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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
HaRav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik zatzal (1820-1892) was one of the 19th century’s greatest European Torah scholars. He is known as the Beit HaLevi after the title of his grand exposition of the Pentateuch that is universally recognized as a jewel within the Lithuanian Torah tradition. In his comments on Sefer Shemot 19:5, the Beit HaLevi discusses exactly why Hashem gave us the Torah and, in so doing, helps us understand its role in our lives. He explains that the Torah was given to the Jewish people so that we would analyze it in accordance with the accepted rules of Biblical exegesis as delineated by our Sages, who have been tasked as the protectors of Hashem’s Torah in this world. He notes that the conclusions that are reached according to these guidelines thereby constitute that which is undeniably true. In addition, he asserts that since the Torah is “lo b’shamayim he — no longer in Heaven” (Talmud Bavli, Baba Metziah 59b), its authentic interpretation can only be apprehended via the intense study and analysis of the earthly beit din (Court of Law). After all, “lo nitnah Torah l'malachei hashareit — the Torah was not given to the Ministering Angels” (Talmud Bavli, Yoma 30a), but rather to us.
 
After presenting these ideas, the Beit HaLevi focuses on why our Sages call Shavuot zeman matan Toratainu (the time of the Giving of our Torah), instead of ‘zeman matan Torah’ (‘the time of the Giving of the Torah’). His answer is mesmerizing: “The reason why Shavuot is called zeman matan Toratainu and not zeman matan Torah is because Toratainu means that the Torah became our own. [How did it become our own? This happened] as a result of Torah She-be'al Peh — the Oral Law, and the explanations of the [Torah] that are the product of our people.” For the Beit HaLevi, though the Torah She-Biktav — the Written Law is the Almighty’s greatest gift to the world besides life itself, it is through the never-ending dynamic process of Torah She-be'al Peh —the study and explanation of His holy Torah — that humankind encounters Him.
 
In many ways, the Beit HaLevi infuses profound meaning into the phrase we recite each morning in our tefilah, “Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu u’mah nayim goraleinu — We are fortunate, how good is our portion, how pleasant our lot, and how beautiful our heritage!” (Translation, The Complete Artscroll Siddur, p. 27)  Chelkeinu, our portion, is two-fold in nature. It includes the outright gift of the Torah She-Biktav and the ever-developing Torah She-be'al Peh, through which we analyze, interpret and apply that bequest to the challenges and realities of our lives. Truly then, Ashreinu!
 
May we be zocheh (merit) to witness the fulfillment of the passage we proclaim every day in the Birchot HaTorah (Ibid., p. 17): “Please, Hashem, our G-d, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouth and in the mouths of your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel — all of us, know Your Name and study Your Torah for its own sake.” V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and the entire world.

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 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Chazal’s name for the fourth book of the Torah is “Sefer HaPekudim — the Book of the Counting;” little wonder, then, that it has been given the English title, “Numbers.” The accuracy of this name becomes clear upon reading the first 46 pasukim of our parasha that focus on a detailed numerical census of our nascent nation. Throughout this presentation, the phrase, “misspar shemot — according to the number of their names,” is repeated no less than six times. This fact alone gives us pause to ponder, since there is a general exegetical principle that words and phrases are repeated in the Torah in order to emphasize their importance. In each of these instances, however, this expression does not seem to add to the verses’ essential meaning; as such, its inclusion in these pasukim conceals more than it reveals.
 
We are fortunate that the Ramban (1194-1270) tackles the singular import of misspar shemot in his Commentary on the Torah. Therein, he cites a beautiful midrash found in Bamidbar Rabbah that we no longer have in our editions:

The Holy One blessed be He said to Moshe to count the Jewish people with dignity and [with a focus on] the recognition of their inherent greatness, each person on an individual basis. Moreover, he was prohibited from saying to the head of the family, “How many are there in your family, how many sons do you have?” Instead, [said the Almighty:] “Everyone will pass before you in awe and respect and you will count them…” (Gloss on 45:1, all translations my own)
 
What exactly transpired as a result of Moshe counting everyone among the Jewish people by name? Once again, the Ramban addresses this question and adds that Aharon was an equal partner in this process:

When an individual would come before the Father of all Prophets [Moshe] and his brother, the Holy One to Hashem [Aharon], and he would become known to them by name, he would acquire great zechut — merit and [long] life, for he had entered into the sod — the ultimate sanctum of the Jewish people — and onto the [spiritual] roster of b’nai Yisrael. [Therefore,] he would henceforth enjoy the merits of the entire people as he was now counted amongst them.
 
