Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parshiot summary, followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parshiot in a Nutshell “

Moshe teaches the rules and restrictions governing oaths and vows especially the role of a husband or father in either upholding or annulling a vow of a woman.

Benei Israel wage war against Midian. They kill the five Midianite kings, all the males and Bilaam. Moshe is upset that women were taken captive since they were the reason for the immoral behavior of the Jewish People. He rebukes the officers. The commanding officers report to Moshe that there was not even one casualty among Benei Israel.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad (later joined by half of the tribe of Menasseh) ask for the lands east of the Jordan as their portion in the Promised Land, these being prime pastureland for their cattle. Moshe is initially angered by the request, but subsequently agrees on the condition that they first join, and lead, in Israel’s conquest of the lands west of the Jordan.

In Parshat Masei, The Torah names all 42 encampments of Bnei Israel on their 40-year journey from the Exodus until the crossing of the Jordan River into Eretz Israel.

G-d commands Bnei Israel to drive out the Canaanites from Eretz Israel and to demolish every trace of their idolatry.

The boundaries of the Land of Israel are defined, and the tribes are commanded to set aside 48 cities for the leviim, who do not receive a regular portion in the division of the Land.

Cities of refuge are to be established: Someone who murders unintentionally may flee there.

The daughters of Tzelofchad marry members of their tribe so that their inheritance will stay in their own tribe.

” Dvar Torah “

In the first of the two Parshiot of this week, Parshat Matot, the Torah talks about when the Benei Yisrael reached the borders of Israel and were granted entry. But the task was not so easy, since the land was occupied by other nations. So, in order to conquer the land, they had to wage a war against the occupiers.

The Torah then tells us that the Benei Yisrael were just on the east side of Jordan River and were about to go into combat with the occupying nations. But suddenly, a strange scenario takes place. The representatives of the tribes of Gad and Reuven approached Moshe with a very seemingly shameful request. “We don’t want to enter Israel,” they exclaimed. “The land here is very suited for our cattle, and it would be quite beneficial if we were to remain here”. Moshe, shocked by their request, immediately starts his rebuke by recalling the calamity of the ten spies who successfully discouraged an entire nation from entering Israel. “Do you remember what happened 40 years ago? Do you want to, once again, demoralize your brothers and sisters as did the spies? Do you remember that your parents and an entire generation perished in the desert because of that sin? And now,” he concluded, “you have risen in place of your fathers to rekindle the burning wrath of G-d?” The representatives, sat quietly through the denunciation and then spoke. “No, Moshe,” they exclaimed. “It was never our intention just to remain here. We’ll build stables for our livestock and homes for our children. Then we will join our brethren in the fight for Israel. We will go in the front lines! Only after all is conquered will we return home and settle.” Moshe, who was calmed by the quick and obviously well prepared response, reviewed their request. “OK,” he countered, “you shall arm yourself for battle, cross the Jordan and fight with your brothers until Hashem drives out the enemy. Once the Land is conquered and settled, you can come back here and this land will be a heritage for you”. Then, he asks them to do what they asked for in the beginning. “Build cities for your children and pens for your livestock, and you shall observe the words that left your mouth.”

The Chachamim immediately took notice of the obvious change of words by Moshe. The Gadites and the Reubenites ask to built pens for their cattle first, and then built shelters for their children; while Moshe tells them to build shelters for their children and then worry about their livestock. Rashi explains that Moshe did so intentionally. Moshe wanted to teach them that children are more important than their possessions. Moshe sensed that their first priority was their money and property. The first thing that came out of their mouths was “let us build barns for our cattle!” The children were an afterthought. He promptly corrected them: “First take care of your children, and then worry about your cattle.”

Although, what the Reubenites and the Gadites did was approved by Moshe, but still, their action was criticised by many commentators. The whole idea of leaving their children behind the Jordan River because they wanted a safe haven for their cattle was wrong. Rashi explains that the whole conquest of Eretz Israel took more than 14 years and by the time the men of tribe of Gad and Reuven came back to their families on the other side of Jordan River, their toddlers and children became teenagers and young adults. The children hardly knew their fathers, and the fathers hardly knew their children! They missed the sweetest time of their children’s childhood, only because they were worried too much about their fortune!

Yes my friends, how easy is it for us to criticize our ancestors, but are we any different ourselves? When we put in so many hours in developing a business, on advancing professionally or establishing a practice, and our children get the short end of the stick, do we see ourselves making the same mistake as did the Gadites and the Reubenites? Unfortunately, a lot of times we make sacrifices for earning our livelihood that sometimes our children get lost in the shuffle. Sometimes we get so much involve in our businesses that we forget why we are working so hard for. To make more money becomes a priority and our family becomes a secondary. We lose focus. We start to gain a lot of capital and our fortune becomes more dear to us than our children.

Remember that nothing can replace the “time” that you spend with your children; not even an Xbox, iPhone or an iPad. Children need our attention and our guidance. We need them as much as they need us! Let us not miss the sweet time of their childhood, and let us not repeat the same mistake as the Gadites and the Reubenites!

Rabbi Frand says that the desire for making money is greater than any other physical pleasures, since it is the only one that is insatiable. There is a limit on how much you can eat; there is a limit on how much you can drink or indulge in sexual activities. But there is no limit to how much money you can accumulate. The quest for wealth can become more obsessive than any other quest. And all too often, the children have to pay the price!

Shabbat Shalom, Rosh Chodesh Tov & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Aaron’s grandson, Pinchas, is rewarded for his act of zealotry in killing the Shimonite prince Zimri and the Midianite princess: G-d grants him a covenant of peace and the priesthood.

A census of the people counts 601,730 men between the ages of 20 and 60. Moshe is instructed on how the Land is to be divided by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel. The five daughters of Tzelafchad petition Moshe that they be granted the portion of the land belonging to their father, who died without sons; G-d accepts their claim and incorporates it into the Torah’s laws of inheritance.

Moshe empowers Joshua to succeed him and lead the people into the Land of Israel. The Parshah concludes with a detailed list of the daily offerings, and the additional offerings brought on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and the festivals of Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.

” Dvar Torah “

After almost forty years of wandering in the desert, the Jews finally reached the borders of Israel and were allowed to enter it. At this point, Hashem tells Moshe how to distribute the land among the Children of Israel, which is by lottery, and a portion is given to each tribe. And each tribe distributes its land among the heads of each family, which unlike today’s times, the man of house was the head of the family. However, Tzelafchad, a man from the tribe of Menasheh, died in the wilderness and left no sons behind. He was not part of Korach’s rebellion and his five daughters wanted to make sure that they receive his share in his name. So they came up to Moshe, Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly asking the following: “Let not our father’s name be lost to his clan just because he had no son! Give us a holding among our father’s brothers!” Moshe, not sure of the law regarding father’s inheritance towards daughters, brings the issue before G-d, and G-d responds saying “The plea of Tzelafchad’s daughters is just: you should surely give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them”.

However, in tracing the background of the daughters of Tzelafchad, the Torah seems to provide redundant information. The pasuk says: “The daughters of Tzelafchat, son of Hefer, son of Gilad, son of Machir, son of Menasheh, son of Joseph came near, …… and they stood before Moshe…” The Chachamim ask why did the tracing back their ancestors stopped at Yosef and didn’t go back to Jacob, Isaac or even Avraham? Rashi explains that the Torah is trying to show to us that the love for Eretz Yisrael is genetic. Yosef loved the Land of Israel and insisted that his bones be returned there after his death. This love for Eretz Yisrael ran in his family all the way down to Tzelafchad’s daughters, who insisted that they be given their fair portion in the Land.

Although, most commentators are satisfied with Rashi’s explanation, but there are still some who have doubts in Tzelafchad daughters love for Israel. Accordingly, they ask the following question: “How do we know their love for Eretz Yisrael was genuine? What if they were interested in the land for its financial benefit?”

Well, in order to answer this question, Rabbi Frand says that we first need to know who Tzelafchad was. There are difference of opinions regarding Tzelafchad’s identity. Some say that he was the wood-gatherer who desecrated Shabath and was killed, while others believe that he was among the group who tried to force their way into Canaan after the decree of the spies and was killed by the Canaanites. Either way, Tzelafchad’s death occurred some 38 years before the events of this week’s Parsha. If Tzelafchad’s daughters were interested in their father’s estate from a strictly financial point of view, why would they have waited 38 years to ask for it? Also, inheritance is not limited to land. What about his cattle? What about his other properties? 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 other valuable properties. However, their inheritance in the Land of Israel mattered greatly to them. And they inherited this affection to the Land from their great grandfather, Yosef!

Yes my friends, you don’t need to live in Israel in order to love Israel! Loving Israel is in our blood! Throughout the Jewish history, people showed their love for Eretz Yisrael even before seeing the land. Avraham left the comfort of his hometown, where he was well known and successful, to move to Israel, a land he has never seen before. Moshe Rabeinu pleaded with G-d several times to let him walk across the land just for once, which was unfortunately denied. Ruth, a gentile woman, followed her mother in law, Naomi, who had nothing to offer her, except the land of Israel!

So, what is it about this land that everyone is so crazy about? Is it because the land is holy and you feel closer to G-d? Is it because even the first time you step foot on this land, it feels as if you’ve come home? Is it because everyone around you is Jewish and you feel safe and secure living among your brothers? Is it because, Hashem protects and blesses the Land, as long as we keep his commandments? Is it because the land prospers miraculously, when it’s in the hand of the Jews? Or, could it be all of the above???

The Chachamim go as far as to say, that just breathing the air in Eretz Yisrael is a mitzvah! It is a privilege to live in our times; the time that we can walk freely on our land and see for ourselves the land flowing with milk and honey. It’s not a coincident that for 2000 years, when Israel was in the hand of other nations, it did not prosper and was just a desert. And now, only after 68 years, once the Jews took over, it has become one of the most advanced and productive countries in the world. We don’t need to be a genius or a Torah scholar to see that G-d wants the Jews to live in this land. He wants us to love and cherish this land, just like our ancestors did. The land that Moshe dreamed to put his feet upon it. Let’s not take it for granted!

In Iran, there is a city called Esfehan, and because of its charm, beauty and character, it’s been given the title of “nesfeh Jahan”– “half of the world”! But I’m afraid that they’ve got it all wrong, since the WHOLE world can be found in Israel!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah:

” Parsha in a nutshell “

Balak, the King of Moab, summons the prophet Bilaam to curse the people of Israel. On the way, Bilaam is seemed to be betrayed by his donkey, who sees the angel that G-d sends to block their way before Bilaam does.

Three times, from three different vantage points, Bilaam attempts to pronounce his curses; each time, blessings are issued instead. Bilaam also prophecies on the end of the days.

The people fall prey to the charms of the daughters of Moav and are enticed to worship the idol Peor. When a high-ranking Israelite official publicly takes a Midianite princess into a tent, Pinchas kills them both, stopping the plague raging among the people.

” Dvar Torah “

For the first time in the Torah, the whole Parsha is dedicated to the lives of a foreign king and a gentile prophet. The king being Balak, the king of Moav and Bilaam being the prophet, who although not Jewish, feared G-d. According to the Moabites, Bilaam was a very powerful man. His strength was not in his arms, but rather in his mouth. He had tremendous power of speech. Whoever he blessed was blessed; and whoever he cursed was cursed. Some Chachamim say that his vision of prophecy was in the same level, if not greater than Moshe. But the Chachamim say that he was a very wicked man. He was greedy and a fortune-lover. But how do they know that? As you read through the plain text, it seems that he followed Hashem’s orders every step of the way?! He even blessed the Israelites a few times! So how can we prove his wickedness and his greed?

