Parashat Ki Tetze, 5772, 2012:

                             To Be Worthy Before Hashem

                             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, my sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, and Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Yehonatan Binyamin Halevy ben Golda Friedel, and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya.

Our parasha contains 74 of the Taryag Mitzvot (613 Commandments). Nearly every other pasuk (verse) seems to contain a commandment from Hashem. One of the mitzvot we encounter is that of the ben sorer u’moreh, (the wayward and rebellious son):

If a man has a wayward and rebellious son, who does not obey his father or his mother, and they chasten him, and [he still] does not listen to them, his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place. And they shall say to the elders of his city, “This son of ours is wayward and rebellious; he does not obey us; [he is] a glutton and a guzzler.” And all the men of his city shall pelt him to death with stones, and he shall die. So shall you clear out the evil from among you, and all Israel will listen and fear. (Sefer Devarim 21: 18-21, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

As we might suspect, the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash meticulously analyzed each word, and every nuance of language, in the above found pasukim. Then, too, our great meforshim (Torah commentators) spent a good deal of time explicating each aspect of the ben sorer u’moreh. At first blush, it appears that this mitzvah is similar in kind to all of the 613 Biblical commandments. This thesis, however, is patently false. Our Sages in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 71a, unequivocally declared: “Ben sorer u’moreh lo hayah v’lo yihyeh” (“The ben sorer u’moreh never existed and never will exist.”) In other words, based upon extended analysis of our passage, our Sages concluded that there has never been, nor will there ever be, an instance of an individual who fits all of the definitional parameters of a ben sorer u’moreh.

We are now left with a major quandary: If the ben sorer u’moreh never existed and never will exist, why did the Torah give us this mitzvah? Our Sages’ answer speaks volumes: “Elah darush v’kibale s’char” (“[the entire passage and mitzvah exists] so that one may analyze it and receive reward.”) Stated somewhat differently, Hashem gave us the commandment of ben sorer u’moreh for a specific purpose, namely, so that we would plumb the depths of its innermost meaning, and advance the holy process of Torah study and analysis. In other words, Torah study, even when couched within the parameters of the purely theoretical, has incalculable value.

I believe, however, that there is an additional and parallel reason as to why Hashem gave us the mitzvah of ben sorer u’moreh. It appears to me that it is part of Hashem’s divine strategy to bring zechut (merit) to our people through its extended study and explication. Chazal (Our Sages of Blessed Memory) coined a term for this concept: “l’zakot et Yisrael.” We find the clearest and best-known expression of l’zakot et Yisrael in the statement of the Mishnaic period figure, Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia. It is recited at the end of each chapter of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) and quite often at the end of a shiur (Torah study lesson):

Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia says: “The Holy One, Blessed is He, wished to confer merit upon Israel; therefore He gave them Torah and mitzvot in abundance, as it is said: ‘Hashem desired for the sake of its [Israel’s] righteousness, that the Torah be made great and glorious.’” (Isaiah 60:21) (Translation, Artscroll Siddur) 

Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia is unmistakably teaching us that one reason why Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us His holy Torah is to make us even more worthy in His eyes. It is true that we all have some degree of zechut avot (merit of our forefathers). This, however, is dependent upon exactly who our particular ancestors were. As Rashi (1040-1105) in his commentary to Sefer Bereishit 25:21 notes, a tzadik ben tzadik (a righteous individual whose father was a righteous individual) has a distinct advantage over a tzadik ben rasha (a righteous individual whose father was an unrighteous individual). The zechut of the mitzvot, however, serves to “level the playing field” and allow everyone the opportunity, regardless of his or her ancestry, to achieve prominence in “Hashem’s eyes.” In short, each of us can achieve true greatness in the “eyes of Hashem” through Torah study and mitzvot observance. Once again, we can call upon Rashi in his explanation of this concept, as presented in his glosses to Talmud Bavli, Makkot 23b:

The Torah had no need to command many of the mitzvot and the admonitions (prohibitions) regarding crawling bugs and improperly slaughtered animals, since there is no one who naturally does not pull back from them [in disgust]. The only reason why they were commanded was to [enable man] to receive reward by separating [himself] from them.

We are now in Chodesh Elul (the month of Elul). In a few short weeks, our Creator will judge us during the most awe-filled and inspiring days of the Jewish calendar, the two days of Rosh Hashanah. G-d will do this in reference to our people, and the entire world, in absolute honesty, and reject our myriad excuses and “brilliant” rationalizations. This thought alone is enough to make the entire universe tremble before Him. We are, therefore, truly blessed that the Master of the Universe has bestowed His holy Torah upon us l’zakot et Yisrael. Quite simply, when we loyally follow its precepts, the Torah is our greatest advocate for a divine judgment that is tempered by mercy and compassion.