The Ramban continues to explain how each Jew who passed before Moshe and Aharon acquired such zechut: “…for when they looked upon them for solely positive purposes, they would request mercy for them and ask that Hashem, the G-d of their fathers, should add to their descendants a thousand-fold and never diminish their numbers…” In my view, Moshe and Aharon’s tefilah was not only quantitative in nature, but qualitative as well. In other words, they prayed for both the continued numerical and spiritual growth of the Jewish people — a tefilah whose fulfillment we continue to pray each day.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, analyzes the Ramban’s interpretation of the rationale inherent in the census of our forebears, and presents the following depth-level understanding as to why it had to be performed b’ misspar shemot:

G-d’s intent was a dual one. It was not enough for Moshe to know the total number of the Jewish people. He had to perform a head count in order to get to know each person as an individual with their own background and life experience. Moshe’s additional obligation emanates from the fact that he was rabban shel Yisrael, the rebbe of the entire Jewish nation, and therefore had to know every Jew by name. It was as though G-d were telling him: “Moshe, when you pray, you will pray not for the general public, but also for every Jew in his or her moments of joy and pain.” This duality, specifically the focus on the individual, was the Ramban’s true intent. (Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David editor, page 284, underlining my own)
 
For the Rav, who throughout his many works and public lectures, continually focused on the existential trials and tribulations of the individual, misspar shemot in the thought of the Ramban emerges as a constitutive element of the entire census enterprise. Significantly, each and every Jew had a name representative of their identity, value and unique importance before Hashem.
 
May the Almighty Who knows the names of all mankind, remove the magafah from klal Yisrael, and the entire world, 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 http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The beginning of Parashat Behar focuses on the mitzvah of Shemittah:

And the L-rd spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: ‘When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest Shabbat l’Hashem — a Sabbath to the L-rd. You may sow your field for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce, but in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest Shabbat l’Hashem — a Sabbath to the L-rd; you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard…’” (Sefer Vayikra 25:1-4, this, and all Rashi and Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The phrase “Shabbat l’Hashem” appears twice in these pasukim, suggesting that it is a constitutive element of the Shemittah experience. Rashi (1040-1105) interprets our term as: “L’shame Hashem — For the sake of the L-rd, just as is stated regarding the Sabbath of Creation.” In some ways, this very terse explanation conceals far more than it reveals, as we are left to ponder how it advances our understanding of the original expression “Shabbat l’Hashem.”
 
Many of the supercommentators on Rashi’s Torah Commentary spent a great deal of time wrestling with Rashi’s interpretation. In my estimation, the Mizrachi (Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi, 1455-1525) offers the most compelling analysis. He suggests that Rashi never meant that we fulfill the laws of Shemittah “in honor of Hashem’s name and glory.” In addition, he notes that Shemittah is not for the farmer’s benefit to enable “the land to rest for a year in order to increase the power of its fertility in the coming years — a practice that was prevalent among the farmers of the time.” Instead, the Mizrachi maintains that Rashi held that the prohibition of working the Land of Israel during the Shemittah year is “sh’yiyeh sh’vitatah l’shame HaShabbat — so that the cessation of all agricultural work will be in recognition of Shabbat... [For, as we know,] Hashem rested on it [that is, Shabbat] at the time of the Creation of the world.” He reinforces his understanding of Rashi’s gloss in the following manner:

Therefore [Rashi writes], “just as is stated regarding the Sabbath of Creation,” for [in the Aseret HaDibrot] the Torah explicitly states: “But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the
L-rd, your G-d… For [in] six days the L-rd made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the L-rd blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.” (Sefer Shemot 20:10-11, all Mizrachi translations my own)
 
The Mizrachi concludes this portion of his commentary on Rashi’s statement by noting that, while it is true that Shemittah clearly refers to resting in the seventh year and Hashem’s refraining from further creative activity at the time Creation took place “on the seventh day,” nonetheless, we can rely on the Ramban’s (1194-1270) famous position that “all instances of the word ‘seven’ in the Torah are a zacher —a reference to the seventh day [Shabbat].” In sum, for the Mizrachi, the correct formula for understanding Rashi’s comment is: “Shabbat l’Hashem = l’shame Hashem = l’shame HaShabbat.”
 
