Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Torah for your Table! The Power of Shavout!


Shavout is a special time during the year. We received the Torah on Har Sinai. Moreover, on Shavout, we read Megillat Ruth. Megillat Ruth teaches us many insightful things. Ruth was a Moabite princess; she had it all, wealth, power, fame, you name it she had it. Yet, to her, it was not enough. She converted to Judaism, essentially she had given up all her wealth and fame, and why, to become a Jew. Regardless of the fact that she didn’t have food to eat, no matter her struggles, she found the truth in Judaism and knew that everything that happened to her had a higher purpose.
From Ruth’s strength and commitment, we can see that nothing that Hashem does to us is bad, it might seem painful in our perspective, but in the larger scheme of things, which we don’t have access to in the moment, everything Hashem puts us through is meant to encourage us to develop our potentials in this world. Ruth understood that her wealth would not carry over with her to Olam Habba- the world to come- however, she recognized that she could take her mitzvot with her. Because of the sacrifice Ruth had made for Hashem, in her merit, she is the ancestor of David Hamelech, Shlomo Hamelech and Melech HaMashiach.
With that said, it is obvious to see how grand every deed we perform is looked at in the eyes of Hashem. Every mitzvah, small or large, has such a high spiritual reward awaiting for us in Olam Haba- the world to come.  As we are about to re-receive the Torah, we should all have in mind this new journey we are about to embark upon.  Like Rabbi Segal always says “it’s ok to fall as long as you pick yourself up.” Moreover, regardless of how many times we have fallen, this is the best time to become elevated once more! 
Chag Samech
Esther Shamayev


Quotes that matter- Parshas Bamidbar

“I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me”

 As we start the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar, the parsha starts with: “And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Mishkan, on the first day of the second month (Iyar), in the second year after they had come out the land of Egypt.” 

Throughout the Torah, Hashem speaks to Moshe countless times, and never specifies a date, why now does Hashem specify a date? Throughout history, Hashem has been extremely disappointed with many of the generations, the generation before the flood, the generation that rebelled after the flood, the generation of Sodom, and the generation of dispersion. So to, because of Hashem’s disappointment in them, He glosses over creation and destruction of those generations.

 However, regarding the Jews, Hashem tells Moshe that the Jewish people are different from all the other nations of the world because they are children of Abraham, Yitzkak, and Yakov, who were ever so faithful to Hashem; therefore, Hashem knows that later generations of Jews will uphold the same level of commitment to Him.

 Moreover, because of this displayed faithfulness to Hashem, Hashem tells Moshe, “Record in the Torah the exact day, month, year, and locality when I elevated them to greatness (Bamidbar 1:1).” In other words, by specifying the exact date and place that Hashem addresses Moshe, this gives us insight that the contract made between Moshe and Hashem was similar to that of a ketuba- a marriage contract. When they received the Torah, the Jews received a ‘marriage contract’ with Hashem.

 We are all married to Hashem, so to speak, in one-way or another. The entire Jewish nation received the Torah simultaneously, and Hashem chose us to be His bride, and we chose Him to be our groom. Like any good spouse, we should constantly give into their needs and requests (ie. follow Hashem’s laws and Torah) and like any good marriage, Hashem will give us our needs and requests. But like any thriving marriage, one must strive to stay committed, through thick and thin, because the result of all the effort is truly priceless.

The Book of Numbers? What does that mean?



Q. As we dive into the fourth book of the Torah, I can’t help but wonder, why exactly is the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar, called Chomesh Hapekudim, or The Book of Numbers?

A. In this week’s parsha, Hashem commands that Bnai Israel conduct another census. Throughout the Torah, there have already been three other accounts of the Jews being counted:
1.     When the members of Yakov’s family traveled to Egypt, the Torah records there being seventy people.
2.     When the Jews left Egypt the Torah records that 600,000 men departed. (Hashem called for a second count to show how plentiful the Jewish nation became in such a short time, despite any plans to exterminate the Jewish people.
3.     On eleven of Tishrei, after the sin of the Golden Calf, the Jews were counted a third time.

What is the sense of all this counting? Why does Hashem need to count the people? Doesn’t He already know how many people there are? What is going on here?

