![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Eliezer ben Sarah, Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina and Tzvi Yoel ben Yocheved and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. Our parasha contains one of the most famous pasukim (verses) in the Torah: “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!” (Sefer Bamidbar 24:5, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Basing himself on Talmud Bavli, Baba Batra 60a, Rashi (1040-1105) explains in his Commentary on the Torah that the phrase, “how goodly are your tents,” is referring to the thoroughgoing modesty of the fledgling Jewish nation: “For he (Bilam) saw that the entrances [of the tents] were not facing each other.” (Brackets my own) The Midrash initially cites the explanation of the Talmud and Rashi, and then offers an additional intriguing interpretation of our pasuk: “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob” - In the merit of Jacob having sat in them, as the text states: “And Jacob was an innocent man, dwelling in tents.” (Sefer Bereishit 25:27) And because of this, the Jewish people merited to dwell in tents in the desert.” (Midrash Aggadah, S. Buber ed., Sefer Bamidbar, Parashat Balak 24:5, this and all Midrash translations, my own) Why does the Midrash stress the merit of Jacob having sat in tents? Clearly, Jacob was not the only person of his day to dwell in tents, for this, after all, was the rule within his historical and cultural context. Both the Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 63:10 and Rashi, therefore, teach us that these were not standard tents, but rather, “the tent of Shem and the tent of Eber.” (Rashi on Sefer Bereishit 25:27) As we know from related Midrashic sources, Shem and Eber had the first “yeshiva” wherein the knowledge of Hashem’s omnipotence, justice and righteousness formed the essence of the curriculum. The Midrash’s thesis, therefore, may now be understood in this manner: Based upon “the merit of Jacob having sat in them [i.e. the tents of Shem and Eber] … the Jewish people merited to dwell in tents in the desert.” I believe another section of the Midrash Aggadah sheds light upon the connection between the two parts of this statement: Jacob was chosen by the Holy One blessed be He, as the text states: “But you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me.” (Sefer Yeshiyahu 41:8) In addition it is written, “For G-d chose Jacob for Himself, Israel for His treasure.” (Sefer Tehillim 135:4) Hashem, [it must be noted,] did not bring him (i.e. Jacob) close to Himself, rather, he brought himself close to the Almighty, as the text states: “And Jacob was an innocent man, dwelling in tents.” (Sefer Vayikra, Parashat Tzav VIII) Two complementary ideas emerge from this passage, namely, Hashem chose Jacob and Jacob chose Hashem. Like his grandfather Abraham, Jacob was a seeker who would not rest until he had thoroughly explored and developed his relationship with the Master of the Universe. Little wonder, then, that Jacob is referred to in Rabbinic literature as the bachir ha’Avot (the Chosen One of the Patriarchs). We can now understand why the Jewish people merited to dwell in tents during their 40-year sojourn in the desolate and foreboding wasteland of the Sinai Desert. I believe it is because Jacob, the founder of the Jewish people, whose second name, “Israel,” is the crown of our nation, reached out to the Almighty in order to know Him to the fullest extent that his finite human nature would allow. This is congruent with a celebrated pasuk in Sefer Mishle: “Know Him in all your ways, and He will direct your paths.” (3:6) Like Ya’akov Avinu, the entire Jewish people are chosen by Hashem: “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of princes and a holy nation…” (Sefer Shemot 19:6) With Hashem’s help, may each of us, in our own unique way, strive to emulate Jacob and reach out to Hashem, so that we, too, may dwell in the tents of Torah and grow each day in our knowledge and love of the Almighty. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name. The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
