​
 
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 famous first mishnah of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), our Sages teach us that the Written Law, Tanach, was given to us by Hashem at Mount Sinai at the selfsame time as the Oral Law, i.e. the entire corpus of Rabbinic literature: “Moses received the [entire] Torah at Mount Sinai, transmitted it intact in content and meaning to Joshua, who did so in kind to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets and they, in turn, to the Men of the Great Assembly.” (Translation my own)  All of Tanach is divrei Elokim emet (the words of the One true G-d).  As the Talmud Bavli teaches us in Baba Batra 14b-15b, it was communicated - in humanly accessible form - by a trans-historical community of writers:

Who wrote the Scriptures? — Moses wrote his own book and the portion of Balaam and Job. Joshua wrote the book, which bears his name and [the last] eight verses of the Pentateuch. Samuel wrote the book which bears his name and the Book of Judges and Ruth. David wrote the Book of Psalms, including in it the work of the elders, namely, Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, Heman, Yeduthun, Asaph, and the three sons of Korah. Jeremiah wrote the book, which bears his name, the Book of Kings, and Lamentations. Hezekiah and his colleagues wrote Isaiah, Proverbs, the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. The Men of the Great Assembly wrote Ezekiel, the Twelve Minor Prophets, Daniel and the Scroll of Esther. Ezra wrote the book that bears his name and the genealogies of the Book of Chronicles up to his own time. (Translation, Soncino Talmud)
 
The above-found phrase, “Moses wrote his own book,” certainly refers to the Torah. In fact, the Prophets and Nehemiah call the Torah, no less than seven times, “Torat Moshe” (“Book of the Law of Moses”).  Sefer Yehoshua 8:31-32 serves as a prime example of this nomenclature:

As Moses, the servant of the L-rd, commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses (b’sefer Torat Moshe) an altar of whole stones, upon which no (man) has lifted up any iron. And they offered upon it burnt-offerings to the L-rd and sacrificed peace-offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses (Torat Moses), which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. (This, and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
While the entire Torah is the Book of the Law of Moses, Sefer Devarim stands out most prominently as Moses’ book. Indeed, the very first verse proclaims the highly personal nature of this final volume of the Torah. Instead of the oft-found phrase, “And G-d spoke to Moses saying,” we encounter: “These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on that side of the Jordan in the desert, in the plain opposite the Red Sea, between Paran and Tofel and Lavan and Hazeroth and Di Zahav.” In other words, this sefer, is at one and the same time, divrei Elokim emet and the heartfelt expression of Moses’ unique love and concern for klal Yisrael (the Jewish people).
 
Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) refer to Sefer Devarim as Mishneh Torah. Tosafot (11th-13th centuries) and the Ramban (1194-1270) explain this term as “repetition of that which was already stated.” In their view, our sefer is primarily a review, or summary, of previously known narrative and halachic passages. In the introduction to his commentary on Sefer Devarim, Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (known as “the Netziv,” 1817-1893), takes a very different approach to the term “Mishneh Torah”:

[The name “Mishneh Torah”] may be properly interpreted and explained as referring to [understanding the Torah] in a holistic fashion - in regards to the specifics and details of its terms and language. Since this is the case, the entire book and its essence is, [in reality,] coming to encourage us to be extensively involved in Torah study so that we will be able to explain the nuances of the text (dikdukei hamikra) – [and] this is [the fundamental nature of] Torah study. And all of the ethical exhortations (musar), and multiple rebukes of Moses, were solely for the purpose of [encouraging us] to accept the yoke of Torah study upon ourselves. This idea is based upon the many principles of faith and belief that will be explained within the sefer itself. It is for this reason that it is called by its name “Mishneh Torah,” since it refers to exactitude in Torah study (shinun shel Torah). (Translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, according to the Netziv, Chazal coined the name “Mishneh Torah” to connote Sefer Devarim’s emphasis on meticulous Torah study. Therefore, Mishneh, in this instance, means depth-level analysis and knowledge of the Torah – including its language, laws, and musar.
 