Rabbi Berel Wein says that the answer can be found in the Parsha itself. So this is what happened in the Parsha:   Balak, the king of Moav, after seeing the devastating defeat of the Amorite kings against Benei Israel, he realized that Moav would not stand a chance confronting them military. Therefore, he decided to use a secret weapon; to curse the Israelites rather than to fight them. And he chose Bilaam who supposedly had the power to curse.

So, Balak sends messengers to Bilaam to invite him over to come and curse the Jews. Bilaam asked the messengers to stay overnight, so that he can ask Hashem what to do, in his dream. G-d told Bilaam, “Do not go with them; do not curse the people, for they are Blessed”. Bilaam relayed that message to Balak’s messengers.

When Balak heard that Bilaam would not come, he assumed that the reason was because the proposed reward was inadequate — that he had tried to get away too cheap. Therefore, Balak sent a more prestigious delegation promising Bilaam a great reward and granting him his every wish.

Bilaam, tells the new delegation that “Even if Balak will give me his entire treasury filled with silver and gold, my hands are tied — I can only do what G-d tells me to do.” But still he asked them to stay overnight to see if G-d would let him to go on this mission. This time, however, Hashem tells him that he can go, but only the words that He puts in his mouth shall he speak.

The next morning, Bilaam wakes up early, prepares his donkey, and heads back to Moav together with the messengers. Along the way, a miracle happens. An angel holding a sword, who is seen only by Billam’s donkey, blocks the path. The animal had no choice but to move sideways rather than forward, crushing Bilaam’s leg against the wall by the side of the road. During this time, Bilaam, unaware of the supernatural circumstances that made a change in donkey’s behavior, is furious. He strikes the animal three times to get him back on the path. Another miracle occurs! The donkey begins to talk. He carries on a brief conversation with his Master.

“Why did you hit me these three times?” asks the donkey.

Bilaam replies: “Because you mocked me! If only there were a sword in my hand I would kill you!”

Wow! That was a fascinating reaction by Bilaam! A donkey starts to talk, and all Bilaam wanted to do was to kill him?? The last time an animal spoke was about 2000 years before when the serpent spoke to Eve. This was big miracle miracle! Even if Bilaam was a great prophet and was used to seeing miracles; this wasn’t an everyday kind of a miracle! It occurred every 2000 years!!! So, why wasn’t Bilaam surprised at all?? Even a simple “WOW” would have been sufficient!!!

Rabbi Wein explains that Bilaam was so eager to reach his destination, to reach to his place of fame, fortune and glory that he completely missed the miracle. His greed for money was so much, that a talking donkey did not surprise him at all! All he was thinking about was the fortune that he is going to accumulate once he completes his mission. When his donkey deviated from her path, he didn’t even stop to see what’s wrong with her. He just kept hitting her, to get her back on the path as fast as possible! Bilaam’s wickedness was not just his hatred towards the Jews, but rather, it was the greed and the love he had for fame and fortune, that blinded him from seeing the miracles around him.

Some Chachamim even put Bilaam’s donkey at a higher intellectual level than Bilaam himself, since when the donkey saw a supernatural phenomena, like seeing an angel, she understood that she cannot continue on her usual path– she needs to change her way! But when Bilaam saw a once in a lifetime miracle, a talking donkey, he just wanted to continue to go on his path, as if nothing has happened!

Yes my friends, it’s very easy to criticize others, but are we any different ourselves? I think there is a little bit of Bilaam in all of us. We all want to be rich and famous! We all have a little greed for fortune and glory! But with being so, we shouldn’t miss the miracles around us. In Judaism, miracle is not just a supernatural event that takes place, but rather, any act of G-d that we benefit from is a miracle! For example, every morning when we wake up and we are alive and healthy and we see our wife and children being healthy too, is a miracle. But do we spend sometime with our family to appreciate this, or all we think about is to go to work as fast as we can and make more money?! Do we dedicate anytime praying to Hashem each morning and thanking him for what he has given us, or the urge to accumulate more wealth doesn’t allow us to do so?! Miracles happen around us all the time. All we need to do is to open our eyes and appreciate them!

It’s sad but it’s true. A donkey who is known for lacking in intelligence, takes notice of a miracle and stops…….. But us human beings, the most intelligent creatures on the face of the earth, don’t see the miracles and continue on our journey of life in the fast lane!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Moshe is taught the laws of the “Red Cow”, whose ashes purify a person who has been contaminated by contact with a dead body.

After 40 years of journeying through the desert, Miriam dies and the people thirst for water. G-d tells Moshe to speak to a rock and command it to give water. Moshe gets angry at the rebellious Israelites and strikes the rock. Water issues forth, but Moshe is told by G-d that neither he nor Aaron will enter the Promised Land.

Aaron dies at Har Hahar and is succeeded in the High Priesthood by his son Elazar.

Venomous snakes attack the Israelite camp after yet another eruption of discontent in which the people “speak against G-d and Moshe”; G-d tells Moshe to place a copper serpent upon a high pole, and all who will gaze heavenward will be healed.

Moshe leads the people in battles against the Emorite kings Sichon and Og (who seek to prevent Israel’s passage through their territory) and conquers their lands, which lie east of the Jordan.

“ Dvar Torah “

The most striking episode in this week’s Parsha is the moment when the people complain about the lack of water. G-d tells Moses to take his staff and speak to the rock and water will appear. This then follows:

He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’  Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

But G-d said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not have sufficient faith in Me to sanctify Me before the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land I have given you.”

There are difference of opinions among the commentators in regards to what actually Moses did wrong to receive such harsh punishment. Some say he lost his temper with the people (“Listen now, you rebels”). Some say he hit the rock instead of speaking to it. And others believe that he made it seem as if it was not G-d but he and Aaron who were responsible for the water (“Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”).

What is puzzling still is why he lost control at that moment. He had faced the same problem few times before, but he had never lost his temper before. People have asked for water before. G-d then told Moses to take his staff and hit the rock, and water flowed from it. So when in our parsha G-d tells Moses, “Take the staff … and speak to the rock,” it was surely a forgivable mistake to assume that G-d meant him also to hit it. That is what he had commanded last time. Moses was following the same sequence.

What is even harder to understand is the order of events. G-d had already told Moses exactly what to do. Gather the people. Speak to the rock, and water will flow. This was before Moses made his ill-tempered speech, beginning,“Listen, now you rebels.” It is understandable if you lose your composure when you are faced with a problem that seems unsolvable. But Moses had received the solution. Why then was he so agitated about the problem?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says that the answer can be found in the Parsha itself. Earlier in the Parsha, the Torah says: “The people stopped at Kadesh. There, Miriam died and was buried.” Only then does it state that the people had no water. The commentators explain that the people had been blessed by a miraculous source of water in the merit of Miriam. When she died, the water ceased.

When Miriam died, Moses was in a state of enormous grieve. Miriam was his elder sister. She had watched over his fate when, as a baby, he had been placed in a basket and floated down the Nile. She had the courage to speak to Pharaoh’s daughter and suggest that he be nursed by a Hebrew, thus reuniting Moses and his mother and ensuring that he grew up knowing who he was and to which people he belonged. He owed his sense of identity to her. Without Miriam, he could never have become the greatest prophet of all times, talking to G-d face to face! Losing her, he not only lost his sister. He lost the person whom he owed his entire life to!

Bereaved, you lose control of your emotions. You find yourself angry when the situation calls for calm. You hit when you are supposed to speak, and you speak when you should be silent. Even when G-d has told you what to do, you are only half-listening. You hear the words but they do not fully enter your mind. This is what happened to Jacob when he thought he had lost Joseph. The Shechina departed from him for 22 years! And this is also what happened to Moses at the rock. He was not so much a prophet as a man who had just lost his beloved sister. He was heartbroken and not in control. He was the greatest of the prophets, but he was also a human with feelings and emotions! And that’s why he lost control of the situation which he had to pay a great price for it.

Yes my friends, our Parsha is about “Mortality”! G-d is eternal; we are mortal! Miriam dies, Aaron dies and eventually Moses dies too. Together they constituted the greatest leadership team the Jewish people has ever known, Moses the supreme prophet, Aaron the first High Priest, and Miriam perhaps the greatest of them all. The Parsha teaches us that even the greatest are mortal. Death is devastating, but it’s inevitable. For each of us there may be a Jordan we will not cross, or a promised land we will not enter. We are flesh and blood. We grow old. We lose those we love. Seemingly, we struggle to maintain our composure but inside we weep. Yet life goes on, and what we began, others will continue.

We may never know what exactly was the sin of Moses, or why it merited so severe a punishment. But we sure get to know that even the greatest leader of all time, his reign has to come to an end, whether we like it or not.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Korach, Datan and Aviram, and 250 leaders of Israel rebel against the authority of Moshe and Aharon. The rebellion results in their being swallowed by the earth. Many resent their death and blame Moshe. G-d’s “anger” is manifest by a plague that besets the nation, and many thousands died. Moshe intercedes once again for the people. He instructs Aharon to atone for them and the plague stops. Then G-d commands that staffs of all the tribes, be placed in the Mishkan. In the morning the staff of Levi, bearing Aharon’s name, sprouts, buds, blossoms and yields ripe almonds which proves that Levi’s tribe is chosen for priesthood and verifies Aharon’s position as the High Priest.

The specific duties of the levi’im and kohanim are stated. The kohanim were not to be landowners, but were to receive their sustenance from the tithes and other mandated gifts brought by the people to the Mishkan.

” Dvar Torah “

Humility! Oxford dictionary defines it as having a feeling of insignificant, inferiority, low in rank and not “proud”. It denounces superiority and promotes equality. In every society, humility is respected as one of the greatest characteristic anyone could possess. The beauty of this characteristic is that you should not be able to see it in yourself, but rather, it should be seen in you by others. It’s a characteristic that you can not claim; it’s a characteristic that you have to earn!

In this week’s parsha, however, we see a different definition of humility. The story starts with Korach gathering two hundred and fifty men, all of them leaders of tribes, men of renown and G-d fearing people, and they came and challenged Moshe and Aaron’s authority in front of the whole congregation. And they said to Moshe and Aaron: ” It is too much for you! For the entire assembly, ALL of them are holy and Hashem is among them. Why do you elevate yourselves over the congregation of Hashem?”

At first Moshe tried to reason with them but was unable to succeed. So, he decided to have a contest for the leadership. Moshe said to Korach, ” tomorrow, let each man take his fire-pan and you shall place incense on them and you shall bring your fire-pans before Hashem, 250 fire-pans, and yours and Aaron’s. ” And G-d shall decide who is the chosen one!

But just before the contest, the Torah relates to us a very peculiar reaction by Moshe. It says that ” Moshe was exceedingly distressed, and he said to the L-rd, “Do not accept the offering [of Korach and his cohorts]. I have not taken a donkey from a single one of them, and I have not harmed a single one of them.” And eventually Moshe prayed for their destruction in such a terrified way that the ground opened its mouth and they all got buried alive!

Wow, such harsh words from the greatest prophet of all times! The Torah claims that Moshe was the most humble man on the face of the earth. These are not the words you expect from the most humble person! A humble person should not be offended when criticized or challenged for leadership! One would have expected Moshe to turn to G-d and say, “Almighty, perhaps You should consider allowing Korach to assume my position—he is far more qualified than me! I am more than happy to give up my position to the worthier candidate!” This is what you expect from the most humble man to say and not to pray for the destruction of the opponent! So how do you explain Moshe’s dis-humble reaction here? Is Moshe truly a humble person or not?!

Rabbi Berel Wein gives the following interesting explanation to this question. He says, in Judaism, true humility is not a result of an undervaluation of one’s talents and accomplishments. Such is a false humility, for it is built on a false foundation. Rather, the truly humble individual is keenly aware of all his strengths and qualities—but simultaneously recognizes that all these talents are G-d-given, and therefore do not constitute a reason to feel superior to another whom G-d has not bestowed such talents. “Perhaps,” the humble person thinks, “if the other person had been blessed with the same gifts, he would have accomplished the same as me—if not more!”

