Thoughts on Parshas Devarim [Chumash and Rashi text not included]

Parshas Devarim

1:1a

Rashi provides us with a few ideas to ponder: 1) Moshe does

not cite the incidents where the Jewish People were insubordinate

to Moshe himself. The epitome of humility, Moshe never

aggregates to himself the right to be respected and obeyed

independent of the Divine authority conferred upon him. 2) As

the commensurate teacher, Moshe's scathing rebukes are couched

in allusion to allow the subjects of his scrutiny to maintain

face and self-respect. How easy it is for a paragon of virtue

and selflessness such as Moshe, to rail and carry on

self-righteously against those (especially those deceased) who

fall short of one's lofty standards. Moshe refrains from doing

so for the sake of giving more effective instruction. Of course

it would be more satisfying to vent all the pent up frustration

in a furious tirade of recounting faults and blunders. But where

will that get us? What positive impact will it have on the

listener? Hashem decided to record Moshe's entire sermon for

eternity not out of deference to Moshe personally, but because

these words were borne out of the desire to bring the Jewish

People closer and to be more responsible in their relationship

with God and for no other reason.

1:1b

One has to be brought to a wry smile when noting the similarity

between Moshe's rebuke and the classic delivery of a spiritual

supervisor (Mashgiach) of a typical Lithuanian style Talmudic academy (Yeshiva).

The intended targets of the rebuke are often not even present

at the speech! We have to come to the conclusion that not always

is the rebuke for the consumption of the transgressors only.

The actual transgressing is but a mere expression of the latent

rebelliousness that all people are subject to during various

stages of life and history. Indeed, one of Moshe's chastisements

made reference to the sin of Miriam. What, may we ask, do

the rest of the Jews have to do with the private sin of one

individual? The answer is given by Rashi that her punishment

was a serious lesson from which the Jewish People did not

sufficiently learn from and thus immunize themselves from similar

errors. This itself constitutes a rebuke to all the Jewish People

for all time. We can thereby give purpose to all of the narrated

incidents mentioned in the Torah. The formal commandments are

so magnificently supplemented and amplified through the actual

living experiences of Biblical history. Torah is meant to be

fulfilled through real human beings, and the narratives are

there to spell this point out.

1:1c

Rashi quotes a revealing statement of Rabi Yochanan (or Rabi

Shimon). Not as simple-minded fools do we study this precious

book. The sages of the Talmud and their loyal descendants spared

no critical investigation of the words of the Torah. On the

contrary, they were the first to note all the apparent

inconsistencies, repetitions, and contradictions in the text

of the Chumash. The crucial difference between them and your

'modern Bible scholar' is an assumption of intelligence of the

Author. You don't have to go all the way to the issue of Divine

authorship to hang the divergence. Simple basic literary

competence is all you need to attribute to the work in order

to vindicate the approach of the Talmud and to reject the secular

discipline. The Torah was clearly meant to convey messages

on numerous levels. We shouldn't arbitrarily limit its purpose

to describing an broken chronology of events or to chartering

a system of law, or even some combination thereof. Torah is

as diverse and complex as life itself and defies neat

categorization. How else can we explain its unequaled ability

to capture the interest of all ages and address the human

condition of every period of history since its writing?

1:1d

Rashi points to the well known reality that wealth in general,

and excessive wealth in particular, bring about moral dilemmas

and minefields. The question always hangs over the possesor:

What shall be done with it all? The problem of wealth really

boils down to the danger of having open-ended potential. There

is the desire to do something now that is big, impressive, and

far-reaching with all that power and energy just waiting to

be released! Cool-headed calculations and advice seeking are

most needed when presented with such a dangerous challenge,

as the Mesilas Yesharim Chapter 3 prescribes.

1:2

Moshe uses the most innocuous reference of travel time-distance

as a tool for rebuke. How careful we should study the least

significant phrase in the Torah to mine the untold treasures

of wisdom and instruction needed to live life successfully.

1:3

Here Rashi shows us by example that we should not underestimate

the negative after-effects of criticism. People do not enjoy

being made to feel inadequate and unworthy. The wise may

appreciate correction and to be made aware of their faults and

shortcomings. But there is a great danger of slipping into a

state of despair and self-loathing which has disastrous

consequences. Rashi learns that Yaakov Avineu was wary of his

own first-born son forsaking the path of Torah in order to avoid

the devastating effects of criticism! Can we as parents and

educators afford to be less cautious?

1:4

We see here again the instinctive need people have to deflect

the rebuke leveled against them. How easy it is for an objective

person to appreciate Moshe's great insight and superhuman

abilities and to take his words seriously. But once we become

the guilty party, it takes an irrational amount of credentials

to satisfy us and to be able to listen.

1:5

It is beyond the knowledge of this author to adequately explore

the meaning behind this gesture of translating the Torah into

the 70 languages of Mankind. But what is clear is that the Torah

is a resource for all of humanity to draw from even though many

if not most of its laws aren't technically binding. The halacha

does not forbid the teaching of the Written Torah to Non-Jews,

and it can certainly be a beacon of morality, sensitivity and

spirituality in a self-centered, predatory, and uninspired world.

1:6

Interesting to note these three major elements of Judaism form

a sequence of integration and harmony from the Divine to the

human. The Revelation at Sinai was the initial burst of clarity

and intense communion with God. Then, the experience had to

be made portable and replicable in the form of the Sanctuary

as the Ramban explains in his introductions to Parshas Truma,

Sefer Vayikrah and Bamidbar. Finally, the message of Sinai,

once made into a fixture on earth, now has to be lived in daily

life through education and judicial guidelines set down by Jewish

leaders broken down to supervising the smallest unit of people.

1:9

The seriousness with which monetary cases are dealt with by

Moshe and Shlomo Hamelech should make us realize the daily

decisions and judgements we make about our money and possessions

are things which need to be conducted with halachic competence.

Since Jews have lost judicial autonomy in many countries of

the Diaspora, this whole area of life has been less and less

subjected to proper regulation. The backbone of capitalist

governments is to pose the minimum amount of restrictions to

commerce and free exchange of goods and services. Thus, no one

in general society is in the habit of checking the law before

they start any innocuous financial venture. As long as there

is no clear immediate threat to public safety and infringement

on copyright or patent, no one would hesitate to act on a

lucrative opportunity. As Jews committed to Torah, it behoves

us to free ourselves from this laize-faire attitude and realize

that there are many laws and statutes that govern the routine

business practices of Jewish merchants and employer-employee

relationships. One quarter of the Shulchan Aruch has to be made

an open accessible reference manual to countless scenarios of

modern commercial policies and day-to-day financial decisions.

1:12a

It is related in the name of Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, luminary

of the famed Volozhin Yeshivah and Rabbi of Brisk in Lithuania,

who observed that when a pious Jew comes to a Rabbi for a

decision about the Kosher status of an animal and hears a

negative verdict, he does not hesitate to carry out the judgement

which often entails considerable financial loss. But when two

Jews come before a Jewish court to settle an argument according

to law, and one litigant is found liable to pay the other, he

puts up tremendous resistance and specious counter-arguments

to avoid the verdict as this Rashi describes. Why the difference?