As we have seen, the Mizrachi focused his exegetical skills on analyzing the phrase, “Shabbat l’Hashem,” in order to comprehend the inner meaning of the Shemittah experience. Closer to our own time, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, followed a different, but complementary approach in this quest, noting the singular import of the word “land” that appears three times in our passage:

And the L-rd spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: ‘When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest Shabbat l’Hashem — a Sabbath to the L-rd. You may sow your field for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce, but in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest Shabbat l’Hashem…
 
This emphasis generates the following incisive observation of the Rav:

The Torah speaks of a land “defiled” and of a land “resting” and observing its “sabbatical years.” The Land of Israel possesses a distinct personality. It is likened to a human being who can be defiled, can be sanctified, can rest and can be appeased. Just as a Jew observes the Sabbath once a week, the Land of Israel observes the Sabbath once every seven years. In this way the Land of Israel takes on human dimensions. (Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David editor, page 267)
 
As for the Mizrachi and the Ramban, Shemittah for the Rav is ultimately a code word for Shabbat. In this case, the Land of Israel — in all its metaphorical human dimensions — observes the Shabbat once every seven years, just as we, the Jewish people, do each and every week.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and the entire world.
 
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 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
One of the most celebrated sections of our parasha focuses on the Moadim. Its 44 pasukim comprise the 23rd chapter of Sefer Vayikra and serve as an encyclopedic presentation of the Torah’s holy days. It begins with these words: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: The L-rd’s appointed
[holy days] asher tik’re’u otam mikraei kodesh — that you shall designate as holy occasions. These are My appointed holy days.’” (23:1-2, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The Rashbam (Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, 1085-1158) examines the phrase, “asher tik’re’u otam mikraei kodesh,” and suggests the following interpretation: “asher t’zamnu otam zemani kodesh — that you [the Jewish people] should schedule these times as times of holiness.” He furthermore suggests that all uses of the term, “kriah” — “to call,” in reference to the Moadim are an expression of establishing a fixed time,” similar to the phrase in Megillat Eichah: “kara ali moed — He [Hashem] summoned an assembly…” (1:15)  In sum, for the Rashbam, our pasuk’s expression, “asher tik’re’u otam mikraei kodesh,” refers to our obligation to recognize that the mikraei kodesh are different in kind and degree from standard weekdays. As such, we, the Jewish people, must invest them with kedushah — holiness.

In his Commentary on the Torah on our pasuk, the Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) suggests several interpretations of mikraei kodesh. In this context, he cites a short statement from Midrash Sifrei, Parashat Pinchas 147: “Proclaim them [that is, let the Moadim be recognized] through food, drink and clean clothes.” He proceeds to elaborate upon this in a manner that parallels the Rashbam’s analysis:

This means that chukam — their manner of observance — in your personal behaviors should not be like the way you treat a standard weekday. Instead, you should make of [the Moadim] a mikra shel kodesh — a declaration of holiness — and change them in regards to the food and clothing [you eat and wear], from that which you [normally do] from the weekday to this holy time. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, both the Rashbam and the Ramban view the mikraei kodesh as special occasions that we must treat differently from other days of the year, in order to ensure their kedushah status. Quite simply, we, the Jewish people, must sanctify these times through our actions and behaviors in a clearly demonstratable manner, our food and clothing on these days should reflect the best that we have to offer.
 
In his Kedushat Hayom Shiur, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, utilized the term, mikraei kodesh, as a springboard to analyze the essential nature of time within Judaism:

To Judaism… time is a living entity. There is substance and essence to time. Time is not a void but a reality. One can ascribe attributes such as joyous or sad to time just as one can ascribe these attributes to people. One can refer to a day as evil, meaning that the day itself is cursed. When we refer to a holy day, we do not merely mean to signify that it is a day in which man somehow experiences holiness. The day itself has an inner endowment; a charisma hidden in its very substance… (Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Vayikra, page 180, underlining my own)
 
In these few words, the Rav advances our understanding of mikraei kodesh in a novel way. True, like the Ramban in particular, these are days in which the Jewish people experience holiness on a practical level. Yet, each of these days is more than this, for at this time, “the day itself has an inner endowment; a charisma hidden in its very substance.” In other words, we do not simply celebrate a Tuesday or Thursday as a mikra kodesh. Instead, the day is a mikra kodesh, its very essence has been altered because it is sanctified.
 
With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may we strive to recognize and fulfill the true nature of the mikraei kodesh, and celebrate them soon and in our days in the newly rebuilt Beit HaMikdash. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and the entire world.
 