The Netziv underscores his understanding of “Mishneh Torah” by quoting a fascinating Midrash that shows the preeminent position of Sefer Devarim within Rabbinic thought:

Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: “Sefer Mishneh Torah was the standard (signon) of Joshua. [We know this because] at the very moment that the Holy One Blessed be He revealed himself to Joshua, He found him sitting [and learning] and the Mishneh Torah was in his hands.” (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah, Parashat Bereishit, section 6, translation my own)
 
Perhaps we might well ask: “Why not one of the other books of the Torah? Don’t they also incorporate crucial halachot (laws) and ethics? Why was this sefer Joshua’s touchstone?” The Netziv’s answer reveals the unique nature of our sefer: “We may learn [from this Midrash] that this book, in particular, incorporates the entire gamut of moral and ethical principles [that are found throughout the Torah].”
 
In a few days, we will commemorate the poignant and heart-rending events that befell our people on Tisha b’Av. As such, in light of the Netziv’s understanding of the authentic nature of the term “Mishneh Torah,” there is no more appropriate book than Sefer Devarim to begin to read and study on the Shabbat immediately preceding this day. Beyond question, Tisha b’Av teaches us the necessity to reach out with compassion to our fellow Jews – whoever and wherever they may be. This is a lifelong journey fraught with many challenges and trials. We are blessed that Torat Moshe in general, and Sefer Devarim in particular, provide the roadmap we need to guide us on the proper path of understanding. As the Netziv teaches us, Mishneh Torah uniquely encapsulates the musar that can serve as a beacon of light to guide us through the darkest of spiritual times. Like Joshua of old, may G-d grant us the wisdom and discernment to implement its eternal message in our lives. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and a truly meaningful fast.
 
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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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.
 
We are now approaching the end of the Three Weeks, the saddest period of the Jewish year. It concludes with Tisha b’Av, the day upon which we commemorate the destruction of the two Holy Temples, the first in 586 BCE, and the second in 70 CE.  In an oft-quoted Talmudic passage, our Sages famously ask, “Why were the two Holy Temples destroyed?” Their answer informs every aspect of Jewish life until our own historical moment:

Why was the first Sanctuary destroyed? Because of three [evil] things which prevailed there: idolatry, immorality, bloodshed… But why was the second Sanctuary destroyed, seeing that in its time they were occupying themselves with Torah, [observance of] precepts, and the practice of charity? Because hatred without cause (sinat chinam) prevailed therein. This teaches you that groundless hatred is considered equal to the three sins of idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed taken together. (Talmud Bavli, Yoma 9b, Soncino Talmud translation with my emendations to enhance readability)
 
In sum, the second Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed because of sinat chinam (baseless hatred) - even though our ancestors seemed “to get everything else right.” Moreover, sinat chinam creates such a toxic behavioral environment, that it is equal to avodah zarah (idol worship), gilui arayot (immorality) and shefichute damim (murder) combined – the three cardinal sins for which individuals are obligated to give up their lives rather than violate. (“Yaharaig v’al ya’avor,” Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 74a)
 
If sinat chinam was the vitriolic poison that destroyed the second Beit Hamikdash, then it stands to reason that its polar opposite, ahavat Yisrael (love of all Jews) must be the necessary antidote. This may very well be the reason that Rabbi Akiva famously declared, “‘And you should love your fellow Jew as yourself.’…This is the most overarching principle of the Torah.” (Sefer Vayikra 19:18; Talmud Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:4)  Rabbi Akiva’s dictum that ahavat Yisrael is the singular principle of the Torah is reminiscent of a celebrated passage in Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 31a, wherein Hillel teaches a would-be convert the most unifying idea of the Torah:

On another occasion it happened that a certain non-Jew came before Shammai and said to him, “Make me a proselyte, on the condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot (regal achat).” At that point he [Shammai]threatened him with the builder’s tool which was in his hand. [In contrast,] when he went before Hillel, he [Hillel] said to him, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor - that is the whole Torah, the rest is the commentary - go and learn!” (Translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my underlining and emendations)
 