Moshe recognized that G-d had blessed him with tremendous leadership qualities, and he therefore absolutely rejected the notion of giving up his position to anyone, since that would disrespect G-d’s decision. What really upset Moshe was not Korach’s challenge for his leadership, but rather, it was Korach’s inability to see that it was G-d who had chosen Moshe and has given him the leadership qualities. So, he felt that Korach’s argument was not against him, but against G-d Himself. And that’s what ticked him off. Moshe could have tolerated someone disrespecting him, but he could have never tolerated someone disrespecting G-d!! And that is a true sign of humility; acknowledging G-d and standing up for G-d!

Korach’s mistake was, he failed to see that Moshe never elevated himself above others, he just did what Hashem commanded him to do. In Judaism, a leader does not stand above the people. He serves the people, and he serves G-d, and that’s what Moshe did at its best!!

Yes my friends, humility is one of the greatest characteristic anyone can possess, but humility does not mean to lower your self-esteem. Whenever you are blessed with some talents or special qualities, whether it is beauty, intelligence, leadership quality or any other talents, there is no need to deny your talents, but you should always remember that it is G-d who has given you such qualities. This way you would never feel proud of yourself and get haughty, since you know that if Hashem would had given these qualities to others, they would be as good as you, or even better!

So my friends, the Oxford dictionary may define humility as a feeling of inferior, however, in Judaism, it’s acknowledging your talents, but remembering that it’s all G-d given!!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Moshe sends twelve spies to explore the Land of Canaan. Forty days later they return, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig, to report on the land of Israel. But ten of the spies warn that the inhabitants of the land are giants and warriors “more powerful than we”; only Caleb and Yehoshua insist that the land can be conquered, as G-d has commanded.

The people weep that they’d rather return to Egypt. G-d decrees that Israel’s entry into the Land shall be delayed forty years, during which time that entire generation will die out in the desert. A group of remorseful Jews storm the mountain on the border of Land and are defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites.

A man violates the Shabbat by gathering sticks and is put to death. G-d instructs to place fringes (tzitzit) on the four corners of our garments so that we should remember to fulfill the mitzvot of Hashem.

” Dvar Torah “

Do you know what is the difference between a tourist and an inspector? They both explore their surroundings, however, a tourist explores his surroundings to capture the beauty, while an inspector explores his surroundings to look for faults!

In this week’s Parsha, we read about the tragic story of the spies. An entire generation of the Jewish People perished as the result of the incident of the spies. The Torah says that right before entering the land of Israel, the people asked Moshe to send out agents to investigate about the land. So, Moshe sent out twelve spies one from each tribe, all of them Princes, men of renown, G-d fearing people and physically strong. Their mission was, to see the Land — how is it? And the people that dwells in it — are they strong or weak? Are they few or numerous? And how is the Land in which they dwell in it — is it good or is it bad? And how are the cities in which it dwells — are they open or are they fortified? And how is the land — is it fertile or is it lean? ……. and so on!

After forty days, the spies returned and ten out of twelve spies, unfortunately, brought an evil report. They said that ” we have no chance in concurring the land. The people that we saw in it were huge! We were like grasshoppers in their eyes. The land that we passed through, inhale its inhabitants “! And the people accepted the spies’ report and they wept that night. And they said to one another, ” let us appoint a leader and let us return to Egypt! ” And Hashem got angry at the spies and at the people. All the spies who brought the evil report died in a plague, and all the people who wept that night had to wander in the desert for forty years and die in the desert. Only their children were allowed to enter the land in the future.

The following question has been asked by our sages .  Why were the Benei Yisrael punished so severely? We can understand why the spies were punished, but the whole generation to die in the desert and not be able to enter the promised Land, just because they panicked, is hard to digest. Surely if all the 12 spies would have brought back a positive report, the people would have never asked to return to Egypt. The spies caused panic amongst the people and that’s why they cried that night! It was the spies’s fault — not the people’s! So why was Hashem so angry at the people? The people usually believe their ears. Is it something so wrong?!

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky gives a very interesting explanation to this question. He says that it was the people who wanted the land to be checked out……. it was not Moshe, nor the scouts! They demanded a thorough inspection! They wanted chapter and verse and an in-depth survey: Can we conquer the land? Can we defeat the enemy? How big are the people who dwell in it? Is the land fertile or barren? How closed are their cities? The spies’ mission was doomed to fail from the start since the nation didn’t want the spies to be mere day-trippers returning with a few souvenirs and some happy memories. They wanted them to act as strict inspectors and look for faults which they did find them quite alright! But the inspection wasn’t necessary since G-d had already promised them that the land is very good and He will conquer it for them. The whole nation showed lack of faith in G-d even before the spies entered the land and that’s why Hashem was so angry at them. And because they didn’t believe in G-d, they found themselves on the longest journey in history — forty years, each year corresponding to the forty-day trip of the spies. In principle, G-d was not opposed to the spies entering the Land, as we see forty years later that Yehoshua also sends spies before conquering the land. However, the mission of Yehoshua’s spies were no more than a “tourism” trip, sufficient to breathe the holy air of the Land, absorb its sanctity, and return refreshed and inspire the people. But unfortunately, this was not the case for Moshe’s spies………… their mission was to look for faults!!!

Yes my friends, you can also go through life as a tourist or as an inspector! The choice is yours! You can either explore and appreciate all the beauties surrounding you and be thankful to Hashem for all the blessings that He has bestowed upon you, or you can just look for faults and be dissatisfied with your life! Because if you look for faults, you will surely find them. My wife burnt the food…… The business is slow……. My house is too small…… and so on! But when you are dissatisfied with what you have, it means that you are not happy with what Hashem has given you and that’s wrong. It shows lack of faith. But on the other hand, you can look for the good things in life and be grateful to Hashem. Appreciate your healthy spouse and children being around you….. Appreciate the times and the country you live in, where you can live in peace and exercise your religion……Appreciate your health….. And so on! Remember that life becomes more meaningful when you appreciate it.

So my friends, if you decide to live your life as a tourist and capture the beauties around you, please be kind enough and share them with your friends too. In today’s times, it’s so easy to do so. You can post them on FB, Instagram or Snapchat them……..

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Aaron is commanded to raise light in the lamps of the menorah, and the tribe of Levi is initiated into the service in the Sanctuary.

A “Second Passover” is instituted in response to the petition “Why should we be deprived?” by a group of Jews who were unable to bring the Passover offering in its appointed time because they were ritually impure. G-d instructs Moshe on the procedures for Israel’s journeys and encampments in the desert.

The people are dissatisfied with their “Heavenly Bread” (the manna) and demand that Moses supply them with meat. Moshe appoints 70 elders, by divine order, to assist him in the burden of governing the people.

Miriam speaks negatively of Moshe and is punished with “Tzaraat”; Moshe prays for her healing with the famous expression: “El Na Refa Na Lah”, which means:”Please G-d, heal her now.” The entire community waits seven days for her recovery.

” Dvar Torah “

It always made me wonder about the motivation of someone who runs a marathon and comes in last. The charming couple in their sixties, strolling together towards the finish line–what made them do it? Each year, some 36,000 people line up to participate in the New York City Marathon, a grueling 26-mile route that runs through all five Boroughs of the city. Of those thousands, only one will come in first. Why do people run the marathon, knowing that they have no chance of coming in one of the top ten, top hundred or even the top thousand? Why do we still see the great joy on the face of the person who finishes at 35,898th position?! What’s the difference between the person who finishes last and the spectator who is just standing on the sideline?

Well, the answer is quite simple. The vast majority of the people who run the marathon, their aim is not to win the race, but rather, their aim is just to be a part of the race. As long as they have tried their best and did not quit in the middle, it’s a great achievement. For them, just completing the marathon itself is a badge of honor and pride, even if they finish last in the race.

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah describes the encampment of the Benei Yisrael in the desert. After hearing the sounds of the silver trumpets, the twelve tribes of Israel packed up their camp, lined up in designated order, and marched forth to their next destination. The tribe of Dan was always the last to march.

Their job was to bring up the rear and gather up any objects left behind; from missing socks, perhaps, all the way to lost children. They cleaned up after everyone else. It was not a very glorious role. Not nearly as impressive as leading the tribes, like Judah, or carrying the holy vessels like the Levites. But it was a job that needed to get done and they did it with great joy. They were dedicated to their job and they never complained to Moshe about being the last tribe to travel. They were just happy to be part the “race”, the race to serve Hashem!

And in addition to run a baggage claim department, the Danites also acted as a role model to the rest of the tribes. They were respected by the rest of the tribes because they never lost perspective. They showed everyone the importance of caring about other people’s property and be sensitive towards others. Those tribes who were the leaders or had an important job such as carrying the Mishkan, sometimes would have become “baalei gaava”–haughty and they could have lost perspective. They would forget that it is Hashem who has given them their leadership positions. But by looking at the tribe of Dan and seeing how dedicated they are to their jobs, they learned to be humble again. The Danites, although were in last place, but they stayed focus to their job and were happy with what they were assigned to. They did what needed to be done and took care of the needs of others. With a wonderful blend of self-esteem, they felt no need to get ahead. They took pride in what they did and they were extremely happy just to be part of Hashem’s children, the Benei Yisrael!

Yes my friends, “life” is just like a marathon race too! But let’s not lose perspective. The race for “life” is not about who can accumulate more wealth in their lifetime, nor is it about who can take the leadership positions, but rather, the race is all about who can keep Hashem’s commandments and be part of Hashem’s army. And the good thing about this race is that there are no winners or losers. Everyone can run at its own pace! As long as we try to do the best we can and we stay focused to our responsibilities as a Jew, we are doing fine. We started the race as a Jew and we have to finish the race as a Jew. To just be a Jew is a badge of honor by itself!

So my friends, don’t be a spectator standing on the sideline. Be in the race. Be a Jew! It does not matter at what position you’ll finish the race. You are already a winner……

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell”

After Hashem commands Moshe to purify the camp, the Torah describes the process to be carried out with a Sotah, a wife who was warned by her husband not to seclude herself with another man and was subsequently found doing so. She is taken to the Kohen in the Temple and, if she doesn’t admit her guilt, given sacred bitter waters to drink which will lead to one of two results: The waters will either establish her innocence, removing any doubt from her husband’s mind by blessing her with a child, or the waters will prove her guilt through a miraculous, horror death.

The Torah then describes the laws of the Nazir, a person who has voluntarily accepted upon himself to adopt a special state of holiness, usually for thirty days, by abstaining from eating or drinking any grape products, from cutting his hair, and from becoming contaminated through contact with a dead body.

After relating the blessings by which the Kohanim will bless the people- “May Hashem bless you and protect you …….”, the parsha concludes with a lengthy listing of the offerings brought by each of the twelve tribal leaders during the dedication of the Mishkan for regular use. Each prince brought identical gifts which included gold, silver, animal, and meal offerings.

“ Dvar Torah “

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah discusses the laws of “Nazirut”. Nazir is someone who takes a vow in front of a Kohen to distance himself from some physical pleasures and to engage himself in spirituality for a certain period of time. He may decide to become a Nazir for a few different reasons. It may be that he has witnessed a miracle and he feels the urge to come close to G-d, or he may do so in order to please Hashem and ask for a specific blessing, or he may just do so because he feels distance from G-d. Anyhow, a person theoretically becomes a Nazir as a means of abstaining from the passions of this world. The person decides not to indulge in certain normal worldly pleasures. “Nazirut” may be thought of as a type of “spiritual diet” one undertakes when he feels he is “too overweight” with the temptations and indulgences of this world. The Nazir remains on this diet until he feels he has things back under control, although the recommended time is 30 days.

The laws of Nazir is quite simple. The Nazir is prohibited from drinking wine and consuming grape products; he is not allowed to cut his hair; and finally, he is not allowed to come near a dead person –- even his close relatives.