Rav Chaim explained that it isn't so much the financial expense

that irks us. It is the awareness that my fellow Jew is right

and I am wrong which is so insufferable to the ego. It is

perceived incorrectly as defeat to an opponent and not a

submission to the rule of Torah law.

1:12b

Here Rashi gives a consistent description of a Jewish heretic.

Far from a simple dry intellectual definition of non-belief

of the fundamentals of Judaism, Rashi, echoing the Talmud

Sanhedrin 99, points to a strictly attitudinal deficiency.

Its not so much the presence of doubts and skepticism which

is human. It is rather the contempt and derision of religious

figures that comes from conceit and arrogance which is typical

of the heretic. As Rav Yisroel Salanter, founder of the ethical

movement of eastern Europe in the 19th Century (the Golden Age

of academic and scientific hubris) was known to say, "Not all

bareheaded Jews are heretics, but all heretics go bareheaded."

It is the cavalier assumption that "I know better" and "Rabbis

are no better than the rest of us" which is inimical to the

attitude of reverence that is appropriate towards the selfless

and genuine servants of God. To cynically attribute to them

the petty and narrow interests which compromise integrity is

to strike a fatal blow to the entire foundation of faith in

the chain of tradition that goes back to Sinai. Intellectual

disbelief is remediable with historical facts and evidence.

Cynicism and mockery is a poison which is much harder to

neutralize.

1:13a

As we have mentioned above, settling disputes between two

litigants is a thorny situation fraught with emotional obstacles.

The Judge must be above all suspicion and moral weakness if

his verdict is to carry the day. They must be righteous and

known publicly as such in order that his judgements be respected.

1:13b

The role of the judge of Israel wasn't limited to adjudication,

interpretation and legislation which is confined to the ivory

towers of the court and houses of study. The Judges were

additionally burdened with the moral policing of society,

chastizing and correcting behavior on the Jewish street. This

imperative of the court is codified in Shulchan Aruch Orach

Chaim 529:4 and is another casualty of the loss of Jewish

autonomy in the current state of exile. How fortunate are those

Jews who submit themeselves volentarily to the spiritual leaders

of the community and therby constitute the vanguard of authentic

Jewish society which is constantly deteriorating under our

liberal secular government.

1:14

Here Moshe levels a devastating charge against the Jewish People.

They are being acused of taking advantage of the bureaucracy

that would allow them to avoid dealing with Moshe himself. With

Moshe there was no posibility of corruption or special pleading.

But with the system of local appointees, it was much more

probable to find an official who would be 'flexible' and

'understanding' in 'exeptional' cases. Thus, as Rabbi Matis

Weinberg explains, the search for pure truth was overruled by

the desire for seeking personal agendas in the guise of

psuedo-halachic processes. And history has unfortunatly justified

this charge.

Thoughts on Parshas Masei [Chumash and Rashi Text not included]

Parshas Masei

33:1a

Rashi reiterates God's mitigation of the severity of the

punishment of the spies. Not only was the length of exile

shortened to 40 years, as was related in Parshas Shelach, but

in addition we see here the condition of wandering was not a

constant. They remained in place for long stretches of time

allowing for stability and peace of mind. The period in the

desert was productive for The Jewish People in their spiritual

development and maturity. In hindsight we see the benevolence

even in God's punishments as much as in His direct acts of mercy.

33:1b

Similar to Rabbi Twerski's idea of attributing value to our

moral decisions and not just looking at the results or outcomes,

Rabbi M. Miller in Shabbos Shiurim (5729) explains the detailed

recounting of the various stops along the way in the 40 year

sojourn as also alluding to the value of spiritual process and

inner development that is not always proportional to the actual

spiritual achievement in objective reality. Although the

generation that left Egypt did not survive to enter the Promised

land, the effort and growth that they experienced during those

arduous years was incorporated and recorded in the Torah to

teach mankind the difficult lessons they had learned. So there

are two distinct balance sheets in evaluating good deeds. 1)

The net spiritual effect of the deed and its impact on the

universe. 2) The level of hardship and resistance that was needed

to be overcome by the performer and his resulting inner growth.

Conversely, Rav Elchonon Wasserman writes of a parallel duality

in the performance of wicked deeds and concludes that two levels

of atonement are necessary to wipe away all traces of a sin.

1) To undo the damage caused to the spiritual balance of the

universe as a result of the evil released. 2) To reaffirm one's

loyalty and fealty to the Creator by regret and making a solemn

commitment not to betray the personal relationship between one's

self and God.

33:19

Rashi connects the place called 'Resamah' to the reference

made in Tehillim describing the negative effects of evil speech-

'like Coals of Resamim'. Rashi on that very verse in Tehillim

(chapter 120:3) explains this reference to coals that do not

appear hot but continue to burn inside for an extended period.

This effect was paralleled by the punishment of wandering; a

year for every day spent on the expedition that was bent on

gathering derogatory information about the Land. When sins

of tongue are involved, the repercussions continue to reverberate

in the world just as the sound waves of speech themselves.

33:40

Rashi is quick to give us insight into how the Torah views cause

and effect in spiritual terms. One might be tempted to think

there was a tactical advantage that the Cananites wished to

exploit when they attacked the Jews. The Torah informs us that

the only weakness was lack of Cloud (clout?) of Heavenly

protection that evaporated with the departing of Aaron HaCohen.

The is a Chassidic story that relates to this episode. One of

the saintly Rebbes had passed away and immediately afterward,

new decrees and persecutions were being drummed up by the Anti-

Semitic government. One of the followers was deeply troubled

by the sad change of fortune and prepared himself to inquire

from the soul of the departed Rebbe in his dream. In that dream,

he asked: "When the Rebbe was among the living, his prayers were

quite effective in muting the evil decrees and providing

protection. Why now, when the Rebbe is even closer to the

Heavenly Court are his pleas on our behalf not potent?" The

Rebbe responded that while down on earth the suffering and pain

of persecution blinded him from seeing the true perspective

and from perceiving the great ultimate good the God intended

from such misery. So he spared no effort in pleading for Divine

mercy. But now in the World of Truth, he can no longer genuinely

wish for the nullification of these decrees, once he appreciates

the eternal benefits that come from temporary hardships!

33:51-56

The most important things in life usually come with ultimatums.

Either we take the opportunities offered to us and leave a

positive lasting imprint on this world, or we condemn ourselves

to be washed away by the unyielding current of social and

historical forces that pull us into anonymity as if we never

existed. The Cananite nations among thousands of other societies

are an archaeological curiosity without having contributed

anything of lasting value to our lives. And the Torah is warning

us that we will share their fate if we don't rid ourselves of

all vestiges of such empty and transitory cultural influences.

