​
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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 opening phrase of our parasha, “you shall appoint judges (shoftim) and bailiffs (shotrim) for yourself (lecha) in all your gates that Hashem, your G-d, is giving you,” has been interpreted in multiple ways by our Sages. In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) explains these words in their classic juridical sense: “Shoftim are judges who decide the verdict, and shotrim are those who chastise the people in compliance with their order.” (Translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  This approach is followed, as well, by the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204):

It is a positive Scriptural commandment to appoint judges and bailiffs in every city and in every region, as the Torah states: “you shall appoint shoftim and shotrim for yourself (lecha) in all your gates that Hashem, your G-d, is giving you.” “Shoftim” refers to magistrates whose attendance is fixed in court before whom the litigants appear. “Shotrim” refers to those …who stand before the judges and patrol the marketplaces and the streets to inspect the stores and to regulate the prices and the measures [in accord with the orders of the court]. (Mishneh Torah, Sefer Shoftim, Hilchot Sanhedrin 1:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger, brackets my own)
 
Both Rashi and the Rambam focus upon the meaning of the terms shoftim and shotrim. Defining them in a practical manner is a constitutive element of establishing a functioning judicial system. In contrast, in his classic work, Toldot Ya’akov Yosef, the great Chasidic rebbe, Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef HaKohen of Polonne (1710-1784), analyzes our phrase in a decidedly homiletic manner, placing particular emphasis upon the word, “lecha.” In so doing, he interprets our phrase as delineating the obligation of every Jew to undergo cheshbon hanefesh (introspective self-analysis), and to use this newfound understanding when judging others:

[To what does] “lecha” refer [?] — to yourself (l’atzmecha). Before anything else, judge yourself, remedy yourself [that is, your own errors] first, [before you find fault in others.] Moreover, in the same manner that you judge yourself, you should judge others. You should not be easy on yourself and tough on others. Then, too, you should not rationalize your behaviors, while at the same time act with exactitude to a measure of a hairsbreadth with others, and thereby require of them what you do not demand of yourself. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
This passage is highly reminiscent of Yehoshua ben Perachia’s statement in Pirkei Avot 6:1: “And judge every person on the side of merit.” Rabbeinu Yonah (1200-1263), in his Commentary on Pirkei Avot, explains this approach toward others:
​
This refers to a person whose nature is unknown to us as to whether they are a righteous (tzaddik) or evil individual (rasha). And if we [come] to realize that this being is [like most of us], someone in the middle (beinoni) [neither wholly good or evil], who sometimes acts negatively and sometimes acts positively, then if they do something wherein we could judge their action to be one of guilt or one of merit — even if at first glance they appear guilty — if there is any way to judge them in a positive manner we should do so, and say that they [always] intended to do good. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
Rabbeinu Yonah’s words are a “game changer” for our time; and particularly apropos for Chodesh Elul. In a world rife with the kind of sinat chinam (groundless hatred) that destroyed the Beit HaMikdash, they contain wisdom that should be publicized, discussed, and analyzed in every shul, beit midrash, yeshiva, and Jewish neighborhood. With Hashem’s help, may we hear his profound message, endeavor to judge people “on the side of merit,” and thereby become better people tomorrow than we are today. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world. 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email 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: The Rav zatzal
 

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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.
 
Our parasha contains a pasuk that summarizes the nature of a life dedicated to serving Hashem: “Keep and hearken to all these words that I command you, that it may benefit you and your children after you, forever, when you do what is good (tov) and proper (yashar) in the eyes of the L-rd, your G-d.” (Sefer Devarim 12:28, this and all Bible translations, The Judaic Press Complete Tanach)  A straightforward reading of this pasuk spotlights two words, tov and yashar. A fundamental principle of Torah exegesis is the concept of verbal non-redundancy. Therefore, since the Torah utilizes two different terms, they must definitionally connote two distinct meanings. We find this approach in the Sifrei, the halachic midrash to Sefer Devarim:

“… when you do what is good and proper in the eyes of the L-rd, your G-d.” Rabbi Akiva interpreted this phrase in this manner: The good (tov) in the eyes of Heaven, and that which is proper (yashar) in the eyes of man… Rabbi Yishmael said: “That which is proper (yashar) in the eyes of Heaven, and the good (tov) in the eyes of man.” (Translation and underlining my own)
 
Intriguingly, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael take polar opposite positions: Rabbi Akiva states that tov refers to “the eyes of Heaven,” whereas yashar refers to the “eyes of man.” In contrast, Rabbi Yishmael opines that tov refers to the “eyes of man,” and yashar refers to the “eyes of Heaven.”
 
Rabbi Yishmael’s interpretation initially appears to be the more compelling, since cognate Biblical texts that employ the term “yashar” most often refer to the Almighty (“in the eyes of Heaven”). As such, the explicit referent for our term in Sefer Devarim 12:24, 13:19, and 21:8, is “in the eyes of G-d.” If so, why did Rabbi Akiva interpret yashar as referring to man, and tov as referring to Hashem? 
 
I believe that the Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel,1809-1879) provides a convincing case for the conceptual cogency of Rabbi Akiva’s analysis:
​
Tov is exceedingly relevant regarding commandments between man and Hashem, as we do not perform them based upon their perceived righteousness, rather, we fulfill them because of the Divine Wisdom (chachmah haeloyonah)… In addition, man is incapable of ascertaining on his own what is good and what is evil, as this can only be done through the study of Divine Wisdom and Hashem’s Torah… In contrast, commandments between man and his fellow man, whose propriety are manifestly evident to one and all, rightfully deserve the appellation of yashar, since man can apprehend them through his own intellectual gifts. (Translation my own)
 
The Malbim provides us with a solid assessment of Rabbi Akiva’s understanding of tov and yashar: Tov refers to matters of G-d’s Divine Wisdom, whereas yashar is based upon humanly perceivable moral actions.
 
In my estimation, Michah the prophet offers further proof for understanding tov as Divine Wisdom: “He has told you, O man, what is good (tov), and what the L-rd demands of you; but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your G-d.” (Sefer Michah 6:8) In Michah’s view, Hashem alone is He who determines that which is authentically good. 
 
May each of us seek to do that which is tov and yashar in Hashem’s eyes, and in those of our fellow man. With Michah’s stirring words as our guiding light, may we strive to act with justice and loving-kindness, and walk ever humbly with our Creator. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world. 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email 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: The Rav zatzal
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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.
 
Our parasha contains a phrase, familiar to many, that is found in the first blessing (Birkat Avot) of the Shemoneh Esrei: “He is the great (hagadol), mighty (hagibor) and awesome (v’hanorah) G-d (A-le).” (Sefer Devarim 10:17, translation, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan zatzal, The Living Torah)  If it is acceptable to declare, “HaA-le hagadol hagibor v’hanorah,” one might think it is permissible to add other descriptions of the Almighty during the recitation of the Shemoneh Esrei. This approach was undertaken by an anonymous shaliach tzibbur, who, to his surprise, was strongly criticized by Rabbi Chanina bar Chama, as recounted in Talmud Bavli, Berachot 33b: 

A certain [reader] went down in the presence of Rabbi Chanina and said, “O’ G-d, the great hagadol, hagibor, v’hanorah, majestic, powerful, awe-filled, strong, fearless, sure and honored.” He waited until he had finished, and when he completed [his prayer] he said to him, “Have you concluded all the praise of your Master? Why do we want all this?” (Translation, The Soncino Talmud with my emendations)
 
Rabbi Chanina summarily rejected the shaliach tzibbur’s seven personal additions, asking him the rhetorical question, “Have you concluded all the praise of your Master? Why do we want all this?” Moreover, in the continuation of our Talmudic passage, Rabbi Chanina further teaches us that even our phrase, “HaA-le hagadol hagibor v’hanorah,” would not have been included in the Shemoneh Esrei by the Anshei Kenneset HaGadolah (Men of the Great Assembly), “had not Moshe Rabbeinu mentioned them in the Torah.”
 