The Torah then says that when the Nazir completes his designated period of Nezirut, he must bring a set of “Korbanot” [sacrifices] to the Temple. One of the sacrifices that he must bring is “Korban Chatat”, a “sin offering”. Korban Chatat is usually brought by someone who has committed a sin and wants to be pardoned. So, the question that is brought up by our sages is quite simple. What on earth did the Nazir do wrong? What kind of a sin did the poor Nazir commit? We are talking about a holy man who has control over his desires and wants to get closer to Almighty. He has chosen spirituality over earthly pleasures and fun. If you ask me, not only he shouldn’t bring a “sin offering” to the Temple, but instead, the Temple should give him a prize for his courage and enthusiasm!!

Once again Rabbi Yissachar Frand gives a beautiful pshat (explanation). Although the Nazir who has taken upon himself to distance himself from earthly temptations and wants to enhance his soul, but on the other hand, he has the tendency to isolate himself from the rest of the community too. When you are not going to drink wine, when your hair becomes long and messy, you will have less desire to attend parties or to participate in other people’s happy occasions. You won’t be able to go to any funerals and share in other people’s sorrow either. You’ll participate less in the upcoming festivals where you have to recite blessing over the wine. You’ll tend to stay in more and become less sociable. And that is the Nazir’s ill behavior that needs to be forgiven by bringing a sin offering. He has brought upon himself isolation and anti-socializing behavior which is not pleasant in the eyes of Hashem. G-d wants us to socialize with each other and to take part in each other’s joy and sorrow occasions. Benei Yisrael are suppose to be united and be together at all times whether good or bad, and socializing is a tool to bring us closer together. Isolating ourselves from the rest of the community is unfortunately considered a sin!

Yes my friends, believe it or not, socializing is a mitzvah. When you talk to your friend and you ask him about his welfare, spouse and children, it shows that you care about him and Hashem likes that. When we participate in other people’s celebrations, or G-d forbid, in their sorrow, it shows that we care about them and means that their joy is our joy and their sorrow is our sorrow. When we go to Kanissa on Shabbats and Yom Tovs, although it’s very important to pray to G-d and elevate ourselves spiritually, it’s as important to socialize with friends and family after the services. That’s why a synagogue is called “Beit-Kenesset” which means a gathering hall and not “Beit-Tefillah” which means a praying hall! Most synagogues have a Kidush table after the services so that the people will spend some time socializing among friends. Because socializing brings friendship and “unity” among the people, and our unity inevitably brings joy to our Creator!

So remember my friends, a Nazir with all his spiritual growth and closeness to G-d, could not offset his anti-socializing behavior. He still had to bring a sin-offering…….

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “



Parshat Bamidbar, is primarily involved with the census taken of the Jewish people in the second month of their second year in the desert. After listing the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, the Torah presents the totals of men between the ages of twenty and sixty for each tribe, the overall count being 603,550. The encampment structure is then described, with the tribe of Levi in the middle, safeguarding the Tabernacle and surrounded by the twelve tribes of Israel, each in their own designated area. The appointment of the tribe of Levi as the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people is presented, and their own census is taken, apart from the rest of Israel.

The Parsha concludes with the instructions given to the family of Kehat, the second son of Levi, for their role in dealing with the most sacred parts of the Mishkan.

” Dvar Torah “

This week’s Parsha, is the start of the fourth book of the Torah called “Bamidbar” which means ” in the desert”, but it’s mostly referred to and named as the “Book of Numbers”. A major theme running throughout the Book of Numbers is, well, “numbers”! The first few chapters in particular are a statistician’s delight! It lists the number of army-age men in each of the twelve tribes, both individually and in the aggregate, and it also lists the number of Levites, broken down into various categories.

In the beginning of the Parsha, Moshe was told to count the Jewish males who are entitled and should be enrolled for the Army. The Torah says: “Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according to their father’s household, by number of the names, every male according to their headcount. From twenty years of age and up — everyone who goes out to the legion in Israel — you shall count them according to their legions, you and Aaron.” This count included every tribe, except that of Levi. They were reserved for a separate count. And their count was not of men ages twenty and up. It began with a much younger crew. They were counted from one month of age and up!

The obvious question that comes to my mind, which was asked by our sages, is as follows. Why were the tiny babies included in the count? Why were the infants of the tribe of Levi counted and not the infants of the other tribes? If Hashem believes in equality, that every Jewish soul should be counted as ONE, then why to show favoritism towards the tribe of Levi and give them a twenty years head start over the rest of the tribes? After all, what qualities do the Levites’ children have, that are missing in the other eleven tribes, which makes them worthy of a count, just like the strong soldiers in the army?

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetsky gives the following beautiful explanation. The tribe of Levi were in charge of safeguarding the sanctity of the Mishkan, the mobile sanctuary for Hashem. They were not suppose to take parts in any legions of an army, but rather, they were suppose to dedicate their lives in serving G-d. To acknowledge Hashem, to take part in serving Hashem and to work in the sanctuary, does not require a minimum age. You can learn to serve Hashem at a very young age, even when you are a baby! The tribe of Levi acted as teachers, mentors and Rabbis to the entire congregation, and even their children were role models among the rest of the children. The Torah is telling us that in order to be a soldier, you need to be mature and physically fit, but to be able to serve Hashem, you require to be holy and pure — two characteristics that can be found more commonly in children. It’s true that most of the mitzvot in the Torah are for men above the age of Bar Mitzvah, but to learn Torah and to learn how to serve Hashem, you can start at a very young age! The Levite’s fathers not only spent their time teaching Torah to the entire nation, but they also spent a lot of time teaching their own children, since they knew that they are going to be the future teachers and Rabbis. And the Levites’ children loved to learn Torah and eagerly followed in their father’s footsteps in every step of the way, in working in sanctuary and to teach the other children. Both the children and their fathers knew the importance of their task, and that’s why they were counted equally. Imagine, if Hashem is giving so much respect to the Levites’ children for learning how to serve G-d that He includes them in the count just like adults, then how much more respect and encouragement we should give to our children when they learn Torah and perform its Mitzvot!

Yes my friends, our children are our future! They are the ones who will continue to safeguard our Torah, our heritage, our customs and our sanctity. And we are the ones in charge of teaching it to them. Sometimes it’s difficult for us, or we don’t have the time to teach the Torah to our children. That’s when we need the help of the Rabbis, the Talmud Torahs and the Yeshivas to teach it to them. Because, G-d forbid, if we don’t teach them the Torah, then who will safeguard our heritage and who will pass on our three thousand years old religion to the next generations?

Keep in mind that children can learn from a very young age. They observe things that we don’t even realize and they learn from them. I never forget the time when my older son, Ariel, was 3 or 4 years old. One Sunday morning I was too tired and I overslept. So he came up to my bed, shook me and said: “Dad–Dad! Wake up–wake up! You have to put that black thing on your head!” I didn’t even know that he was giving attention to me putting on the tefillin before?! Now, B”H, the time has come that he puts on that black thing on his head everyday!!

Remember that the Levites children were given the same count as the heros on the battlefield, not because of their physical strength or their maturity, but rather, because they studied Torah and performed the mitzvot. Because when you keep G-d’s commandments……. G-d will fight the wars for you!

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary, followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

On the Mount Sinai, G-d tells Moshe the laws of the sabbatical year: every seventh year, all work on the land should cease, and its produce becomes free for the taking for all, man and beast.

Seven sabbatical cycles are followed by a fiftieth year — the jubilee year, on which work on the land ceases, all servants are set free, and all ancestral estates in the Holy Land that have been sold revert to their original owners. Additional laws governing the sale of lands and the prohibitions against fraud and lending money for interest are also given.

” Dvar Torah “

This week’s Parsha talks about the laws of “Shemitah”- the Sabbatical year for the land of Israel. The land should lie fallow in a seven year cycle. All agricultural work must come to stop in the seventh year. The land needs to be at complete rest for the entire year. It means that on the seventh year there should not be any planting of seeds, plowing, pruning or harvesting. Additionally, any fruits which grow of their own accord are deemed ownerless and may be picked by anyone.

This is an extremely difficult mitzvah to observe, especially in the olden days, when the majority of the people were either farmers or shepherds. Not only you were unable to plant in order to feed your own family, but cutting off your livelihood completely for an entire year, can be very worrisome and challenging.

However, Hashem gives his assurance for those who keep the laws of Shemitah. The Torah says: ” The land will give its fruit [in the preceding years] and you will be satisfied; you will dwell securely upon it”. After such a powerful promise, the Torah then brings up a hypothetical question raised by the people, namely, “What will we eat in the seventh year — behold! we will not sow and we will not gather our crops!”. And then Hashem reassures the people by saying: ” I will ordain My blessing for you in the sixth year and [the land] will yield a crop sufficient for three-year period “. This means that the sixth year will give sufficient crops until the end of the eight year, since anything planted in the eight year, will only produce its crops in the ninth year.

Although, it feels great to have such a guarantee from the G-d Almighty himself, but the Chachamim are bothered by the double assurance. After the Torah tells them that ” The land will give its fruit and you will be satisfied”, why should there be a doubt in people’s mind to ask ” What will we eat in the seventh year?” Why does Hashem need to promise again that the sixth year will produce three times a regular year?? Shouldn’t the first assurance be sufficient??

Rabbi Yissachar Frand gives the following beautiful explanation. Why did Hashem give us the mitzvah of “Shemitah”? He says, the reason that Hashem has given us this mitzvah is not because the land needs to rest. Land does not need to rest! This is apparent from observing the lands outside Israel. The non-Jews work their fields year after year after year, without a break, and they still produce good quality crops and fruits! Do you think that the vineyards in California or France produce less quality grapes than the ones in Israel? Accordingly, Rabbi Frand says that the whole purpose of Shemitah is for the farmers to take a break from their routine lives and come to realize that it’s not because of their hard labor that the land produces so much crops, but rather, it’s because of G-d’s will. Hashem can still feed the farmer even if he doesn’t work! The seventh year is the time for the farmers to take their minds off the physical world and engage themselves in spirituality. It’s the time to remind themselves that their livelihood comes from the Heaven above, and not from the strength of their arms, nor from the intelligence of their brain!

Accordingly, Rabbi Frand says that Hashem has given us the mitzvah of Shemitah in order to test our faith! Those who are true believers are satisfied with Hashem’s first assurance; that ” the land will produce its fruit and you will be satisfied “. They fully trust in Hashem that he will provide, and they are satisfied with whatever Hashem provides for them! But those who lack in faith, they want to see a physical miracle. That’s why Hashem gives a second assurance for those people, that ” in the sixth year you will yield three times the regular crops! Since these people don’t have a strong faith, Hashem doesn’t want them to enter the seventh year being worried! He shows them the miracle beforehand! Hashem can tolerate people who lack in faith, since even these people are blessed to get crops for the seventh year. But G-d forbid, for those non-believers who don’t keep the laws of Shemitah at all, the Torah says that they will eventually be thrown out of their lands!

Yes my friends, all of our sustenance comes from the Heaven above. No matter how smart we are or how mighty is our physical strength, our livelihood is fully dependent on G-d’s will! And to realize that, we need to take sometime off from our routine lives and spend it with the Almighty.  Rashi comments that the Shemitah concept is a direct parallel of the weekly Shabbat. When a Jew keeps Shabbat he or she is making a statement about their belief. The reason we keep Shabbat is not because we need a day of rest, but rather, once a week we need to stop working and come to realize that it’s Hashem who is providing our sustenance. It’s not because of our strength or intelligence!  Accordingly, Shabbat should be a day that we should spend with the Almighty and be thankful to him!

So, the message of Shemitah is quite simple: Hashem will provide as long as we have faith in him. What an easy life for the believers……..

