Matos-Maasei — Fighting on two Fronts

 Masei, Matot  No Responses »
Jul 092010
 

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.” 3Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD’S vengeance on Midian. 4“A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.” 5So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

Rashi comments that when it says “men” it means that they should be righteous people. Interestingly, Rashi says similarly by the war against Amalek that Moshe required the warriors to be righteous people as well.

The Nesivos Shalom explains that these two wars involved not just a physical component, but a spiritual one as well.

Amalek, as many commentator’s posit, stood for “doubt about God”, on a meta-physical level. Just before we were going to recieve the Torah, Amalek came and attacked us and challanged our faith in God. [However, I am not sure exactly how they did this- on a natural level.]

Similarly in the past few parshaos, we see that the Midianites and the Moabites, along with their leaders, Bilam and Balak have tried to ruin the Jewish People’s sense of holiness and moral integrity. These events occur just as the Jewish People are marching to towards Israel, the Promised Land.

Perhaps this is why we needed righteous men to fight these physical wars. They had to defeat the the enemy on a spiritual plane as well.

Rashi also explains (I beleieve) that the repetition of “a thousand from each tribe” shows that Moshe wanted for every thousand that fight the war- there should be a thousand to pray to God for military success.

Amazingly, the Zohar comments that the last letters of Bilam and Balak spell Amalek, a further connection.

(This dvar Torah is brought to you courtesy of Rabbi Nachum Sauer of Los Angeles.)

Good shabbos from Beverly Hills/Hancock Park, CA, Yaakov

 Posted by jlasson at 1:34 pm  Tagged with: ,

Weekly Mission: Mattot-Ma’asay

 Masei, Matot  No Responses »
Jul 052010
 

Parshat Mattos-Masei In the book of Bamidbar the Jews finish yet another obstacle in their path. The days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are in their stories. The Exodus from slavery left the Jews in happiness and ecstasy and a place for G-ds Divine spirit in the world was created. In this sefer(book) The Jews went through hardships almost consistently throughout this book. Whether it begins with the sin of the Sotah, Miriam and Aaron against Moshe, the false perception of the spies, Pinchas, Bilaam or the many wars fought through this time period, The Jewish people again have miraculously managed to set obstacles in their way. Even in the midst of tumult and anguish the Jewish people could hear the reminder and blessing that G-d gave to their forefathers “I am Kel Shakkia, be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a congregation of nations shall descend from you, and kinds shall issue from you loins. The land that I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, I will give to you: and to your offspring after you I will give the land. (Genisis-35:11, 12)” the constant reminder and miracles that helped the Jewish people through the desert, through death of their leaders and through death of their loved ones was always G-ds unconditional blessing regardless of how low we fall. We should stay reminded even in the hardest of times when our stable platform is loosened “HaShem loves me, I have a Bracha.” When Yaakov Avinu was going to be confronted by Esav he split his family for security purposes. Yaakov Avinu knew that regardless of what happens to him, HaShem’s promise remains for his family, for us. As the birth pangs of Aliyah begin for the Jewish people, again we are reminded of our “long and winding road”. We are once again forced to remember our passed, our roots and who we are and who we were. “These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, who went forth from the land of Egypt according to their legions, under the hand of Moses and Aaron (33:16).” The Torah then continues with the names of the many places the Children of Israel journeyed too. The significance and deeper meaning of the names place reflect of the Jewish people and their state of being as a unit at that time. The hardships of the Jewish people are hidden between the lines and reflected off of the deeper meaning of the place. The Jewish people were chased, killed, beaten destroyed and challenged with tests that were passed and not passed. Today we see that these “journeys” have not ceased. Exiled from our land over 2000 years ago, we have gone through many hardships. Our generations have experienced the Spanish inquisition, the Holocaust and masked anti-Semitism (and unmasked for that matter). Yet we are still here stronger and weaker than ever. HaShem reminds us through this Torah portion of His Bracha, We have gone low and high, backwards and forward, but we are still in merit of his unconditional love. When the time comes, in the right time, we are elevated, we are directed home. In a time of mourning we must remember we have not lost the temple in the sense that it is never returning. We have not lost HaShem; we have not lost the relationship this single unit once had. We are simply missing it. We are not mourning, but yearning for its return. We are reminded that we must play our part, before HaShem plays His. In a time of so much destruction and deceit, we must counter it and fix it through unconditional love for our fellow brothers and sisters (and non family members too). In this time more than ever, we must be B’simcha( In joy and happiness and we must cure the cold of the Jewish people. Remember the days of old and fix them today. Remember the destruction of the temple not through the books and stories, but through your own personal experiences every day. Every day the potential is there to fix, but we must be the difference between the generations before us…actualize. Despite our differences we all are still one family. We left Egypt with 12 different paths, but we all still left together. Love yourself and love your neighbor. The Hardships of the Jewish people have grown bigger than ever, but HaShem is still here for us. Before we experience Geulah, before we see the Third Temple we must be prepared to remember. Remember the sins of our ancestors, Remember the sins of our own past and remember that only YOU, YOU and YOU will make the change for us. Before we go up, we must go in. Go into yourself and rip out all the shmutz. In the great words of Matisyahu: “strip away the layers and reveal your soul”. This week I will try to: recognize that with every Aliyah (ascent) comes a Yiridah (descent)/ hardship. With every beautiful sunrise the sun must first set. I will focus with all my energy on the destruction and separation of the Jewish people. I will remember through the Torah portion, the journey of my family. I will remember the struggle and I will redeem the sins of my ancestors. I will remember that with a broken heart we stand before G-d. Even with a Broken heart… HaShem loves you. “ Hashem spoke to Moshe, “Go ascend from here, you and the people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land about which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying ;I shall give it to your offspring.’ I shall send an angel of ahead of you, and I shall drive out Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivvite, and the Jebusite- to a land that flows with milk and honey…(Exodus- 33:1-3)” “The Descent is for the sake of the Ascent”-Rebbe Nachman