One purpose for this additional counting, according to Gur Aryeh, was to ascertain each member of Bnai Israel’s ancestry. Seeing that the Mishkan- tabernacle or temple in the desert- had been inaugurated for one month, this area was Bnai Israel’s permanent home. So to, because the area had been established as permanent, Hashem’s shechina-Divine presence- was now permanently established in the Mishkan. Moreover, it is appropriate to have each family aware of their lineage so that the shechina can rest accordingly on each family.

Additionally, in this week’s parsha, the Jews were counted a fourth time, on the 1st of Iyar, because Hashem had scheduled for the Jews to enter the land of Israel twenty days later (of course this was before the sin of the spies, which caused the infamous forty year sojourn throughout the wilderness). The purpose of this count was to determine which men would qualify to serve in the army to conquer the land of Israel.

Furthermore, Hashem counts the Jewish people as many times as He does for one reason: Bnai Israel is a precious nation to Hashem. When something is precious to someone, one calculates it with much more scrutiny (For example: a diamond dealer counts his stones over and over for accuracy, after a work day businesses meticulously count their daily earnings). Every single Jew is valuable to Hashem. From the many times Hashem counts the Jewish people, we can see how treasured we truly are to Him. Rather than feeling like another “Jew amongst the crowd,” each and every single one of us should take pride in the fact that Hashem, the creator of infinite wisdom, who is so great that we can never cease to imagine His wondrous ways, cares about each and every single one of us individually! That alone is a lot to swallow, so sip slowly and remember how significant you are in the eyes of the Holy One.

1 2 3 4 5

Different but Equal- Bnai Israel’s camps and their symbolism

This week’s parsha continues to discuss the placement of all the tribes of Bnai Israel. The Mishkan was a microcosm of Bnai Israel, and the twelve tribes were camped around it. The twelve tribes symbolize the many different types of Jews in Bnai Israel. Each tribe had a different spiritual potential to fulfill and the area of their camp allowed them to fulfill that spiritual potential.

 The camps in the east were closest to the entrance of the Mishkan and symbolized light (the sun rises in the east). Those tribes were committed to Torah learning, so they were placed in the east. Learning Torah elevates one’s spiritual light within; therefore, those who were dedicated Torah scholars were rewarded with residing in the eastern camp.

 Eastern Camps:
1. The Tribe of Yehuda was placed in the east, for the members of this Tribe were to be monarchs, who are termed ‘light,’ because their role in the Jewish society is to instill the light and wisdom of the Torah onto their nation.

2. The Tribe of Yissachar was placed in the east because the members of this tribe were avid Torah scholars. Throughout the dark ages of persecution and assimilation, the Torah scholars of Yissachar shed light onto the Jewish people and they continued to learn Torah and develop the religious identity of the Jewish nation.

3. The Tribe of Zevulun was placed in the east because the members of this tribe were business savvy, with merchants and tradesmen, who used their wealth to support learning for the members of the Tribe of Yissachar. Additionally, this Tribe also had Torah scholars of their own. Because they used their money to support Torah learning, Hashem considered their deeds as shedding light onto future generations.

 The entire eastern camp emanated with Torah learning. All the inhabitants of these three tribes were constantly surrounded by men who lived by the wisdom of the beautiful Torah. How great it must have been to live in the eastern camp! This is a lesson for us all. When choosing neighbors or friends, we must recognize the influence people we associate ourselves with have on us. In order to establish a Torah perspective about every aspect in one’s life, one must commit himself to making friendships with people who exert a positive influence on him, letting him see the inner light that can shine within. 

Southern Camps:
The southern camps symbolize rain, because the blessing of rain emanates from the south. The amount of rain Hashem blesses the nation of Israel with corresponds with their diligence in studying Torah. The more the nation will study, the more rain there will be, if they terminate their Torah learning, Hashem will withhold the rain (rain is essential to the existence of man’s needs, just as the Torah is essential to the existence of the Jewish people).