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

This week’s Parsha begins with the special laws dedicated to the Kohanim, the Kohen Gadol (“High Priest”), and the Temple service. A Kohen may not become ritually impure through contact with a dead body, unless it’s a close relative. A Kohen may not marry a divorcee, nor a harlot; and a Kohen Gadol can only marry a virgin. A Kohen with a physical deformity cannot serve in the Holy Temple, nor can a deformed animal be brought as an offering.

A newborn calf, lamb, or kid must be left with its mother for seven days before being eligible for an offering; one may not slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day.

The Torah then discusses the festivals throughout the year: (Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Shemini Atzeret); followed by two constant mitzvot maintained in the Mishkan: the lighting of the menorah every day and the displaying of the “show-bread” every week.

The parsha concludes with the horrible incident of a man who cursed G-d’s name (blasphemy) and was subsequently punished with the death penalty at Hashem’s command.

“Dvar Torah “

In this week’s Parsha, in the middle of the detailing the Jewish Holidays of the calendar year, the Torah gives us the following commandment: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not remove completely the corners of your field as you reap and you shall not gather the gleanings of your harvest; for the poor and the proselyte shall you leave them; I am Hashem Your G-d.” Basically, we are commanded to leave over certain parts of our harvest to the needy and the stranger in our midst. A Jew must leave the corners of his field for the poor. Likewise, if he forgets to pick up certain parts of the harvest, these too become “Gifts for the Poor”.

Rashi explains the phrase “For the poor and the strangers you shall leave them….”, means that you should literally leave the crops for the poor and they will pick it up themselves; you may not assist them with their gatherings.

But sometimes, Rashi’s commentary is difficult to understand. It needs a commentary by itself. Accordingly, the following question pops up. Why can’t we help the poor with his gathering?! Why can’t we lend the poor a basket or a sickle to make it easier for him to gather the crops? Why can’t we just roll up our sleeves and give him a helping hand too?! If the intention is to help the poor, why can’t we do it properly by helping him all the way?

But strangely enough, Rashi says that the Torah rules to the contrary. The commandment says: “Leave it for them.”…… means Do not be a nice guy. Do not help them! The pasuk concludes with the words “I am Hashem your G-d”. Rashi says that the intent is a promise: “If you leave them alone and allow them to pick it up themselves, I am the L-rd who will give you your reward.”

Once again, Rabbi Yissachar Frand gives a beautiful explanation to Rashi’s commentary. When the poor person comes to the field and the owner comes to greet him and says: “Let me help you to collect the crops”, or alternatively, when the owner rushes to cut down the stalks for the poor person and hands it to him, the owner of the land is acting as if he’s the owner of the leftover crops too!! He may think that he’s giving the poor a gift! But that’s not the case. The leftover crops do not belong to the landowner. They belong to the poor!  And that’s what Rashi is trying to explain. When the owner gives a gift, he expects the poor person to be grateful to him and appreciate his generosity. But the owner should know better that the gift is not coming from him…. It comes from the G-d Almighty himself! The corners of his land belonged to the poor from the beginning. He was just a messenger to hand them over! That’s why the landowner should not take part in the distribution of these items. Let the poor collect it themselves — it is after all their property in the first place! Only when the landowner comes to realize that it’s not him who is helping the poor, but it’s Hashem our G-d, only then he’ll be qualified to be rewarded by the L-rd!

Yes my friends, when Hashem has been good to us and we’ve been blessed with extra funds to give to charity, we should not think of our charitable donations in terms of  ” I am giving MY money to charity.” Hashem gives us extra money to give to charity. Those money do not belong to us. They belong to the poor! Hashem is just testing us to see what we do with that money! We, basically, act as the treasurer of Hashem’s charitable Foundation. We decide how to distribute the funds. We are merely a trustee, charged with guaranteeing that the funds are distributed.  But we have to realize that the money does not belong to us; it belongs to the foundation! That’s why, when we give out money to charity, we are not giving out the money from our own pocket — it comes from G-d’s table!

So my friends, be thankful to Hashem for the wealth that He has given you, but remember that he has given you some extra money to give to the poor. Do the right thing and pass it on to it’s right owner…….

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary, followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

The nation is commanded to be holy. Many prohibitions and positive commandments are taught:

Prohibitions: Idolatry; theft and robbery; denial of theft; false oaths; retention of someone’s property; delaying payment to an employee; hating or cursing a fellow Jew (especially one’s parents); gossip; placing physical and spiritual stumbling blocks; perversion of justice; inaction when others are in danger; embarrassing; revenge; bearing a grudge; cross-breeding; wearing a garment of wool and linen; harvesting a tree during its first three years; gluttony and intoxication; witchcraft; shaving the beard and sideburns; tattooing.

Positive: Awe for parents and respect for the elderly; leaving part of the harvest for the poor; loving others (especially a convert); awe for the Temple; respect for Torah scholars, the blind and the deaf. And also not to forget, Love your fellow as yourself.

“ Dvar Torah “

This week’s Parashat Kedoshim starts off with the following words: Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to them, “Kedoshim tihyu ki kadosh ani Hashem Elokeychem” — “You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am holy”! Simply, we’ve been commanded to be holy. But what exactly means to be Holy?!

Well, Rashi for example, interprets the mitzvah as one of self-control. He says, the previous chapter was about forbidden sexual relationships. So is the next chapter. Therefore, in order to be holy, you need to refrain from forbidden relationships. The word “Kadosh” literally means, “separate”. Thus, the meaning of “You shall be Kedoshim” is “You shall be separated – from forbidden relationships.”

Ramban on the other hand, disagrees with Rashi, which is not unusual. He says that “You shall be holy” is not just about having self-control over forbidden relationships! Rather “to be holy” means to have self-control over activities which are permissible to you too. For example, we are allowed to eat kosher food, but to be holy, we should not be a glutton. We are allowed to drink wine, but to be holy, we need to drink to moderation. We are allowed to have sexual relationship with our wives, but we should not do it voraciously. Holiness can be achieved by restraining oneself somewhat from even those physical pleasures that the Torah permits.

Chatam Sofer, a great scholar from the nineteenth century, has yet another view about holiness. He says that the answer to how to be holy is given in the pasuk itself. The Pasuk says: “You shall be holy, because I, Hashem your G-d, am holy”. So, in order to reach the ultimate level of holiness, we have to act like G-d. But, we don’t know much about G-d’s characteristics, except his 13 attributes of mercy mentioned in the Torah which says: “G-d is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in kindness and truth…” So in order to be holy, we also need to be compassionate and act kindly towards others, the same way that  Hashem acts toward us! That’s why the rest of the Parsha is mainly about how to act compassionately towards your fellow Jew. It talks about how we should care and respect our parents. It talks about not to take advantage of the “blindness,” handicaps and mistakes of others. It talks about our obligation to give to the poor. It talks about not to take revenge and not to hold a grudge. And above all, to love your fellow Jew like yourself. Holiness, according to Chatam Sofer, is not achieved by improving your relationship with your G-d, but rather, it’s achieved by improving your relationship with your fellow human beings and caring for them.

But last but not least, we can’t go without hearing what does one of my favorite Rabbis, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, have to say about being Holy. He says to Be holy” means, to “Have the courage to be different.” The word Kadosh means something distinctive or set apart! We don’t behave like everyone else just because everyone else does. We don’t eat like everyone else. We don’t dress like everyone else. We don’t dance like everyone else. We don’t pray like everyone else. We don’t just live for today like everyone else. We don’t adapt to the society like everyone else. And that’s what holiness is all about; we shouldn’t follow the majority, if they don’t follow G-d’s wishes. To be holy means to bear witness to the presence of G-d in our lives, even if it makes us the odd one out. Not by accident does the word kadosh also have the meaning of marriage, kiddushin, because to marry means to be faithful to one another, as G-d pledges himself to be faithful to us, we should be faithful to him too.

Yes my friends, to be holy means to have the courage to be different. We live in a society where happiness is measured by the level of your power, wealth and enjoyment. We live in a society where morality and religion play very little part in people’s lives. We live in a society where the same sex marriage is the law and condemning it can be a felony. We live in a society where a crossdresser wins the courage award over a commited Army soldier who has constantly risked his life! Yes, it’s very easy to blend in and live like the rest. But we as Jews, have been given a greater responsibility. We are commanded to be holy–Kadosh–separate! We are here to follow G-d; not the crowd! We are here to love and cherish a tiny land, where most other people are against her and pray for her destruction! We are here to be compassionate and help others in need. And that’s what makes us stand out in the eyes of Hashem: We are few, different but special!

There is an old Persian saying which says: “If you don’t want to be embarrassed, follow the crowd”……………. But the Torah is telling us otherwise: “If you don’t want to be embarrassed in front G-d, have the courage to go against the crowd”!!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

G-d instructs the kohanim to exercise extreme care when they enter the Mishkan. On Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol brings unique offerings, including two identical goats that are designated by lottery. One is “for G-d” and is offered in the Temple, while the other is for “Azazel” in the desert. The Torah states the individual’s obligations on Yom Kippur: One must afflict oneself. We abstain from eating and drinking, anointing, wearing leather footwear, washing, and marital relations.

Consumption of blood is prohibited. The blood of slaughtered birds and beasts must be covered. The people are warned against engaging in the wicked practices that were common in Egypt. Marital relations are forbidden during a woman’s monthly cycle. List of forbidden relationships are outlined including homosexuality, bestiality. And a “child” sacrifice is prohibited.

” Dvar Torah “

Towards the end of Parashat Acharei Mot, the Torah talks about the forbidden relationships. It talks about prohibitions against sexual relationships with someone’s parents, stepparents, children, stepchildren, siblings, step-siblings, aunts, uncles, and the like. It even talks about the prohibition against marrying two sisters at the same time, since this will create a rivalry between the two sisters who are suppose to love each other, rather than to hate one another!

Towards the end of all these prohibitions, the Torah also condemns male homosexuality. It says the following for a man: ” Do not lie with a man as you would with a woman. It is an abomination.”

Although the Torah clearly condemns the act of homosexuality, but in today’s modern day society this prohibition is widely challenged. The people who are pro homosexuality come up with some strong and valid arguments. In favor of the homosexual, they say that he cannot control his sexual preference. They even come up with “genetics” proofs to explain his preference. They continue their argument by saying that sexual preference is subjective. It is inappropriate to label heterosexual behavior as proper and homosexual behavior as a perversion. Two people study a single piece of art. The beauty of the work inspires one. The other observer finds the work boring and mediocre. Is one correct and the other mistaken? Of course not! Each is entitled to his or her individual opinion. Why should the issue of sexual preference be treated differently? How can heterosexuality be regarded as more proper than homosexual preferences?

Well, how does our Torah answer these questions? How do our Chachamim comment on this issue? Since homosexuality is a very sensitive subject, many of the commentators try to avoid talking about it and I couldn’t find much commentaries on this topic. But still some of the medieval commentators such as Rambam, Ramban and Ibn Ezra do reveal their opinion.

Despite all of the modern notions about homosexuality, the Torah considers it unnatural, and therefore is an abomination. It is forbidden without exception!! Something which is not acceptable by G-d, should not be tolerated by us either! Accordingly, ALL of the Chachamim agree that the Torah clearly condemns the act and there is no way around it. But the question that still bothers me is how do the Chachamim explain the genetic issue?? What if a person is really genetically attracted to other men?? What if it’s not his fault and he was born like that? What if he really isn’t attracted to women at all?

