it says, “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” (Philippians 2:9) Just as God invited Israel to His holy house in Jerusalem, so too we are invited to draw near to His holy son Yeshua. -
Parasha: Shoftim
For Aug 12-18
Torah : Deuteronomy 16:18–21:19
Haftarah : Isaiah 51:12–52:12
Brit Chadashah : Acts 10,11 -
Parshas Shoftim
Investment Strategy
By Rabbi Pinchas Avruch
"Then the officers shall speak to the people saying, 'Who is the man who has built a new house and has not inaugurated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war and another man will inaugurate it. And who is the man who has planted a vineyard and has not redeemed it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war and another man will redeem it. And who is the man who has betrothed a woman and not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war and another man will marry her.'" (Devarim/Deuteronomy 20:5-7)
G-d offers three exemptions from military service for extenuating circumstances. One is predicated on the initiation of one of the most profound interpersonal connections, marriage, a relationship that serves as a paradigm for the bond between the Jewish Nation and G-d Himself. The others are due to the unrealized pleasure from material possessions. As intensely different as these rationales appear on the surface, is there a deeper common thread that joins them together? If so, what lesson can be derived from the Torah's decision to connect them?
Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler writes extensively of the Divine spark within each person that creates the drive to give to others. He explains that this drive is the underpinning of the need for friendship, for someone experiencing the most intense joy finds it lacking if there is no one with whom to share it, and one of the most punitive forms of incarceration is solitary confinement.
Further, he expounds, that while one motivation for bearing children is acquiring eternity, having offspring who are in essence a continuation of the self, greater still is the motivation to have someone whom one can love and for whom one can care. Thus, it is common that couples who cannot bear children adopt or take in foster children, or have family pets which they virtually treat as children. These all testify to the strength of the need to give that is instilled in our souls.
But, questions Rabbi Dessler, what is the progression: does love inspire giving or does giving inspire love?
We tend to think the former is the reality: because of my love for the other, I give. In truth, declares Rabbi Dessler, I love that into which I invest myself, the child I raise, the animal I care for, the plant I grew, even the inanimate house I built. I love that in which I toiled with my own hands because I am a component of it, as it says in chapter 2 of Tractate Derech Eretz Zuta, "If you desire to cling with love to your friend, toil for his benefit."
This investment, concludes Rabbi Dessler, is not a detraction of one's self.
To the contrary, it is the expansion of self as he is now a part of every person he profoundly touches. This connection is the essence of the relationship we call "love". These are the lessons of the military exemptions. The love that is generated by one's investment of self in a "labor of love" is so magnificent that it can even equal the love between husband and wife, and the love between husband and wife is most profound when it stems from investing in the other.
Have a Good Shabbos! -
Shoftim - Beware Of Your Own Motives
By Rabbi Aron Tendler
The societal obligation of establishing a judicial system is one of the seven Noahide laws. It is a responsibility incumbent upon every nation and every society. The opening Mitzvah in this week's Parsha states, "Establish for yourselves judges and enforcers in all your cities." Is this different than the general Noahide obligation for creating a judicial system or is it the same? If it is different, how is it different? If it is the same, why did G-d command the Jews separately from the other nations?
There are three components to a judicial system. 1. Establish laws for the proper functioning of society. 2. Appoint judges who will judge with wisdom and integrity. 3. Empower a police force with the ability to enforce the laws of that society.
Practically speaking, a judicial system must have all three components for it to function. If there are no laws there is no scale by which to differentiate right from wrong. If there are no judges there is no one who will evaluate and apply the law. If there is no enforcement there cannot be consequences, and without consequences there is no reliable, bottom-line incentive for the individual to accept societal law.
Whether Jewish or non-Jewish, the three components of a judicial system are necessary. There is however one significant difference between the Jewish and the non-Jewish judicial systems. The non-Jewish nations are responsible for making laws and enforcing them. Their laws must support the basic tenets of the Seven Noahide laws but the rest of the system is up to them. The Jews on the other hand, were commanded a complete system. It is a comprehensive system of laws and consequences that was established by G-d and G-d alone. Judges must still evaluate and apply the law; however, they are applying divine judgment rather than mere human rational and intellect.
The "divine imperative" of the Jewish judicial system is central to who the Jews are. Right and wrong, good and bad, are determined by divine ruling. Human rational and intellect are essential in understanding and applying G-d's law, but it always remains G-d's law. In fact, the permission for judges to create "new laws - rabbinic laws" is restricted to laws that protect or enhance the adherence to divine law. (17:11) "You must do in accordance to the Torah that they will teach you and the commandments that they will tell you..." Rashi comments, "Even if they tell you that right is left and left is right, and certainly if they tell you that left is left and that right is right, you must do as the rabbis command."
The Torah commanded the Jews to suspend their own rational judgment and follow even the seemingly irrational and illogical commandments of "the Rabbis - the Judges." Can dogmatic irrationality be G-d's expectation for justice? Is that the meaning of righteous justice?
Who are the judges - rabbis and what is their primary mandate? The opening verses in this week's Parsha state that "they must judge righteously. They may not pervert justice by taking bribes and they may not show deference to one party over another. They must pursue righteous justice." The Torah goes on to explain that bribery and deference perverts justice by "blinding the eyes of the wise and skewing the words of the righteous."
Rabbi Dessler explained in his essay on motive and bias that intellectual bias is a given in all rational deliberations, and that it goes without saying that bias plays a significant role in all emotional deliberations. The mere fact that a person thinks his own thought already biases against any other opinion. That does not mean that there is no unbiased justice in the world. There can definitely be true justice; however, the judge must be honest with himself and recognize his inherent intellectual or emotional bias. He must then work to overcome that bias when administering justice.