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![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Eliezer ben Sarah, Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina and Tzvi Yoel ben Yocheved and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. Aharon was the first Kohen Gadol, and one of the greatest people in the history of our nation. Yet, as King Solomon taught us long ago, “For there is no righteous man on earth who does good and sins not.” (Sefer Kohelet 7:20, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Unfortunately, this verse rings true in Aharon’s case as well, especially regarding his most grievous sin, namely, the creation of the Eigel Hazahav (the Golden Calf). What could have caused him to fall to this level? At first glance, it seems that Aharon was motivated by fear, as we find in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 7a, wherein it relates how his nephew, Hur, was murdered by the people for refusing to participate in the construction of the Golden Calf: “And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it.” [Sefer Shemot 32:5] What did he actually see? — R. Benjamin b. Japhet says, reporting R. Eleazar: “He saw Hur lying slain before him and said [to himself]: If I do not obey them, they will now do unto me as they did unto Hur, and so will be fulfilled [the fear of] the prophet, ‘Shall the Priest and the Prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of G-d?’” (Megillat Eichah 2:20, Talmud translation, Soncino Talmud, brackets my own) Even if Aharon was motivated by a visceral and understandable fear of death, it would not, however, have been sufficient cause to engage in any form of avodah zarah (idol worship) since, as the Ramban notes in his Commentary on the Torah, such an act is “… in the category of those sins that one should be willing to die for rather than violate.” (see Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 74a). Why, then, did Aharon play such a seemingly ill-conceived role in the construction of the Eigel Hazahav? A convincing answer is found at the end of our Talmudic passage: “Shall the Priest [i.e. myself, Aharon, the Kohen Gadol] and the Prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of G-d?” – and [if so,] they [the Jewish people] will never find forgiveness. Better let them worship the Golden Calf, for which offence they may yet find forgiveness through repentance. (Brackets my own) In short, in a poignant and profound act of self-sacrifice, Aharon compromised himself and his schar l’olam habah (reward in the world to come) in order to prevent permanent damage to klal Yisrael (the Jewish People). What was his underlying motivation? In my estimation, he did this because of his nearly unlimited love for the Jewish people, and his desire to bring about peace and love between them. This idea is found in Rashi’s (1040-1105) Commentary on the Torah in the context of his analysis of a verse that appears in this week’s parasha: “The whole congregation saw that Aaron had expired, and the entire house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days.” (Sefer Bamidbar 20:29) Rashi opines: The entire house of Israel [refers to both] the men and the women, for Aaron had pursued peace; he promoted love between disputing parties and between man and wife.” Upon careful reflection, it appears that there is much more to the story than that which Rashi shares in this gloss. In fact, his comment is based upon a fascinating passage that appears in Midrash Aggadah (Buber) that underscores the most prominent aspects of Aharon’s personality, and the unparalleled manner in which he was perceived by the Jewish people: “And the entire house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days” – that which was said regarding Aharon was greater than that which was said in regards to Moshe. [In Moshe’s case the Torah states: “And the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days…Sefer Devarim 34:8] This means that only the men wept for Moshe, whereas in Aharon’s case the text states, [“the entire house of Israel,”] which included both the men and the women. (Chapter 20, section 29, this, and the following translations, brackets and emphases my own) We are immediately taken aback by the singular difference that obtains between the people’s reaction at the passing of Aharon, in contrast to that of Moshe. In Aharon’s case, all of the Jewish people, including the women, cried for 30 days upon his death, whereas in regards to Moshe, only the men cried for this period of time. This is difficult to understand, since it seems that Moshe should have received the greater emotional response from his beloved nation. After all, as Hashem’s shaliach (messenger), he led the people out of Egypt, helped them cross the Sea of Reeds, brought them to the Revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and continuously taught them the Holy One’s Torah! Our Midrash continues its powerful exposition: This [all-inclusive reaction of the fledgling Jewish nation] took place because Aharon pursued peace (rodef shalom), loved peace (ohav shalom) and brought about harmony between a man and his wife and between a woman and her friend. As the text states: “In peace and righteousness he [i.e. Aharon] went with Me, and he brought back many from iniquity.” (Sefer Malachi 2:6) How did Aharon accomplish these often-daunting tasks? Once, again, we turn to the Midrash: When Aharon heard that two men, or a husband and his wife, were in the midst of a dispute, he would walk toward