Although most of the Chachamim disagree that homosexuality is a genetic or a medical issue, but for the argument’s sake, let’s assume that it is true. Accordingly, some of our medieval sages gave the following explanation to the genetic issue problem: They say that the answer to this dilemma lies in the Pasuk (verse) itself. The Torah says that “you shall not lie with another man”……… It does not say you should not desire another man!! The Torah is telling us that even if you desire another man, you should have control over your desires!! Just because you desire something, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have it!! For the same reason that if you really desire to be with another married woman but you need to have control over your desire since the Torah forbids it, so too, to be with another man, you also need to control yourself since it’s what Hashem demands from you. Remember that Hashem never gives us a commandment that is impossible to keep! Since it is written in the Torah in Parashat Nitzavim; ” The commandments that I give you today — it is not distance from you and not far from you. It is not in the heaven, nor across the sea…. Rather, it is very close to you; in your mouth and in your heart to perform it.” Yes, for some people it might be easier to keep a mitzvah, and for some it might be more difficult, but it’s never impossible!!

But the argument doesn’t end here. The homosexual person might say: ” But I’m really not attracted to women?! To me, that is a disgusting act!!” How can we answer this question now?

Well, when I was a kid, I had a friend who would never eat beef, chicken or fish. He would not even come close to them. He claimed that it made him feel nauseous. So every day and every night his Mom had to make him a separate dairy dish for lunch and for dinner. Until one day she was fed up, and she said to herself: ” I had enough! No more of this nonsense!!”. So from that day on she made sure to only make beef, chicken or fish for lunch and dinner everyday. The boy did not eat anything for a few days, but the Mom continued with her stubbornness. He cried, he moaned and he complained, but it was to no use. Until one day, he came to realize that for sure there is not going to be any food other than beef, chicken or fish any more, so he started to eat some of the dinner that the Mom prepared. At the beginning, he did feel nauseous, and he did throw up, but the Mom did not give up. Everyday he ate a little bit more and more and he felt less and less nauseous until eventually he began to like eating meat!

Same reasoning can be used for sexual relationships. If a person knows for sure that there is no alternative than sleeping with the opposite sex, then eventually he is going to like it. Only when there is a choice that he can compare with, only then he can show preference towards the forbidden relationship!! Some people can only drink sodas and not plain water. But if they would stop producing sodas forever, do you think that they are not going to drink water?

Yes my friends, Judaism is all about having control over our desires. Hashem wants us to overcome our desires and to be in full control. And this is what separates us from the other nations and makes us G-d’s favorite nation; His “Chosen People”! Hashem wants us to have control over what we eat, what we say, what we see, what we hear, and above all, to have control over our sexual desires. All these prohibitions in the Torah is for our own good and is for making us stronger people. Being free to do whatever you want, is not freedom; it means that you are not in control; your desires are controlling you!!

Remember that to desire something forbidden is not considered a sin, but to actually do the act of forbidden, it’s an abomination in the eyes of G-d and has it’s consequences. You never know, If only Adam and Eve could have just stared at those mouthwatering apples, and would have stopped there, we may all still be in “Gan Eden”, the Heaven on earth…….

Shabbat Shalom, Rosh Chodesh Tov & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

The Torah describes the purification procedure for a metzora (a person afflicted with tzara’at) upon conclusion of his isolation. This process extends for a week and involves korbanot and immersions in the mikveh. Then, a kohen must pronounce the metzora pure. A metzora of limited financial means may substitute lesser offerings for the more expensive animals.

Before a kohen diagnoses that a house has tzara’at, household possessions are removed to prevent them from also being declared ritually impure. The tzara’at is removed by smashing and rebuilding that section of the house. If it reappears, the entire building must be demolished.

The Torah details those bodily secretions that render a person spiritually impure, thereby preventing his contact with holy items, and the Torah defines how one regains a state of ritual purity.

” Dvar Torah “

Parashat Metzora, which is usually read together with last week’s Parashat Tazria, is always read in the month of Nissan, close to the Holiday of Passover. Accordingly, the Chachamim say that there must be a connection between the parsha, the month of Nissan and Chag HaPesach. So, what is the connection?

Well, from the beginning of the month of Nissan, we, specially the women, are all extremely busy with final stages of house cleaning and getting rid of all the Chametz. I don’t think there is any other Mitzvah in the Torah that the Jews, especially in our community, take it so seriously and perform it at its best. Getting rid of the Chametz is so important to us that we clean our homes from top to bottom so immaculately, by cleaning behind every piece of furniture, scrubbing behind the stove and under our refrigerators, switching over the dishes, covering the countertops, cleaning our basements and much, much more. By the day before Pesach, there won’t even be a trace of any chametz left in our houses!

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah also talks about some kind of “house cleansing”. The Torah says: ” When you enter the land of Canaan that I give to you as a possession, and I inflict a tzara’at disease upon a house, the owner of the house shall come to the Kohen saying, “Something like an affliction has appeared upon my house.” The Kohen shall command; and they shall empty the whole house before he enters to examine the affliction, so that nothing else in the house shall become contaminated.”

As we had discussed in last week’s Parsha, according to most commentators, “Tzara’at” is a heavenly disease that falls upon people’s homes, furnitures, clothing and eventually on human skin due to committing the sin of “Lashon Ha’ra”, gossiping and negative talking about someone else. The sequence of warnings or punishments for committing the sin were as follows. First G-d warned the offender by sending a sign of decay to the walls of his house. If the offender repented the condition stopped there. If he failed to do so, his furniture was affected, then his clothes and finally his skin.

But the question that bothers me is as follows. Why does the torah tell the person whose house walls are afflicted by tzara’at to empty the contents of his house before the Kohen comes to examine it so that the household items won’t become contaminated? We know that this disease was not contagious because it was brought upon a person who committed the sin of Lashon Ha’ra, and could only be stopped if he repents and stops his evil ways. So why to go through the hard process of cleaning the house?

Rabbi Frand gives the following beautiful explanation. The household items of the person whose walls might be afflicted by tzaraat is not going to become contaminated. The only reason the Torah is telling him to remove all the contents of the house, is to give him a warning that if he doesn’t stop from his slanderous ways, his household items are going to be afflicted by the disease too. During the process of taking out the household items, the person may come to realise that what he is doing is wrong and he needs to stop. There is no way to purify the house unless he purifies himself! House cleansing has to be accompanied by spiritual cleansing!  All the effort that he has put into taking out all the contents of the house is going to go to waste, if he doesn’t stop from his evil ways. Only then, when he changes himself, does the hard labor of house cleansing become productive and the household items will remain pure!

Rabbi Frand says, the same goes with Pesach cleaning. As hard as we try to get rid of all the Chametz in our possessions, it’s worthless if we don’t get rid of the Chametz inside us too. Chametz is a fermented dough that rises. Accordingly, the chametz inside us is the ego and the pride that we have, known as “Ga’ava”, that makes us rise and feel superior over others. Pesach is the time to get rid of  ALL the chametz in our possession, both physically and spiritually! We have to remember that all the physical mitzvot that we do is to benefit our soul and to improve our relationship with G-d. So there is no point for physical cleaning if we are not planning clean our souls!

Yes my friends, in order to get rid of the chametz, physical cleaning has to be accompanied by spiritual cleansing. When we clean our house, we should get rid of all the pride and ego inside us too. We should never look down on anyone. We are all children of G-d and deserve to be respected equally. Having money, good looks and high ranking positions are only because G-d granted us with these blessings, and on our own, we would not have had them. So there is no reason to take pride in them.

Remember that the beauty of a cake is measured by how much it puffs, but the greatness of man is measured by his level of humility.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

The Torah commands a woman to undergo a process of purification and to bring a korban (sacrifice) after the birth of a child. A son is to be circumcised on the eighth day of his life.

Tzara’at is a super-natural plague, which can afflict people as well as garments or homes. If white or pink patches appear on a person’s skin, a Kohen is summoned. Judging by various signs, such as an increase in size of the afflicted area after a seven-day quarantine, the Kohen pronounces it tameh (impure) or tahor (pure).

A person afflicted with tzaraat must dwell alone outside of the camp until he is healed. The afflicted area in a garment or home must be removed; if the tzara’at re occurs, the entire garment or home must be destroyed.

” Dvar Torah “

The main topic of discussion in this week’s Parsha and the week after is a disease called “Tzara’at”. There is no real translation for this disease, since this disease never existed in any other cultures, but it’s somehow similar to Leprosy, with the exception of not being contagious. This disease was not a result of a health problem such as chemical imbalancement or nutrition deficiency, and it did not have any medical remedy to it. But rather, it was a heavenly disease brought down by Hashem and cured by Hashem. The Talmud says that this disease was a punishment for committing a sin, mainly the sin of “Lashon Hara”, gossiping and evil talking about someone else. This disease is a disfiguration and a discoloration of human skin, but it could also fall on a person’s hair, beard, clothing, household items and even home. When a person was suspected of being afflicted with Tzaraat, he did not need to see a physician, but rather, he had to go to a Kohen. The Kohen then evaluated the afflicted area, and if he visually saw the symptoms, he quarantined him. After a week, he looked at the blemish again, and if it has increased in size or depth, he declared the victim “tamei”, impure, and he had to leave the camp and be isolated from the rest of the congregation. Only when he was healed, he may have entered the camp again, which was a sign that he has repented his slanderous ways.

The whole procedure of Tzaraat was quite embarrassing. If contaminated with the disease, the Kohen had to accompany the convict to outside of the camp in front of the whole congregation and he had to announce in loud voice: “This man has Tzara’at”. The Chachamim say that the punishments given in the Torah are usually measure for measure. The same way that the victim of an evil gossip is avoided and disrespected by everyone else; the same way the gossiper is put to shame and forced to isolate himself from the rest of the community.

The Torah then tells us that the fate of the stricken man is totally dependent upon the will of the Kohen in charge. Unlike today’s time, the victim could not ask for a second opinion! The kohen is shown the negah (blemish) and has complete authority to declare it “tamei” (impure) or “tahor” (pure), which determines the faith of the victim whether he could stay or leave the camp. In fact, even if all signs point to the declaration of impurity, if the kohen, for any reason deems the person tahor or refuses to declare him tamei, the man remains pure and stays in the camp. But the way the Torah describes the examination procedure by the Kohen is quite strange. The Torah says: “And the kohen shall look at the “negah” affliction on the skin and behold it has changed to white and appears deeper than the skin of the flesh – it is tzara’at and the kohen shall look at the man and declare him tamei”!

The following question is asked by our sages. How many times does the Kohen need to look at the afflicted person? If he has all the signs of tzara’at, why does the Kohen need to look at the man again? If he surely has the disease, shouldn’t the Kohen declare him impure right away?!

Rabbi Kamenetzky gives a beautiful explanation. The kohen who is instructed to deal with the stricken individual should not only look at the affliction, but he must also look at each person, individually! The Kohen must realize what consequences his verdict will bring upon the person and what the victim has to go through! Even if the “negah” has all the attributes that should lead to a declaration of impurity, there are other factors that must be weighed. If the man is a groom, about to be wed, impurity must not be declared. If the man is expecting a new baby sometime soon; if he is moving to a new house or if it will ruin any upcoming festivities, then a declaration of contamination must be postponed. The kohen, a man of love and peace, is not expected to embarrass or humiliate the afflicted person when he is in a state of joy, but rather, he is obligated to hide the truth. We would think that a person who has committed Lashon Hara and has humiliated someone publicly, deserves to be humiliated himself! But the Torah is telling us otherwise! The Kohen is expected to show compassion even towards a sinner! The purpose of the tzara’at is not to punish the person or “chasbe shalom” to get back at him, but rather, it’s suppose to make him realize what he did was wrong and help him to change his ways. And that’s why the Torah demands from the Kohen to look beyond the blemish and look at the man himself!

Yes my friends, the Torah is teaching us a great lesson here . When we want to announce something embarrassing about someone in public, whether it’s true or not, we should think of the man first, and evaluate the consequences of our action! How would our announcement affect his life? It’s very easy to call someone a loser, a thief, a cheater or a womanizer, but  keep in mind that these stains may stay with him for the rest of his life. The torah is telling us that embarrassing someone publically is so wrong that sometimes we are allowed, even obligated, to hide the truth! If Hashem has so much compassion even towards a sinner and doesn’t want to embarrass him in public, then how much more we should have compassion for our fellow human beings and not to humiliate them in public!