In his Torah commentary, Kli Yakar, the great biblical exegete Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz (1550 – 21 April, 1619) explains that the responses of Shammai and Hillel stemmed from two very different perceptions of the non-Jew who came before them. Whereas Shammai thought the individual was acting in a jocular and disrespectful manner, Hillel perceived him as a would-be righteous convert (gare tzedek) who approached him in an authentic and searching fashion:

For in truth, he [the potential gare tzedek] honestly sought from him [Hillel] the pillar of Torah upon which all the mitzvot stand (i.e. regal achat) in order that he should not fall into the grip of forgetfulness that might very well be found in in a convert who had not learned anything about the Torah during the days of his youth. Therefore, he asked him to transmit to him the one overriding principle that encapsulates the entire Torah…in order that he would be able to remember all of the mitzvot of Hashem. (Comment on Sefer Vayikra 19:18, translation and brackets my own)
 
Based upon the statements of Hillel, Rabbi Akiva and the analysis of the Kli Yakar, ahavat Yisrael emerges as one of Judaism’s ultimate values. On measure, it is the most effective means of counteracting the frightening effects of sinat chinam. Now we are ready to ask, “How can we perform ahavat Yisrael in our daily lives?”  We are fortunate that the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) provides us with a clear response that incorporates both the positive actions that we ought to do, and Hillel’s meta-axiom of Torah behavior:

We are commanded to love others [i.e. our fellow Jews] in the same manner that we love ourselves. My mercy and love for my brother [i.e. my fellow Jew] should be exactly like the mercy and love I have for myself, [specifically in regards to] his money, physical welfare, and everything that will ever be in his possession or he will want. And, everything that I wish for myself, I should desire for him. [Conversely,] anything that I would hate for myself or for anyone who associates with me, I should find hateful to him in the exact same fashion. This is what the Torah stated: “…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Sefer Hamitzvot, Positive Commandment 206, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, the Rambam is urging us to be considerate and caring of others in precisely the same manner we would like to be treated. In addition, we must ever be on guard against those behaviors that would be hateful to both ourselves and others.
 
I believe that if we fulfill the mitzvah of ahavat Yisrael on an ongoing basis, we will be well on our way to ending sinat chinam in our time. Moreover, we will set the stage for the imminent arrival of the Mashiach (Messiah) and the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash, soon and in our days. With the Almighty’s help and our heartfelt desire, may this be so. 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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.
 
We are a very fortunate people. If one were to ask “Who is the greatest spiritual hero in Jewish history?” many names would surely come to mind. Some of us would suggest one of the Avot or Emahot (Patriarchs or Matriarchs). Others might answer Dovid HaMelech (King David), or one of the Prophets. Most people, however, would probably choose Moshe Rabbeinu.

Moshe’s amazing and multifold accomplishments are legendary. His leadership was extraordinary. His intellect was nearly unparalleled. The level of nevuah (prophecy) he achieved was different in kind and degree than that of any other prophet who ever lived. His ability to commune with Hashem is unequaled in the history of our people. Therefore, the Torah teaches us: “There never arose another prophet amongst the Jewish people like Moshe, to whom Hashem revealed Himself face to face.” (Sefer Devarim 34:10, my translation, as per Onkelos).

Rabbi Baruch ha-Levi Epstein zatzal (1860-1942), popularly known as the Torah Temimah after the title of his incisive Torah commentary, explains to us that there was one area, however, wherein Moshe was not able to achieve the highest heights. Instead, as clearly stated in our parasha, Pinchas ha-Kohen was able to accomplish a goal that eluded even Moshe Rabbeinu:

“Therefore, let it be said: ‘Behold, I [Hashem] give to him [Pinchas] my Covenant of Peace” (Bamidbar 25:12). “It is fitting that this atonement [as seen in the words ‘Covenant of Peace’] will continue to bring about expiation forever more” (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin, 82b). At first glance, it is very difficult to understand why Pinchas merited this explicit reward even more than Moshe Rabbeinu, since we find numerous times wherein [through Moshe’s efforts] Hashem “forgot” His anger against the Jewish people, such as in the instances of the Golden Calf and the Spies. (All translations, underlining, brackets and emphasis my own)
 