A judge must first and foremost be a true Eved Hashem (servant of G-d). He must be wiling and able to suspend his own intellectual processing and assumption of justice and apply the law of G-d. He must accept the limitations of his own mortality and trust the eternal truth of G-d and His Torah. In doing so, in being a true Eved Hashem, there is great comfort, confidence and courage. As humans we can never be certain that we know the truth. "Do not believe in yourself until your dying day." Only in the Olam Haemes - the World of Truth - will we know with certainty whether we were or were not truthful with our motives and ourselves. However, justice must be applied in this world, and the person who is committed to the word of G-d as taught by Moshe and passed down through the generations can trust that he has lived his life and applied justice in concert with G-d's wishes. -
Shoftim - Beware Of Your Own Motives Part2
By Rabbi Aron Tendler
The Judge is really no different than any other Jew. His challenge is the fundamental challenge facing every Jew all the time. Will he do as G-d wishes or will he do as he wishes? This week's Parsha points out that the conflict is usually not so obvious. The conflict between doing the will of G-d or serving other gods (including the god of self) comes in stages.
Motive is the question. What motivates the sinner to deny the will of G-d and do otherwise? The Torah begins by focusing on motive. Is the judge being truthful or biased in his assessment of the situation and the application of justice? In order to render true justice the judge must be totally impartial. His sole goal must be to impart the word and will of G-d. "Wherever you mention my name I will come to you and bless you." The Talmud says that we learn from this verse that G-d is present at all judicial deliberations! The judge must feel as if G-d is standing behind him looking over his shoulder. The judge must believe that he is acting as G-d's agent and that he has no other choice but to render divine justice. What he personally thinks and feels is less than irrelevant. Only that which is a product of G-d's Torah can have any significance.
It is this imagery that protects the mortal judge from being biased by any other motive except ascertaining and applying the will of G-d. It is that kind of righteous justice that guarantees the nation's survival in Eretz Yisroel. Just as the judge must be a role model of complete subjugation to the word of G-d to all of us, so too the Jewish nation living in Eretz Yisroel must model for the other nations how a nation must subjugate itself to the will of G-d. If we do so, we deserve to live on the Land; if we do not, we deserve to be exiled from the Land.
If a judge/person/nation does not subjugate himself to the law of G-d he begins to flirt with idol worship. The next Mitzvah in the Parsha is the prohibition against planting an Ashera. It seems that the Canaanites used to plant a leafy, evergreen, shade tree called "Ashera" next to their altars. It was considered part of their worship in addition to the practical intention of creating a more comfortable setting for worship. Such a tree and practice is forbidden.
The Ashera is unique because it contains both components, the practical and the irrational. Idol worship in general is irrational. "He who says to wood, You have given birth to me." Yet, there are components that are aesthetically pleasing and intelligent. Why not borrow the rational and eliminate the irrational?
The juxtaposition of the two sets of laws, justice and the Ashera tells us that the motive for adopting the seemingly rational is not so truthful. In fact, it is a veiled attempt at applying mortal intellect to divine law. The danger is far beyond rationalizing "a leafy evergreen tree" as an enhancement for G-d's law. The danger is believing in oneself and one's own righteousness. Once a person begins to trust his own justice there is no divine justice. Once a person begins to do as he wishes he is no longer doing as G-d wishes.
The Parsha continues to describe the slippery slope of human intellect and rational. The Ashera is only the beginning. At first the conflict between G-d's law and personal desire is hidden behind the rational of aesthetic and practical enhancements. Soon enough true motives begin to emerge. All of a sudden the person wishes to show his devotion by erecting a monolith - an obelisk - a monument - in honor of G-d. What could be so bad? It's only a symbol of his devotion and fealty! It personalizes his relationship with the Divine and will inspire others to believe and worship! However, the Torah says that such an expression is hateful to G-d. If it is hateful to G-d and you wish to do His will, you should not do something that is hateful to the One you wish to serve! The prohibition against erecting a Matzevah strips away the illusion of whose will is really being done. As the Torah states, "Do not erect a monument for yourself...'
Enhancements and innovations within divine service are still subtle challenges to total subjugation and service. However, the Torah forewarned us that there is yet a far more insidious stage before a person openly defies G-d and worships idols.
In the two preceding laws the expressed motivation of the sinner was to go beyond the commanded and the expected. The individual's motivation was to enhance, personalize, and innovate on G-d's service. However, the case of the blemished offering is a stage beyond the rationalized facade. Emerging from behind the delusion of creative devotion creeps the true motive of self-worship and divine diminution.
Remember the conflict between Kayin and Hevel? Kayin innovated and decided to express his devotion to G-d by making an offering from his produce. However, he offered the second best fruit rather than the very best. Kayin rationalized his actions by pointing out that G-d did not eat and therefore the entire offering was only symbolic. Why waste the best on a symbolic gesture. It's the thought that counts!
Hevel knew better. He appreciated Kayin's desire to express service and subjugation, but he understood that symbols are far more than thoughts. We are mortal and G-d is infinite. No gesture, physical or other, gives G-d "what He needs." G-d is infinite and He needs nothing! Therefore, the most we can do is relate to Him minimally as we would to a king of flesh and blood. To a mortal king only the best would do. Therefore, how much more so should we give G-d only the best! Kayin presented an offering that minimized himself and maximized G-d. Kayin offered a gift that minimized G-d and maximized himself.
The act of offering a blemished animal openly expresses Kayin's philosophy of, "In this world my needs take precedence over devotion and fealty." Lest one think that open rebellion is more "honest" and therefore admirable the Torah says, "it is disgusting to G-d!' G-d may hate rationalized and hidden rebellion but it does not disgust Him. At least there is a desire on the part of the sinner to maintain an image of devotion and subjugation. Open rebellion is far worse. It reveals a deliberate desire to minimize G-d in this world. It denies the very mission of the Jewish people and the mission of all of humanity.