The Pirkei Avot says; “judge all of the people in a good way,” and do not look at the partial person: rather, judge all of the person — even a flaw may have a motivation or rationale behind it. That’s why when you see a flaw in a man, you should look beyond the flaw….. you should look at the man!!

Shabbat Shalom, Rosh Chodesh Tov & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Parshat Shemini begins by discussing the events which occurred on the eighth and final day of the inauguration service in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). After months of preparation and anticipation, Aaron and his sons are finally installed as Kohanim (priests) in an elaborate service. Aaron blesses the people, and the entire nation rejoices as Hashem’s presence rests upon them. However, the excitement comes to an abrupt halt as Aaron’s two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu, offer a “strange fire before G-d, which He commanded them not” and die before G-d. Aaron is silent in face of his tragedy.

Aaron is informed that the Kohanim are forbidden to enter the Mishkan while intoxicated, and the Torah continues to relate the events which occur immediately after Nadav and Avihu’s tragic death. The portion concludes with a listing of the kosher and non-kosher animals, and various laws about tumah, ritual contamination!

“ Dvar Torah “

Enthusiasm! Oxford dictionary defines it as “a feeling of energetic interest in a particular subject or activity and an eagerness to be involved in it.” Enthusiasm creates passion and excitement in people. It creates a positive energy to do more. Successful individuals have achieved their positions because they enthusiastically pursued their goals. To have a dream and to run after it will all your heart and soul, is what enthusiasm is all about.

Although enthusiasm is extremely essential to have in order to achieve success, but Rabbi Jonathan Sacks believes that it does not work in every field, especially in regards to religion. Enthusiasm in religion can result in over-confidence. A religious enthusiast can come to believe that he is being inspired by G-d himself, and is thus empowered to disregard reason and restrictions. He may think that he’s qualified to approach the Divinity, without any human mediator. The person with spiritual enthusiasm may feel so holy that he feels able to override the rules given by priests and prophets. Rules and regulations, thinks the enthusiast, are for ordinary people, not for me. We, inspired by God, know better. And this is a kind of enthusiasm that can be very dangerous indeed.

In this week’s Parsha, we learn about the tragic death of Nadav and Avihu, the two elder sons of Aaron. The story goes as follows: After the completion of the construction of the “Mishkan”, it was time for it’s inauguration. The excitement was filled in the air. Everyone came to watch this joyful event. All the vessels were placed in their right spots and the altar was all ready to begin the first sacrifice ceremony. Aaron and his sons have been appointed as the only Priests to do the ceremonies. For seven days Moshe, Aaron and his sons rehearsed the inauguration ceremony procedures, and finally, it was on the eighth day that G-d’s Presence would finally descend upon the Mishkan, and it was time for the ceremony to start. The congregation were anxiously waiting to watch this fascinating, never-seen-before event.

But, suddenly, the celebration went terribly wrong. The Torah tells us that just before the ceremony started, the two eldest sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, entered the Mishkan without authorization. They decided to offer their own incense, something they assumed would surely bring joy to their Creator. But tragedy struck. A fire came forth from the heaven. And the fire that should have consumed their offerings, consumed them instead, and they both died in an instant! The Torah tells us that the reason for their death was because they brought an alien fire before Hashem, that He had not commanded them. Evidently our sages felt that there must have been something else, some further sin or character flaw, to justify their harsh punishment.

A variety of commentaries were given by our sages to justify their death. Some speculated that they were guilty of entering the Holy of Holies; that they had given a ruling of their own accord without consulting Moses or Aaron; that they had become intoxicated; that they were not properly robed; that they had not purified themselves with water from the laver; that they were so self-important that they had not married, thinking no woman was good enough for them; or that they were impatient for Moses and Aaron to die so they could become the leaders of Israel.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says, although all these interpretations may be true, valid and important, they are not the plain sense of the verse. The text is quite clear. The Torah says merely that they offered “unauthorised fire”. The sin was that they did something that had not been commanded. Nadav and Avihu, he says, were religious “enthusiasts”! They were people who, full of religious passion, believed that God was inspiring them to do deeds in defiance of law and convention. They were very holy but they were also potentially very dangerous. To bring unauthorised fire to the Tabernacle might seem a small offence, but a single unauthorised act in the field of holiness can cause a gap in the laws around the sacred that can grow in time to a big hole. Enthusiasm, as harmless as it may seem, can quickly become extremism, fanaticism and religiously motivated violence. That’s why religion needs to be under control by laws and rituals in order to contain the fire of faith. Otherwise it can eventually become a raging inferno, spreading destruction and claiming lives. Nadav and Avihu surely brought their offerings, for the highest motives and good intentions, but that wasn’t good enough. Because in order to get close to G-d, you need to follow the rules of G-d!!

Yes my friends, enthusiasm is a positive force needed to achieve success, but in religion, it can be potentially dangerous. That is why our holy places and rituals must be guarded with rules, the same way a nuclear power station must be protected by the most careful insulation. You see, when you are inspired by religion, you can easily add your own interpretation of holiness. People kill other people in the name of religion. People even kill themselves thinking that they are getting closer to G-d! Once you feel that you have become holy, you think that you can override the rules and regulations. Killing, stealing and committing adultery becomes justifiable by your own interpretation of religion. Religious advancement without being assessed by authorized leaders and teachers can easily turn into fanaticism and extremism. It can happen to anyone in any religion!

Remember that Nadav and Avihu lost their lives because they were overconfident in their holy action. They thought that they were doing the right thing, but it ended up being the worse thing they could ever do!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

G-d instructs Moshe to command Aaron and his sons regarding their duties and rights as kohanim (“priests”) who offer the korbanot (animal and meal offerings) in the Sanctuary.

The offering burned on the altar throughout the night — are to be removed from the area by the kohen after he changes his special linen clothing.

The fire on the Altar must be kept burning at all times. In it are burned and consumed all kinds of offerings; peace, sin and guilt, and meal offerings. The kohanim eat the meat of the sin and guilt offerings, and the remainder of the meal offering. The peace offering is eaten by the one who brought it, except for specified portions given to the kohen. The holy meat of the offerings must be eaten by ritually pure persons, in their designated holy place and within their specified time.

One may not eat a korban when he is ritually impure. Blood and chelev (forbidden animal fats) are prohibited to be eaten.

Aaron and his sons remain within the Sanctuary compound for seven days, during which Moshe prepares them into the priesthood.

“ Dvar Torah “

Once again, this week’s Parsha is dedicated to the duties of the Kohanim (Priests) in the Mishkan, which was carried on in the Temple in Jerusalem later on in time. One of the prestige jobs for a Kohen was to perform the sacrifice ceremonies. At the beginning of the Parsha, the Torah commands that every morning, the Kohen in charge of performing the sacrifices, had to remove the ashes from the altar, which were left behind from the night before. He had to remove his priesthood garments and put on a more common clothes and take the ashes to the outside of the camp. He then had to come back, put on his priesthood garments again and start to do the sacrifice ceremonies for that day.

The following question is asked by the Chachamim. Why does the cleaning of the altar had to be done by the same person who performed the sacrifices? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to assign a  “cleaning person” to do the job? Why should the dirty job of cleaning the altar be given to the person who performs one of the most spiritual tasks in the Mishkan? Surely, there were many Levites, even Israelites, who would have jumped at the opportunity to do any kind of work in the Mishkan, even if it was the dirty job of cleaning the ashes!

“Chovot HaLevavot”, one of the classic works on Ethics and Jewish philosophy written by  Ibn Paquda who lived in spain in the 11th century, says that the rational behind this is that the Torah is particularly careful that people should not let things get into their head, lest they become “ba’alei ga-avah” and become “haughty”. Here, the Kohen might think that he is someone special — who IS in fact someone special. He is among the selected few who was chosen to do the holy work of sacrificing in the Temple. The Torah, nevertheless instructs him to “Take out the ashes first!” Lest he come to think too much of himself, the Torah tells him to begin his day by the lowly task of taking out the ashes. Only then, when he realizes that he is only a servant of Hashem, he is allowed to continue with the holy task of performing the sacrifice ceremonies!

The Torah is very sensitive to the idea of haughtiness. As much as Hashem loves humility and modesty, he despises haughtiness. The Torah tells us that Moshe Rabeinu was the greatest prophet of all times, only for one reason: “he was the most humble person on the face of the earth”. On the other hand, Korach and his followers were perished because of Ga-avah. He came up to Moshe and Aaron with the following argument: “Why have you elevated yourselves above us? We are all holy!!” Korach thought that he was someone special like Moshe and Aaron. He let haughtiness take control of his mind. And sadly, he died.

The reason why Hashem despises Ga-avah is quite simple. A person should know that whatever he possesses, whether it is beauty, intelligence, wealth, honor or a high ranking position, it’s all because Hashem wanted him to have all these and he blessed him with them. So, when a person becomes haughty, he thinks that he has achieved all these things on his own, and he forgets that these are all Hashem’s blessings which he has been showered with. And that’s why Hashem dislikes ga-avah so much, since people forget about Him……

Yes my friends, when we are blessed with affluence, power and fame, there is always a chance of air of superiority getting into our head. We might rightfully think that we are someone special. But the Torah is teaching us not to let these things get into our head. Who we are and what we have are all G-d’s decisions and not ours. That’s why we should never look down on anyone and see ourselves above them. We should respect everyone around us, even if they are poor, unattractive or unintelligent. G-d has created everyone for a reason. Everyone is made in the image of G-d. We are all children of G-d, and Hashem loves his children equally…… and so should we!

So, the next time your wife asks you to take out the garbage, there is no need to get upset. There is no need to boost your ego and say to her: ” I’m a successful businessman….. This is not my job! Tell the maid do it! ” On the contrary, you should jump at the opportunity and grab the garbage and take it out. Not only you’ve pleased your wife, but you’ll look good in the eyes of Hashem too!

Shabbat Shalom and Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Parashat Vayikra begins with Hashem calling Moshe into the Mishkan where he will be taught many mitzvot, to be ultimately passed on to the Jewish people. The first half of the parsha describes the various “optional” korbanot (sacrifices) brought by individuals. They consist of the following: the korban olah (elevation offering) which is completely consumed on the altar; the korban minchah (meal offering) which, because of its inexpensive contents, is usually brought by someone of modest means; and the korban shelamim (peace offering) partially burned on the altar, with the remainder divided between the owners and the Kohanim.

The second half of the portion discusses the “required” chatat (sin) and asham (guilt) offerings to be brought in atonement for unintentional transgressions.

The sin offering is brought to atone for transgressions committed negligently by the High Priest, the entire community, the king, or the ordinary Jew.

The “guilt offering” is brought by one who is in doubt as to whether he transgressed a divine prohibition, or who has committed a “betrayal against G-d” by swearing falsely to defraud a fellow man.

“ Dvar Torah “

In this week’s Parsha and in the most parts of the book of Vayikra, the Torah talks about the sacrifice ceremonies performed in the Mishkan which would be carried out in the Holy Temple later on in time. The Torah goes into great detail describing different kinds of sacrifices. There were optional sacrifices and there were required sacrifices. The main purpose of sacrificing was to atone for our sins.

But the whole concept of sacrificing is very difficult to digest. Why should bringing a sacrifice be an atonement for our sins? Hashem does not benefit from our sacrifices, so why does He want us to bring them to him? Sacrificing was a ritual performed by idolaters before. So why did Hashem introduce the idea to Benei Israel?

The Chachamim explain that the word “Korban” [Sacrifice], comes from the same root as the word “Karov – to come close”. The whole idea of sacrificing is that when we do a sin, Hashem doesn’t want us to run away! On the contrary, He wants us to come close to him! Hashem is ready to forgive us, but he wants us to come close and ask for forgiveness. And sacrificing was the mean to come to the Temple and get close to the Almighty.