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 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Yitro 10, teaches us that Torah study is comprised of three essential categories: Talmud — logical analysis, Halacha — Jewish law, and Aggadot — non-halachic expository sources. Talmud Yerushalmi, Megillah IV:I maintains that each of these were given to Moshe at Mount Sinai. The p’sak of the widely accepted posek, the Radbaz (Rabbi David ben Zimra, 1479-1573) highlights the great significance of the Aggadot:

G-d forbid that anyone would dare suggest that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi held that Aggadah is false and inessential to Jewish learning. Rather, it was given [to Moshe] from Heaven, just like the rest of the Oral Law. Moreover, just like the halachic portion of the Oral Law is based upon the 13 hermeneutic principles [of Rabbi Yishmael], the Aggadah is derived from the 36 hermeneutic principles [of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yossi HaGalili]. (Sheilot u’Teshuvot Radbaz, Section IV: 232, translation and brackets my own)
 
The following midrashic passage on Parashat Kedoshim is particularly significant in light of the halachic ruling of the Radbaz:

Another way of understanding “You will send forth Your help from Your sanctuary…” (Sefer Tehillim 20:3)  Rabbi Levi said: “All which is good, all blessings, all consolations that the Holy One blessed be He will give to the Jewish people will come solely from Zion. [This includes:] Salvation…Power…Blessings…The Shofar [of Mashiach] … Dew, Blessing and Life…Torah… Help and Heavenly Support… (Midrash Rabbah Vayikra, Parashat Kedoshim IV:4, translation and brackets my own)
 
In this midrash, Rabbi Levi supports each of his statements with a variety of pasukim from Tanach. Throughout this process, Eretz Yisrael emerges as Hashem’s unique sanctuary from which everything that is truly good will ultimately spring forth. In some ways, his presentation is a paean of praise for our beautiful and blessed land, reminiscent of the stirring words of another Rabbi Levi, namely, Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi (1075-1141), who emphasizes the eternal link that binds Eretz Yisrael to Am Yisrael and the Torah:

The land’s distinguished qualities are manifest first and foremost in the nation, which is the precious treasure and heart… The land is then aided by the deeds and laws [of the Torah] that relate to it, which are like the cultivation of the vineyard [of the Khazar king]. Ultimately, this precious nation cannot achieve Divinity anywhere else, just as the vineyard cannot successfully grow anywhere else except on [its special] mountain. (The Kuzari: In Defense of the Despised Faith, translation, Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin, page 155, with my emendations)
 
Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi’s phrase, “Ultimately, this precious nation cannot achieve Divinity anywhere else…” is powerful indeed, and echoes a celebrated statement of Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory):

Our Rabbis taught: “One should always live in the Land of Israel, even in a town wherein most of its inhabitants are idolaters, but let no one live outside the Land, even in a town wherein most of its inhabitants are Jews; for whoever lives in the Land of Israel may be considered to have a G-d, but whoever lives outside the Land may be regarded as one who has no G-d. For it is said in Scripture, ‘To give you the Land of Canaan, to be your G-d.’ (Sefer Vayikra 25:38)” (Talmud Bavli, Ketubot 110b, translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my emendations)
 
Little wonder, then, that Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi penned his famous poem, Libi b’Mizrach:

My heart is in the East, and I in the uttermost West --

How can I truly taste that which I eat? How shall it be sweet to me?

How shall I fulfill my vows and my bonds, while yet Zion lies beneath the fetter of Edom, and I in Arab chains?

A light thing would it seem to me to leave all the good things of Spain --

Seeing how precious in mine eyes to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary.
(Translation, Nina Salaman, with my emendations)
 
May the time come soon and in our days when the Mashiach will bring us to Eretz Yisrael, where we will reap its endless blessings and witness the fulfillment of the bracha: “Sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles and gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who gathers in the dispersed of His people Israel.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and the entire world.

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 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Parashat Tazria contains a pasuk (verse) that references the mitzvah of brit milah: “And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” (Sefer Vayikra 12:3, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  At first blush, there seems to be little basis for  this pasuk, since Sefer Bereishit 17:9-12 has already clearly presented many of the parameters of this mitzvah:

And G-d said to Abraham, “And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall observe between Me and between you and between your seed after you, that every male among you be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be as the sign of a covenant between Me and between you. And at the age of eight days, every male shall be circumcised to you throughout your generations…”
 
Why, then, does the Torah reiterate this commandment in our parasha? One answer to this problem is offered in a rhetorical question found in Talmud Yerushalmi, Moed Katan III:5: “L’maidin davar kodem l’matan Torah? — Is it possible to learn anything regarding normative halachic practice from Torah passages that were stated prior to receiving the Torah?” In a commentary on this statement, the Chatam Sofer zatzal (1762-1839) alerts us to the analysis of Tosafot in Talmud Bavli, Moed Katan 20a (s.v. mah chag). According to their interpretation, the Talmud Yerushalmi is clearly suggesting that we cannot learn any halachic obligations from Torah portions that preceded the Revelation at Har Sinai (Mount Sinai). Therefore, in addition to Hashem’s charge to Avraham in Sefer Bereishit, we need a restatement of the obligation of brit milah in order to transform it into an eternally binding mitzvah.