The final stage is open Avodah Zara - idol worship. It catapults human will beyond the realm of the rational into the irrational realm of offering the unblemished and the pure to gods of wood and stone. When that happens G-d turns to His Chosen People and says, "Let society be the judges. Let them bring testimony against these sinners. By the word of two or three eyewitnesses shall judgment be passed. If such testimony exists it proves that their rebellion was beyond redemption. They have perverted their divine missions and forfeited their lives. In so doing you will have removed the evil from within your midst!" -
The Parshah in a Nutshell
Shoftim
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Moses instructs the people of Israel to appoint judges and law-enforcement officers in every city; "Justice, justice shall you pursue," he commands them, and you must administer it without corruption or favoritism. Crimes must be meticulously investigated and evidence thoroughly examined -- a minimum of two credible witnesses is required for conviction and punishment.
In every generation, says Moses, there will be those entrusted with the task of interpreting and applying the laws of the Torah. "According to the law that they will teach you, and the judgement they will instruct you, you shall do; you shall not turn away from the thing that they say to you, to the right nor to the left."
Shoftim also includes the prohibitions against idolatry and sorcery; laws governing the appointment and behavior of a king; and guidelines for the creation of "cities of refuge" for the inadvertent murderer. Also set forth are many of the rules of war: the exemption from battle for one who has just married, built a home, planted a vineyard or is "afraid and soft-hearted"; the requirement to offer terms of peace before attacking a city; the prohibition against wanton destruction of something of value, exemplified by the law that forbids to cut down a fruit tree when laying siege (in this context the Torah makes the famous statement "For man is a tree of the field" ).
The Parshah concludes with the law of Eglah Arufah - the special procedure to be followed when a person is killed by an unknown murderer and his body is found in a field - which underscores the responsibility of the community and its leaders not only for what they do but also for what they might have prevented from being done. -
Parshas Shoftim
Royal Humility
This week, the Torah teaches us about royalty and its symbiotic relationship with humility. The concept of the Jewish king is discussed in this week's portion, He is given a tremendous amount of power, but there are caveats as well. He is told not to amass a large cavalry, nor shall he have too many wives lest they sway his heart. Third, he is warned against amassing an excess fortune of gold and silver. But in an interesting addendum, Hashem puts a roadblock to haughtiness in front of the king in a surprisingly different manner. "It shall be that when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself two copies of this Torah in a book, from before the Kohanim, the Levites. It shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear Hashem, his G-d, to observe all the words of this Torah and these decrees, to perform them so that his heart does not become haughty over his brethren and not turn from the commandment right or left, so that he will prolong years over his kingdom, he and his sons amid Israel." (Deuteronomy 15:15-17).
It seems that this Book of chastisement and its message of restraint need be with the king everyday of his life.
Need that be the case? Why not have a court castigator, a prophet or clergy who would sermonize monthly or even weekly. Does the King truly need to constantly carry and read a Book of ethics to forever keep him in check? Rav Yosef Poesner, was the son-in-law of the Nodeh B'Yehuda, the esteemed Rav of Prague. He was a brilliant scholar and an amazingly righteous individual.
During his entire life, he seemed to be plagued by a nagging wife who would belittle him at every opportunity. After a brilliant lecture, she would come into the room, and belittle him. During meetings at which his opinion was prominently sought, she would serve the company food, but at the same time she made sure to deride him. During all these outbursts, he never said a word. He never defended himself. In fact, he hung his head low, as if to agree with her words of derision.
Then, suddenly, he passed away. Hundreds came to the funeral. All of the gathered contrasted his greatness to the difficult life he had led, by being married to a shrew of a wife who was about to bury him.
After the eulogies, his wife suddenly appeared before the coffin, crying uncontrollably.
She begged his permission to speak and then burst into tears.
"All these years," she cried, "I fulfilled the adage that a loyal wife fulfills the wishes of her husband. And due to my loyalty and respect to you and your greatness, I did whatever you had asked me to. But now that you are in the world of the truth, I can finally say the truth." She began to declare her respect for his greatness and humility, his piety and patience, his kindness and compassion.
The people near the coffin were shocked to see this woman transformed into a loving, grieving widow. And then the true shock came. She continued her soliloquy.
"Despite, how difficult it was for me, I kept the promise and commitment you had asked me to make. Any time you were treated honorably, or were asked to fulfill a prestigious role, you told me to come in and belittle you as strongly as possible. You were afraid that the honor they afforded you would make you haughty. I only complied because that was your will!"
"But now I can finally say the truth!" But that was only in front of people!
"You know how much I appreciated and cherished you!" She continued to cry over the great tzadik and lifelong companion she lost. The stunned grievers were shocked at the tremendous devotion of the Rebbitzin, who deemed herself a harrying nag all for the sake of her husband's wishes.
Humility is not easy to attain. And for a man thrust in the limelight of power, flashbulbs popping, the media pressing, and servants waiting, it is an even more arduous task. The only antidote is constant mussar, day in day out. The Torah "shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life." Every day. All mussar all the time. No weekly speeches nor sporadic sermons. If the Torah must be cherished like a wife, it also must be asked to nag us into reality. And then, it will serve its men not only delicious desserts, but also humble pie.
Good Shabbos!
Copyright © 2001 by Rabbi M. Kamenetzky and Project Genesis, Inc. -
Parshas Shoftim
Hear Oh Israel -- Fear Not, Israel
by Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
Approaching war correctly may be more difficult than waging war itself. In order to prepare Klal Yisrael for war a series of queries were presented to them. Soldiers who were newlywed or had recently built new homes or planted new vineyards were told by the officer in charge to leave the army and return home. Furthermore, soldiers who were faint of heart morally or spiritually were asked to return home so as not to weaken the hearts of others in battle.
