jlasson

Va’era- Separate, but Equal

 Uncategorized, Vaeira  No Responses »
Jan 202012
 

There is much written regarding the Four references to Redemption used by God in our Parsha- And I will take you out, And I will save you, I will redeem you, and I will take you as a nation. There is also a fifth reference to God bringing us to the Land of Israel.

I do not understand the order of the first two references: “I will take you out from their burden” and then: “I will save you from their service”. Aren’t they very similar?

The Yerushalmi in Pesachim as explained by the commentators tells us that Seder night we drink 4 cups of wine corresponding to these 4 references to redemption.

Why wine? Why not some other drink or some other food?

There are many possible answers. The Meshech Chachma explains that wine not only symbolizes comfort and freedom, but to the Jewish People in particular, wine symbolizes our separation somewhat from the other nations. Wine, in particular, carries with it strict laws in terms of who prepares the wine. Wine made by a non-Jew is rendered non-kosher. A rationale is that wine is a drink that usually accompanies parties, social events. The Rabbis were worried that wining and dining with non Jews could lead to intermarriage as well as possible abandonment of our faith. Symbolically, having certain items serve to keep Jews too themselves allows for closer, unadulterated relationship with God. (I defer to the Rabbis among us for clarification, but I believe that while we are not allowed to eat cooked sole by a non-Jew, once a Jew takes a minimal part in the cooking process, a non-Jew can do the rest and the food is kosher. I am not sure if the same arrangement can be made with regard to wine.)

Achashverush in the Purim story knew this and therefore the Gemara explains that he made strictly kosher wine available to the Jews so that they would join their fellow countrymen in the celebrations. Ironically, it seems the Jews inculcated only the letter of the Law in terms of kosher wine, but not the spirit of the Law, the reason that it was instituted in the first place.

And so we raise our glasses Seder night and proclaim “And this has stood by our ancestors as well as us….”. There are many explanations for what “And this” refers to. The Meshech Chachma offers that we are proclaiming that the wine which we hold- kosher and separate from non-Jews- is what kept us afloat in the tumultuous ‘waters of Egypt”. Indeed, this is echoed in the teaching that what kept Jews standing was that Jews kept their names, language, and modes of dress in Egypt.

Robert Frost wrote: “The best things and best people rise out of their separateness; I’m against a homogenized society because I want the cream to rise.” When no one can focus on studying and living their own particular beliefs and faiths, then greatness eludes us.

This should not be misconstrued as bigotry, rather an expression of Judaism’s wish to keep certain things private. Just as spouses and famalies keep certain things under wraps, so too in our relationship with God, we should also keep things private and ‘holy’. Of course, in most other aspects we are adjured to show all of mankind the utmost respect.

 Posted by jlasson at 9:45 am

VaYeshev- Cooler Heads Prevail

 Uncategorized, VaYeshev  No Responses »
Dec 162011
 

“And they saw him from afar, and when he had not yet drawn near to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. So they said one to the other, “Behold, that dreamer is coming. So now, let us kill him, and we will cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him,’ and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But Reuben heard, and he saved him from their hand[s], and he said, “Let us not deal him a deadly blow.”

  • What did Reuven hear that made him save Yosef?

A number of commentators (Panim Yafos and Pardes Yosef among others) explain based on the Zohar that Reuven heard a message through Ruach haKodesh, a Holy Spirit.

A simple reading of: and we will see what will become of his dreams sounds like the brothers were making a sarcastic remark. As if they were saying: let’s see how true all his dreams come when we are done with him. However, the Zohar says that this line was actually an interjection from Heaven. After the brothers come up with their plot- Heaven interjects and says: “You think you will be successful in getting rid of Yosef but in truth, he will rise to greatness if God rules so. Let us see what happens with his dreams- they will come true!- and then we will see what happens with your plot! God is turning the tables on the brothers. See how it reads in Rashi:

Rabbi Isaac said, This verse says: “Expound on me.” [I.e., this verse demands a midrashic interpretation.] The Holy Spirit says thus: They (the brothers) say, “Let us kill him,” but the verse concludes: “and we will see what will become of his dreams.” Let us see whose word will stand up, yours or Mine. It is impossible that they (the brothers) are saying,“and we will see what will become of his dreams,” because, since they will kill him, his dreams will come to nought.