After raising this fundamental issue, Rav Epstein continues his analysis as to why Pinchas, and not Moshe, was deserving of the Covenant of Peace:

But the matter should, however, be explained in the following manner: We see from this that there was a fundamental difference that obtained between Moshe’s and Pinchas’ ability to remove Hashem’s anger [from upon the Jewish people]. Moshe was able to remove Hashem’s anger solely for a limited time, yet there remained, so to speak, in Hashem’s heart (mind) a grievance against the Jewish people, just as we find in the instances of the Golden Calf…and the Spies. Peace such as this cannot be called true and absolute peace. The removal of Hashem’s anger in regards to Pinchas, however, was a complete and total removal of anger [that continues to last]. Therefore, Pinchas merited the just reward [of this Covenant of Peace].
 
In sum, Pinchas was able to effectuate a total and permanent peace between Hashem and His people that was devoid of any future recriminations and punishments. This is something that escaped even Moshe Rabbeinu’s grasp. The question that still remains, however, is “Why did this difference obtain between them?”

I believe the Torah provides us with an answer this question in the phrase, “When he [Pinchas] displayed the anger that I [Hashem] should have displayed,” (Bamidbar 25:11, translation per Rashi’s second gloss on Bamidbar 25:11). In a word, Pinchas acted as Hashem’s messenger in expressing His legitimate anger. He channeled Hashem’s fury in response to the vulgar immorality and idol worship in which many of the men were engaged with the women of Moab. In this sense, Pinchas was a zealot who was totally devoted to Hashem. His complete being merged with Hashem’s righteous anger in his desire to execute the Almighty’s will.

In stark contrast to Pinchas, Moshe Rabbeinu never became angry – either on a personal level, or in the service of Hashem. Although the Torah states in Parashat Korach regarding the temerity of Datan and Aviram, “And Moshe became very upset” (Bamidbar 16:15, per Rashi’s explanation), he never became angry – even in the positive sense of Pinchas’ anger.

​This, perhaps, is as it should be. Anger, in nearly all instances, is considered by Chazal (our Sages) to be tantamount to avodah zarah (idol worship), since in the heat of anger a person cannot focus upon Hashem, Torah, or mitzvot. Instead, such an individual is entirely consumed by the emotion of anger, and becomes irrational. Clearly, then, one of the worst characteristics an authentic leader of klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) can have is the trait of anger. Little wonder, then, that Moshe neither had the personality trait of anger, nor did he become angry – even when it was warranted in the service of Hashem.

Paradoxically, Pinchas received the Brit Shalom (Covenant of Peace) after having brought about total peace between Hashem and klal Yisrael precisely because of the righteous anger he expressed on behalf of the Almighty. In this way, served as a protective force and bridged the gaping chasm between the Jewish people and the Creator, and guarded His holy Torah and mitzvot. As spiritually heroic as Pinchas’ actions were, however, it must be stressed that they were permissible solely at that time and may never be repeated.

With Hashem’s help, may we strive to emulate Pinchas’ love and devotion to the Holy One blessed be He, and may we ever dedicate ourselves to His Torah and 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 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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.
 
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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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.
 