 Posted by Isaiah Rothstein at 12:17 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Pinchas- For the Love of the Land

 Pinchas  No Responses »
Jul 022010
 

From Rav Frand and the Talleli Oros- The daughters of Tzelafchad came to Moshe to ask for their deceased father’s portion in the Land of Israel, since their father had died without sons to inherit his portion. In tracing the lineage of the daughters of Tzelafchad, the Torah seems to provide redundant information. The pasuk says that they were “the daughters of Tzelafchad, son of Chefer, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Menashe” and then that they were “from the family of Menashe son of Yosef” [Bamidbar 27:1]. Why was it necessary to emphasize the fact that they descended from Menashe son of Yosef twice?

Rashi asks this question and answers that the emphasis indicates that love of Eretz Yisrael is genetic. Yosef loved the Land of Israel and insisted that his bones be returned there. This love for Israel/Eretz Yisrael ran in his family such that his descendants (Tzelafchad’s daughters) insisted that they be given their fair portion in the Land. The wife of the Sefas Emes asked her son (the Imrei Emes) a question on this Rashi: What is the proof that the daughters of Tzelafchad loved the Land of Israel? Perhaps they were just interested in their inheritance as a monetary matter.

The Imrei Emes gave his mother a very good answer. There are two opinions regarding the identity of Tzelafchad. One opinion is that he was the chopper of wood [Bamdibar 15:32]. Another opinion is that he was from the group who tried to force their way into Canaan after the decree of the spies [Bamidbar 14:40]. Either way, Tzelafchad died in Parshas Shlach, prior to beginning of the decreed 40 years of wandering. His death occurred some 38 years prior to the events in Parshas Pinchas. If Tzelafchad’s daughters were interested in their father’s estate from a strictly financial perspective, why would they have waited 38 years to ask for it? Inheritance is not limited to land. What about his cattle? What about his other property? Apparently, they were not interested in that. It was only now, when they were on the doorstep of Eretz Yisrael that they came pressing their claim for inheritance of their father’s portion. This is the demonstration of their love for the Land. They were silent regarding the cash and moveable property. However, their inheritance in the Land of Israel mattered greatly to them. They inherited this affinity to the Land from their great grandfather, Menashe son of Yosef.