I believe that Tosafot’s interpretation clarifies why we have two brachot (blessings) during the brit milah ceremony. The first bracha, “vitzivanu al hamilah — Who has commanded us regarding the mitzvah of brit milah,” references the normative halachic status of this commandment as stated in our parasha. In contrast, the second bracha of “l’hachniso b’brito shel Avraham Avinu — to bring him [the child] into the Covenant of our Patriarch Avraham,” signifies the transhistorical connection that now obtains between the eight-day-old baby boy and all Jews for all time, as epitomized by Hashem’s words to Avraham.
In his own unique way, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, analyzes the essential nature of brit milah. In so doing, he presents his own understanding of the fundamental nature of this mitzvah, and the rationale for the dual brachot during its performance. He begins by noting a similarity between brit milah and other mitzvot, as well as a singular difference:

There are two fulfillments in the mitzvah of milah, circumcision. On the one hand, the act of circumcision is conceptually similar to many other mitzvos: there is a mitzvah to circumcise one’s son, just as there is a mitzvah to hold a lulav. On the other hand, a new status is conferred upon the person through the milah. One who takes the a lulav is the same person before and after the mitzvah — his status has not changed. After milah, however, the child becomes a ben bris, and only then can he enter the Mikdash or bring sacrifices…
 
In sum, although the mitzvah of brit milah is like any other Torah-based commandment that must be performed in congruence with the Almighty’s will, unlike most other mitzvot, it is transformative; it endows the baby boy with a completely new status, that of a ben bris who may now enjoy the rights, privileges and obligations associated with the Beit HaMikdash.

In the Rav’s view, these two ideas are given powerful voice in the two brachot associated with this mitzvah: “… The first berachah, Blessed are You…Who has commanded us concerning circumcision, refers to the act of milah. According to Rabbeinu Tam (Tosafos, Pesachim 7a), the second berachah, Who has commanded us to bring him into the covenant of Abraham our forefather, refers to the change of status resulting from the act of milah.” (Anton Holzer Notes, Mesorah Vol 15, p. 52)

Brit milah thus emerges as a category-changing mitzvah wherein the status of the baby boy is raised to that of a new halachic being, namely, a ben bris. While most mitzvot are not able to affect this type of transformation, with Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, they all can lead us to new spiritual heights and profound appreciation of His unparalleled majesty. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and the entire world.
 
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 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The eleventh chapter of Sefer Vayikra, the concluding section of our parasha, serves as a mini compendium of Hilchot Kashrut (The Laws of Kashrut). In particular, the latter verses of these halachot focus upon the prohibition of eating any “sheretz — creeping creature that crawls on the ground.” (44)  Within this context, we find the following thought-provoking pasuk (verse): “For I am the L-rd ha’ma’leh — Who has brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your G-d. Thus, you shall be holy, because I am holy.” (45, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  In his Commentary on the Torah on our pasuk, Rashi (1040-1105), in line with Talmud Bavli, Bava Metziah 61b, notes the unusual use of the word “ha’ma’leh.” Instead, “hotzati — and I took you out, is the far more frequently encountered term, as in: “I am the L-rd, your G-d, asher hotzaiticha — Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Sefer Shemot 20:2)  Why, then, does the Torah choose ha’ma’leh rather than hotzati in our pasuk?
 
Rashi suggests the following answer to our question:

…the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: [G-d says,] “If I had brought up Israel from Egypt solely so they would not defile themselves with creeping creatures like the other nations, it would have been sufficient for them, therefore, this is a ma’alee’uta — an exaltation for them [that is, this is one of the significant ways they are differentiated from the other nations of the world].” This, then, explains [the use of] the expression ha’ma’leh.
 
In sum, according to the school of Rabbi Yishmael, as cited by the Talmud and Rashi, our acceptance of the prohibition against eating sheratzim is so significant that for this, alone, we would have deserved Yetziat Mitzrayim — the Departure from Egypt, as this act is a ma’alee’uta that helps define our uniqueness as Hashem’s holy people.
 