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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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 and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha presents us with a very different kind of Moshe than we have encountered before. Instead of the brave advocate of the Jewish people and undaunted servant of Hashem, we are met with a morose and despondent Moshe on the cusp of complete capitulation:

Moses said to the L-rd, “Why have You treated Your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in Your eyes that You place the burden of this entire people upon me? Did I conceive this entire people? Did I give birth to them, that You say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as the nurse carries the suckling,’ to the Land You promised their forefathers? … Alone I cannot carry this entire people for it is too hard for me. If this is the way You treat me, please kill me if I have found favor in Your eyes, so that I not see my misfortune.” (Sefer Bamidbar 11:11-12, 14-15, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
This passage stands in stark contrast to Moshe’s earlier reaction to the Eigel Hazahav (Golden Calf) incident, wherein he steadfastly arose to our nation’s defense:
Moses pleaded before the L-rd, his G-d, and said: “Why, O L-rd, should Your anger be kindled against Your people whom You have brought up from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? Why should the Egyptians say: ‘He brought them out with evil [intent] to kill them in the mountains and to annihilate them from upon the face of the earth?’ Retreat from the heat of Your anger and reconsider the evil [intended] for Your people.” The L-rd [then] reconsidered the evil He had said He would do to His people. (Sefer Shemot 32:11-12 and 14)
 
What can account for this radical change in Moshe’s emotional state? The answer, I believe, may be found in examining the context of each of these events. The Eigel Hazahav debacle is introduced by the verse:

When the people saw that Moses was late in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron, and they said to him: “Come on! Make us gods that will go before us, because this man Moses, who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him.” (Sefer Shemot 32:1)
 
Without a doubt, these are the words of a terrified people, who were steeped in a slave mentality acquired as a result of 210 years of Egyptian servitude. This negative psychological state affected every decision they made, even after having witnessed the wonders and miracles of the Exodus, the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds and the Revelation at Mount Sinai. At this point, they could not imagine going forward on their grand march to Eretz Yisrael without a physical presence in their midst, without a constant reminder that they had a leader literally before them. Their initial misguided goal to construct the Eigel Hazahav, therefore, had nothing to do with avodah zarah (idol worship) per se, and everything to do, instead, with reassuring themselves that their future as a nation was intact. Moshe recognized the extent of this deep psychological flaw unhesitatingly jumped to their rescue, begged Hashem, “Retreat from the heat of Your anger and reconsider the evil [intended] for Your people.”
 
Our parasha’s passage wherein Moshe declares, “If this is the way You treat me, please kill me if I have found favor in Your eyes, so that I not see my misfortune,” however, has an entirely different focus than that of the Eigel Hazahav. As our Sages make quite clear throughout Rabbinic literature, Moshe was repulsed by his people’s uncontrollable desires for hedonistic pleasure:

But the multitude among them began to have strong cravings (hitavu ta’avah). Then even the children of Israel once again began to cry, and they said, “Who will feed us meat? We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge, the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic…. Moses heard the people weeping with their families, each one at the entrance to his tent. The L-rd became very angry, and Moses considered it evil. (Sefer Bamidbar 11:4-5)
 
Based upon various Midrashic and Talmudic sources, Rashi (1040-1105), in his Commentary of the Torah, notes that “free of charge” and “the people weeping with their families” are, in actuality, code words for rejecting the Torah’s precepts – particularly in the area of forbidden marriages (ervah). As a result, Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) labelled this entire incident, “Kivrot ha-Taavah” (the Graves of Desire).
 
In a now celebrated June, 1974 public lecture, my rebbe, Rav Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), presented a penetrating analysis of the underlying attitude that prevailed at Kivrot ha-Taavah. His perceptions enable us to more fully comprehend Moshe’s reaction to our forebears’ behavior:

Kivrot ha-Taavah stemmed from a desire for a pagan way of life, with its insatiable desires, unlimited lusts, and complete absence of boundaries. This pagan lifestyle is the antithesis of Judaism, which demands self-discipline. The Torah, therefore, detests paganism because, unlike idolatry – the worship of a short-lived object of clay or metal – paganism is often infectious. (Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David editor, page 300)
 