Parshas Matos [Chumash and Rash Text Not Included]

Parshas Matos

30:2a

Rashi explains the unique connection that these laws of oaths

have to the princes of the nation. Although the Princes were

taught prior to the rest of the people in all the laws of the

Torah, there is an application of abolishing an oath that relates

to a prince in particular. An oath need not be abolished by

a regular court of three individuals. It can be performed by

a single expert as well. Rashi implies that the Princes of Israel

qualify for such a title and this is why it was specifically

addressed to them here in the Torah. The inevitable conclusion

to be drawn here is the idea that even the political heads of

the tribes who weren't necessarily members of the Sanhedrin,

or prophets nor had any specific religious function, still had

the quality of erudition and proficiency with Jewish Law to

be labeled an expert. Such qualities are a natural prerequisite

for any person assuming the mantle of even political leadership

of a section of Jewry. This awareness as taken for granted for

centuries of autonomous Jewish life but has been totally

abandoned in the "Modern Era" to our misfortune.

30:2b

Moshe prophesied in two distinct modes. As the Maharal explains

in this Rashi, one mode is in common with all prophets which

was the role of informing the nation of God's wishes or His

reaction in a certain circumstance. And although there certainly

are universal lessons to be learned by such interactions between

God and man to guide us in life and teach us proper values,

yet because of their historical context, the application will

be limited to various parallel contexts in the future. This

is in contrast to the second mode of prophecy which only Moshe

among the prophets has been bestowed with the title 'our

teacher'. For when it comes to commandments, laws, and Torah

legislation in general, it is not a function of historical context

at all. The defining element of the 'Five Books of Moses' is

its permanent binding status that is consistent throughout time.

And the Maharal points out, for prophecy to have such absolute

eternal authority, is must have been received with a clarity

that was free of any traces of finite mediums of perception.

Moshe alone in the history of prophecy, with his extreme humility

was able to nullify any shadow of selfhood that would interfere

with infinite instructions emanating from the pure Divine source.

Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb of Ohr Someach points out that it is

interesting that most religions develop from within a certain

cultural context and begin to reconstruct themselves or lose

relevance as history progresses. The initial popularity and

ongoing success of a religion is usually due its adoption and

incorporation of the particular variables of the society that

it tries to gain adherents from. The Torah, by contrast never

aspired to be 'popular', nor did it try to conform to local

conditions of the Jews at any point in history. In fact, it

seems to be a consistent counter-culture in every region

of the world that Jews find themselves. And similar to laws

of science, the Torah is universally applicable because it

presents mankind with an unchanging truth that relates to the

whole of human nature and is inherent in Creation itself. (See

Rav Moshe Meiselman's "Jewish Women in Jewish Law" for more

thorough discussion on this topic)

30:3a

Rashi teaches us the essential purpose of an oath: to place

additional restraints upon ourselves which the Torah did not.

Rabbenu Yonah in his commentary to Avos 3:13 to the phrase "An

oath is a fence for abstinence", relates that the beneficial

aspects of oaths lies in it's deterrent ability from transgressing

Torah prohibitions. When one has gone beyond what the Torah

has forbidden and holds himself to a higher standard, this will

exert pressure on him not to yield on the more basic standards

which he considers insufficient. The feeling of hypocrisy must

be strong enough to reign in a person's negative impulses.

Otherwise the institution of oaths are counter-productive, and

so too, by implication, are any set of higher standards that

don't elevate one's overall level of observance to reach at

least the minimum requirements in every area. If it indeed does

not, than one runs the risk of falling into false pride which

artificially engenders a sense of self-approval when there is

in fact a large cavity that is being neglected. Oaths should

not be used as a pretext, to paraphrase Rashi, 'towards

permitting the forbidden'.

30:3b

This Rashi points out the concept of sanctity associated with

the power of speech. Much can be said about this topic, but

the few references that come to mind is the creation of man

which was characterized by the Targum Onkelos as God bestowing

him with a 'talking spirit'. This faculty set man aside and

elevated him above all the creatures on Earth. The instruction

by God to have man give names to all animals is a deep indication

of God's high esteem for such a talent. To express Divine will

in speech is how the Torah describes the very act of the creation

of the cosmos, and the transmission of prophecy to man. For

so much holiness to be found in speech, it is no surprise that

the Torah exhorts us not to trivialize it and empty our words

of their inherent sanctity, let alone debase it or use it

coarsely.

30:4a

The attitude toward young women in Torah is one of protection

from inherent vulnerability. The history of civilisation up

to and especially the present, points to the tendency to exploit

and take advantage of women's ability to trust, and have

consistently frustrated their desire for fidelity in

relationships. The Torah ensures the maximum potential for a

women's security by placing her father as her guardian until

she marries. This way, no man outside of the family unit can

find his way into her life to manipulate her, often

subconsciously, for his selfish designs and then abandon her

without accountability. And the chances of a father or husband

harassing her is far far lower than any other man whom she may

otherwise come in casual or professional contact with.

30:4b

The Torah looks at maturity in a much different way than

contemporary society. Already at the age of 11 and 12 there

is an expectation to take life seriously and be held responsible

for her verbal commitments. As Rabbi Abraham J. Twersky points

out, absent from the Torah world view is the concept of

adolescence where one is supposed to be taken seriously as a

mature individual without being held responsible as an adult.

30:6

Here is another Twerskian concept borne out by Rashi which says

Torah is concerned as much if not more with the process as it

it with the 'bottom line'. Although there was no technical

violation of the oath here, the woman still requires forgiveness

for the crime of sinful mind-set while performing a permitted

act. Since she was not aware of the permitted status of the

act, she cannot claim "all's well that ends well" and thank

her good fortune that her oath was abolished without her

awareness. Guilt is a function of an immoral decision which was

made regardless of an ultimately benign outcome. And

philosophically speaking, we are never completely held responsible

for the ultimate outcomes of our decisions because we simply

don't have absolute control over them. The one thing we were

given absolute control over, is our will to choose moral or

immoral actions which is dependent on the mind-set, not their

actual execution. So the responsibility and guilt certainly

is appropriate in this realm. See his book "Let us Make Man"

for a detailed exposition of this important theme.

30:14

The fact that the husband has rights only to abolish certain

types of oaths and not all, preserves the autonomy of his wife

to pursue spiritual strategies and methods without interference.

A woman should not use her obligations to her family as a

pretense to neglect her independent personal religious

development as a Jewish woman.

31:2

We have discussed Rashi's second explanation in Parshas Pinchas,

but his first explanation wasn't mentioned above. Perhaps the

necessity to evoke an animosity which was commanded in Pinchas,

was really applicable to both Midian and Moab equally. But as

far as actually carrying out the order of annihilation, Rashi

found a logical distinction to be made between the two peoples.

And we can easily demonstrate from this merciless campaign

against the Midianites, that such tactics were not used

indiscriminately by Yisrael as would a lawless band of marauders.

On the contrary, we see a moral calculation being employed to

justify this kind of extreme warfare which stands in stark

contrast to the barbaric tribes of the ancient and medieval

periods.