 Posted by jlasson at 8:32 am  Tagged with:

Balak- Time Management

 Balak  No Responses »
Jun 252010
 

28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times (regalim)?”

Rashi comments, homiletically, that the donkey incredulously asked Bilam, You are trying to curse and uproot the nation that keeps the 3 festivals (three times; the shalosh regalim are the three festivals) each year!? You are not going to be successful!

The question is, why did the donkey specifically mention the fact that the Jewish People observe the 3 festivals? Couldn’t the donkey have mentioned any other mitzva the Jewish People kept?

The Shemen HaTov answers, Bilam thought he was the main controller of time in the world. The gemara in Brachos states that God ‘expresses’ His anger with the Jewish People each day for a split second. Bilam knew when this time was. Bilam thought he could curse the Jewish People at exactly that moment to evoke God’s wrath. (God showed mercy to the Jewish People by forgoing this moment on the day Bilam wanted to curse the Jews.)

The donkey responded to Bilam that you are not the only person that has a handle on the power of time in this world. The Jewish People (in the olden days at least) are given the power to determine when each festival would fall based on human testimony as to when each new month begins. In affect, the Jewish People as a whole, determined when each holiday would begin every year. (So powerful is this reckoning that even if retroactively, it is found out that a witness erred, we continue to celebrate the holiday based on his testimony). Therefore, you, Bilam (who just knows one point in time) do not have the power to uproot a nation which God granted the power to create their calender, in a sense.

(Following in these lines) The Shemen HaTov goes on the explain that this is why (soon after the story of Bilam) the Torah specifically mentions exactly when Aharon HaKohen died. This is because Aharon’s death was an atonement of sorts for a sin which had to do with time. [He doesn’t mention which sin, but I;m guessing he is referring to the sin of the Golden Calf, which stemmed somewhat from a timing error, in that the nation thought that Moshe was not coming back on a certain date. In actuality, they were off by a day. Aharon was minimally responsible for this sin.

 Posted by jlasson at 8:34 am  Tagged with: , ,

Chukas- Where Credit is Due

 Chukat  No Responses »
Jun 182010
 

I bring you (from Tanach.org) a lengthy analysis of the sin of Moshe Rabbeinu’s striking a rock to retrieve water from it. Though he is sucessful, he is subsequently punished for a miscue not clearly defined in the Torah itself. This infamous sin loses Moshe a chance to enter the land of Israel. Many commentators grapple with what Moshe actually did wrong. The following is a clear overview of the sources I merely found online.

Here are the verses:

8“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.” 9So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; 10and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” 11Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. 12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” 13Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.

http://www.tanach.org/bamidbar/chukat/shiur1a.htm

http://www.tanach.org/bamidbar/chukat/shiur1b.htm (Part two.)

Questions to keep in mind when analyzing the sin at Meriva. a) why didnt he try to talk to the rock? c) what did Aharon do wrong that he could not enter the land either?! d) it worked! why did God let it work if Moshe messed up? (Ramban on Rashi) e) If the sin was hitting the rock instead of speaking to it (because speaking would have shown a miracle (Rashi); is hitting a rock and having water emerge less of a miracle?! (Ramban, ” ” “) f) why did Hashem ask him to take the staff if he was not supposed to use it? (Ramban ” ” ” ) g) According to Rambam, Moshe’s never gotten angry before with the nation?! [See, for example, last week’s parsha when he says “How can I carry these people? Other places also. –OK, maybe this time he directed it more to the people…) Anyway, the Ramban does not like Rambam because God responds to Moshe, You did not believe in me! Rambam’s explaination does not jive with this.