But war must begin with encouragement. So before the officers ask the questions that may relieve some soldiers from active duty, the kohen gives a moral boosting speech. The kohen opens with Judaism's most famous words, "Sh'ma Yisrael - Hear Oh Israel! You are about to approach battle on your enemies. Let you hearts not whither and do not fear, tremble, or be broken before them. For Hashem who will go with you, fight with you, and save you" (Deuteronomy 20:3-4).
Rashi comments on the hauntingly familiar expression of "Sh'ma Yisrael - Hear oh Israel!" Those words are the national anthem of the Jewish nation whose doctrine of belief is contained in the declarative that follows. "The L-rd our G-d the L-rd is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Rashi connects the pre-battle pep-talk in Parshas Shoftim with the famous words read week's earlier in Parshas Va'eschanan. He explains that the expression, "Hear oh Israel" used in the kohen's prologue is actually used as a hint to Hashem. The kohen is in essence reminding Hashem of the unofficial anthem that Jews recite twice daily, world-over. The kohen is in essence declaring that "even if the Jewish people have only the merit of the words Hear oh Israel, they are worthy to be victorious and saved (from the ravages of war)."
I was wondering. Isn't the kohen talking to the people? If Rashi tells us that with this choice of words there is a subtle message to Hashem, can we not also presume that there is perhaps, an important, if only subtle message to His nation as well?
Refusenik Yosef Mendelevitch, imprisoned in a work camp by Soviet authorities refused to give up his religious convictions. He made a kipah, which he wore proudly in the work camp.
Once the KGB colonel in charge of the camp heard of Mendelevich's behavior, he summoned him to his office and threatened him.
"Take that off your head or I will kill you!" he demanded.
Mendelevich was not moved. "You can kill me, but I will not take it off." The officer was shocked by Yosef's calm attitude. In desperation he grilled him. "Are you not afraid to die?"
Mendelevich just smiled softly. "Those who will die by the commands of Brezhnev are afraid of death. However those who believe that our death will be by the command of G-d are not afraid of His command."
Perhaps the symbolism of using the words of the Sh'ma Yisrael, which connect to our sincere faith in the oneness and unity of the Almighty is profoundly significant.
The kohen is commanding the Jews to enter the battlefield without fear. There is no better familiar declaration than that of Sh'ma Yisrael. Those words kept our faith and calm-headedness throughout every death-defying and death-submissive moment throughout our history. During the Spanish inquisition, it was on our lips. During the Crusades it was shouted in synagogues about to be torched. And during the Holocaust Sh'ma Yisrael was recited by those who walked calmly to meet the Author of those hallowed words that captured the faith of Jewish souls more resolutely than the fetters that held the frail bodies.
The Chofetz Chaim would urge soldiers to constantly repeat the paragraph of the Sh'ma Yisrael during battle. It would sustain their faith as it would calm their fears. And the words Sh'ma Yisrael remain the battle cry of the simple Jew who maneuvers through a world filled with land-mines of heresy and temptation.
It is the battle-cry of our faith and in encouraging a nation to be strong and remembering that Hashem is with us. And no matter what the message is, there is no better introduction than, Sh'ma Yisrael. And there are no better words during the battle either.
Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky -
Parasha: Ki Teitzei(When you go out)
For Aug 19-25
Torah : Deuteronomy 21:10- 25:19
Haftarah : Isaiah 54:1-10
Brit Chadashah : Acts 13,15 -
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Ki Tetze ? ëé úöà : “When you go”
Torah : Deuteronomy 21:10?25:19
Haftarah : Isaiah 54:1?10
Gospel : Acts 13?15
Accursed of God
Thought for the Week:
Rabbi Meir said, “There is a parable about this matter. To what can it be compared? It can be compared to two identical twin brothers. Both lived in a certain city. One was appointed king, and the other became a bandit. At the king's command they hanged the bandit. But everyone who saw him hanging there said, “The king has been hung!” Therefore the king issued a command and he was taken down. (b.Sanhedrin 46b)
Commentary:
But you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 21:22?23)
Opponents of the early believers probably pointed to this Deuteronomy passage to prove that Yeshua could not be the Messiah, just as anti-missionaries do today. They probably said, “You see, He could not be Messiah because He was hung on a tree, and everyone hung on a tree is accursed of God. Surely the real Messiah is not accursed of God.”
In Galatians 3, however, Paul cites Deuteronomy 21:22?23 and applies it to the death of Messiah, using it as proof of the redemption granted to believers through Messiah:
Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Torah, having become a curse for us?for it is written [in Deuteronomy 21:23], “cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”?in order that in the Messiah Yeshua the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13?14)
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According to Paul, the curse of the Torah is condemnation in the eternal court of judgment. Paul points out that “the Torah brings about wrath.” (Romans 4:15) It does so because it defines sin. He says, “The Torah came in so that the transgression would increase” (Romans 5:20). In other words, one of the functions of the Torah is that man might be made more aware of his sin and separation from God. Because the Torah defines sin and condemns sin, Paul refers to one role of the Torah as “the ministry of condemnation” (2 Corinthians 3:9). When Paul speaks of the “curse of the Torah” in Galatians 3:13, he is referring to the Torah’s condemnation of sin.
But when Messiah came, He accomplished what the Torah could not accomplish:
For what the Torah could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3?4)
Paul reasons that since Messiah was completely righteous, He had not earned the condemnation (curse) of the Torah. Yet He was hung on a tree, nonetheless, and the Torah clearly says that he who is hanged is accursed of God. If Yeshua was accursed of God, and yet had not earned that curse through His own transgressions, from where had He acquired the curse of being hung on a tree? The answer is that He took the Torah’s condemnation of our sin upon Himself in our stead. Therefore, “Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Torah, having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). -
And Straight Again!