31:3a

Once again Rashi illustrates Moshe's single mindedness in his

devotion to God's commands and wishes, which without such

devotion, Moshe would anyway not consider a life worth

prolonging.

31:3b

We need to reassess our mental image of what a Jewish warrior

should look like. The thought of career military men bring to

mind a collection of humanity's least spiritual qualities,

all made worthy by the single virtue of bravery, or courage

or willingness for self-sacrifice. Not so is the profile of

the member of the elite core of God's fighting forces. He must

have the title of 'Righteous' as his insignia to be admitted.

Only then can we be assured that he will not succumb to the animal

instincts while carrying out divine missions which require

violence. Control and premeditation must not be lost in the

heat of combat, for it may cost the mission its very objectives;

namely to overcome and stamp out the evil forces in the world.

31:3c

Rashi capsulizes with these 7 words the meaning behind all Jewish

persecution throughout history. In Hitler's 'Mien Kampf', one

of the most notorious pursuer of Jewish blood spells out his

reasons for targeting the Chosen Nation for his program of

extermination. It essentially boils it down to the fact that

Jews represent the idea of a conscience and that morality and

spirituality should reign in humanity's more base urges and

passions. In reality, we see the persecution of Jews as a veiled

rejection of having a nation on earth that attempts to bring

morality and God-awareness into a brutal world. Hitler's 'war

against the Jews' was nothing short of conducting a war against

God Himself as a moral force in the universe. And Rashi states

that this is the general motive behind every enemy of God's

People. (As heard from Rav moshe Meiselman)

31:4

Interesting to note the exception to the exemption of the Levite

tribe from national service for spiritual occupation until we

realize that this was not an exeption at all but a spiritual

mission from begining to end. Only in this conquest were spoils

to be subject to special levies. And only here was a special

tribute given by the soldiers in thanksgiving to God for not

suffering a single casualty. This also reinforces the idea that

there was a correcting nature to the conflict to atone for the

weakness to temptation exploited by the Midianites. This was

no mere military operation! It was Yisrael fighting to restore

its moral perfection and God's honor which as we see here, are

interchangable concepts.

31:5

We have a suprising foible of human nature illustrated here

by Rashi. When we are inconvenienced or demans are put upon

us by a leader or authority figure, we fidget and protest and

attempt to find not so subtle ways of elliminating the annoyance

and quieting the pangs of conscience that he evokes. But after

all is said and done, we discover that we feel much better about

ourselves for doing the right thing, and appreciate in hindsight

the cajoling and prodding, sometimes nagging of that stubborn

stickler who was constantly on our backs. Fortunate is the people

bestowed with a leader who has the backbone and foresight to

take an unpopular stand for the sake of truth and insist on

compliance without compromise. Moshe was such a leader and was

eventually recognized by the Jewish People for carrying out

this thankless task.

31:8

In the end, Divine providence sees to it that all evil is repaid

in kind. The deep seated blind hatred of Billam was the necessary

ingredient to bring about his own death. Had Billam gone his

way after receiving his due reward from Midian, satisfied with

the 24,000 casualties he incurred with his counsel, he could

have avoided all harm. But so is God's exquisite justice to

utilize Billam's wicked impulses to allow it to keep him in

range of Yisrael's retaliating thrust and bring him to a violent

end.

Thoughts on Parshas Balak {Chumash Text left out}

Parshas Balak

22:4

One wonders what prowess was displayed by Moshe through his speech. When fighting and conquering the Amorite nations lead by Sichon and Og, The Jews used physical implements of war. And Moshe used an ax to cut down Og. No incantations or spells were uttered. What lead to this impression that Moshe had a way with words? Unless we conclude that they are referring to

Moshe's incredible influence in prayer to God to withhold punishment, provide sustenance, and repel dangerous enemies. In that case the Moabites and Midianies are trying to reduce the power of Moshe's spirituality and connection to God into terms that they can deal with strategically--ie.that Moshe was simply a manipulator of supernatural forces through speech.

How conveniently they avoid the uncomfortable conclusion that the Creator of the universe is the superpower backing this small battered nation and should therefore concentrate their efforts on building their own merit it the eyes of God. Moab and Midian choose to persevere in their worldview that all problems can be avoided and their lifestyle can be happily preserved if they can just find the right man with the right power of spiritual wielding for the job.

22:5a

Billam is portrayed as the original soldier-of-fortune hiring himself out for any cause that can pay his high fee. No sense of loyalty or conscience will interfere with any opportunity to advance his career. As we will see, this grandiose exploiter of cosmic forces is himself subject to the most basic forms of stick and carrot manipulations. It is only natural that when one's power is based upon the willingness to compromise moral values, then one is prone to the very weaknesses of character that result from a lack values. And as a result, they can beoh-so-easily influenced to act contrary to their own interests and precipitate their own ruin.

22:5b

Here Rashi points to the sad truth about the failure of all kinds of instant fixes and quickie solutions to the problem of rotten character or what our culture refers neutrally as 'maladjustment'. No amount of special incentives or dynamic presentations can replace the long and difficult work of refining a bad habit and adjusting a warped personality. Instead of bringing the idol worshipping nations to a higher plane of morality, their inability to take on the necessary regimen caused the granting of a prophet in their midst to have the opposite effect. The nations preferred to remain corrupt and use the power of prophecy to further their own warped agenda.

22:7

How revealing it is to see the suspicion and second-guessing that is needed when dealing with unscrupulous individuals. Nothing they promise can be taken for granted, one must always be calculating when their vested interest might part ways withyour goals and will promptly abandon you in your time of need.

22:8

As noted by Rashi in verse 5, God makes a special attempt to establish a prophet for the Non-Jewish nations and this Rashi highlights the unworthiness of the recipient of these prophecies.

We see in Billam the classic prototype of one who possesses incredible talents and deep levels of insight, inspired by divine spirit, yet falls so short of anything near perfection in his personal life. Be wary of the towering intellects that don't stand up to the most basic levels of ethical scrutiny. They feel qualified to provide guidelines and state opinions on every ethical matter by virtue of their sheer brilliance. But they are simply incompetent to render judgement on any moral issue because they lack the self-discipline needed to measure what standard can be expected from people. Their benchmark is that much lower because of their own arrested moral development.

22:9

Here in this exchange between God and Billam we have, as seen in Parshas Shelach, a double-entente set up by God to test Billam's ability to recognize God's wishes and give up his private ambitions. The Midrash cites a few instances where God engages man in conversation hoping to draw from him pangs of conscience and regret or to make honest self-evaluation. But Billam, blinded by his pursuit of honor, wealth and vengeance, reads God's initiation of dialogue as a sign of infirmity that can be exploited (like everything else) to Billam's advantage.