The Mizrachi and Gur Aryeh (commentators of Rashi) have answers for Rashi, I have not looked at them yet.

In addition, Rav Yeruchem Levevoitz adds to the Ramban’s own explanation of the sin- which is that Moshe did not make it clear that God was the source of the water. Verse 10 has Moshe srhtorically asking Shall we bring…. As if they themselves could perform miracles. This is what angered God.

Rav Yeruchem notes that Moshe’s actions are in line with the corollary of a gemara. The gemara states That whoever mentions someting in the name io the one who said it originally brings redemption to he world. However, says Rav yeruchem, if one fails to mention where he or she gets the information from, perhaps they unfortunately slow down the redemption process. Since Moshe did not mention God’s name here, he was punished with not being a bigger part of the redemption, (which would have been) leading Bnei Yisrael into Israel.

I always say that, lately at least, 90% of these divrei Torah are from Rabbi Shalom Rosner of Israel. He, in turn, always quotes from the earlier commentator’s.

This dvar Torah was from Rav Rosner as well.

Good Shabbos from home.

Yaakov

 Posted by jlasson at 12:38 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Korach- Look Away, I’m Hideous!

 Korach  No Responses »
Jun 112010
 

Unlike Korach, Dasan and Aviram and the other 250 men, the Torah never reports what ultimately happened to On ben Peles, one of the member’s of Korach’s group.

The gemara in Sanhedrin 109b-110a, however, reports that On was ultimately swayed by his wife to leave the whole fracas. She told him in the nicest way possible, Honey, no matter who wins the fight (Korach or Moshe) you aren’t going to become Kohen Gadol! Why are you getting involved?” On responded that he already made a commitment to Korach and co. His wife then sedated him with wine and while he was sleeping, she sat outside the tent and uncovered her hair. All the men who were looking for On ran away at the sight of a married woman’s uncovered hair! It was the perfect potion to keep away those in Korach’s camp who were looking for On. On then broke off contact with Korach and was ultimately saved from destruction.

The question is, why did On’s wife choose this method specifically?

There is another gemara in Yoma 47 which relates the following anecdote: There was a righteous woman named Kimchis who had seven sons, all of whom served as Kohanim Gedolim, high priests, She was asked how did you merit such great sons and she answered that she never kept her hair uncovered even in her own house! (This is a far out stringency, way above what the halacha, law, requires. However, for her, it was considered a very meritorious action)

Here is the midrashic, exposition, part. The story of Kimchis showed that somehow covering one’s hair is connected to the Kehuna Gedola, the high priestship. On’s wife, therefore did the opposite of Kimchis to achieve the opposite result. She specifically wanted her husband to stay far away from the Kehuna Gedola of Aharon HaKohen, Aaron, so she uncovered her hair!! (That Moshe “elected” his brother Kohen Gadol was one of the gripes Korach had against Moshe)

[Obviously, we are not saying On's wife was following Kimchis' advice, for Kimchis came after the time of On. Rather, midrashically, we can say that both women were aware of this concept and how to utilize it.]

{ The conceptual connection between covering of one’s hair and the priesthood can be food for thought.}

Good shabbos from Baltimore Yaakov

(Rav Rosner did not cite any particular author of this dvar torah)

 Posted by jlasson at 7:13 am  Tagged with: , , , ,

Shelach- Property of God’s People

 Shelach  No Responses »
Jun 042010
 

37The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, 38“Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. 39“It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, 40so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. 41“I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.” (Numbers 16:37-41)

Based on the simple reading of the pasukim, verses, what is the connection between G-d taking us out of Egypt and the commandment to wear tzitzit?

Rashi mentions that “techales” (a cord of blue) could also be read “Shachel”. (In Hebrew, the letters “Tuf” and “Shin” can be swapped.) “Shachel” means bereavement and refers to the death of all the firstborns in Egypt. Again, what is the connection Rashi is driving at?

The Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh- echoed and said in his own style by Rav Soloveitchik- mention the gemara(Shabbos 57).which discusses a seal or sticker worn by a servant to identify whom the servant works for.(“kavla d’avda”). When the Jewish People were slaves in Egypt they were forced to wear seals as well .(No source is given for this.) However, as soon as they left Egypt (This is unclear because seemingly this commandment of tzitzis given in our parsha came way after Yetzias Mitzrayim!) they were given new seals to replace the old ones. For no longer were they slaves to Pharoh, rather they were slaves to G-d- this is what the tzitzis symbolize.

Through the symbolism of our ‘servitude’ to G-d, we are reminded not to do whatever we choose; so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes.

This explains the other (loose) connection to the Death of the Firstborns, which occurred shortly before the Exodus.

Hopefully we will take to heart this constant mitzva of tzitzis.

Good shabbos (ill be in New York God willing.)
Yaakov

[By the way, the title this week is a reference only sports fans might get :) ]

 Posted by jlasson at 6:58 am  Tagged with: ,

Be’ha’alscha- Happiness is Contagious

 Behaalotcha  No Responses »
May 282010
 

It’s long been said that laughter is contagious, and now, it turns out, so is happiness.

Happiness is not an individual but a collective phenomenon, according to a new study released online Thursday in the British Medical Journal.

The study, which followed almost 5,000 people over 20 years, found that happiness can spread through three degrees of separation within social networks, meaning that the happiness of your friend, your friend’s friend, and even your friend’s friend’s friend can infect you with a good mood.

“Happiness not only spreads from person to person but also from person to person to person,” said political scientist James H. Fowler ’92, a professor at the University of California, San Diego and one of the paper’s authors. (http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2008/12/8/study-finds-joy-to-be-contagious/)

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a (Tekia) long blast, but you shall not sound an (Terua) alarm. (Numbers 10:7)

“Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow (a tekia) the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God.” (10:10)

Rabbi Avraham Weinfeld (author of sh”ut Lev Avraham) points out that a tekia, long blast, corresponds to simcha, happiness, as seen in verse 10. Midrashically, the lesson to be learned here is that when one wants to gather together a nation, a team, a family, etc. the most effective method is through communicating happiness to others. Joy is contagious, and when one is positive and optimistic, others will follow your lead. Therefore, Moshe was told to blow a tekia when trying to gather or rouse the people, and not a terua, which is classified as a moaning sound. (Rosh HaShana 33b)

He quotes the adage, If you are happy, all are happy with you. But if you cry, you cry alone.

Yaakov

 Posted by jlasson at 8:40 am  Tagged with: ,

Smelling the Roses

 Behaalotcha  No Responses »
May 272010
 

In this week’s parsha we are presented with the famous Pesukim said when taking out and returning the Torah from the Ark in shul.

וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן, וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה: קוּמָה יְהוָה, וְיָפֻצוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ, וְיָנֻסוּ מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ, מִפָּנֶיךָ.
וּבְנֻחֹה, יֹאמַר: שׁוּבָה יְהוָה, רִבְבוֹת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said: ‘Rise up, O LORD, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate You flee before You.’
And when it rested, he said: ‘Return, O LORD, unto the ten thousands of the families of Israel.’

The Gemarrah (Shabbat 116a) notes that these pesukim appear entirely out of context. It would have made more sense for them to be in parshat Bamidbar, when the camping and traveling arrangement of the Jewish people were discussed. The Gemarrah says:

למה כתבה כאן כדי להפסיק בין פורענות ראשונה לפורענות שנייה פורענות שנייה מאי היא (במדבר יא) ויהי העם כמתאוננים פורענות ראשונה (במדבר י) ויסעו מהר ה’ וא”ר חמא בר’ חנינא שסרו מאחרי ה’

Why [are these pesukim] mentioned here? In order to separate between the first calamity and the second calamity. What is the second calamity? “And the people were complaining.” [What about the] first calamity? “And they traveled from the mountain of Hashem” and Rabbi Chama b’Rabbi Chaninah says “[this means they] turned from following Hashem.”