The Sforno (1475-1550) utilizes our pasuk to lead us to a deeper understanding of kedushah (holiness) and its role in helping forge our relationship with Hashem:

And it is proper and fitting for you to undertake these efforts to sanctify yourselves and to be holy — in order to fulfill My will. For, in truth, My intention when I took you out of the land of Egypt was to enable you to apprehend this crucial concept, and in so doing I will now be your G-d without any intermediary whatsoever. Moreover, you will be holy and an eternal nation as a result of your striving to emulate Me through [the development of] your ethical characteristics and your essential principles of thought — for I am holy. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
Herein, the Sforno underscores a central theological construct of Judaism that is a corollary of our pursuit of kedushah, namely: “I will now be your G-d without any intermediary whatsoever.” While it is true that the Master of the Universe is l’ailah min kol birkata v’shirata — above and beyond all blessings and praises, He nonetheless remains ever close and accessible to us. As the Torah attests: “For what great nation is there that has G-d  krovim aluv — so near to it, as the L-rd our G-d is at all times that we call upon Him?” (Sefer Devarim 4:7)
 
We are indeed fortunate that we have this singular and intimate relationship with Hashem that is devoid of “any intermediary whatsoever.” This allows us to beseech Him from the depths of our hearts and call upon Him with the following bracha three times a day:

Hear our voice, Hashem our G-d, pity and be compassionate to us, and accept — with compassion and favor — our prayer, for G-d Who hears prayers and supplication are You. From before Yourself, our King, turn us not away empty-handed, for You hear the prayers of Your people Israel with compassion. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who hears prayer. (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur).
 
May we ever be Hashem’s holy nation and reach out to Him in fervent prayer with the certainty that we will always be heard. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and the entire world.
 
 
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 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The haftarah for Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach consists of the famous passage found in Sefer Yechezkel 37:1-14 that focuses upon the navi’s (prophet’s) vision of the “dry bones” and their subsequent techiyat hameitim — resurrection. The first three pasukim set the stage for this prophetic encounter:

The hand of the L-rd came upon me and carried me out in the spirit of the L-rd and set me down in the midst of the valley, and that was full of bones. And He made me pass by them round about, and lo! They were exceedingly many on the surface of the valley, and lo! They were exceedingly dry. Then He said to me; “Son of man, can these bones become alive?” And I answered, “O L-rd G-d, You [alone] know.” (Verses 1-3, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Our Sages differ regarding the nature of this nevuah (prophecy); does it speak of that which Yechezkel directly witnessed, or was it a mashal — a parable?

…the view that in truth [the story of the resurrection of the dry bones] was [but] a
parable… Rabbi Yehudah said: “It was truth; it was a parable.” Rabbi Nechemiah said to him: “If truth, why a parable; and if a parable, why truth?” — But [say thus]: “In the truth there was but a parable.” Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Jose the Galilean said: “The dead whom Ezekiel revived went up to Palestine, married wives and begat sons and daughters.” Rabbi Yehudah b. Bathyra rose up and said: “I am one of their descendants, and these are the tefillin which my grandfather left me [as an heirloom] from them.” (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 92b, translation, The Soncino Talmud)
 
Clearly, these sages maintain different views as to what took place during Yechezkel’s prophetic encounter. One must note that this machloket (dispute) continued long after the close of the Talmud. By way of illustration, in his Moreh HaNevuchim, the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204), in opposition to other Tanach interpreters, maintains that Yechezkel’s vision of the dry bones and their ensuing resurrection was, indeed, a mashal (II:46). Nevertheless, the general concept of techiyat hameitim is universally embraced by all classic Jewish thinkers. Little wonder, then, that the Rambam unequivocally states:

“Techiyat hameitim is a fundamental principle of the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu. There is no religion of, or connection to, the Jewish people if one does not believe in this…” (Perush HaMishnaiyot, Sanhedrin, Hakdamah l’Perek Chalek, Rabbi Yosef David Kapach edition, page 139, translation my own)  In addition, he categorizes this theological precept among his celebrated 13 Ikkarei Emunah — Principles of Faith (page 142), and codifies its singular import in the Mishneh Torah in his list of 24 types of individuals she’ain lahem chalek l’olam habah — that are denied a portion in the world to come: “The following individuals do not have a portion in the world to come. Rather, their [souls] are cut off and they are judged for their great wickedness and sins, forever...those who deny the resurrection of the dead and the coming of the [Messianic] redeemer.” (Hilchot Teshuvah, III:6, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
Due to a number of specious criticisms levelled against his formulation of techiyat hameitim, the Rambam wrote a monograph entitled, “Ma’amar Techiyat Hameitim,” to clarify his position. Therein he states: “I have explained to them that techiyat hameitim is a fundamental Torah principle that consists of chazarat hanefesh l’guf — the return of the soul to the body — and that one should not alter this concept in any manner from its direct and basic meaning.” (Rabbi Yosef David Kapach edition, page 79, this and the following translation my own)  As such, basing himself on the earlier-cited passage from Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin, the Rambam maintains:

And it appears to us from these statements, that those people whose souls will return to their bodies [will live life as we know it to be]. They will eat and drink, engage in marital relations and give birth, and ultimately die after a very long time — similar in kind to the days that will be in the times of the Mashiach. (Page 82, brackets my own)
 
In sum, the Rambam asserts techiyat hameitim, one of his 13 Ikkarei Emunah, to be an essential pillar of Torah thought. Moreover, it is to be understood at face value, namely, it literally means chazarat hanefesh l’guf, wherein those that merit this gift from Hashem will live again ba’olam hazeh — in this world.
 
May the time come soon and, in our days, when we will witness the fulfillment of the bracha recited three times daily in the weekday Shemoneh Esrai:

You are mighty forever, my L-rd; You resurrect the dead; You are powerful to save. He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall. He sustains the living with loving kindness, resurrects the dead with great mercy, supports the falling, heals the sick, releases the bound, and fulfills His trust to those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, mighty One! And who can be compared to You, King, who brings death and restores life, and causes deliverance to spring forth! You are trustworthy to revive the dead. Blessed are You L-rd, who revives the dead. (Translation, Chabad.org)
 
V'chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameach and may Hashem protect us all.
 
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 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our Haftorah contain two well-known pasukim that conclude both Sefer Malachi and the Nevi’im section of Tanach. Herein, Malachi prophesizes the eventual arrival of Eliyahu the prophet who, according to some opinions of Chazal (our Sages), foreshadows the coming of Mashiach Tzidkanu (the Righteous Messiah):

Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, v’hashiv lave avot al banim — that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, v’lave banim al avotom — and the heart of the children back through their fathers… (Sefer Malachi 3:23-24, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The phrases “v’hashiv lave avot al banim” and “v’lave banim al avotom” are difficult to understand, and one feels that they hide more than they reveal. Fortunately, in the context of a discussion of Eliyahu’s task, the Chachamim of the Mishnah suggest the following rationale for these expressions:

[Eliyahu the prophet…is coming for solely one purpose:] la’asot shalom ba’olam — to bring peace to the world. As the text states: “that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers.” (Mishnah Eduyot 8:7, translation and brackets my own)
 
The Rambam (1135-1204) expands upon this statement in a celebrated passage in the Mishneh Torah:

… a prophet will arise to inspire Israel to be upright and prepare their minds [to serve the Almighty], as the text states: “Behold, I am sending you Elijah.” He will not come to declare the pure, impure, or to declare the impure, pure. He will not dispute the lineage of those presumed to be of proper pedigree, nor will he validate the pedigree of those whose lineage is presumed blemished. Rather, la’sum shalom ba’olam — he will establish peace in the world as the text continues: “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, [and the heart of the children back through their fathers.”] (Hilchot Melachim 12:2, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger, brackets my own)
 
In sum, the Mishnah and the Rambam interpret the expression “v’hashiv lave” in our verse as la’asot or la’sum shalom ba’olam. What, however, does this mean? In his commentary on the Mishnah, Tifferet Yisrael, Rav Yisrael Lifschitz zatzal (1782-1860) examines the explicit point of focus of our pasukim, namely, fathers and sons, and determines that v’hashiv lave should be interpreted as engendering peace “between man and his fellow man.” In contrast, Rav Yom Tov Lipmann Heller zatzal (1579-1654), in his commentary on the Mishnah entitled Tosafot Yom Tov, interprets la’asot shalom ba’olam in a much wider sense: “In reality, la’asot shalom ba’olam means to make peace between the Jewish people and the other nations of the world…”

Thus far we have seen two approaches to understanding the Mishnah’s phrase, la’asot shalom ba’olam. The first is personal, whereas the second refers to peace between the Jewish people and the rest of the world. In my estimation, Eliyahu’s task can be understood in an even broader manner, namely, to bring peace to all humankind. This interpretation is in consonance with a close reading of the Rambam’s text, “la’sum shalom ba’olam — he will establish peace in the world,” an expression that suggests nothing less than universal peace. This idea was given powerful voice by Yeshayahu in one of his most celebrated prophetic visions: “…and they [the nations of the entire world] shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Sefer Yeshayahu 2:4)
 