22:10

This sub-conscious admission of Billam of his unworthiness before the eyes God is immediately followed by an attempt to bolster his self-esteem by citing his great stature in the eyes of mortals. Rabbi Abraham J. Twersky M.D. who is known for his insights on low self-esteem often makes the observation that people will be obsessed with superficial gestures and symbols of approval in direct proportion to the extent that they feel they lack genuine self-worth inside. It is perhaps this inner void that exists in Billam which prevents him from acknowledging God's true intentions and thereby taking the less lucrative path of compliance with God's wishes. Psychologically, Billam doesn't think he can afford the blow to his image by bowing to moral demands, even though ironically, such a yielding would fill that inner void of unworthiness and make affordable any sort of damage to his outer stature. What a pitifully vicious cycle! Often it is the thing we most dread doing which holds the key to our spiritual liberation.

22:11

One wonders what gave Billam such venomous hatred of the Jewish people in whom he had nothing to gain from their total annihilation? The Midrashim refer to Billam in the context of a number of different watershed events in Early Jewish history. He was there among Pharoh's advisers when Pharoh sought counsel on the first 'Jewish Question' and it was Billam who proposed the 'semi-final solution' of male genocide. At the time of the Divine Revelation at Mount Sinai, 80 years later, The Nations again turn to Billam for an explanation as to what earth-shattering event was apparently transpiring. Now the Jews are at the verge of the culmination of their nationhood: entering the Land of Israel, and once again, Billam is at the crossroads, trying to foil the Divine scheme of almost half a millennium! His hatred of Yisrael has become a long standing vendetta. See Midrash Shemos Rabba 27:3,6 depicting Yisro as the inverted image of Billam which might explain this deep-seated animosity. Yisro was also an adviser to Pharoh with Billam, and took a decisive stand against the persecution of the Jewish population. This being an unpopular position, Yisro was promptly ousted from the palace and had to become a refugee. The reward for Yisro's sacrifice was immense as well and enduring for all time. Billam, by contrast, who gave the more popular suggestion, and no doubt furthered his position in Pharoh's court as a result, achieves only temporary success and comes to a disgraceful and violent end. Assuming that he is aware of this through prophetic insight, Billam must harbor such bitterness towards the people from whom this stark contrast of fates has been fostered.

22:12

Rashi gives us clear warning against even accepting favors and kindness from those who would rather see us done in. Don't let a sudden show of benevolence take us off guard. If they have not shown a genuine change of heart, better keep a safe distance, lest we allow ourselves to be duped into believing they are no longer an enemy. This will surely leave us vulnerable to a devastating surprise.

22:13

Here we see that Billam cannot personally afford to declare the truth about his incapacity to curse the Jews. See Comment to 22:10 above.

22:18a

More bluster on Billam's part exaggerating his abilities to the point of hinting to a guarantee. He makes himself even more fragile and prone to ridicule with the slightest indication of his dependency on Divine approval.

22:18b

In the same breath, Billam is forced to concede his limitations. No doubt Billam only sees this as a formality to appease God by giving Him 'due recognition', but between the lines he is pompously alluding to his assurance of success worthy of the grandest sum. It appears that Billam assumes he has the talent to manipulate even God to assist him in his nefarious designs against God's own Chosen People.

22:19

Rashi points out, almost comically, the simultaneous counter-manipulation of Billam by God, when using Billam's own words as an omen of the approaching fiasco! God has an uncanny way of orchestrating justice so subtly and thoroughly by using the very instruments of rebellion against Him (Billam's mouth) as the means of correction and recompense.

22:20

Here God reiterates His stance and states unequivocally that it is Billam that will do God's biding and not the other way around. It does seem to have an effect on Billam: he no longer is CERTAIN that he will have his way. Now he qualifies his self-assurance with a 'PERHAPS I will persuade God into changing His mind'! We need to learn from Billam that we humans are capable of pursuing a goal even to the point when God Himself becomes merely a means to our ends. There is a fatal flaw in that kind of ambition, and it is in our long term interest to curb it.

22:21

One wonders what can be achieved with this display of exertion and effort when it is trying to accomplish something evil? Does effort alone posses any supernatural potency? Rashi must be drawing our attention to some hidden message that Billam is sending and then informs us that he has been preceded by Abraham's legendary alacrity. Rav Moshe Feinstein has a powerful insight into this strange gesture. It is indeed a message to God as an indictment upon the Jewish people in THEIR lack of enthusiasm and zeal in fulfilling God's wishes. When Billam can show there are ambitions in this world that can really drive a person to the point of absolute obsession, and the Jews don't have that same level of intensity when it comes to spiritual challenges, there is an indictment being submitted on them. Bilam is trying to illustrate the unworthiness of the Jews of having God's special protection to prevent Billam from cursing them.

22:22

What an incredible juxtaposition of these two events that Rashi depicts for us! Immediately after we're informed that Billam in starting his journey in spite of Hashem's clear implicit wishes to the contrary, Hashem still pursues a plan of mercy to avoid having Billam bring himself to ruin. This is anunmistakable example of what we say in the Ne'ilah prayer at the closing of the Yom Kippur service quoting from Ezekiel 18:23

"Do I desire at the death of the wicked man- the words of my Lord, Hashem- is it not rather his return from his ways, that he may live?"

Here in practice we see God's unshakable commitment to us failing mortals not to close us off from finding the correct path of life. But the chances are only made AVAILABLE to us. We still retain the freedom of will to reject them and cause God to follow our que to self-destruction.

22:23a

It is said by King Solomon in Koheles that and increase of understanding and awareness fosters an increase in anxiety and frustration. Would we only come to realize the true nature of our problems and actual destructive consequences of our actions, and how much of our pain and troubles have been self-imposed, we would certainly be seized by paralasis- afraid to do anything- overwhelmed by our responsibilities and the fragile state of our existence. God has benevolently allowed us to function by cutting off from view large chunks of reality that threaten to bring us to total distraction.

22:23b

Hashem gives a subtle message to Billam charging that he has misused his spiritual gifts. The power of speech and prophecy was given to man to be inspired and enlightened, to promote his elevation to a higher plane of existence. Billam has instead made this sublime faculty into a club (or sword) to be used to further the beligerent drives of conquest and domination. Let Billam use a sword for his mission and not corrupt that most holy medium. Indeed, his end will be that of a coarse soldier, by the brutal cut of a saber.

22:26

The Maharal elucidates the Midrash by saying Billam's options to curse rested on the spiritual deficiencies of his target as we saw above in verse 21. The Midrash points out that such flaws are to find their expression in one's offspring. Yaakov Avinu had dedicated his life's work at refining his essence so commesuratly that his progeny would issue pure and free of blemish. This purity was so thorough as to last till now, protecting the Jewish People 200 years after his passing, and continues through time. When we pray in the merit of our forefathers, it has long proven itself to be effective as is evident in our long history of survival.