In the waning weeks of this calendar year, may we redouble our efforts to be true avdei Hashem (servants of G-d). Let us pray, as well, that we will have the wisdom and discernment to separate truth from fleeting folly, and do our best to live lives filled with kedushah (holiness). In sum, may we become truly worthy before Hashem, and be zocheh (merit) to have long, healthy, prosperous, and joyful lives as we strive to fulfill His Torah. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

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 [email protected].

My audio shiurim on Tefilah and Haskafah may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/7sp5vt3

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here:

http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

**Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my new blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                                Parashat Shoftim 5772, 2012

                              Pursuing Truth in Our Lives

                                      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, my sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, and Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Yehonatan Binyamin Halevy ben Golda Friedel, and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya.

The beginning phrase of the third verse of this week’s parasha is a very famous one: “Tzedek tzedek tirdof…” “Justice justice you shall pursue….” (Sefer Devarim 16:20) The context of this statement is very clear. It is an earnest appeal to Jewish judges to pursue justice in all of their rulings. The reward for their doing so is equally clear: “l’maan tichyeh v’yarashta et haaretz asher Hashem Elokecha notane lach” “in order that you shall live and inherit the land that the L-rd your G-d has given you.” What, however, does the Torah mean when it tells the judges (and, by extension, all Jews) to pursue justice? Stated somewhat differently, what is the content of the term tzedek? What does it connote from the Torah’s vantage point?

When we think of justice as a concept, we are likely to understand it in some of the following ways:

the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause, rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice, the moral principle determining just conduct, conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment (www.dictionary.com)

Is this, however, how Judaism understands this term, or might it really mean something else?

I believe that we can find a meaningful answer to the question “What is justice (tzedek) within Jewish thought?” by carefully examining the way in which Onkelos translates the term in his classic second century Aramaic translation. This work is known as Targum Onkelos and is often simply referred to as “the Targum.” Its significance cannot be over estimated, since virtually all classic meforshim (Torah commentators) consistently refer to his work in their quest for a deeper understanding of the Torah and its authentic meaning.

When we examine nearly every instance in the Torah wherein tzedek is used as a noun, such as in our verse, or as an adjective (e.g. Sefer Devarim 25: 13-15), we discover that Onkelos translates our term as “kushtah” when used as a noun, and as “k’shut” when used as an adjective. “Kushtah” means, “truth,” and “k’shut” means, “truthful,” in the sense of honest or accurate. What emerges from this translation is Onkelos’ penetrating insight into the nature and quality of Jewish justice and Jewish life. When judges are urged to pursue justice and, by extension, when we are forced to make morally charged decisions amid the challenges of daily life, we now know one thing quite clearly: the Torah expects us to pursue truth. Therefore, “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” in Onkelos’ view, really means “Truth, truth you shall pursue.” When viewed in this manner, “Tzedek tzedek tirdof…” ceases to be the province of a few, and becomes, instead, the obligation of us all.

On the practical level, however, we know that it is difficult to pursue the often-fleeting ideal of truth. At the end of the recitation of the Shema, we say: “Hashem Elokechem emet” (“Hashem, your G-d, is truth”). Sadly, we cannot say this regarding our fellow man, i.e. “Man is truth,” since experience teaches us that this is simply not the case. Indeed, Dovid Hamelech (King David) taught us this essential lesson in the well-known pasuk (verse): “Al tivtichu b’nedivim b’ben adam sheain lo teshuah” (“Do not trust in princes nor in human beings who offer no help,” Sefer Tehilim 146:3). Enwrapped in the web of desires and ambitions, people are often far too ready to sacrifice truth for the pursuit of momentary pleasures and perceived needs. Sadly, they create walls of indifference that prevent them from pursuing tzedek and honest relationships with others.

Last week we celebrated the onset of Rosh Chodesh Elul, and left behind the pain imprinted on our spiritual psyche that the month of Av so poignantly represents. Av represents distance from Hashem. In stark contrast, Elul represents closeness to Hashem, and the rebirth of the love relationship that obtains between our Creator and ourselves. We are once again preparing for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, for the Days of Awe. We will once again stand before Hashem and beseech Him for our lives, our livelihood, and the health and happiness of our families, friends, and the entire Jewish people. What, however, are we “bringing to the table” in this plea-filled prayer dialogue? True, we all have brit avot (the covenant of the Avot, Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov) to protect us, yet what are we, on our own, presenting to Hashem as a reason why He should listen to our heart-felt entreaties?

