One Hundred Words on the Parshah
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One Hundred Words on the Parshah
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A classic question is asked. If Succos is זכר ליציאת מצרים , shouldn’t it have been with Pesach at the time of יציאת מצרים ?
One answer can be, that the יום טוב of Succos is שמחתנו זמן and eating לחם עוני , which means “bread of afflication” or alternatively “bread of poverty” would mar that שמחה .
If a tree is growing partially in ארץ ישראל and partially in חוץ לארץ and the trunk is in ארץ ישראל, then there is a requirement to give תרומות ומעשרות, even if the majority of the branches are outside of ארץ ישראל. Interestingly, the הלכה is different for taking ביכורים. It is not enough for the tree to be primarily in ארץ ישראל, rather, it must be completely in ארץ ישראל in order to require ביכורים. The difference would seem to be because of the word אדמתך that the תורה uses when talking about the requirement of ביכורים. “אדמתך” would seem to indicate land that is entirely yours.
Hashem asked Bilam, “Who are these people with you?” The Medrash says that Hashem tested three people by asking them questions. They all gave answers, yet should have responded, "Hashem, you know everything. Why are you asking me?" R' Yeruchem Levovitz explains that they would not have answered this way, if they had been properly focused. They failed this test because they were caught off-guard. The take away is that a person always needs to be alert and focused. We can learn from R' Yeruchem's Rebbe, the Alter from Kelm whose every movement and action was thought out.
“When you go to wage war in your land against an enemy who oppresses you, you shall blow trumpets (chatzotzros) before Hashem your God and you shall be saved from your foes.” (Bamidbar 10:9)
On Rosh Hashana we are required to recite ten Biblical verses that speak about shofar in the Shofros section of Tefilas Musaf. One of the verses that we recite comes from this week’s Torah portion (immediately after the verse quoted above):
וביום שמחתכם ובמועדיכם ובראשי חדשיכם ותקעתם בחצצרת על עלתיכם ועל זבחי שלמיכם והיו לכם לזכרון לפני אלקיכם אני ה' אלקיכם
“Also on the day of your gladness and your festivals and new moons you shall blow trumpets over your elevation offerings and the slaughterings of your peace offerings and they shall be to you a memorial before your God, I am Hashem, your God.”
The use of this verse seems anomalous, in that it doesn’t mention shofar at all, but only the chatzotzros. For this reason, some rishonim (Ramban, Rabbeinu Yonah) did not recite this verse but substituted other verses in its place. (See Rosh, Rosh Hashana 4:3, and Avudarham)
Rav Henkin defends the established custom to recite this verse by theorizing that, in addition to the mitzvah of shofar on Rosh Hashana, there is also a requirement to blow chatzotzros, because the שטן is like an oppressive enemy (צר הצרר) against whom we are waging war, and we blow the trumpets so that we “shall be saved from [our] foes.”
Rav Henkin explains that the mitzvah of shofar is fulfilled by blowing shofar prior to Tefillas Musaf and the chatzotzros were blown either during the Tefila or during chazaras hashatz. Using a shofar in place of the chatzotzros (as we do today) is considered a viable alternative.
Accordingly, the use of a verse about the chatzotzros in Shofros is acceptable because there was also a mitzvah blow chatzotzros on Rosh Hashana.
"Take the stick... and speak to the rock"
What was the purpose of Moshe bringing the stick with him if his instructions were to speak to the rock, not hit it? (In fact, when he did hit the rock, he was severely punished for it.)
A possible answer is to show the nation that it is proper to discuss issues rather than fight over them, even when a stick is available.
"And Korach son of Yitzhar, son of Kehas, son of Levi took..."
It is unusual for the Torah to give such an extensive yichus. (As far as I know, this is the only time the Torah lists names all the way back to a great-grandfather.)
In this case, it would seem that the propensity of Levi to instigate fights - he instigated the brothers against Yoseph - was passed on to his great-grandson Korach.
The take away is that often our actions have long term effects which can surface even generations later. Levi was held partially responsible for his great grandson's wicked actions.
May we, as parents of future generations, lead the way with only good examples.
All מצוות that are positive, בין אדם למקום have a ברכה said before doing the מצוה. מצוות that are בין אדם לחבירו do not have a ברכה. Why is there a ברכה said on the מצוה of תרומה, giving produce to a כהן?
The גר"א answers that the פסוק talks about תרומה as being given to ה'. Therefore, even though it is a בין אדם לחבירו, it is considered as a בין אדם למקום and therefore has a ברכה. Parenthetically, the גמרא says that the כהנים get their portion of the תרומה from שלחן גבוה - ה‘s table.
A deeper understanding could be that a person is coming in contact with a כהן as a representative of ה' so that he will receive heavenly influence from כהנים who are heavenly people and are involved in heavenly work in the בית המקדש.
“A person that makes a vow to Hashem… should not defile his words, rather he shall do as he promised.”
In Shaarei Teshuva, Rabbeinu Yonah discusses Chazal’s statement (Avos 5:9) that plague increases in the fourth and seventh year of the shemitta cycle due to the neglect of the obligation of maser ani (the poor man’s tithe) of the previous year.
As Rabbeinu Yonah points out, this teaches us the great severity of failing to fulfill our obligations to the poor. He goes on to say that this severity also applies to failing to uphold a promise to give tzedaka.
Perhaps the most commonplace application of the halachos of nedarim in our lives is in regard to pledges toward tzedaka. A tzedaka pledge can have the halachic status of a neder. In such a circumstance, the obligation to fulfill the pledge is particularly great. For this reason, donors and organizations are often careful to explicitly state that all pledges are made bli neder (without a neder).
In any case, with or without a neder, the Shaarei Teshuva stresses that it is very important to fulfill our obligations toward the poor.
The תורה gives the ability to nullify vows to the ראשי מטות. רש"י explains that each individual נשיא is able, on his own, to nullify vows. A בית דין of three Rabbis is not needed. שפתי חכמים wonders, how did רש"י know this?
It would seem that each נשיא has to lead his שבט on his own. He is inherently alone. Only when receiving instructions do the נשיאים gather under משה. After getting instructions, each must return to his שבט to lead them.
The takeaway: every shul, ישיבה, community needs its own רב or ראש ישיבה.
"Our father died in the desert... and he was not... in Korach's group."
The daughters of Tzelofchad were asking for a piece of land in Eretz Yisrael that their father was supposed to receive.
Why did they point out that he wasn't part of Korach's group? Why is that relevant?
One answer can be that they were trying to differentiate themselves from Korach, who similarly stood in front of Moshe Rabbeinu challenging his authority.They were trying to convey that, unlike Korach, who stood before Moshe Rabbeinu to challenge him, they were coming before Moshe with a sincere question motivated only by their respect for their father and their love for Eretz Yisrael.
The take away is that parents need to differentiate between different requests. Not every challenge is chutzpah. Sometimes it is sincere and should be treated accordingly.
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