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