This is what Reuven hears that the other brothers did not. Perhaps because Reuven is the firstborn he feels more responsibility towards his brother. See Rashi on the next verse:

And Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the desert, but do not lay a hand upon him,” in order to save him from their hand[s], to return him to his father. to save him: The Holy Spirit testifies for Reuben that he said this only to save him, so that he would [be able to] come and take him out of there. He said, “I am the firstborn and the eldest of them all. The sin will be attributed only to me.” [from Gen. Rabbah 84:15]

I thought of a different explaination as to what exactly Reuven heard. Maybe Reuven simply heard what his brothers were actually saying! Maybe he was the only one that internalized the extremist position and pernicious actions they were taking! He realized that they were planning to do something they would regret later and he took a stand. Sometimes (this happens to me) we get hot-headed about something and we cannot think correctly. Especially when we are in a group and everyone is holding a certain position – it is hard for us to deviate and disagree. [Groupthink in Social Psychology.] Reuven, however, was sort of a leader and he kept cool when passions were flaring around him- and he made a wise decision. Even when we rightfully get passionate about something we should stop and think if what we are thinking to do is really sensical in the long run.

 Posted by jlasson at 8:38 am  Tagged with: , ,

Vayeitze- Brotherly Love

 Uncategorized, VaYetzei  No Responses »
Dec 022011
 

1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Harran,” they replied. He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered. Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”“We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

Yaakov meets the shepards and sees that they are not doing anything- they claim they are waiting for the rock to be rolled off to get to the water for the sheep.

One might ask, Yaakov is a stranger that just came to town and after some pleasantries he starts questioning the locals’ work habits, by saying- it is the middle of the day, why aren’t you giving the sheep water?! Why are you sitting around doing nothing? Furthermore, the locals surprisingly do not snap back at Yaakov- who are you?! Who do you think you are telling us how to do our work? Rather, they simply responded, we cannot, because of the big rock. They seemingly showed a respect for this newcomer. How was this accomplished by Yaakov?

[Parenthetically, one may ask a few questions about this rock: why today was different than any other day; did they always put the rock on and if so, how did they put it on but not be able to take it off, etc.]

The Ponovezher Rav (Rav Khaneman) quoted by the Yagdil Torah answers that Yaakov’s motivational secret was one simple word. When he met the locals he called them “My brothers” (where are you from). He showed that he felt a strong bond towards them, even though they had never met before.

The lesson is simply that when it comes to reprimanding or critiquing others, we may only be effective when first showing a care and genuine concern for the other person. Only then can we hope to connect to that person and have our suggestions carry some bearing.

Good Shabbos

Yaakov

 Posted by jlasson at 9:25 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Lech Lecha- Showing Off or Showing Up?

 Lech Lecha, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Nov 042011
 

“This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.” (17:10)

We are taught that Avraham kept every mitzva in the Torah before he (or anyone else for that matter) was even commended to, with one exception: the commandment to become circumcised. Bris Mila is the only Mitzva he did once he was commanded to do it. [Prophetically, Avraham divined the mitzvos that would only be commanded later – like eating matza and blowing shaofar, for example. ) The question, asked Rav Nissan Alpert, is why not? Why specifically by the mitzva of mila did Avraham wait until God actually commanded him to do so?

Furthermore, the Medrash in next week’s Parsha reveals that actually even after Avraham was commanded to circumcize himself he still was not totally sure. The Medrash recounts that Avraham visited some friends and asked for their advice regarding the circumcision; he wanted to know if it was a good idea. The question is obvious! By the story of the Akeda, Avraham had no qualms about sacrificing his son Yitzchak. There he did not consult with colleagues- he needed no convincing that it was the right thing to do. But here by Mila, Avraham needs to ask his friends for advice-!?

Rav Nissan Alpert offers one approach. The Mitzva of Mila, he says, is categorically different than all the other Mitzvos Avrhaam did up until that point. Circumcision displays a radical physical difference between a Jew and a non-Jew. (Let us put aside one who unfortunately cannot or did not have a circumcision.) It is a sign that the Jewish people are an elevated group. Avraham knew this fact and was concerned that undergoing this radical change would perhaps sabotage his attempts at influencing the pagan worshipers of his time. Once he got the Mila everyone would view him as a Religious Fanatic, or a person with sacrifice for God too great to be mimicked by the mere mortal. People might be intimidated, overwhelmed, or turned off when encountering a person who took his service to God to such an extent as to make an abrasion in his body.