At the beginning of the parsha, the Torah talks about the laws of the Korban “Olah”, a volunteered offering with a variety of options, depending on one’s financial status. The wealthier individual could bring a cattle, a less wealthy person a sheep, and even a less fortunate individual could bring a turtledove. For the most destitute individual who would like to offer something but has no money for even a turtledove, the Torah commands: “When a nefesh, a soul, offers a meal-offering (Korban Mincha) to Hashem, his offering shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it and place incense upon it”. But in connection to animal offering, the Torah says: “When a man (adam) from among you will bring an offering to Hashem from the animals…”

The following question is asked by our sages. Why does a man who just brings some flour and oil (meal-offering) is referred to as a soul, while the one who brings an animal is just called by his physical name, the man?! For who is it that usually brings a Korban Mincha? The poor man! The Talmud says that Hashem is considering the poor man’s sacrifice as though he’s offering his very own soul. It seems that the offering of the poor man is more dear to G-d than the offering of the rich person. But why?

Rabbi Chaim Goldberger from Atlanta gives the following explanation. Although, the offering that the poor man brought, could have been at little or at no cost to him, since he probably made the flour from the grain left behind in a field. But, it can be assumed that to one who is impoverished, the act of parting with fine flour which he might otherwise eat to silence his hunger is an even greater act of sacrifice than that of the rich man giving up an expensive animal. To the poor, the flour is more than a large chunk of his possessions; his life depends on it! To the rich, however, the healthy cattle that he brought might have been one of the many that he owns….

Out of all our daily prayers, the one that is the shortest is the Mincha, the afternoon service. It contains neither the long introductory and closing segments of the morning service (Shacharit), nor the Shema and the other paragraphs of the evening service (Arvit). It is basically just the Amidah (the silent prayer), yet the afternoon service is the only one which we call by the name “mincha”. Why is that? Because, as impoverished as this service appears, it is the only one that comes right in the middle of our workday; it is the only one that asks us to drop whatever we are busy doing and remind ourselves that we are merely subjects of our great  Almighty Master. Mincha is the only prayer service that asks us to disconnect ourselves from our mundane and worldly matters and try to connect with our Creator. It may just take 10-15 minutes, but it is a mincha — a prayer which is as dear to Hashem as your soul!!

Yes my friends, whether you want to donate your time or possession to G-d, it’s the quality that matters, not the quantity.  Hashem does not assess contributions and commitments based on the volume.  As long as you put in your best effort, that’s all that matters to G-d. Remember a person who donates just a few hundred dollars to Shul, but is having a very hard time making ends meet, may be more dear to Hashem than a wealthy person who donates thousands of dollars. When Hashem wants to asses the gift of an individual, He doesn’t look at the quantity — He looks at the quality. He doesn’t look at the person — He looks at his soul!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Moshe advices Benei Israel to keep Shabbat once again, and requests donations for the materials for making the Mishkan–portable Sanctuary for G-d. He collects gold, silver, precious stones, skins and yarn, as well as incense and olive oil for the Menorah and for anointing. The princes of each tribe bring the precious stones for the Kohen Gadol’s breastplate and ephod- an apronlike vestment worn just underneath the breastplate.

G-d appoints Bezalel and Oholiav as the master craftsmen. Benei Israel contribute so much that Moshe begins to refuse donations. Special curtains with two different covers were designed for the Mishkan’s roof and door. Gold-covered boards in silver formed the Mishkan’s walls. Bezalel made the Holy Ark from wood covered with gold. On the Ark’s cover were two figures facing each other (Cherubim). The Menorah and the Table were also of gold. Two altars were made: a small incense altar of wood overlaid with gold, and a larger altar for sacrifices made of wood covered with copper.

” Dvar Torah “

In last week’s Parsha, we just read the tragic story of the Golden Calf. Unfortunately, the children of Israel committed a grave sin. They made themselves a molten imagine and began to worship it while Moses was away. When Moses came down the mountain and saw the calf, the Torah says the people were “peruah”, meaning “wild, disorderly, chaotic, unruly, lawless.” He saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control……

So what did Moshe do to restore order? How did he bring them back to worship G-d instead of an idol?

Well, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says that the answer can be found in the beginning of this week’s Parsha. The Parsha starts by saying “Vayakhel Moshe”, “Moses gathered” the people…. Vayakhel comes from the word “Kehila”, meaning “community”. When Moses came down the mountain, he didn’t see a community, but just a crowd! So, he decided to gather them together and make them into a community again, because you can only find G-d in a community! Even to this day, community is essential for our spiritual life. Our holiest prayers require a minyan. When we celebrate or mourn we do so as a community. Even when we confess on Yom Kippur, we do so together. Judaism attaches great significance to the individual. Every life is like a universe. Each one of us are made in image of God. Although Judaism values the individual, it does not endorse individualism. Ours is a religion of community. For us the key relationship is not “I shall do”, but “We shall do”!!

But the main topic of discussion for the rest of the Parsha is about “donations” for the Mishkan. The Torah tells us that EVERYONE contributed to the cause. Men and women brought gold and silver. They brought personal items and family items. Copper mirrors were donated as well as bracelets, bangles and earrings. Those who had wool and linen came and those who had dyes donated. The Torah triumphantly declares the generosity of the donors by announcing that the people brought more than enough contributions than were supposed to.

But what is fascinating, is that the Torah separates one group of contributors and mentions them on their own. The Torah says: “And all those who Hashem inspired with wisdom to do the work (the builders), they took in front of Moshe the donations that the Jews brought for the work of the Mishkan, and they brought an additional offering for themselves each morning”.

The question that comes to mind is why does the Torah single out “the builders” in regards to the contributions? Didn’t EVERYONE contribute? Why to show favoritism to one group and not to others?!

Rabbi Kamenetsky gives the following answer. The men and women who have put in so much time and effort in the construction of the Mishkan could have easily said that they had done their share. But no, that was not enough for them! The Torah tells us that they, too, gave contributions each morning! They wanted to give more than just their time and their skill; they wanted to give their possessions too!! The efforts of these individuals were crowned by their relentless generosity. And that is the extraordinary action which is praiseworthy in the eyes of Hashem!!

We always get a better understanding of the Torah when we see a live demonstration. When we see those members of our own community who spend so much of their time and energy to build for us beautiful Synagogues, sanctuaries, schools, social halls for the youth and the elderly, and many more projects for the community, without getting paid a single penny, you would have thought that they’ve done their share!! But no, it’s not enough for them; they want to contribute more!!! We see that the majority of them are among the list of high-donors to our Shuls!! For them, giving their relentless time and energy is not enough, they want to contribute their money too!! These are the people that Hashem has singled out in this week’s parsha and has praised them; so why can’t we??

Yes my friends, community and donations are the main sources of our connection to G-d. This week’s parsha is one of the few parashiot in the whole Torah that G-d, Moses and the Benei Israel lived together in perfect harmony. No more complaints from the Benei Israel; no more Moshe being angry at the people; no more Hashem being angry at them and no more Hashem calling them a “stiff neck” people! It seems that community and donations not only bring the people closer to G-d, but they also bring out the best in everyone!

So remember my friends, in order to be a Jew, you need to belong to a community. And to be part of a community, you need to donate to the House of G-d. This is what pleases G-d and should please us too!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

The people of Israel are told to each contribute exactly half a shekel of silver to the Sanctuary. Instructions are also given regarding the making of the Sanctuary’s water-basin, anointing oil and incense. The people are once again commanded to keep the Shabbat.

When Moses does not return when expected from Mount Sinai, the people make a Golden Calf and worship it. G-d proposes to destroy the sinful nation, but Moses intercedes on their behalf. Moses descends from the mountain carrying the Tablets of stones engraved with the Ten Commandments. Seeing the people dancing around their idol, he breaks the Tablets, destroys the Golden Calf and has the primary culprits put to death. He then returns to G-d to say: “If You do not forgive them, blot me out from the book that You have written.” G-d forgives, but says that the effect of their sin will be felt for many generations. .

Moses prepares a new set of tablets and once more ascends the mountain, where G-d reinscribes the ten commandments on these Second Tablets. On the mountain Moses is also granted a vision of G-d’s glory! So radiant is Moses’ face upon his return, that he must cover it with a veil, which he removes only to speak with G-d and to teach His laws to the people.

” Dvar Torah “

“Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” — is a quote from Margaret Thatcher, one of the best Prime Ministers the Great Britain ever had!

Leadership is a very difficult task. Leaders can fail for many different reasons. One of the reasons can be because a leader may simply lack the courage to lead. Sometimes leaders have to oppose the crowd. They have to say No when everyone else is crying Yes. That can be terrifying. Crowds have a will and momentum of their own. To say No may be to put your career, even your life, at risk. That is when courage is needed, and not showing it can constitute a leadership failure of the worst kind.

In this week’s Parsha, unfortunately, leadership failure was the fate of Aaron HaKohen. This is how the Torah describes to us what happened: When the people saw that Moses was taking too long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, ‘Come, make us a God who will go before us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.’ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took it from their hands, threw it into a furnace and fashioned it into a molten calf. Then they said, ‘This is your God, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.

G‑d became angry. Moses pleaded with Him to spare the people. He then descended the mountain, saw what had happened, smashed the tablets of stones he had brought down with him, burned the idol, ground it to powder, mixed it with water and made the Israelites drink it. Then he turned to Aaron his brother and said, “What have you done?!”

“Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how inclined these people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us a god who will go before us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold bring to me.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Aaron blamed the people. It was they who made the illegitimate request. He denied responsibility for making the calf. It just happened. “I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” This is the same kind of denial of responsibility we recall from the story of Adam and Eve. The man says, “It was the woman.” The woman says, “It was the serpent.” It happened. It wasn’t me. I was the victim not the criminal! Not accepting responsibilities is a moral failure on it’s own!

The odd thing is that Aaron was not immediately punished. It seems that he was never punished for it at all.  According to the Torah he was condemned for another sin altogether when, years later, he and Moses hit the rock instead of speaking to it.

It seems that tradition dealt kindly with Aaron. He is portrayed as a man of peace. He was given the position of the highest Priest. But the question that bothers me is why did Hashem deal so kindly with Aaron? If he was at fault, why didn’t he get punished? The people who participated in worshiping the Golden Calf, they all died. Aaron was the one who made the calf….. why was he let off the hook?!

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks gives an interesting answer. He says it’s true that Aaron failed as a leader, but leadership was not his job. The fact that Aaron was not a leader in the same mold as Moses does not mean that he was a failure. It means that he was made for a different kind of role. Yes, Moses might have smashed the tablets and grinded the calf to dust, but that’s Moses character, not Aaron’s! Moses and Aaron were different types. Aaron failed when he was called on to be a Moses, but he became a great person in his own right in a different capacity. And Hashem did understand that….. Aaron was not made to be a leader; he was made to be a peacemaker!  There are times when you need someone with the courage to stand against the crowd, others when you need a peacemaker. Aaron and Moses complemented one another and both of them were successful in their own fields.

Yes my friends, the Torah is teaching us a great lesson here. If you fail at a job, it does not make you a failure! It just means that you still haven’t found the field that you are good at! Some of us are made to be great leaders, some of us are made to be Torah scholars, some are made to be doctors, some are made to be businessmen, some are made to be teachers, some of us are made for sports and some are made to be writers. If we are not succeeding in a field, it just means that we are not in the right field that we are made for. We should continue to search until we find the right field that we are good at.

The Torah does not associate the sin of the Golden Calf with Aaron, because he doesn’t want us to remember Aaron as a failed leader, since leadership was not his job. He was made for priesthood and bringing peace between the people, which he did his job at its best. And that’s how we should remember Aaron — as the greatest Priest of all times…

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin