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, HaRav Yosef Shemuel ben HaRav Reuven Aharon, David ben Elazar Yehoshua, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Leah bat Shifra and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The first of our two parshiot contains a rather quizzical pasuk (verse): “Eleazar the kohen said to the soldiers returning from battle, ‘This is the statute that the L-rd commanded Moses.’” (Sefer Bamidbar 31:21, this, and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Eleazar’s new and unprecedented role as the teacher of our nation is particularly perplexing. Since Moses was the rebbe par excellence - and the one commanded by the L-rd, why and how did it become Eleazar’s job to teach “the statute that the L-rd commanded” to the Jewish people? Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon Midrash Sifrei Matot 48, suggests the following answer:

Eleazar the kohen: Since Moses came to a state of anger, he came to err, as the laws of purging gentile vessels eluded him. [Therefore, Eleazar had to teach them.] A similar incident happened on the eighth day of the investitures [of the kohanim], as it says, “He [Moses] became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar” (Sefer Vayikra 10:16); he came to a state of anger, so he came to err. Similarly, in the episode of “Now listen, you rebels… and struck the rock” (Sefer Bamidbar 20:10-11); through anger, he came to err. (Brackets my own)
 
The shared approach of the Midrash Sifrei and Rashi as to why Eleazar suddenly became the provisional rebbe of the Jewish people is found, as well, in a parallel passage in Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 66b:

Reish Lakish said: “In regards to every man who becomes angry, if he is a Sage, his wisdom departs from him … [we learn this] from Moses. For it is written, “Moses became angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had returned from the campaign of war,” (Sefer Bamidbar 31:14) and it is written, “Eleazar the kohen said to the soldiers returning from battle, ‘This is the statute that the L-rd commanded Moses.’” (Sefer Bamidbar 31:21) From this it follows that [the halacha of koshering vessels that was presented to the Jewish people by Elazar] had been forgotten by Moses. (Translation, The Soncino Talmud with my emendations)
 
The message in these passages seems quite clear: Anger causes wisdom to depart from a person and, consequently, causes him to err. If this could happen to Moses, the greatest of all the prophets, it is something that can surely affect all people. Little wonder, then, that the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) embraces the rejection of anger as one of the constitutive elements of a spiritually healthy personality:

Anger is also an exceptionally bad quality. It is fitting and proper that one move away from it and adopt the opposite extreme. He should school himself not to become angry even when it is fitting to be angry. If he should wish to arouse fear in his children and household - or within the community, if he is a communal leader - and wishes to be angry at them to motivate them to return to the proper path, he should present an angry front to them to punish them, but he should be inwardly calm. He should be like one who acts out the part of an angry man in his wrath, but is not himself angry. The early Sages said: “Anyone who becomes angry is like one who worships idols.” They also said: “Whenever one becomes angry, if he is a wise man, his wisdom leaves him; if he is a prophet, his prophecy leaves him.” The life of the irate is not true life. Therefore, they have directed that one distance himself from anger and accustom himself not to feel any reaction, even to things which provoke anger. This is the good path. (Mishneh Torah, Sefer Ma’ada, Hilchot De’ot 2:3, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger, underlining my own)
 
The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270), as well, focuses upon anger in the beginning paragraph of his famous Iggeret HaRamban:

“Hear, my son, the instruction of your father and don't forsake the teaching of your mother.” (Sefer Mishle1:8). Get into the habit of always speaking calmly to everyone. This will prevent you from anger, a serious character flaw that causes people to sin. As our Rabbis said (Talmud Bavli Nedarim 22a): “Whoever flares up in anger is subject to the discipline of Gehinnom,” as it is says in (Sefer Kohelet 12:10), “Cast out anger from your heart, and [by doing this] remove evil from your flesh.” “Evil” here means Gehinnom, as we read (Sefer Mishle 16:4): “... and the wicked are destined for the day of evil.” Once you have distanced yourself from anger, the quality of humility will enter your heart. This radiant quality is the finest of all admirable traits: ‘Following humility comes the fear of Hashem.” (Sefer Mishle 22:4, the passage’s translation with my emendations, http://www.pirchei.com/specials/ramban/ramban.htm)
 
In consonance with Maimonides, Nachmanides views anger as “a serious character flaw;” he diverges from the Rambam, however, by emphasizing anger’s role in causing people to sin. On the positive side, he who successfully eschews anger from his persona will be able to pursue the path of humility, which, in turn, leads to awe of Hashem and, by extension, fealty to His commandments.

Perhaps there is no better time than the Three Weeks to engage in honest introspection, so that we can discover and face our faults and shortcomings, and engage in teshuvah (returning to G-d). Many of our failings may very well be associated with anger. Beyond any doubt, nearly all prevent us from properly serving Hashem. Therefore, as the prophet Yermiyahu passionately declared so long ago, “Restore us to You, O L-rd, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old.” (Megillat Eichah 5:21) V’chane yihi ratzon.
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on 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 “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” 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, HaRav Yosef Shemuel ben HaRav Reuven Aharon, David ben Elazar Yehoshua, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Leah bat Shifra and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
 
The final pasuk (verse) of our parasha is somewhat difficult to understand: “Moses spoke to the children of Israel in accordance with all that the L-rd had commanded Moses.” (Sefer Bamidbar 30:1, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) We know from numerous verses in the Torah that Moses told the Jewish people solely “that [which] the L-rd had commanded.” Without a doubt, he always acted as Hashem’s loyal servant. Therefore, the Torah states, “… he is faithful throughout My house. (Sefer Bamidbar 12:7, underlining my own) To what, then, does the phrase, “in accordance with all,” actually refer? Based upon Midrash Sifrei, Pinchas 57, Rashi (1040-1105) suggests the following interpretation of our pasuk, and by extension, our expression:

Moses spoke to the children of Israel: [This verse is written] to make a pause; [these are] the words of R. Ishmael. Since up to this point the words of the Omnipresent [were stated], and the [following] chapter dealing with vows begins with the words of Moses, it was necessary to make a break first and say that Moses repeated this chapter [of offerings and the Festivals] to the Jewish people, for if not so, it would imply that he did not tell this to them, but began his address with the chapter discussing vows. (Underlining and emendations to the translation my own)
 
In sum, Rashi is teaching us that Moses repeated to the Jewish people, both the laws pertaining to the Festival musafim (additional offerings) and the Festivals themselves.
 
Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (1816-1893), known to posterity as “the Netziv,” builds upon Rashi’s gloss and notes, “Our teacher, Moses, explained the laws of the Festivals to the Jewish people more so than all the other parshiot in the Torah.” (Ha’amek Davar, Parashat Pinchas, 30:1) At first glance, this is a very surprising statement, as it seems there should be many other contenders for the crown of “most explicated section of the Torah.” As such, why did the Netziv single out the Festivals in this fashion? His answer is both incisive and far-reaching in scope:

The [passages concerning the] musafim [and Festivals] are replete with amazing differences [in terminology], as each musaf utilizes a different linguistic formulation. [This is highly substantive, for] without a doubt, these variations do not lack meaning. Instead, they represent the [hidden] secrets of the Torah, and provide a basis for the statutes and laws [that form the essential basis of] practical Halacha. Indeed, all of this may be derived from the very expression of “speaking” (“amirah”) [as we find in our verse, “va’yomer Moshe el b’nai Yisrael] … Our pasuk, therefore, has but one purpose, to teach the inner meaning of the Mo’adim to the Jewish people. This is the case, since they are a great and fundamental principle (haymah ikar gadol) regarding both ethical values and proper behavior. (Translations, brackets, bolding and underlining my own)
 
The Netziv’s response raises yet another question, “How are the Mo’adim ‘a great and fundamental principle regarding both ethical values and proper behavior?’” The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) provides us with one of the most famous answers to this question in his presentation of the following halacha:

When a person eats and drinks [in celebration of a holiday], he is obligated to feed converts, orphans, widows, and others who are destitute and poor. In contrast, a person who locks the gates of his courtyard and eats and drinks with his children and his wife, without feeding the poor and the embittered, is [not indulging in] rejoicing associated with a mitzvah, but rather the rejoicing of his gut. And with regard to such a person [the verse, Sefer Hoshea 9:4] is applied: “Their sacrifices will be like the bread of mourners, all that partake thereof shall become impure, for they [kept] their bread for themselves alone.” This happiness is a disgrace for them … (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yom Tov 6:18, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
While in the halacha that precedes this passage, the Rambam emphasizes these words of the verse, “And you shall rejoice in your Festival - you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant…” (Sefer Devarim 16:14), in our law he adjures us to be equally zealous regarding the latter half of this pasuk that concerns itself with “… the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are among you.” Their Festival needs, he opines, are no less crucial than our own. Indeed, for Maimonides, if we fail to provide the fundamental necessities to those less fortunate than us, our rejoicing is not “rejoicing associated with a mitzvah, but rather the rejoicing of one’s gut.” In short, if we ignore our basic responsibilities toward our fellow Jews, our would-be celebration of the Festivals is transformed into a “disgrace.”
 
May we ever be solicitous of the needs of the entire Jewish people, so that all may stand before the Almighty with dignity and respect. So, too, may we be zocheh (merit) to celebrate the Festivals as “ish echad b’lav echad” (“as one individual dedicated to the same purpose”) in the newly rebuilt Beit HaMikdash, soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

They may also be found on 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 “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” 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, HaRav Yosef Shemuel ben HaRav Reuven Aharon, David ben Elazar Yehoshua, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Leah bat Shifra and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
According to the first Midrash Rabbah passage on our parasha, Hashem gave all the nations of the world the same opportunities and potential for leadership. This is based upon the notion that G-d’s actions are perfect and His path is just. As such, Hashem provided for the possibility of perfect balance and equality in the world:

“The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, for all His ways are just; a faithful G-d, without injustice He is righteous and upright.” (Sefer Devarim 32:4) [This may be interpreted as meaning] Hashem did not leave an opening in the World to Come (l’atid lavo) for the idol worshipping nations of the world to bring charges that He had denied them parity with the Jewish people. What did the Holy One blessed be He do to ensure this equality? Just as he provided the Jewish people with kings, wise men and prophets, so, too, did He do so for the idol worshipping nations of the world. (Midrash Rabbah 20:1, this and all translations, brackets and underlining my own, all Torah translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The Midrash continues and notes that just as Hashem gave King Solomon to the Jewish people, he gave Nebuchadnezzar to the nations of the world; the former created the first Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple), whereas the latter destroyed it. Moreover, G-d gave the wise King David great wealth which he used to purchase a House for Him, whereas, when Haman was given a similar fortune, he used it in an attempt to exterminate our nation. Most germane to our parasha, the Creator of the Universe gave Moshe to klal Yisrael (the Jewish people), and Bilam to the idol worshipping nations of the world. Therefore, the Midrash teaches us, “All of the greatness bestowed upon the Jewish people was given in kind to the nations of the world.”
 
At this juncture, the Midrash compares and contrasts the Jewish prophets to their non-Jewish counterparts with regards to their actions and behaviors:

See the differences between the prophets of the Jewish people and the prophets of the idol worshippers: The prophets of Israel warned the Jewish people to refrain from engaging in Torah prohibitions. As it is stated, “Now you, son of man, I have made you a lookout for the house of Israel, and you will hear a word from My mouth, and you shall warn them from Me.” (Sefer Yechezkel 33:7) Yet, the [ultimate] prophet who arose from the non-Jews incited promiscuous behaviors [amongst the Jewish people] so that [G-d’s] creations would be destroyed from the world. Moreover, all of the [Jewish] prophets acted with the quality of mercy regarding both the Jewish and the idol-worshipping nations. As a result, Yermiyahu said, “Therefore, my heart shall stir for Moab like flutes, and my heart shall stir for the men of Kir-heres like flutes; because they dealt haughtily.” (Sefer Yermiyahu 48:36) And so, too, did Yechezkel say: “Now you, son of man, lift up a lament about Tyre.” (Sefer Yechezkel 27:2) [Yet,] this hard-hearted individual [Bilam] arose and attempted to destroy an entire nation without cause and without reason.
 
The final chapter of our parasha depicts the licentious acts committed by many of the men of the Generation of the Desert with the daughters of Moab. It is crucial to note that this did not “just happen.” Instead, Chazal (our Sages may their memory be blessed) teach us that these behaviors, and their accompanying idol worship, were meticulously planned and orchestrated by Bilam the sorcerer, to be implemented by Balak the king of Moab:

He [Bilam] said to him [Balak, the king of Moab]: “The G-d of these [the Jews] hates profligate and hedonistic behavior. In addition, they have a great desire for linen garments. Come and I will give you advice [as to how to defeat them]. Raise up tents for them enclosed by hangings in which you will place prostitutes, old women without and young women within, to sell them linen garments.” So he [Balak] pitched curtained tents from the snowy mountain [Hermon] as far as Beth ha-Yeshimot [i.e., right from north to south], and placed prostitutes in them — old women without, young women within. And when a Jewish [male] ate, drank, and was joyful, and went for a stroll in the market place, the old woman would say to him, “Do you not desire linen garments?” The old woman offered it at its current value, but the young one for less. This happened two or three times. After that she [the young one] would say to him, “You are now like one of the family, sit down and choose what you like. Gourds of Ammonite wine lay near her, and at that time non-Jewish wine was not yet prohibited. She would then say, “Would you like to drink a cup of wine?” Once he would drink the wine, [and became inebriated – Rashi] his passion would be ignited and he would declare to her, “Listen to me [regarding my request for carnal relations – Rashi]! At that moment, she took out an idol from beneath her clothing and said to him, “Worship this!” “But I am a Jew!” he protested. “Why should this [act] mean anything to you?”’ she rejoined, “The only thing you have to do is defecate before it!” The Jew, however, had no idea that this was its peculiar form of worship [and, therefore, fulfilled her request in order for her to submit to him.] (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 106a, translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my extensive emendations and brackets.)
 
Our Sages teach us: “There never arose in Israel a prophet like Moshe, but among the nations of the world there did arise; and who is that? Bilam son of Beor” (Midrash Tanaim, Devarim: 34). Bilam’s story, therefore, emerges as one of the greatest examples in history of purposely-squandered potential: Instead of using his prodigious prophetic talents to serve G-d and mankind, Bilam directed his efforts toward the eradication of our people and destruction of all that was good and holy. In short, in his prophecy-for-profit campaign, nothing was more valuable than self-aggrandizement.
 
We have been truly blessed with prophets of truth. May Hashem continue His beneficence by bringing Mashiach Tzidkanu (our Righteous Messiah) to lead our nation and rebuild the Beit HaMikdash, so that His Divine Presence will be manifest amongst us once again. May this take place soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on 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 “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” 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, HaRav Yosef Shemuel ben HaRav Reuven Aharon, David ben Elazar Yehoshua, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Leah bat Shifra and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Protagoras, the fifth century Greek philosopher, boldly proclaimed: “Man is the measure of all things.” This idea has been championed by many of the Renaissance, Age of Reason, and Enlightenment writers and thinkers and their followers until our present moment. In their view, man’s intellect and inherent abilities are limitless, and nothing can defy his relentless march toward greater progress and unbounded success. In stark contrast, Judaism repudiates this notion in unequivocal terms and declares, “G-d, not man, is the measure of all things and man is but his servant.”
 