By Rabbi Label Lam
I stumbled upon a list of aphorisms and one-liners from one of the premier Baalei Musar-Masters of Ethical Teachings, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, also known as the Alter from Kelm. One phrase made me chuckle at first but I realized it wasn’t and couldn’t be a joke so I highlighted it and parked it in a file entitled, “more thought required”. The statement goes as follows: “Torah is divided into three portions; 1) Simplicity 2) Complexity 3) Simplicity!” That’s it! Get it!? Which one of these is not like the other? Two of the three are exactly the same! What are and why are there three parts when only two different ones are listed?
A model for explanation may be found in the Rosh Chodesh Bentching, when prior to each new month we pause in synagogue to recite some prayers of hope. Amongst the handful of items we cry out for is that this month should be filled with: “fear of heaven”, and that it contain wealth and honor, and not have embarrassment and shame, and then at the end of the list again we ask for “fear of heaven”. Twice! Why is it mentioned twice on the same short list? The answer is given that there is a “fear of heaven” that comes before wealth and honor and before embarrassment and shame and there’s another brand of “fear of heaven” that comes after the experience of wealth and honor and embarrassment and shame.
We find a similar pattern by the blowing of the Shofar. In order to have fulfilled the Mitzvah of the day one has to have heard a longish straight sound and some combo of broken sounds followed by a straight sound again. The pattern is straight-broken-straight! Perhaps this is a key to unlocking the code of the ShofarÂ’s simple and not so simple message.
Every good thing in life begins with an almost naïve and yet beautiful simplicity. A child looks at his parents at first like the sun and the moon. His introduction to the Aleph and Beis are tinged with wonder and honey. A bride and groom stand as celebrities posing for pictures and generating song and dance wherever they go.
All those pictures and memories are purposefully preserved and remain on the mantelpiece of our minds. So too our relationship with HASHEM begins, as a New Year, bathed in hope and idealism.
By the second week of school the sharpened number two pencil points are dulled and the knapsack is already lined with peanut butter and lost notes home from the teacher. After a period of time the awareness of ever emerging complexities begin to dominate the brain. The ocean that looked so pristine and inviting on the travel brochure grows darker and more dangerous as we wade deeper into the reality of the scene. The mother and father are not so perfect. The Rebbe’s halo has a stain. The Torah is hard to understand. Those relationships that seemed so natural at first require real work and commitment to maintain and to avoid going insane. “What’s going on here? Is this some kind of bad joke?” one may wonder. Welcome to the realm of the complex!
If one stalls at this point, the lingering sense of frustration may yield to disappointment, disillusionment, and ultimately terminal cynicism and depression. In that place one cannot survive long, so there are only two choices. One natural approach is to drift backwards to the world of the childish, to “never-never land”, where all forms of escapism dominate However, when the movie is over and the thrill is gone the complex realities of life are still there staring even more intensely.
The only healthy approach and admittedly the more difficult, is the one the Shofar urges desperately. Don’t stop moving! Live with hopeful anticipation of a mature simplicity that reconciles the profound complexities of life with its innocent beginnings. Is this not the paradigm of ultimate optimism for all cycles of life and psyches? So too we are encouraged to strive as King David (following the same pattern) directs us, “Hope to HASHEM, strengthen and fortify your heart, and hope to HASHEM!” Straight--------Broken-------- and Straight Again! -
torah???
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Passion For Progress
By Rabbi Pinchas Avruch
"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you were leaving Egypt ...you shall wipe out the memory of Amakek from under the heaven - you shall not forget." (Devarim/Deuteronomy 25:17,19) Consistent with the maxim that the Torah contains no extra letters, no less extra instructions, the Talmud (Megilla 18a) explains that "remembering" is a physical, verbal expression, versus "not forgetting", which is done in the heart.
No, it is not. Not forgetting is a memory function, something that occurs in the brain, not the heart. How do we understand the Talmud?
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1) reminds us that our nature is that the brain recalls readily that which our heart yearns for passionately. The Torah is instructing us to instill into our heart an appreciation of the corrosive evil of Amalek, an evil that allowed them to attack our forebears in the wilderness - even though they knew they would be decimated in battle - simply to demonstrate that G-d's Chosen People were not untouchable. Once we understand that the human is capable of such depravity, and this knowledge shakes us to our core, we will be vigilant to guard ourselves from such degeneracy and, perforce, we will not forget Amalek.
Similar, notes Rabbi Feinstein, is the basis of the teaching of Rabbi Dostai bar Yannai in the name of Rabbi Meir (Pirkei Avos/Ethics of the Fathers 3:10): Whoever forgets anything of his Torah learning, Scripture considers as if he bears guilt for his soul, as it says, "But beware and guard your soul exceedingly lest you forget the things your eyes have seen." (Devarim/Deuteronomy 4:9) How can we be culpable for failing to remember? We should have such a passion to instill the truths of Torah into the depths of our heart until the totality of our bodies and souls yearn for Torah and mitzvah fulfillment. With such a yearning, forgetting would be impossible.
We find ourselves more than a week into the month of Elul. For a week the shofar has been blown every morning, calling us to wake up and return to G- d and His mitzvos. But we have done this already, last year, two years ago, and the year before that... How can we make this year different? Maybe the problem is not WHAT we decide to improve, but HOW we decide to improve.
A laborer who toiled from morning till night for his daily bread once asked Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, founder of the Mussar (2) movement: since he only had ten or fifteen minutes a day to dedicate to Torah study, to what realm in Torah should he dedicate himself? Rabbi Salanter encouraged him to learn Mussar, for if he toiled in Mussar for those fifteen minutes he would discover that he, indeed, had much more time available for Torah study.