Thoughts on Parshas Pinchas {Chumash and Rash text not included}

Parshas Pinchas

25:11a

It seems to be a human response to rebuke to try and undermine

the credentials of the one who is chastising. The phrase "Who

are you to tell me what to do?" isn't just a challenge of legal

authority, but also a challenge of moral authority by the one

who wants to avoid the uncomfortable experience of censure and

criticism. The Talmud in Eruchin 15b quotes Rabi Tarfon to such

an effect. The Torah itself sees fit to address this challenge

by marking the lineage of Pinchas to Aaron HaCohen implying

that it is indeed necessary for a moral corrector to be beyond

the criticism himself. This is verified in Jewish Law

25:11b

Rashi, as explicated by the Maharal, tells us that the definition

of zealousness for God's honor is in action. It is not sufficient

to simply be indignant and appalled by the disgrace. One's

emotional response has to be translated into concrete steps

that will contribute to the solution of the the problem and

not passively bemoan its existence. This additional dimension

is what propelled Pinchas into greatness while the others were

resigned to cry from grief.

25:13

Rashi points to the fact that what Pinchas achieved was something

which merited reward specifically in terms of the Priesthood.

If we recall the incidents with Korach and the subsequent plague

that was halted by Aaron's incense offering(17:13), we see a

parallel in Pinchas' action which similarly halted the raging

plague. We can conclude that 'Priestly actions' are ones that

appease Divine wrath that has been unleashed on the Jewish

People. We can now appreciate why there was reference made

to 'Shalom' in association with this 'Pact of Priesthood'. The

function of the Priesthood is to reunite and reinstate harmony

between God and His People ie. Shalom.

25:14

The Torah wants us to be able to steel ourselves to be critical

of those who have more standing in society then we. Meekness

and humility are for our self-appraisal and attitude toward

our own accomplishments. We are not permitted to cower behind-

let alone ingratiate ourselves towards- people of power and

influence when they perpetrate despicable crimes against God

or man. It takes strong inner resolve to overcome the tendency

to leave things alone and to not stir up controversy which may

actually damage our personal self-interests. Being zealous for

God often means forfeiting the luxuries of tranquility and

popularity. Yet the eternal appreciation that the Torah shows

to Pinchas should embolden us to not consider the temporary

social setbacks or damage inflicted on our image.

25:15

Here we see an aspect of Anti-Semitism that rears its head

sporadically throughout Jewish history- when hatred leads to

self-debasement and lowering of the hater's usual ethical

standard. There is a perverse pleasure attained when you've

been able to corrupt someones soul. And the drive for this

pleasure will lead you to betray yourself in the process.

25:17

Rashi highlights the special nature of this command not just

to wage war against the Midianite people, but to drum up a

personal animosity towards them. The Ohr HaChaim commentary

on this unique directive explains the need for Yisrael to regain

its lost aversion to sexual misconduct that was brought upon

them through the exploitation of the Midianite women by their

own people. This restoration is achieved by evoking a sheer

hatred for that element that was previously lusted for. Only

when such emotional repugnance of Midian is reached will Yisrael

be in a position to cleanse itself of the weakness of being

overcome by illicit cravings that Midian elicited.

25:18

Here we see the massive difference in the way we look at punitive

justice and the cosmic justice seen from God's infinite

perspective. We humans would certainly have lumped Moab together

with Midian as accomplices in the devious plot they hatched

which lead to the death of tens of thousands of our people.

Yet God sees the situation quite differently. The command to

attack Midian was a strategy God devised specifically to rectify

our moral defects as noted above--not exclusively as tit-for-tat

retaliation. There is always more going on within the infinite

realm of God's motivation than meets the naked eye. And the

decision to abstain from dealing with Moab in a fashion similar

to Midian would take take centuries to be rationalized! We need

to stand back in awe at the extremely complex and far reaching

factors that go into each calculation of Divine Justice--whether

they are national and global events or our own small little

lives. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your

methods similar to My method, says Hashem." (Isaiah 55:8)

26:1a

We again see how Hashem is simply beyond the craving for vengeance

or petty grievances that we humans are subject to harboring.

Once the Divine wrath has been appeased by the single act of

bravery of Pinchas, Hashem turns to Yisrael with tenderness

and care as a Shepperd counts his depleted precious flock.

26:1b

The analogy of Rashi informs us that Moshe did not lose

consciousness of the fact that he had a Divine charge to be

accountable for. Just as the very first encounter with Hashem

while tending Yisro's sheep, Moshe's posture till the end was

never to put his own interests at the forefront of his concerns.

The agenda and the proper methods of meeting the demands of

that agenda were always dictated by Hashem's instructions. No

wonder the Zohar refers to Moshe as "Reyeh Mehimnah"-faithful

shepard.

26:5

Here we have evidence of Yisrael's high level of fidelity and

commitment to preserving its unique spiritual character well

before the Torah formally commanded them in this realm. One could

derive the existence of a deep sense of Jewish identity etched

into the psyche of every Jew powerful enough to last for

generations, despite their proximity to a foreign host culture.

We should bemoan our failure to have instilled such an

instinctive recoil from any intimate contact with our own

Non-Jewish milieu of yesterday and today. "What was their

secret?" is a most relevant question for our generation to

research.

26:11

Rashi records an interesting sequence of stages that the sons

of Korach went through. At first they counted themselves among

their father's rank and file. Then, when it came to actual

confrontation with Moshe and the polemics and ridicule started

in earnest, they lost their appetite for supremacy at any cost.

This faint tinge of regret already qualified for "Hirhurei

Tshuvah" which spared them their father's catastrophic fate.

This gesture of remorse was totally concealed within their own

hearts and not brought out into action, yet it was powerful

enough in God's eyes to make the difference between existence

and oblivion! This supports the statement of Rav Yisrael Salanter

that it is better to sin with a sigh of grief and regret than without it.

The resulting effect can be enormous because God "discerns

the heart in judgement". (High Holiday liturgy)

26:12-51

In the final tally we see a striking picture that emerges from

the Jews' wandering in the desert. There is barely an increase

in the overall male population from two full generations of

growth! My teacher Rabbi Berel Wein often pointed out to us

that at the time of the Roman empire there were approximately

as many Jews as there was Chinese. And after 2,000 years, we

Jews have hardly grown to 15 million while the Chinese have

well passed the billion mark. Rashi throughout these verses

explains the causes for such a low turnout: internecine conflicts

and Divine punishments that riddled the time line of Jewish

History. It seems that the Jews are destined to always "live

in interesting times" without any long stretches of centuries

unmarred by tragedies and watersheds. We do not have the luxury

of being 'Chinese' nestled away somewhere in a remote corner

of the globe, left to ourselves to develop and prosper unhindered

by outside so-called 'civilisations'. The side-effects of being

a nation chosen to elevate and ultimately perfect humanity

requires a confrontation with a reality that always manages

to jeopardize our homeostasis. But this is our Divine calling

for good or for better and will prove itself to be worthwhile

in the long run. To conclude with a quote of Rabbi Wein: "The

Jews come out behind at the half but we always have a winning

fourth (ie. end) quarter".