The mitzvah of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) is found at the beginning of our parasha. It is the greatest example of man’s inability to truly grasp the inherent rationale of Hashem’s commandments. The purpose of this precept is to purify an individual who has become tamei (ritually impure) due to contact with a corpse. Yet, it is intrinsically paradoxical and mystifying, since during the process of its fulfillment, it ritually purifies the impure, while simultaneously rendering impure the ritually pure.
 
Sefer Melachim I: 3:5-12 teaches us that Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) was the wisest man who ever lived. He received the greatest da’at (native intelligence) from Hashem. Moreover, with G-d’s help and love, he acquired the most profound binah (insight into the interrelationship of things) that any man could ever achieve. Yet, even though King Solomon was blessed with the most prodigious intellect in history, he was nonetheless stymied by the Red Heifer’s seemingly irreconcilable contradictions. Little wonder, then, that he plaintively and poignantly declared: “All this I tested with wisdom; I said, ‘I will become wise,’ but it was far from me.” (Sefer Kohelet 7:23, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) According to a variety of Midrashim, the word “it” in our verse specifically refers to the mysterious and mystical Parah Adumah, whose meaning proved continuously elusive to the greatest mind in history.
 
Rabbi Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik zatzal (1820-1892) is known to posterity as the “Beit Halevi” after the name of his ground–breaking work of Torah analysis. In his commentary on Sefer Shemot 31, he presents an original and incisive exposition of the Parah Adumah. He notes that the phrase “This is the statute of the Torah (zot chukat haTorah) that the L-rd commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow...’” is very unusual, since the commandment of the Red Heifer is singled out as being the “statute of the Torah.” The Beit Halevi therefore asks: “At face value, the Parah Adumah is simply one of the [613] Mitzvot of the Torah. Why, therefore, is it given the unusual label of the “statute of the Torah?” His answer expresses some of his fundamental beliefs regarding the our relationship to the Commandments:

… for it is precisely from the Parah Adumah that it is revealed to man that he, in reality, does not know anything regarding [the true meaning inherent] in any mitzvah of the Torah, since, [based upon this verse,] the entire Torah is a statute (chukah) [that defies our understanding]. And the explanation of this concept is the following, behold all of the Commandments are inextricably attached to, and interwoven with, one another. Moreover, each one depends upon the other – just as we find in reference to lowly man who has 248 limbs and 365 sinews – all of whom are attached one to another, and all of whom depend upon one another. This is the case, as well, regarding the Mitzvot wherein the 248 Positive Commandments and the 365 Negative Commandments are attached to one another and form one unit. [As a result,] it is impossible to comprehend even one of the Mitzvot without understanding all of them. Therefore, when we encounter the Parah Adumah and we do not understand its underlying principle – it is clear that we really know nothing at all [regarding the mitzvot].
 
Given the aforementioned, the Red Heifer emerges as a protection against man’s natural hubris and potential intellectual arrogance:

…the Parah Adumah is, therefore, a fence and a protective measure for man who utilizes his intellect (hamitbonane b’sichlo) to examine the reasons inherent in the Commandments; to prevent him from erring in their regard if he were to follow his [mere] intellect and thereby burst forth [against the mitzvot] and declare: “I am the one who sees to know their rationale!” In this manner, one would be able to err and add or subtract [from them].
 