As we say in Birkat Hamazon, “May the Merciful One send us Eliyahu the prophet — may he be remembered for good — and may he bring us good tidings, salvation, and comfort,” and may we witness true and everlasting peace, 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 http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria 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 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, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Different Jewish ethnicities have varying traditions regarding the proper way a Torah scroll should be written. Yet, vayikra — the first word of our parasha and the namesake of Sefer Vayikra — is universally written with a diminutive aleph as its final letter. In his commentary on the Torah entitled, Ba’al HaTurim, Rabbeinu Yaakov ben Asher zatzal (1270-1340) provides the following explanation as to why vayikra is written in this way:

Moshe was [simultaneously] great and humble. Therefore, he did not want to write “vayikra” (and G-d called), rather, he desired to write “vayikar” (and G-d happened to appear), which is an expression of a purely accidental meeting. By using vayikar, it would be as if Hashem spoke to him in a trance or in a dream, as the Torah states regarding Balaam. [Hashem, however, ruled against this view] and explicitly commanded Moshe to write the aleph [in order to represent his true eminence to the world.] Moshe, however, responded to Hashem— based upon his thoroughgoing humility — and told Him that he would only consent to write a miniature aleph that would be smaller than any other aleph in the Torah; and so he wrote it in this manner. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
According to Rabbeinu Yaakov’s interpretation, there was palpable tension between Hashem and Moshe, as Hashem perceived Moshe in an entirely different manner than Moshe’s view of himself. In the Almighty’s judgment, Moshe was truly great and ever His faithful servant, for with Moshe alone did He: “… speak mouth to mouth; in a [direct] vision and not in riddles.” Moreover, only Moshe, of all the prophets, was able to see marot — visions of the Almighty. (Sefer Bamidbar 12:8, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Clearly, as Moshe was different than any other human being who has ever lived, Hashem sought to give voice to this idea by writing vayikra as the first word of our parasha.
 
In stark contrast, Moshe was so humble that he described Aharon and himself as, “v’nachnu mah — of what significance are we?” (Sefer Shemot 16:7,8)  Little wonder, then, that the Torah famously teaches us, “V’ha’ish Moshe anav m’ode mi’kol ha’adam asher al p’nai ha’adamah — Now this man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more so than any person on the face of the earth.” (Sefer Bamidbar 12:3)  The last thing Moshe wanted, therefore, was to write vayikra, rather than vayikar. As such, he was faced with a true dilemma: How could he follow the command of the Master of the Universe while remaining existentially true to himself?  Moshe’s solution was an elegant compromise: He wrote vayikra with a tiny aleph as its concluding letter, thereby implementing Hashem’s p’sak (decision) while maintaining his personal integrity.
 
Anivut (humility) unmistakably emerges as one of the driving forces of Moshe’s personality. Based upon a variety of midrashic sources, it appears that this middah (ethical characteristic) was woven into his very being. Most of us, however, need to work at developing this middah. We are fortunate that the Ramban (1194-1270) gives us ready guidance as to how to undertake this process:

Therefore, I will now explain to you how to always behave humbly. Speak gently at all times… with your heart focusing on Hashem… In all your actions, words and thoughts, always regard yourself as standing before Hashem, with His Schechinah [Divine Presence] above you, for His glory fills the whole world. Speak with fear and awe, as a servant standing before his master. Act with restraint in front of everyone. When someone calls you, don’t answer loudly, but gently and softly, as one who stands before his master. (Iggeret HaRamban, translation, with my emendations, http://www.pirchei.com/specials/ramban/ramban.htm, brackets and italics my own)
 
Two salient points emerge in this section of the Iggeret HaRamban that guide us toward the acquisition of anivut: Our encounters with others should embody respect, and our minds and hearts should be focused upon Hashem with the conscious recognition that we ever stand before His Divine Presence.

With the Almighty’s help and our fervent desire, as we follow the Ramban’s roadmap for acquiring anivut, may we fulfill the verse, “And you shall do what is proper and good in the eyes of the L-rd” (Sefer Devarim 6:18).  In so doing, may we choose the path that is “harmonious for the one who does it, and harmonious for all humankind.” (Pirkei Avot II:1)  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 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 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.