This year, during the Days of Awe, I would like to respectfully suggest that we go before Hashem with a new agenda. This year, let us go before Hashem and declare that, to the best of our limited abilities, we will try to overcome the obstacles that prevent us from communicating honestly with our family, friends, and, most importantly, with our Creator. May this year be the year that we fulfill the pasuk of “Tzedek tzedek tirdof,” so that we can build our relationships anew and in truth. With Hashem’s help, may this be a year of tzedek for us all. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

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 [email protected].

My audio shiurim on Tefilah and Haskafah 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. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

**Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my new blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                            Parashat Re’eh 5772, 2012:

                     Milk, Meat, and the Pursuit of the Holy

                                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, my sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, and Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Yehonatan Binyamin Halevy ben Golda Friedel, and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya.

There are many commandments that define the universe of Torah Judaism. In all likelihood, most of us would disagree as to exactly which ones ought to be included on such a list. Yet, if we use a minimalist definition as our bar of judgment, Shabbat, Kashrut, and Mikvah surely must emerge as constitutive elements of what we call “Orthodox Judaism.” Each of these essential mitzvot, in turn, contains an endless sea of halachic principles and hashkafa (Torah thought) that enable us to live and think according to the dictates of our holy Torah. Let us now see how a particular aspect of the Laws of Kashrut epitomizes these ideas.

On a very practical level, the litmus test for a kosher Jewish home is the separation of milk and meat dishes. This is a rabbinic derivation of the Torah prohibition of “Lo tivashel gedi b’chalave emo” (You may not cook a kid-goat in its mother’s milk). This lav (negative commandment) is mentioned three times in the Torah: Sefer Shemot 23:19, 34:26, and in our parasha in Sefer Devarim 14:21. From the three-fold repetition of this proscription, Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) deduced three separate and distinct Torah prohibitions: cooking (in any form) milk and meat together, eating milk and meat that has been cooked together, and deriving any form of benefit from milk and meat that has been cooked together. (Talmud Bavli, Chulin 113b and 115b)

This lav is different in kind and degree from any other “eating-based” prohibition in the Torah, since even cooking milk and meat together (an act devoid of pleasure in and of itself) is proscribed. Indeed, basar b’chalav (meat cooked in milk) is considered by our Sages to be something new and unique, i.e. a chiddush:

…it [basar b’chalav] is a chiddush. And for which reason ought it to be considered a chiddush? Perhaps it is based on the idea that each separate component is permissible and it is only when they are combined that the prohibition obtains? [No!] this is surely not unique to basar b’chalav since we find the same exact manner of prohibition when it comes to kilayim (diverse kinds of seeds that have been planted together) wherein one kind of seed and another by themselves are permissible to be planted. Yet, when combined, it is forbidden to plant them together. [Wherein lies its uniqueness?] However, if you soak meat in milk the entire day [even though it absorbs the taste of the milk - Rashi] it is still permissible [from the point of view of the Torah – although it is a Rabbinic prohibition to eat such a mixture]. However, if one cooks it, it is forbidden [by the Torah]. (Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 44b, brackets and translation my own)

Basar b’chalav is therefore a unique entity within the world of Halacha. It is subject to exceptional stringencies that simply do not obtain in any other instance of food-based laws. Moreover, most poskim (halachic authorities) envisage basar b’chalav as having its own identity (davar b’ifnei atzmo). This means that it is not merely a mixture of milk and meat that has been cooked together. Instead, via the cooking process, it has been transformed into something different, into its own unique creation. This concept, perhaps, helps us understand just how different basar b’chalav is from anything else within the canon of Jewish law.

A great deal of ink has been spilt in attempting to explain the rationale for the prohibition of basar b’chalav. I believe that the Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) offered the most compelling presentation of this topic in his commentary on our parasha. His first explanation provides us with a different approach than any of those taken by the majority of the commentators of our tradition. He opined that basar b’chalav, in and of itself, is not something disgusting or untoward. The reason for its proscription is something else entirely. He maintained that it is forbidden “so that we will be holy in regards to the foods [that we eat].” This idea of holiness, of separation (prishah), is a theme throughout his Commentary on the Torah, and its most famous formulation is found at the beginning of Parashat Kedoshim. Therein he stated that we must be so conscious of pursuing the idea and the ideal of the holy that we must separate ourselves from overindulgence even in those things that are permissible to us. Logically, therefore, we surely must be scrupulous in separating ourselves from those things that are forbidden to us. Thus, basar b’chalav is crucial element Hashem’s plan for the sanctification our people. For the Ramban, then, even the food we eat must lead us on the path and pursuit of kedushah (holiness).

May it be the Master of the Universe’s will that we will always grow in our pursuit of kedushah in all of our words and actions. By following this course of action to achieving holiness, may we be zocheh (merit) to witness the coming of the true Messiah, soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

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 [email protected].