one of them and say to him: “Your friend has come to me, and he is totally upset that he has angered you. Moreover, he/she beseeched me to come to you to seek permission for him to approach, so that you may forgive him.” In addition, Aharon would not leave the aggrieved individual until he had effectively removed all hatred from his heart. In this way, he would set the stage for peace between them, and only then go on his way. As the continuation of the Midrash so clearly demonstrates, Aharon emerges as the people’s counselor and advocate, ever driven by his everlasting dedication to shalom: When one of the injured parties would encounter their friend, following their session with Aharon, they would hug, embrace and kiss one another. So, too, was his approach when he heard about a fight between a man and his wife – he would not take leave from them until they achieved an authentic reconciliation. Therefore, both the men and the women cried for Aharon upon his passing. We live in a fractious world of unending dissension. It appears that Aharon’s approach is desperately needed to help heal the endless pirood (discord) that so powerfully impacts us all. As Hillel taught us so long ago: “Be of the students of Aharon – loving peace, pursuing peace, loving your fellow beings and bringing them close to the Torah.” (Pirkei Avot I:12) With Hashem’s help, may these words be realized soon and, in our days, and may we, too, be counted amongst the students of Aharon. V’chane yihi ratzon. Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name. The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link. ![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Eliezer ben Sarah, Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina and Tzvi Yoel ben Yocheved and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. In the context of his analysis of Korach’s rebellion, my rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” to his students and followers, described Korach as “a demagogue motivated by selfish ambitions.” (Rabbi Abraham R. Besdin, Reflections of the Rav: Lessons in Jewish Thought, p. 140) Therefore, even though he was blessed with a prodigious intellect (Rashi, Commentary on the Torah to Sefer Bamidbar 16:7), tremendous wealth (Talmud Bavli, Pesachim, 119a and Midrash Shemot Rabbah 31:2), and all that was associated with such brilliance and affluence, this was simply not enough for Korach. He wanted everything. As such, when he was denied leadership of the tribe of Levi, having been passed over in favor of his cousin, Elitzafon ben Uziel (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach I), his demagoguery suddenly knew no bounds. The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270), in his Commentary on the Torah on our parasha, maintains that Korach did not immediately foment rebellion when he was denied leadership of the tribe of Levi. Instead, he strategically waited for the most auspicious time to begin his machinations. The Rav follows this interpretation of events, and notes: The opportune moment arrived sooner than Korach anticipated. It was the incident of the spies, perhaps the most tragic incident in Moses’ life. The Almighty’s decree that all the adults would die in the desert was a hard blow to Moses’ prestige. For a short while, he lost his influence over the crowds…Suddenly all their hopes and dreams were dissipated and shattered. No land, no conquest, no rivers of milk and honey, no realizations of the promise were in sight – only many bleak and dreary years before Israel would set foot on the soil of Canaan. (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Vision and Leadership: Reflections on Joseph and Moses, David Shatz, Joel B. Wolowelsky, and Reuven Ziegler editors, page 192) Many people who are generally familiar with Rav Soloveitchik’s thought are unaware that in 1924 he spent three semesters studying Political Theory and Science at the Free Polish University in Warsaw, Poland. This training provided him with the perfect background for understanding the nature and development of political movements. Little wonder, then, that he emphasizes the following notions in his analysis of Korach’s insurrection: Any conspiracy or organized rebellion, no matter how egotistically motivated, must develop an ideology to succeed. Korach planned an anti-Moses movement, and such a movement cannot exist or make headway without developing an ideology. Every movement must have a motto, and Korach indeed provided the philosophy of the rebellion. (Vision and Leadership, page 194) What exactly was the philosophical underpinning of Korach’s mutiny against Aaron and Moses? The Torah underscores his position at the very beginning of our parasha: Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, took [himself to one side] along