Armed with these insights, it is little wonder that “the L-rd became very angry, and Moses considered it evil,” for, in truth, Kivrot ha-Taavah was nothing less than a rebellion against the authority of the Torah and the Almighty Himself. Unfortunately, Kivrot ha-Taavah echoes until our own historical moment. Just as our ancestors in Egypt descended to the 49th level of impurity and absorbed the pagan standards of their depraved Egyptian society, so, too, are we relentlessly challenged by the adverse cultural norms that surround us. With Hashem’s help and our deepest desire, may we have the fortitude and conviction to guard ourselves against negative societal influences and, instead, wholeheartedly embrace the clarion call, “You shall be holy, for I, the L-rd, your G-d, am holy.” (Sefer Vayikra 19:2) 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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** 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 and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha is the source of Birkat Kohanim (the Blessing of the Kohanim), one of the most stirring acts in our prayer experience. Nearly anyone who has witnessed this tefilah senses its drama and majesty. Chazal’s (our Sages of blessed memory) analysis of the introductory verse to Birkat Kohanim, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: ‘this is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them (amore lahem),’” (Sefer Vayikra 6:23) illustrates their abiding sensitivity to the Torah’s text. They note that the word “amore” (saying) is written in its complete grammatical form (maleh, with the Hebrew letter vav), rather than in the more usual manner (chaser, without the Hebrew letter vav). While initially this appears to be nothing more than a minor linguistic change, Midrash Tanchuma (Buber) Parashat Naso, Siman 18, details its profound significance:

[Amore] is spelled maleh in the phrase “amore lahem.” The reason why you [the Kohanim] should bless the Jewish people is not merely because I [G-d] have told you to do so [as if this act was some kind of burdensome chore.] Therefore, you should not bless them as if you were forced to do so (b’angaria, Hebrew - Greek) and in a rapid [unthinking and automatic] fashion. Instead, you [the Kohanim] should bless them [the Jewish people] with complete intention (b’kavanat halev) in order that the blessing should totally encompass them (she’tishlot habracha bahem). This is why the Torah writes: “amore lahem” [in the maleh form]. (Translation my own)
 
In sum, the Midrash informs us that our verse’s unusual spelling of amore urges the Kohanim to recognize that it is a singular honor to bless the Jewish people, and that they should have total kavanat halev during the recitation of the blessing to ensure its complete fulfillment.

The great mid-18th century Chasidic master, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein, known to the world as the holy Me’or Vashemesh after the title of his most famous work, notes that many meforshim (Torah commentators) focus upon the question as to why the term amore is used instead of the normative word dabare, which connotes “speak” in its imperative form. In so doing, he highlights the emotions the Kohanim must have prior to ascending the bimah:

In my opinion, the answer to this well-known question of the meforshim is found by recognizing that our verse suggests that an individual [i.e. kohane] who desires to bless the Jewish people must have within him the behavioral quality of one who loves his people with a powerful love – equivalent to the love he has for himself and his own being (k’nafsho u’k’lavavo). (Sefer Me’or Vashemesh, Parashat Naso, this, and the following translation and brackets, my own)
 
Next, the Me’or Vashemesh explains that the love that the Kohanim have for the Jewish people must include each and every member of our nation, and depicts what this kind of love will achieve:

[The love that the Kohanim have] must include even the lowliest of the low of the Jewish people, for even such individuals they must love as they love themselves. Through this kind of love, the Kohanim will glorify the Jewish people before their Father in Heaven until the highest imaginable heights, and thereby bestir great mercy and kindness – and bring upon them every variety of blessing…
 
Clearly, the Kohanim have a crucial role to play in improving the status of our people before Hashem. Yet, the vast majority of us are not Kohanim. As such, how can we bring mercy and kindness to the world? The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) answers this question in a manner that underscores the notion that anyone, Jew or gentile, can be sanctified to the point wherein they emulate the Kohanim:

Not only the tribe of Levi, but any one of the inhabitants of the world whose spirit generously motivates him and understands with his wisdom [how] to set himself aside and stand before G-d to serve Him and minister to Him and to know G-d, proceeding justly as G-d made him … is as sanctified as holy of holies. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Shemitah v’Yovel 13:13; translation by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
With the Almighty’s help, may we be counted among those who develop profound and wise understanding, so that, we can become spiritual “Kohanim,” and bring Hashem’s blessings to to all mankind. 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.

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*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
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*** 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.