 1. The Tribe of Reuvain was placed in the south. In Berashit, Reuvain had sinned, the incident involving Bilha; however, despite his sinful behavior, soon after, he repented and was the first ba’al teshuva- returning to Judaism. In the merit of his teshuva- repentance- that he made to Hashem, his descendants were rewarded with being in the south, for it’s land was blessed with rain. Moreover, from this it is clear that blessings come to those who make teshuva- repentance- and get closer to Hashem. By recognizing our transgressions, either purposeful or not, we can rekindle our relationship with Hashem, and by doing so, we will be blessed indefinitely, and so will our future descendents.

2. The Tribe of Gad was placed in the south. The members of this tribe were warriors who fought for Bnai Israel and had the spiritual power to evoke Hashem’s shechina down to Bnai Israel.

3. The Tribe of Shimon was placed in the south, in between Reuvain and Gad. Yakov did not bless Shimon, for his sin in selling Yosef and for initiating the destruction of She’chem. Because of their lack of blessing, Hashem placed this tribe in the middle of two great tribes, in order that they would learn from their neighbors. Again we can see the powerful affects good neighbors and friends have on our personal development.

Western Camps:
The Western camps were 2,000 amos from the entrance of the Mishkan. Snow, hail, frost, and heat emanated from the west, all these forces are destructive and can cause death. Hashem commanded that the children of Rachel be placed in this camp, for they had the spiritual power to overpower these evil forces.

 1. The Tribe of Ephraim, Binyamin, and Menashe were all placed in the west. Each tribe was endowed with the ability to defeat their evil inclination. Because of Hashem’s love for Binyamin, Hashem’s shechina rested in the west; hence his tribe was stationed there.

Northern Camps:

 The Northern Camps were 1,000 amos from the entrance of the Mishkan. The north symbolizes darkness and harmful agents that are sent into this world.
 1. The Tribe of Dan was placed in the north to be admonished for their sins (King Yeravam set up two golden calves in their territory and they worshiped idols during the times of the judges). By placing them in the north, Hashem wanted to shed light on them through all the darkness for them to be inspired and choose a righteous path.

2. The Tribe of Asher was placed in the north to shed some of it’s light onto the Tribe of Dan. Asher’s land was blessed with olives, which were crushed for the oil needed in the menorahs in the Mishkan. The Tribe of Asher was meant to shed light and wisdom onto the Tribe of Dan.

 3. The Tribe of Naftali was placed in the north next to Dan because of the material blessing they possessed. Hashem had endowed this tribe with a Heavenly blessing of fortune that He wanted to spill over to benefit the less fortunate Tribe of Dan.

 Moreover, Moshe was concerned about all the arguments that he would be getting from all the different tribes, ‘men from the south will request to be in the north, etc.’ However, Hashem comforted him and let him know that each tribe was fully aware where they were to be placed, each knowing his spiritual position in Jewish society. Accordingly to Yakov’s command before he died, he commanded his sons, “ Yehuda, Yissachchar, and Zevulun shall carry my coffin from the east; Reuvain, Shimon, and Gad from the south; Efrayim, Binyamin, an Menasche from the west; and Dan, Asher, and Naftali from the north. Yosef and Levi are exempt from this duty- Yosef because he is a king and it is undignified for a king to carry a bier, and Levi because his tribe will in the future bear the ark of Hashem.”

 From here, we can see that the members of Bnai Israel had this history ingrained in their minds and remained faithful to their beloved forefather’s request. Moreover, they were all aware that their physical positioning symbolized how they were meant to develop their spiritual potentials in this world. In all, it is clear to see how each camp endowed it’s own special ability and special spiritual connection with Hashem. None of them felt inferior or superior to the other. Each tribe took pride in what they represented, knowing that the Almighty, King of Kings, endowed them each with something different, yet special.

 Each group of Bnai Israel has something unique to offer the Jewish nation at large. Whether Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrachi, Charadi, Chasidic, Litfish, Lubavich, etc., we should all love one another and recognize that non of us is superior or inferior to one another, but rather, Hashem created us all with our differences to reach different spiritual potentials in this world. Additionally, through our differences, we can learn from each other and develop our potentials to the fullest. This is how Hashem wanted the Jewish people to unite, through our similarities and love for Torah, but also through our differences.