with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, descendants of Reuben. They confronted Moses together with two hundred and fifty men from the children of Israel, chieftains of the congregation, representatives of the assembly, men of repute. They assembled against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for the entire congregation are all holy, and the L-rd is in their midst. So why do you raise yourselves above the L-rd's assembly?” (Sefer Bamidbar 16:1-3, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Korach’s ideological thesis appears to be entirely accurate. Beyond a doubt, the entire congregation of the Jewish people is holy and Hashem is in our midst. This has been the case ever since we stood shoulder to shoulder as one united and chosen nation in the lonely and barren Mount Sinai Desert and received the Torah. The Rav formulates this thought in the following manner: The basis of this challenge was very simple and, at first glance quite logical. No one can deny the assertion that the whole community is holy; it is the very essence of our choseness. Every Jew possesses intrinsic sanctity. As far as holiness is concerned, there is no distinction between Moses and a simple woodchopper. Hence, Korach asked, what right did Moses or Aaron have to lead, to guide, to rule? He charged them with seizing power illegitimately. He raised the millennial-old argument based on the equality of all people. (Vision and Leadership, p.194, underlining my own) Yet, while “no one can deny the assertion that the whole community is holy; it is the very essence of our choseness,” it is only part of the story of the kedushah (holiness) of the Jewish people. There exists another, equally vital component of the sanctity of our nation, namely, the kedushah of the individual. The Rav formulated this idea in the following manner: …Judaism was not satisfied with the social [i.e. collective] aspect of kedushah. If the community were the only source of sanctity, then the individual would be deprived of his creative role, his individual initiative, his originality and uniqueness. The outstanding person would not be able to develop into a great leader. Hence, the Torah says, there is a second resource of kedushah – the sanctity which the individual detects in the inner recesses of his personality…There is a separate kedushah attached to every individual. (Vision and Leadership, p.195, underlining and brackets my own) Precisely because “there is a separate kedushah attached to every individual,” Am Yisrael (the Jewish people) is infused with “the countless kedushah experiences of the individual members of the community.” In effect, “the single person sanctifies the community.” (Vision and Leadership, p.195, underlining my own) Korach’s refusal to recognize this fundamental component of kedushat Yisrael (the sanctity of the Jewish people) is precisely why he had the unmitigated gall to ask Moses and Aaron, “Why do you raise yourselves above the L-rd’s assembly?” Once again, we may turn to the Rav’s penetrating explication of this idea: The statement by Korach that “All the community is holy” is correct as long as we are speaking of the community-rooted kedushah inherited from our ancestors. Indeed, “all the community,” the community as a whole is a source of holiness…However, if we shift our attention from the social aspect to the individual aspect of kedushah, the whole idea of equality turns into an absurdity. We must admit that the behirah [chosen nature] of Moses was above and beyond the behirah of the woodchopper or water-drawer. (Vision and Leadership, p.196, underlining my own) May we, as a people, recognize both the “community-rooted kedushah inherited from our ancestors,” and the unique sanctity that each and every one of us has the potential to bring to our nation. Then, with the Almighty’s help, may we be zocheh to fulfill the Torah’s words: “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of princes and a holy nation” (Sefer Shemot 19:6), as we continue our sacred task l’takane ha’olam b’malchut Sha-dai - to perfect the world under the kingship of Hashem. (Aleinu) V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name. The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link. ![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Tzvi Yoel ben Yocheved, Eliezer ben Levi and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. Our parasha contains a pasuk (verse) with a very puzzling phrase: “These are the names of the men Moses sent to scout the Land, and Moses called (vayikra Moshe) Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua (Yehoshua).” (Sefer Bamidbar 13:16, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) At first glance, the concluding part of this verse seems to indicate that something new has taken place, namely, Moses has now renamed Hoshea, “Joshua (Yehoshua).” Yet, this name is hardly new, as it appears a total of eight times before in both Sefer Shemot and Sefer Bamidbar. Moreover, the name Hoshea is not supplanted by the appellation Joshua, since it appears, once again, in Sefer Devarim 32:44: “And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song into the ears of the people, he and Hoshea the son of Nun.” What, then, is the Torah teaching us when it states in our parasha, “and Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua (Yehoshua)?” The classic answer to our question is found both in Talmud Bavli, Sotah 34b and Rashi’s (1040-1105) Commentary on the Torah. According to these sources, Moses was afraid the meraglim (scouts) could have a negative influence on Hoshea, and therefore sought to protect him by renaming him Yehoshua: “May the L-rd save you from the counsel of the Scouts.” This is the case, since the Hebrew etymology of this name is a contraction of “Y-ah” (represented by the letter yud) and “Hoshea,” and denotes the idea that “Hashem should save you.” My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, expanded upon the underlying meaning of the addition of the yud to Hoshea’s name in the following midrashically-infused analysis: Prior to sending the spies to scout the land, Moses changed Hoshea’s name to Joshua, signifying that G-d should save him from the evil designs of the other spies (Rashi). The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 47:1) indicates that Moses effected this change by transferring the letter yud from Sarah’s former name (Sarai) to Joshua’s. (Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Bamidbar: With Commentary Based upon the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, this and the following quotes, page 100, brackets my own) At this point, the Rav examines the meaning of the letter yud and explains that it represents privacy and separation. Thus, when Sarah was initially Sarai (i.e. her name ended in a yud), she was “the matriarch of her family alone.” Building upon this concept, the Rav notes that Hoshea needed to be keenly aware that he was completely different from the negatively predisposed scouts, so that he could remain steadfast in his commitment to the Promised Land: Moses added the letter yud so Joshua would attain the sense of separation and withdrawal that was taken from Sarah [when she became “the matriarch of a family of nations”]… Moses changed Joshua’s name so that he would have the strength to separate himself from…[the] collective entity [of the spies], enabling him to take a principled stand against the prevailing sentiment. Based upon our new-found understanding of the letter yud added to Hoshea’s name, we are in a better position to understand Rashi’s explication of the name Yehoshua, and how this differs from the above-cited Talmudic statement. Crucially, Rashi’s commentary adds the word, “prayed:” “He [Moses] prayed (hitpalel) concerning him [Joshua] that Hashem should protect him from the counsel of the scouts.” In other words, vayikra Moshe (and Moses called) connotes much more than the idea of renaming, instead, it actually means, “and Moses prayed.” This notion is expanded upon in the thought of Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrahi (1455-1525), author of one of the most celebrated supercommentaries on Rashi’s Commentary on the Torah: The explanation of the term “vayikra” in our pasuk is that of prayer (tefilah), as we find in the verse, “and Abram called there in the name of the L-rd.” (Sefer Bereishit 13:4) Therefore, the explanation of the name, “Yehoshua,” is: “Hashem should save you” … as if it actually said, “And he [Moses] prayed regarding Hoshea that Hashem should save you, that Hashem, may He be blessed, should save you from the advice of the spies.” Moreover, it is essential to explain “vayikra Moshe” in this fashion, rather than in the normative sense [of “he called”], since there is no [other] reason for literally changing Hoshea’s name at this juncture. (Sefer Mizrahi, Sefer Bamidbar 13:16, translation, brackets and underlining my own) I believe a potentially life-changing message emerges from Rav Eliyahu Mizrahi’s profound analysis of Rashi’s comment, namely, the nearly unlimited power of tefilah. Moses’ prayer consisted of but one letter added to Hoshea’s name, yet, in this instance, it changed Jewish history for evermore, for now Joshua would become the one to lead the Jewish people to their life and destiny in Eretz Yisrael. If the letter yud, alone, had this awesome ability, imagine what we can do, as individuals and as a nation, if we encounter the Almighty in heartfelt and considered prayer. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name. The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link. |
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