26:53-57

Rashi describes the special nature of the division of territories

within the Land of Israel among the 12 tribes. It was an uncanny

combination of the ideal and the pragmatic in one stroke. The

size of their portions was calculated according to population

mass, yet the portions themselves were distributed by Divine

designation and fitted perfectly to the requirements of their

respective tribes. Exactly how material needs can be met without

compromising the spiritual dimension necessary for maintaining

higher awareness and refinement is a juggling act that is hard

to master. But already in the very earliest theoretical stages

of settling the Land Hashem is providing the model for such

harmony. As we noted at length in Parshas Shelach, this blending

of spirit with the mundane was and is the challenge of mature

Jewish religious expression.

26:55

Rashi points out another unique facet of the division of the

Land: Reverse Inheritance. The harking back to the original

generation of the exodus when assigning the individual allotments

within a family indicates a 'branches to roots' relationship

as part of the character of Israel. This character was

perpetuated long after the original settlement of the Land

through the institution of Yovel laws and is still felt by the

spiritually attuned till this day. The knowlege that each Jew

has very deep and rich roots in our long history is a consistent

wellspring of inspiration and purpose that should be cultivated

lavishly. It is an anchor that fortifies us against giving up

our eternal potential future which flows directly from our past

in return for a fleeting fashionable present.

26:64

Rashi notes the amazing spiritual fortitude that the Jewish

women possesed. When we combine this trust in God's promise

to bequeath the Land of Israel with the persevering spirit of

the women in Egypt to encourage the men to raise another

generation of Jews despite the slavery, a certain general picture

emerges. The Jewish men tend to be over-impressed with what

appears to them as a hopeless situation. If they don't have

enough confidence in their ability to control the flow of events,

they will soon resign to dispair. The women, on the other hand,

don't take for granted that a problem is directly soluble and

refuse to yield to a bleak prognosis. Parallel to the physical

strength vs. endurance attributes of men and women, emotional

attributes of control vs. trust seem to follow this contrast.

27:1-4

Again we see the impact that lineage has on future decendants.

Not that there is necessarily a genetic predisposition to good

or evil passed on from ancestors, but rather a family history

from which to draw values and inspiration is presented to the

offspring to drink from and further develop. This idea is

reinforced by the position of Rabi Shimon that states Tzelafchad

was among those who immidiatly regretted the Jewish people's

rejection of the Land of Israel and tried to storm the Cannanite

border without God's authorization. The effort ended tragicly

in a rout, but seemed to have left its impression on the next

generation. His daughters interalized the value of the Land

of Israel and brought it to proper expression by initiating

their own campaign, but in the form of a non-aggressive but

cogent appeal to the proper authoritative body and submitted

to its ruling. Rashi in verse 4 mentions the Tzelafchad

daughters' wisdom in the fact that they realized that would

their claim be rejected based on legal realities, thay would

not have pushed their agenda one iota. The wisdom lies perhaps

also in the ability to take the positive traits from antecedents

and improve on their shortcomings. In this case it was to realize

that 'storming the fortress' of Divine authority is a

self-defeating struggle.

Thoughts on Parshas Korach [Chumash and Rashi text not included]

Parshas Korach

16:1a

Rashi is describing the very nature of a Machlokes Shelo LeShem

Shamayim (see Avos 5:17): Trenchant contrariness. When the issue

ceases to be about one opinion against another where the people

who present the opinions are a secondary or irrelevant

consideration, Korach at the outset 'took himself' as a personal

opponent of Moshe. The subject of the dispute became a matter

of personalities and not of opinions: "This is wrong" became

"You are wrong".

16:1b

The use of verbal persuasion, appealing to emotions instead

of intellect to form a wider consensus behind Korach further

highlights the primacy of personality as the driving force

behind his campaign to usurp the authority of Moshe.

16:1c

One of the most serious concerns that there are in life is

what will be the legacy that one is to leave behind. Will the

world have been enriched and made better because we were here?

Or would it have been the same or better had we not made our

tracks on it at all? Our Patriarchs were constantly occupied

with such concerns precisely because they were acutely aware

of their role as father to this nation-to-be. They contained

within themselves the sum total of all the potential of their

offspring till eternity. This is what defines Fatherhood in

the Jewish sense: knowing that everything about you --for good

and for better-- will be imprinted and perpetuated in some form,

to posterity.

16:1d

One striking consideration of the Torah value system is the

influence of one's surroundings upon us. We should take nothing

for granted in regards to our spiritual imperviousness. We need

to safeguard our level of sensitivity and care to Torah goals

and proper attitudes because erosion will take place in an

unprotected environment. It may not be overtly hostile, which

usually is less dangerous because it evokes conscious resistance.

But constant benign exposure to alternative values and behaviors

makes the subtle but serious impression as being normative.

This is the damage caused by a bad neighbor. It's not the quality

of the deviance but the quantity.

16:1e

The favorite tactic of the polemicist is to single out a

particular detail not germane to his opponent's basic position

and cast it in a certain unfavorable light. Or even make it

seem ludicrous when blown up out of context. Then the attacker

asserts that his opponent's whole stance is reflected in this

one miniscule point which totally invalidates his rival's entire

approach. In short, the polemicist prefers to mock under the

guise of sound critical analysis. Such is the attempt of Korach

to ridicule the authority of Moshe by appealing to a trumped

up 'Kal Vechomer' when all that is claimed is simple Divine

command that need not be justified by a preconceived system

of human logic. Korach employs the classic 'straw man' fallacy

which again, captures the fancy of the crowd, but is devoid

of substance.

16:3

How ironic that Korach's very words are a twisted allusion to

the justification that the Torah itself gives for bestowing

the Priesthood upon Aaron! At the conclusion of Hashem's

conversation with Moshe from the burning bush (way back in the

beginning of sefer Shemos) Moshe resists his appointment as

leader and defers to his elder brother--Aaron. Hashem responds:

You fear that your rise in stature will upbraid Aaron? On the

contrary! He is rejoicing in your ascent and as a result of

your refusal I will remove the priesthood from you and hand

it over to your brother. So it was precisely because Moshe

RESISTED the role of sovereign was he NOT given both sovereignty

AND priesthood that should have been his! And here Korach is

accusing Moshe of grabbing the leadership for himself and

misappropriating the priesthood for his brother out of petty

nepotism? The distortion and cynicism is beyond description.

16:5

The midrash quoted by Rashi outlines a fundamental attitude

that is necessary for proper acceptance of 'the yoke of Heaven'.

We don't usually question the 'propriety' of natural law.

Bemoaning why must I be limited by gravity, or why couldn't

I have been given wings for flight is not considered a mature

complaint on God's decision-making process. We usually come

around to inevitable resignation regarding Divine designation.

Day follows night and night follows day in an absolute

uncontested continuum of creation. So too, says the midrash,

we are similarly immature to claim to be wronged if we aren't

given all the privileges and liberties that we believe are our

due. Laws of nature and Torah legislation are parallels. Both

have an identical source in the Divine will that is not subject

to critique (yet can and should be analyzed for gaining proper

appreciation), and both must command respect and obedience. For

elaboration, see Rav Moshe Meiselman's 'Jewish Woman in Jewish

Law', Chapter 1: "The Source of Jewish Values".