Therefore Avraham did not voluntarily circumcise himself and he even was hesitant when God told him to do so. “Perhaps, Avraham relayed to his friends, Hashem’s message will go unheard if I perform this mitzva. Maybe it is better I do not do it!! Only when his friend Mamre advised Avraham to listen to God did Avraham acquiesce.

Why now, at the age of 99, was God advising Avraham to get a Mila? If Avraham avoided having it done up until this point, why did God feel that now it was the time to get it done? Rav Alpert adds that now God knew that Avraham would become a father soon. Before Avraham could be a proper father and teacher to his child, Avraham need to ‘perfect’ himself through getting the mila.

There are a number of lessons to be derived here. Sometimes we feel that to influence others to more closely follow the ways of Hashem we cannot appear to extreme in our religious behavior. We might turn them off. Indeed, as evidenced by Avraham’s hesitance, this might be a valid approach. We have to be careful not to be overbearing or patronizing when trying to influence others. But Mamre (and God of course) disagree with Avraham and say that no, he should still get the mila. This approach seems to imply that sometimes we should not worry so much about our appearances. We should be ourselves, be proud of our ideals and what we look like. This will create a positive sentiment and impact when displayed properly to others.

 Posted by jlasson at 10:47 am  Tagged with: , ,

Noach- Speak Softly

 Noach  2 Responses »
Oct 282011
 
“Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean (Anenu tahora) animal, a male and its mate”. (7:2)

Why did the Torah use the language of Anenu Tahora when the simpler “Tameh” could have been used*? [The Torah usually prefers terse language.]

This shows us that we should use only the most pristine of language. (Gemara in Pesachim 3a) The answer is that saying the word Tameh sounds slightly more ‘vulgar’ than Anenu Tahora and the torah also prefers only the most pristine type of language.

Asks the Dubna Maggid: “It says Tameh many times in the Torah! Take a look at Parshas Shmini and you will find many uses of the word Tameh! So what point is the Torah and Gemara making here in Parshas Noach, when in reality the word Tameh is used many times (later) in the Torah!?”

He answers with a parable. There was once a guy who was known by a derogatory name and rightfully so. The man was uncouth. A master once criticized his servant for flippantly referring to this person by a derogatory name, but later on the master used that very name himself in regards to marriage proposal with this third person. What was the discrepancy, the servant wanted to know? The master answered that the servant used the name for no apparent purpose. That is simply wrong. However, the master used the name in regards to a marriage proposal. There the master had a real purpose in stating to the Shadchan exactly the types of behaviors this person exemplified.

The same reasoning applies here, as well. In the Parshiyos later on when the Torah uses “Tameh”, there is a real need to do so. For example, the Torah has a real purpose in saying that a Nidda is Tameh. It is in order to demonstrate exactly we are dealing with, namely, a prohibition of closeness to someone in a certain situation. Therefore, the Torah used the word Tameh. However, by Noach, there is no definitive purpose in stating exactly what condition the animals were in – there were no rules riding on this episode. There is no need to say Tameh, so the Torah uses Anenu Tahora.

The lesson is that we should be careful with our speech. Even words that are not terribly offensive, but have a tinge of ‘dirtiness’ to them should be avoided, except in situations which call for it.

Good Shabbos from the Heights,
Yaakov

*The truth is that in English both words are translated as “impure”, sadly producing no real difference between the distinct Hebrew terms. But you could say it is like saying unclean vs. dirty. It is more pristine to say unclean. Clean and unclean here refer to kosher vs. non-kosher

 Posted by jlasson at 8:32 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Shemos- Where You Want to Be

 Shmot  No Responses »
Dec 242010
 

23 And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew them.

What does it mean that God knew them?

The Bais HaLevi (Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveichik) answers by saying that God knew we were innocent from full blame.

The Jews, suffering under the heavy burden of work in Egypt also happened to commit idolatry during that time. The Medrash records that when God decided to take the Jews out of Egypt the angels representing Egypt challenged God and asked why the Jews should be saved and the Egyptians destroyed? Were the Jews any better than the Egyptians? Both committed idolatry the Jews may have committed other sins, although I am not sure about this.) [The following answer of the God also seemed so obvious to me that I wonder what the question of the angels was in the first place!]

God answers there is a big difference! The Egyptians willingly chose to enslave the Jewish People, to beat them and to subjugate them. The Jews, on the other hand, were subject to the whim of these immoral, wicked people! They suffered innumerable pains in Egypt. So even if at some point they did serve idols, if was because they were under duress and persecution. How can you even compare the Jews to the Egyptians?!

[I actually do not know of a source besides for this Medrash that says that the Jews actually served idols. There are sources in the Torah that say that the Jews cried out to God which signifies that they still believed in Him! So, where do we know from the Torah that the Jews actually served idols and fell to the "49th level of impurity"!?]

Still, the Beis HaLevi comments that if not for God knowing intimately that the Jewish People as a whole wished to serve Him if they could, the excuse of being under duress would not apply. The litmus test is seeing whether one would or would not do the same action if they were not under duress. But Gd knew that if the Jews had it differently they would simply not be serving idols. That is why he “remembered his covenant with Abraham…”. God wants the heart, firstly. Judaism values striving, dealing with what you have the best you can, but also measuring where you want to be. The Jews wanted to be in Israel serving God, not in Egypt serving idols, even if that is what they were doing. I can almost guarantee you that.

The dvar Torah was from Rav Rosner, as usual, but I think we add an interpersonal lesson here, as well. We have to be careful not to judge other Jews. Sometimes a person can be in a certain difficult situations, whether with family, school, etc. which causes them to act in a certain way. We have to recognize that if they were in an easier situiation, their behavior may be different. If so, their behavior now is simply a facade. Not that we can pardon everyone and enforce no rules when it becomes necessary, but to do it without judging the person.

 Posted by jlasson at 9:58 am  Tagged with: , ,

Nitzavim/VaYalech- Have it Your Way

 Nitzavim, Va'Yelech  No Responses »
Sep 032010
 

“You stand today, all of you, before the LORD your God: your chiefs, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel, 11your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water.

Why does the Torah decide to tell us that everyone was there “from the wood chopper to the drawer of water”? Why are these specific professions mentioned?

[There is a simple meaning of the verse which Rashi quotes .]

Midrashically, the Shemen HaTov says that these two jobs symbolize two legitimate but distinct ways to serve God. Some people are wood choppers who prepare fuel for a fire. Fire and heat rise, which symbloize the Jews who serve God with ambition, leadership, and a vision for greatness. These are the leaders in our community who go out and teach Torah to the masses and bring Jews back to their religion.

Others are water-drawers. Water, as we know, flows downward. (There is a actually gemara that compares Torah to water which uses this same concept.) Those who draw water, then, refer to those who serve God by lowering themselves and their personal stature. These are the people that exemplify humility and grace, people who are always working for God, ‘behind the scenes’. These are the “simple” Jews that keep the world afloat with their constancy in Torah observance.

The verse is telling us that everyone with their unique talents and ideological makeup (at that time) stood before God together. The ‘Officers’ of the major Torah institutions and the ‘newcomer’ to Orthodoxy stand shoulder to shoulder, with no actual heirarchy, working full-time to improve the world around us and to bring Godliness back to the world.

Wishing everyone a year of health and happiness tailored to their specific needs, Yaakov

 Posted by jlasson at 10:20 am

Ki Seitze- Money is no Object

 Ki Tetzei  No Responses »
Aug 202010
 

No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, 4because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

These verses tell us to avoid marriage with all male Moabites or Ammonites. Why? The verses give two clear reasons:

a) When the Jewish People left Egypt, these nations were not hospitable to us at all. b) Additionally, (years late,) they hired someone to try to curse (and destroy) the entire Jewish Nation.

Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter wonders what the connection is between the two reasons. The second reason is understandable; the Moabites tried to destroy the Jewish People! However, the first reason given is perhaps excusable. After all, can we fault a nation for not being able to accommodate another nation? There were hundreds of thousands of Jews coming through the Moabite land! Maybe the Moabites simply did not have the finances to take care of an entire nation!

[Perhaps you could answer by saying that this does not excuse them from accommodating at least some of the Jewish People. Is hospitality an all or nothing proposition?!]

He quotes the Dubno Maggid who explains (without a parable, I am sorry :) that the financial excuse does not cut it for the Moabites. The verses record that Bilaam was offered any amount of money he could have wanted:

15Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former. 16They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; 17for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.’”18Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God.

Thus, the verses are telling us that in reality the Moabites had plenty of money and surely could have afforded to give the Jewish People mere bread and water. Since they failed to do so, they are not fit to become part of the Jewish People, for one of the traits of The Jewish People is showing kindness to others.

So why, then, are we allowed to marry the women of Moab? (See The Book of Ruth.) Of course, there is the famous exposition of the verses- “A male Moabite (you may not marry) but not a female Moabite (whom you may marry). However, if we are not allowed to mix with such morally regnant people, why the difference in genders?

I have heard that the men were the ones responsible for accommodating guests and not the women. Thus, the women should not be held accountable. Indeed, I found this idea stated by Rav Shlomo Carlebach.

Good Shabbos.

Yaakov

 Posted by jlasson at 9:05 am

Shoftim- Judge Favorably

 Shoftim  No Responses »
Aug 132010
 

You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment

(Obviously not the simple understanding of the verses, but…) the verse is telling man how to relate to himself as opposed to others. “Appoint for yourself judges and officers”- when it comes to criticizing character flaws or actions, concentrate solely on yourself. If it helps you- be guilty in your own eyes and always strive to improve.

However, when it comes to everyone else- give them the benefit of the doubt. …”judge the people with righteousness”; judge others favorably and do not try to look for their faults, only their strong points. (R’ Yaakov of Lublin)

 Posted by jlasson at 2:13 pm

Re’eh- The Words of the Sages

 Re'eh  No Responses »
Aug 062010
 

שְׁמֹר וְשָׁמַעְתָּ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּךָּ לְמַעַן יִיטַב לְךָ וּלְבָנֶיךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ עַד־עֹולָם כִּי תַעֲשֶׂה הַטֹּוב וְהַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ׃ ס

You shall guard and you shall listen to all of these things that I command you so that it shall be good for you and your children after you forever when you do what is good and straight in the eyes of Hashem your God.

There is a lot that can be said on this verse, but let us focus on the part of it.

The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh poses a couple questions on the beginning of the verse:

  • Shouldn’t it say “Listen” (to what you have to do) and then “guard” (these things)?! (This is kind of like Naaseh VNishma, except that here Moshe is saying it) It seems out of order.

  • Also, what do the extra words “es kol”, “all” (of these things) teach us? ['Es' is a Hebrew word which does not really have a translation in English. In Hebrew serves to introduce the next clause, yet since no word in the Torah is extra, some try to extrapolate meanings from each time the word appears.]

He answers that “Guard” is referring to observing the Biblical Commandments that the Jewish People have heard from Moshe. Guard what you already have. Simple enough. However, “Listen” is referring to all the Rabbinic decrees, the gezaros, and the customs instituted by the Rabbis subsequent [hence the order of the words] to the present time when Moshe is speaking. He is telling the Jewish People that there are many enactments yet to come which the Torah is already telling us to anticipate and observe.

The word ‘es’ is coming to include the Rabbanic dictates. Rav Rosener wryly comments that perhaps this is related to the teaching of Rabbi Akiva that the word “es” in the context of you shall revere es Hashem your G-d. Rabbi Akiva expounds the word ‘es’ to include having reverence for Torah Scholars as well as God (albeit on a lower level obviously). Thus, the Torah in both places is telling us to respect the dictates of the Sages throughout the generations- after the Torah shebichsav has taught.

[The Sages do not add to the Torah, which is forbidden. Rather, they recognize that their dictates which enhance our observance are on a lower level than Biblical dictates]

If we follow the words of the Sages then we merit to pass on the heritage to the next generation …so that it shall be good for you and your children after you forever. If God Forbid, we neglect the words of the Sages, however, we put ourselves at risk of losing our authentic Jewsh identity.

History is a lesson.

Good Shabbos from home.

Yaakov

 Posted by jlasson at 1:56 pm
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