This is very peculiar, as in the Chumash we don’t see any explicit mention of any sinning done by the Jewish people immediately preceding these verses. What exactly was it that the Jewish people did to “turn from following Hashem”?

Tosfot and the Ramban explain that the Jewish people ran away from Mount Sinai “like a child running out of school.” This urgency to leave the holiness of having just received the Torah was sinful and thus Hashem needed to put a break between the first sin and the second to avoid having 3 sins in a row (running from the mountain, complaining and desiring meat).

I think this inappropriate attitude is highlighted by a matter that happened earlier in the Exodus story. In Parshat Bo I wrote about how Moshe had to actively lead the Jewish people away from the coast of the Yam Suf, as they were busy collecting the wealth of Egypt that had washed ashore. The Jewish people had shown that they were willing and desired to stay longer searching after things they valued, yet they failed to show that same concern towards the Torah.

The Gemarrah in the first perek of Brachot says that a person must stand at least 3 steps away from the door to the shul when they’re davening so it doesn’t look like they are trying to rush out as soon as davening is over. It seems that today more than ever, everyone is continually in a rush to get to their next activity. We see from this incident that the way we demonstrate something’s importance is by lingering for a moment before going on to our next obligation.

[Note: For a very interesting and in-depth analysis of these 2 pesukim, see Rabbeinu Bachaye]

 Posted by Liron Kopinsky at 8:34 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Nasso- Can’t Borrow me Love

 Nasso  No Responses »
May 212010
 

The Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. (Nasso 6:22)

The kohanim, priests, are given the commandment to bless the People of Israel. The priests ascend to the platform in front of the ark, spread their hands, and say the aforementioned verses. In the land Of Israel, this is done daily; in the Diaspora this is done only on Festivals.

There is a discussion in the Halchachik deciders (of Jewish Law) if some of the priests in a given congregation are allowed to merely stand and say amen to each of the verses that their fellow priests mention. If allowed, this practice would be utilizing the concept in Jewish Law known as “Shomea Koneh”/ one that hears another making a blessing (and answers amen to it) is considered as if they themselves recited the blessing.

Rabbi Avraham Pam, Zt”l (of blessed memory), thinks that this practice should not work in the case of the priestly blessing. Rather, each and every priest in the congregation must ascend and deliver the blessing themselves.

What is the difference between the Priestly Blessing and many other blessings when this concept may be used, like kiddush on Friday night, for example?

Rav Pam (with the the enumeration of Rav Rosner) explains that in this instance a priest cannot transfer the entire essence of the Priestly Blessing through answering amen to his fellow priests’ recitation, because an additional factor cannot be transferred through the heard word. The Blessing before the recitation of the verses says that “Blessed is God….to bless your nation of Israel with Love”. Can one person merely express his love for another by saying “I agree with what he/she said”-?! (This is what amen is after all.)

Imagine a two couples are eating out at a resturant together. One husband says to his wife “Honey, I Love you”. The second husband turns to his wife and says ‘ditto’. (I would not want to be that husband)

Love must be expressed from the heart; an extremely personal recounting of deep affection of one for another. If a priest wants to bless the holy nation of Israel, he must do so on his own, with his own unique thoughts and feelings.

[See the Beis HaLevi at the end of his kuntris, piece, on Chanukah, entitled (Binyan Birchas Kohanim) for a second answer to our question.]

Good Shabbos from YU, Yaakov

PS- I realized that also at the end of kiddush on Friday night we use the term with love to thank God for taking us out of Egypt. Yet, we are still allowed to use the concept of shome’a koneh! Food for thought. let me know if you have an answer.

 Posted by jlasson at 10:46 am  Tagged with: , , ,
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