16:6

Moshe is serving notice to Korach and his band that this mutiny

is no light matter. The winners take all and the losers will

forfeit their very lives. Such is the stakes when dealing with

Divine service as the Torah emphasizes countless times throughout

the Sefer Vayikra and Sefer Bamidbar. One cannot afford to

take a cavalier attitude to areas that contain so much sanctity

and intimacy so-to-speak as does the presence of the Divine

amongst us. The granting of our desire for closeness with God

brings with it the awesome responsibility of handling that

relationship with utmost care and caution for as we see from

this and other incidents, one unsolicited gesture or unauthorized

approach brings instant disaster. We don't realize intuitively

that a relationship with God needs to be choreographed and

rehearsed till precision and near perfection is attained. Service

of the Divine is an art that one cannot just stumble into

haphazardly at one's convenience. As is with any intimate bond,

carelessness and lack of focus or discipline cause the bond

to decay rapidly.

16:7

Here Rashi describes the tragic fall of great ones. It is very

unusual that such spiritual giants like Korach would be overcome

with such petty envy as to lose all perspective and throw himself

literally into the abyss. The envy was there at work, certainly,

but what brought him over the brink was the misreading of

destiny. Often the awareness of our great potential creates

a blind spot that robs us of humility and sense of proportion.

We get puffed by the great things that we think are in store

for us and block out the possibility that it may not turn out

exactly as we envision it to be. By ruling out unsavory

possibilities out of the loftiness of vision instead of through

careful consideration, one runs the risk of not seeing the

warning signs of fatal errors ahead. Moshe sees this danger

looming before Korach and tries in vain to bring him to his

senses. There is very little hope in trying to disabuse someone

that the greatness he rightly seeks will not be his.

16:7b

See comments to 15:6 above

16:8

Once Moshe realizes that Korach is unreceptive to reasonable

arguments, Moshe switches to more aggressive tactics to minimize

'collateral damage' and prevent more outsiders from being dragged

into the vortex. Here we see Moshe's selflessness on behalf

of a people who have shown very little faith in Moshe as their

leader throughout his tenure. Still, he unstintingly tries to

protect them from further calamity by exhorting them to abandon

Korach and by praying for them to be spared from Divine

retribution as we shall see.

16:14

Moshe is being painted as the villain by the arch-villains

themselves. Their spurious proof? We know that the death sentence

passed on the generation was communicated to them by Moshe from

God for their refusal to enter the Land of Israel. Their version:

Moshe promised to take them in, and now he reneges and condemns

us all to die in the wilderness! How typical it is that the

evildoers deflect blame and project their evil onto others then

turn around to proclaim themselves innocent victims of the evil

that they have perpetrated.

16:19

Another ploy enlisted by Korach to garner support for his

rebellion was assuming the role of public advocate. Not for

his glory or personal advancement was he attacking the

establishment. No! It was for the good of society! How can we

let these ambitious upstarts take all the power for themselves?

We should be more democratic and egalitarian-let everyone have

a chance to attain prominence. I have no vested interests here.

Thus, all the people were swayed into joining Korach's camp.

16:22

Once again, Moshe rises to intervene on behalf of the very people

who have turned against him. He realizes their weaknesses and

blind spots and refuses to hold them ultimately responsible

for their failures. Ignoring the actual attack that is being

made by them, he sees through the external display of

insurrection by the masses and perceives the root cause as coming

from without and not from within. Thus his pleading to Hashem

reflects Moshe's uncanny ability to distinguish between real

evil and evil's negative influences which need to be addressed

and punished in different ways. On such a distinction is space

created for restitution and forgiveness. We should learn to

make similar allowances when judging other's negative behavior

toward us.

16:24a

Such a display of unabashed unyielding defiance in the face

of doom is surely a sign of incurable unredeemable evil. To

not flinch at the oncoming of complete dissolution is an

indication that they already feel that they no longer have

anything to lose. Intuitively, they are aware that they have

stepped out of existence and are merely waiting for the effects

of their actions to run its inevitable course.

16:24b

This Rashi presents a major theological difficulty. Besides

the terrifying event that transpired, counting children and

infants among the victims of the tragedy, Rashi maintains that

these children actually did die for no cause other than being

caught up in the middle of a fatal 'machlokes'. They were without

any sin or guilt. No Torah court-earthly or Heavenly-would have

condemned these pure souls to such a fate. Yet this was a

miraculous punishment-an 'act of God' executed by direct Divine

intervention! Wouldn't we expect that a Heaven-sent calamity

would automatically distinguish between sinful adults and their

innocent children?

The Maharal in his commentary Gur Aryeh on this Rashi says

chillingly that "A Law of Machlokes" was set up as an integral

part of creation to have its consequences affect all who come

in contact --even unwittingly-- with its negative power.(Similar

to the law of gravity set up at creation, when you drive your

whole family in a car and steer it off the cliff, the effects

of gravity will not be suspended by God in order to spare the

innocent passengers. And it is the driver that will shoulder

all the responsibility.) Certain spiritual mechanisms were set

up by God from the beginning to react to our actions in specific

ways, and special intervention (like repentance and the presence

of certain merits) is then required to mitigate those reactions.

One can reasonably speculate that an understanding of inner

workings of these mechanisms is the core of the Kabbalistic

study of Creation (which also explains why the study is so

dangerous). Let the driver beware.

16:28

Here Moshe lays bare the real gripe that Korach has concealed

to his followers until now. Nowhere did he mention any

disagreement over the appointment of his cousin as the political

head of the Ke'has family. Korach (who happened to also be a

Ke'has member) ostensibly was indignant over the rise of Moshe

and Aaron as lording over the entire Nation. And he was fighting

their cause--not his own, right? Moshe now justifies the absolute

nature of the punishment by exposing their motives for what

they really were: personal. And they were thus subjecting

themselves to the terrible 'Law of Machlokes'.

16:30

The Midrash spells out that Moshe appealed to the punishment

that was set up from 'the six days of creation' for this specific

sin of 'Machlokes'. But had it not been set up, it would be

necessary anyway to reaffirm the sincerity and honesty

of Moshe as conduit of the Divine will. But we need to make

a subtle distinction. The Rambam in Chapter 8 of Laws of

Foundations of Torah lists this miracle of the opening of the

earth as an event that was needed because of extraordinary

circumstances that surrounded it. It wasn’t produced like some

parlor trick to convince the Jewish People of the veracity of

Moshe's PROPHECY. The point here was to illustrate that Moshe

wasn't taking advantage of his genuine status as prophet

(verified at Sinai by God Himself) to impose his own selfish

agenda in God's name. From here we see the need to be selective

in choosing leaders who are not only talented, brilliant,

capable, charismatic, etc., but also men of sterling character

and impeccable honesty. Our mission as the bearers of God's

name in the world demands nothing less from who guide and advise

us.