Have a Good Shabbos! -
Parasha: Ki Tavo
For Aug26-Sept1
Torah : Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8
Haftarah : Isaiah 60:1-22
Brit Chadashah : Acts 16-18
Sorry my error...
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what do you mean Torah???Originally posted by dragg:torah???
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Parasha: Nitzavim
For Sept1-8
Torah : Deuteronomy 29:10-30:20
Haftarah : Isaiah 61:10-63:9
Brit Chadashah : Rom 10:1-12 -
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Nitzavim - ðöáéà : "You are standing"
Torah : Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20
Haftarah : Isaiah 61:10-63:9
Gospel : Acts 19-20
Choose Life
Thought for the Week:
“Obviously no one can keep the whole Torah. No one is perfect. Therefore, we should not try to keep the Torah because it is too difficult.” Moses must have foreseen our faulty logic. Therefore he insists in no uncertain terms that “this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach” (Deuteronomy 30:11). The Apostle John agrees saying, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). It’s not about being perfect, it’s about loving God.
Commentary:
Moses sums up his entreaty to Israel with the passage that begins, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity; and death and adversity” (Deuteronomy 30:15). If the Torah can be summed up into nutshell, Deuteronomy 30:15?20 is that nutshell. God sets before His people a choice. The choice is obedience or disobedience. The former leads to life, the latter to death. God dictates the choice, commanding us even, “Choose life in order that you may live!” (30:19) Yet it is a real choice, with real consequences. Man’s freedom to choose, to accept or to reject God, is a fundamental principle of Torah. As Moses sets this option of life or death before the children of Israel, we realize that we have come full circle from the Garden of Eden.
In the garden, there were two trees. One was the Tree of Life. The other was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the choice of death. They were placed before Adam and Eve as two options, but even then, God mandated the option, commanding, “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Yet the choice was theirs, and they chose to disobey. They chose death.
Moses says to Israel:
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him, for this is your life and the length of your days. (Deuteronomy 30:19?20)
The same choices hang before us. We can choose obedience or disobedience. We can choose Messiah, or we can choose to reject Him. We can choose to accept His sacrifice, or we can choose to rely on our own righteousness. To choose Him, is to choose life, for He says, “I am the resurrection and the life,” (John 11:25) and He says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
The life that He bestows upon us is a life of cleaving to God and oneness with the Father. It is a life of obedience, and as such, it too is a choice. We can choose to hear the commands of God and walk in obedience, or we can choose to cling to the comforts of theologies which exonerate us from obedience. We can choose to submit to the commandments of the King, or we can choose to turn away and walk after the vanity of our own hearts. Even disciples must make a choice. One is the path of Messiah, the other is the path of Judas. One is life; one is death.
Choose life. -
Parashah 53
September 15 , 2007
3 Tishrei
HaÂ’azinu (Hear)
Torah: DÂ’varim (Deuteronomy) 32:1-52
Haftarah: ShÂ’muÂ’el Bet (2 Samuel) 22:1-51
BÂ’rit Hadashah: Romans 10:14-21; 12:14-21; Hebrews 12:28-39 -
Echoes from Heaven
This week's portion begins with Moshe's poetic plea, " Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and may the earth hear the words of my mouth." (Deuteronomy 32:1)
The verb tense differs dramatically from the beginning of the sentence to the end. Normally a plea is said in the active tense. It is uttered as a command. "Give ear O heavens." "Listen my people." "Lend me your ear." When it comes to the heavens, Moshe expresses his appeal in an active manner. When it comes to the earth however, the expression becomes passive: "May the earth hear." It is almost as if he is not commanding but submissively acquiescing. "I cannot command the earth to pay attention, rather, may it overhear my pleas."
The Ohr HaChaim points out this anomaly and wonders why Moshe tells the heavens to listen, but he does not include the earth in that directive. Instead Moshe says that the earth shall hear, almost as if the proverbial earth is listening in the background to the prophecy he directed toward their heavenly counterparts.
Rabbi Yissachar Frand, Magid Shiur in Yeshiva Ner Israel, Baltimore, and noted author and lecturer, tells a story that he heard from a Rabbi in Dallas, Texas.
One day a man walked into the office of his orthodox shul in Dallas. The man was obviously not an observant Jew. In fact, the Rabbi never saw him in the synagogue before.
"Rabbi," he said, "I'd like to make a contribution." . He proceeded to hand over a check for ten thousand dollars.
The rabbi was flabbergasted. He did not know this man, nor had the man ever seen the Rabbi. Yet, he just handed over a tremendous gift to the synagogue. "Please, " said the rabbi. "There must be a reason. After all, you are giving this donation to a rabbi whom you do not know and to a shul in which you do not participate. Please tell me the reason."
"The man answered very simply. "Not long ago I was in Israel. I went to the Wall. There I saw a man. He was obviously a very observant Jew. He was praying with such fervor, with unparalleled enthusiasm and feeling. I just stood there and listened. I heard his pleas and supplications, I saw him sway with all his might, I saw his outpouring of faith, love, and devotion all harmoniously blending as an offering to G-d. From the day I saw that man pray, I could not get him out of my mind. If this is Judaism, I want to be part of it. I want to help perpetuate it." Perhaps Moshe is teaching us the significance of an active, forceful, message and its passive ramifications. Effective influence may not only come when talking to a particular individual, rather it may also come when others hear.
My grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky of blessed memory, explains that the word for influence in the Hebrew language, hashpa'ah, comes from the same root as the word slant or incline, shipuah. There are two ways to water a garden; one is to douse the vegetation directly. That takes effort and constant wetting. A better way that is more practical is to build a slated roof from which the steady flow of rain will irrigate the vegetation. Moshe teaches us that to the heavens we may have to shout. But we don't have to shout at the earth. Because when we speak to the heavens with fervor and enthusiasm, the earth listens as well.
Good Shabbos
Dedicated by Mark and Deedee Honigsfeld & family in memory of Paul & Bluma Honigsfeld
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Copyright © 2001 by Rabbi M. Kamenetzky and Project Genesis, Inc. -
And Straight Again!
By Rabbi Label Lam
I stumbled upon a list of aphorisms and one-liners from one of the premier Baalei Musar-Masters of Ethical Teachings, Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, also known as the Alter from Kelm. One phrase made me chuckle at first but I realized it wasn’t and couldn’t be a joke so I highlighted it and parked it in a file entitled, “more thought required”. The statement goes as follows: “Torah is divided into three portions; 1) Simplicity 2) Complexity 3) Simplicity!” That’s it! Get it!? Which one of these is not like the other? Two of the three are exactly the same! What are and why are there three parts when only two different ones are listed?
A model for explanation may be found in the Rosh Chodesh Bentching, when prior to each new month we pause in synagogue to recite some prayers of hope. Amongst the handful of items we cry out for is that this month should be filled with: “fear of heaven”, and that it contain wealth and honor, and not have embarrassment and shame, and then at the end of the list again we ask for “fear of heaven”. Twice! Why is it mentioned twice on the same short list? The answer is given that there is a “fear of heaven” that comes before wealth and honor and before embarrassment and shame and there’s another brand of “fear of heaven” that comes after the experience of wealth and honor and embarrassment and shame.
We find a similar pattern by the blowing of the Shofar. In order to have fulfilled the Mitzvah of the day one has to have heard a longish straight sound and some combo of broken sounds followed by a straight sound again. The pattern is straight-broken-straight! Perhaps this is a key to unlocking the code of the ShofarÂ’s simple and not so simple message.
Every good thing in life begins with an almost naïve and yet beautiful simplicity. A child looks at his parents at first like the sun and the moon. His introduction to the Aleph and Beis are tinged with wonder and honey. A bride and groom stand as celebrities posing for pictures and generating song and dance wherever they go.
All those pictures and memories are purposefully preserved and remain on the mantelpiece of our minds. So too our relationship with HASHEM begins, as a New Year, bathed in hope and idealism.
By the second week of school the sharpened number two pencil points are dulled and the knapsack is already lined with peanut butter and lost notes home from the teacher. After a period of time the awareness of ever emerging complexities begin to dominate the brain. The ocean that looked so pristine and inviting on the travel brochure grows darker and more dangerous as we wade deeper into the reality of the scene. The mother and father are not so perfect. The Rebbe’s halo has a stain. The Torah is hard to understand. Those relationships that seemed so natural at first require real work and commitment to maintain and to avoid going insane. “What’s going on here? Is this some kind of bad joke?” one may wonder. Welcome to the realm of the complex!
If one stalls at this point, the lingering sense of frustration may yield to disappointment, disillusionment, and ultimately terminal cynicism and depression. In that place one cannot survive long, so there are only two choices. One natural approach is to drift backwards to the world of the childish, to “never-never land”, where all forms of escapism dominate However, when the movie is over and the thrill is gone the complex realities of life are still there staring even more intensely.
The only healthy approach and admittedly the more difficult, is the one the Shofar urges desperately. Don’t stop moving! Live with hopeful anticipation of a mature simplicity that reconciles the profound complexities of life with its innocent beginnings. Is this not the paradigm of ultimate optimism for all cycles of life and psyches? So too we are encouraged to strive as King David (following the same pattern) directs us, “Hope to HASHEM, strengthen and fortify your heart, and hope to HASHEM!” Straight--------Broken-------- and Straight Again! -
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Green
Judge Me Tender, Judge Me Sweet
We are living in the last few days of the Jewish year 5760. The year 5761 will begin, and with it we'll begin a new cycle in the progression toward fulfilling G-d's purpose of creating the universe. G-d will judge us all on Rosh Hashanah regarding past performance, and accordingly, He will make promotions and demotions, "revise and renew contracts" in terms of "period of employment," what His expectations are, and the circumstances under which we will play our unique role in the year to come.
It is noteworthy that Rosh Hashanah is fearful day, but at the same time it is considered a Yom Tov, a day of celebration. Another dichotomy exists as well. In the work Yaaros D'vash it is written that at the time the shofar is blown on Rosh HaShanah, the judgment takes place. In the Midrash (VaYikrah Rabbah 29:3) it states that when the shofar is blown, G-d gets up from His throne of judgement, as it were, and sits on the throne of mercy. On the one hand, the shofar blowing brings about judgement, and on the other hand it evokes mercy.
Rabbi Chaim Friedlander, ZT"L points out the aforementioned paradox, and explains that it can be understood in the following way. There is mercy in judgement. The concept of mercy in judgement applies itself when a judge knows that the person being judged is truly remorseful for his actions, and ready to change. If a judge would be able to know that with certainty, then the means necessary to effect change in the wrongdoer can be much more lenient. Punishment reflects a need to force someone to change, and instill fear in those who would otherwise act inappropriately. Stringent punishment is unnecessary when the "criminal" truly recognizes the evil of his "crime," and wishes to change. Punishment is not revenge, but a purposeful way of bringing about change. If change will come by itself, there is no need for punishment.
If we acknowledge that we are here in this world to grow and improve ourselves, and that growing is an ongoing process, we look forward to seeing results. We welcome evaluation which facilitates our personal and communal improvement. When G-d takes notice of our sincere eagerness to become better agents of His will, He views our shortcomings as the judge would who sees "the defendant" is committed to change. It goes without saying that growing is still a painful process, and the evaluation and decision-making that G-d does strikes in us a fear of the unknown even in the best of circumstances. We can't help but wonder what is it that G-d may be sending our way this coming year to effect our growth and to bring out our unique potential. Knowing these decisions are made on Rosh Hashanah makes it a truly fearful day, with a lot hanging in the balance.
At the same time we are aware of the greatness of the day, and we take advantage of that knowledge. We dedicate the day to crowning G-d as our king and accepting the "yoke" of performing His commandments. We are confident because we are in G-d's hands, and we can hope for judgement which is mitigated by mercy. We will ultimately be better people for undergoing this process. This gives us reason to celebrate.
Improvement necessitates introspection, and when we introspect we need to consider what might be stopping us from seeing ourselves in an objective light. We also need to examine what might get in the way of being motivated to make changes. There is an insightful thought which throws some light on this subject. When Moses recounts the events which took place at the time the Torah was given, he states, "I am standing between Hashem and you." Moses was the go-between. Rabbi Sholom Noach Brezovsky, the Slonimer Rebbe ZT"L, explains in a different vein that it can be read figuratively as follows. "I," meaning the ego, is standing between each person and G-d. One's ego and desires cloud objectivity, and bribe us to prioritize in a way which leaves G-d out of the picture. Worse, they cause us to follow an all-exclusive path of self-indulgence on principle. The cure for this is a shift in priorities, which is what Rosh Hashanah is all about. When we sincerely decide to subjugate our will to G-d's will, the Torah, and we make our own will secondary, it frees us from subjectivity. We can stand back and observe ourselves from a higher vantage point. Once "I" is used as a means to serve G-d, and get closer to Him, then it no longer separates us from our spiritual potential, but just the opposite, the "I" factor enhances our spirituality.
Lastly, it must be stated, that the fact that there is a judgement conveys very clearly to us that we have incredible potential. G-d judges people because people have choice, and the ability to use their choice for good. The greatness which we are capable of is definitively beyond our wildest dreams. Our souls derive from a spiritual realm much higher than the highest ministering angels, and we are capable of elevating ourselves to that level. With the knowledge of what we can accomplish, and the willingness to grow qualitatively, may we all merit a new year in which our relationship with G-d becomes our first priority and our foremost pleasure.
Good Shabbos, Good Yom Tov! May we all be written and sealed for a good and sweet year! -
Guilt is Good!
By Rabbi Label Lam
Guilt is good! Lingering guilt is not. Guilt is to the soul what pain is to the body. Imagine what life would be without pain. Sounds delightful for the pain-ridden individual but for the average healthy Joe it would spell disaster. By the time we noticed what had gone wrong it would be too late. Our limbs would be mangled and missing due to slight incidents of clumsiness. WeÂ’d be leaning on the stove wondering why we smell something burning only to discover the horrific truth moments too late. What a benefit to have a hand that is reactive to a hot stove and learns to stay away. Similarly in a world without guilt people will tend to do unimaginably destructive deeds and then continue as if nothing had happened.
So you see guilt is a good thing. It’s like the amber light on the dash board that reads, “check-engine”. No one likes to see that signal because it could be costly and it certainly is inconvenient, but it would be far more expensive to learn the hard way when smoke is billowing from the under the hood. So guilt is good, right?
Where did guilt get such a bad rep? I believe that there are many situations when guilt is not beneficial. If one does not know clearly what their true obligations are there is room to be manipulated and made to feel arbitrarily guilty. There’s a task in psychology, like the game of “hot potato” to figure out with sober Torah standards, “Who owns the problem?” And in the business world, “Who owns the dept?” Once the doubt is eliminated then all that remains is the dept. There is no need or benefit to remain guilty longer than necessary. If one pays what’s due or does what has to be done then there is no greater feeling of relief or release.
A zealous young man was standing by the side of busy road in Israel shouting, “Shabbos!” as cars raced by. (An editorial note: I don’t believe this is the way to go about educating and I am not endorsing this approach.) A car came to a screeching halt and a big tough guy stepped out holding a tire iron in his hand.
He approached the fellow threateningly advising him to say his last prayers because he’s about to meet his Maker. The young man asked him why he was so violent and angry. The man growled back at him, “Because you’re out here shouting ‘Shabbos’?!” The young fellow answered him softly, “You didn’t stop your car because I shouted ‘Shabbos’!” Angrier than ever, the tough fellow shouted, “Don’t tell me why I stopped my car!”
The young man tried again, “I can prove it to you! If I was out here on Tuesday yelling, “Yom Shlishi!” would you have stopped your car?” “No!” the fellow admitted. “I would just think you’re crazy.” The young man concluded, “When I shouted “Shabbos” something inside you shouted “Shabbos” That’s why you stopped your car!”
Guilt can be a great thing if it invites change, but unheeded it can turn to rage and worse yet a deadening of emotions. Making mistakes is normal and expected. I saw such a quote some place: “The successful person is not the one who makes the least mistakes but the one who learns the most from his mistakes.” On one refrigerator I saw the words, “Our definition of failure is not falling down but staying down.” So too King Solomon, the wisest of all men said, “The righteous one falls seven times and gets up.” People fail all throughout life but the righteous way is to keep getting up.
A friend trying to call me Erev Rosh HaShana years back misdialed. A lady with a thick Russian accent answered the phone and not recognizing the voice he asked sheepishly, “Is this the Lams?” She responded boldly, “I am afraid you are a mistake!” He then correctly called our home and with a whisper of the whimsical he related the dialogue. He told me that he thought his parents loved and wanted him. Now he finds he is a mistake. Together we outlined the crucial distinction between “making a mistake” and “being a mistake”. On Yom Kippur we have a great chance to acknowledge mistakes made and realize guilt is good!