In the Beit Halevi’s view, there is only one way to demonstrate loyalty to, and acceptance of, the Commandments:

One must perform all of the mitzvot, with all of their specific details, according to what we have received from our Rabbis according to the overarching rules of the Torah and the established Halacha without any deviation whatsoever from the words of the Shulchan Aruch. This is the case since he himself recognizes that he does not comprehend the depth of these matters… (All translations and emphasis my own)
 
In sum, the Parah Adumah may be viewed as the mitzvah par excellence that teaches us a great deal about all other mitzvot. It reminds us, perhaps more than any other commandment, that G-d is the measure of all things. With the Almighty’s help, may we be zocheh (merit) to serve Him with humility, integrity, and heartfelt devotion as we strive to fulfill His majestic and, on occasion, mysterious mitzvot. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

They may also be found on 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 “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” 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, HaRav Yosef Shemuel ben HaRav Reuven Aharon, David ben Elazar Yehoshua, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Leah bat Shifra and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
 
Our parasha, as well as Parashat Pinchas, contain an appellation of Hashem that is found only two times in Tanach:

They [Moshe and Aharon] fell on their faces and said, “O G-d, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, if one man sins, shall You be angry with the whole congregation?” (Sefer Bamidbar 16:22)
“Let the L-rd, the G-d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation” (Sefer Bamidbar 27:16, these, and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach))
 
The Hebrew original for “the G-d of the spirits of all flesh” is “Elokei haruchot l’kol basar.” Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Korach, 7, explains this phrase as “He who knows the innermost thoughts of man” (“yodayah machshavot”):

…But You know the thoughts of man; You know who has committed a sin and who has not committed a sin. You know who has rebelled and who has not rebelled. You know the spirit [i.e. nature] of each and every one of them. Therefore the Torah utilizes the expression: “Elokei haruchot l’kol basar” (“the G-d of the spirits of all flesh,” translation my own).
 
It is fascinating to note that each time the expression “Elokei haruchot l’kol basar ” is employed, it is preceded by two different names of G-d, namely, “A-le,” in our parasha and “Hashem” in Parashat Pinchas. What is the reason for this difference? In our parasha, Moshe was pleading with G-d to save the Jewish people and recognize that, while Korach and his henchmen rebelled against Him, the rest of the nation was not culpable and should be preserved. Since G-d was ready to act with middat hadin (the attribute of strict and swift justice) and eradicate our people, Moshe quite properly addressed him with the name “A-le,” a name that references G-d’s unlimited power and ability. In stark contrast, the verse from Parashat Pinchas portrays Moshe pleading with G-d to provide the people with an appropriate leader to replace him upon his imminent demise. This would be an act of consummate kindness for klal Yisrael (the Jewish nation). Hence, Moshe used the name “Hashem,” since it connotes middat harachamim (the attribute of Divine mercy).
 
I believe that Rashi’s definition of “Elokei haruchot l’kol basar,” i.e. “He who knows the innermost thoughts of man,” is alluded to in Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 40a in its examination of a verse from Sefer Malachi: “Then the G-d-fearing men spoke to one another, and the L-rd hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the L-rd and for those who valued His name highly.” (3:16) The Talmud cites this verse and states that from here we may learn the principle that “a positive thought is combined with action” (“machshavah tovah mitzarvah l’ma’aseh). It then asks, what is the content of Malachi’s expression, “for those who valued His name highly?” Rav Assi responds in this manner: “Even if a person thinks about performing a mitzvah, and is prevented from doing so based upon factors beyond his control (v’ne’enas), the Torah accounts [his thoughts] as if he has actually performed the commandment.” (Translation, explication and brackets my own)
 
Rav Assi’s concept is quite powerful and far-reaching in scope. Given that G-d is “Elokei haruchot l’kol basar,” in the sense that Rashi explains, we are fortunate that as long as we have the authentic desire and intention to fulfill a mitzvah, even if the exigencies of the situation do not allow us to do so, the Master of the Universe accounts such positive thoughts to our credit and thereby judges us favorably. Clearly, this is a prime example of G-d’s chane, v’chesed v’rachamim (favor, kindness and mercy).
 
With Hashem’s help, may we ever desire to serve Elokei haruchot l’kol basar through the performance of His mitzvot. Yet, as Rav Assi teaches us, even when our passionate yearnings to fulfill His commandments are thwarted, we can be comforted in knowing that we will nevertheless receive our Creator’s ultimate favor, kindness and mercy. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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