My audio shiurim on Tefilah and Haskafah may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/7sp5vt3

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here:
http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

**Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

                                Parashat Eikev 5772, 2012:

                                    Making Mitzvot Real

                                    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, my sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, and Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Yehonatan Binyamin Halevy ben Golda Friedel, and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya.

The phrase “asher Anochi metzavecha hayom…” (“that I [Hashem] am commanding you today”) is found three times in our parasha (Sefer Devarim 7:11, 8:1, and 8:11). In addition, it is found 15 other times in Devarim and once in Sefer Shemot. Each time it is stated in reference to the Mitzvot. The multiple repetitions of this phrase clearly serve to emphasize the proper approach that we must follow regarding the Mitzvot. We are enjoined to view them each day as if they were given to us anew, as if we were standing once again upon Mount Sinai. As Rashi (1040-1105, Sefer Devarim 6:6) explains, based upon the halachic Midrash to Sefer Devarim known as the Sifri: “The words of the Torah should not be viewed in your eyes like old edicts of a monarch about which no one cares. Instead they should [constantly] be viewed as new royal edicts after whom all run to read.”

Unfortunately, however, our people have not always lived up to the ideal of viewing the Torah as a new and dynamic entity. We have often failed to invest our mitzvot experiences with the most precious of all capital – ourselves. Far too frequently, mitzvot are performed in an almost robotic fashion, or sadly, their significance and purpose are missed in our rush to fulfill them. As such, we often fail to apprehend the meaning of our actions and thereby squander their potential beauty. Regrettably, we are not alone in our failures. Long ago, in the Eighth Century BCE, the prophet Isaiah (29:13) proclaimed our errors in this regard: “And the L-rd said: ‘Because this people has come near; with their mouth and with their lips they honor Me, but their heart they draw far away from Me, and their fear of Me has become a command of people, which has been taught (mitzvat anashim m’lumdah).’ ”

Mechanical repetition of the commandments is clearly something that has been a pitfall for our people since the most ancient of times. Unfortunately, this approach can ultimately lead people to repudiate the very acts they have performed. Quite simply, when we do not endow Hashem’s commandments with meaning and understanding, they can be perceived as having no inherent value. Moreover, they can even be misperceived, chas v’shalom (G-d forbid), as no longer being the dictates of the Almighty. Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel (1809-1879), known as the Malbim, formulated these thoughts in the following manner:

There are those who perform the mitzvot solely because this is what they have become accustomed to do since their youth and they are used to performing them. They perform them without any cognitive gesture (kavanah) and without thought – even though they may know that they are commandments from G-d. They, however, do not perform them in any way, shape, or form because Hashem commanded them to do so. Instead, they perform them because this is what they were dictated to do by their teachers and parents. They [the mitzvot] are performed without any understanding and are mere mechanical actions reinforced by past rote behaviors. Therefore, since they have become meaningless ritualistic gestures in their eyes, such people will rebel and totally deny that Hashem commanded man to perform mitzvot and chukim [commandments whose rationale are currently unknown]. In their rebellion, they believe that man is capable of determining the intention behind the mitzvot and their true reasons [which leads to further rebellion and denial of Hashem]. (Commentary to Isaiah 29:13, translation and emphasis my own).

What can be done to stem the tide of indifference to the depth and beauty of the mitzvot, and “make them real?” At first blush, one might think that merely thinking about the day-by-day “newness” of the commandments would be sufficient. Rav Eliyahu Dessler zatzal (1892-1953), the great modern Mussar (Ethical Movement) master, however, rejected this approach as being necessary but insufficient. He opined instead, that only intense and heartfelt Torah study will bring one to a proper appreciation and understanding of the mitzvot. Rav Dessler asserts that Torah study, alone, provides protection from mere mitzvat anashim m’lumdah (rote mitzvah performance), and guarantees that the mitzvot will remain new and vital in our eyes:

How is it possible to negate the problem of performing Torah commandments by rote? It is not enough to merely concentrate on the idea that we must consider every mitzvah as if it is new. This alone will surely not work. Rather, only deep study and understanding will nullify the power of rote. Anything we learn and analyze profoundly will always bring forth new insights. We must find new insights in every mitzvah; then it will be like new. (Paraphrased from Michtav M'Eliyahu Volume 4, p. 339).

May Hashem help us, our children, and our children’s children throughout all generations to follow Rav Dessler’s approach and thereby find new and beautiful insights in His Torah and His holy commandments. If we can succeed in this task, we will truly know that the Voice emanating from Mount Sinai has never ceased, and continues to speak to us until our own historical moment. May we be zocheh (merit) to achieve this level of understanding, knowledge, and appreciation of the phrase “asher Anochi metzavecha hayom…” V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

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 [email protected].

My audio shiurim on Tefilah and Haskafah may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/7sp5vt3

*** I have recently posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here:

http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

**Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.