The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) codified this position of the Gemara: 
​
A person should not be profuse in his mention of adjectives describing G-d, and say: “The great, mighty, awesome, powerful, courageous, and strong G-d,” for it is impossible for man to express the totality of His praises. Instead, one should mention [only] the praises that were mentioned by Moshe, of blessed memory.” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot TefilahIX:7, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
The Rambam’s reasoning as to why one is proscribed from adding new descriptions of Hashem in the Shemoneh Esreiis clear: “for it is impossible for man to express the totality of His praises.” Quite simply, finite man is incapable of properly depicting the majesty and greatness of the Almighty. Therefore, our praises must be limited to the Torah’s own words, no matter how language-adept we may be.
 
Both Rabbi Chanina’s position and the Rambam’s p’sak din (halachic conclusion) were anticipated by Dovid HaMelech in Sefer Tehillim 106:2: “Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the L-rd? [Who] can make heard all His praise?” As Rabbeinu Ibn Ezra (1092-1167) explains in his commentary on Sefer Tehillim: “[Dovid HaMelech] provides us with the rationale as to why we laud Hashem, even though no one has the ability to [accurately] praise His mighty deeds and make known His true degree of greatness, but rather, only a portion thereof.” Closer to our own time, the Malbim’s (1809-1879) gloss on this verse, as found in his commentary on Sefer Tehillim, echoes this interpretation by emphasizing our inability to apprehend Hashem’s essence and the magnitude of His grandeur: “This means we praise Hashem because He is wholly good and His kindness is forever, and not He, Himself [as His essence eludes us], since it is impossible to speak of His mighty deeds m’tzad atzmam (as they are in reality).” (Translations my own)  
 
With Hashem’s endless beneficience, may we be zocheh (merit) to grow ever closer to Him. May we realize His goodnesss and recognize that His kindness endures, forevermore. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world. 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email 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: The Rav zatzal
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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.
 
This week’s haftarah is the single most longed-for haftarah of the entire year. Until now, the Three Weeks and Tisha b’Av have forced us to focus upon the trials and tribulations of our nation’s history. Suddenly, Tisha b’Av ends and we are greeted with Yeshayahu’s proclamation of comfort: “Nachamu nachamu ami yomar Elokeichem” (Sefer Yeshayahu 40:1, “Console console My people says your G-d,” this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) The world returns to its normal rhythms, and we are no longer preoccupied with the dire times of Jewish history. Our national aveilut (mourning) ceases, at last.
 
Yet, what kind of nechama (consolation) has really been achieved? The Beit HaMikdash remains in ruins, anti-Semitism, both in the United States and the rest of the world, grows ever stronger, and Israel is continually reviled in many “halls of justice” throughout the world. Paradoxically, I believe that a powerful response to this question is contained in Megillat Eicha, itself, the megillah of Tisha b’Av that concerns itself with unspeakable tragedy: “This I reply to my heart; therefore, I have hope. Verily, the kindnesses of the 
L-rd (chasdai Hashem) never cease! Indeed, His mercies (rachamov) never fail! They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The L-rd is my portion,’ says my soul; ‘therefore, I will hope in Him.’” (3:21-24)
 
In the midst of some of the most horrific prophecies ever uttered, Yirmiyahu (Talmud Bavli, Bava Batra 15a) is teaching us a fundamental lesson of faith and hope: “… the kindnesses of the L-rd never cease! Indeed, His mercies never fail! They are new every morning…” No matter what we may encounter in our lives, we must ever remember that “the darkest hour is just before the dawn.” (Thomas Fuller, A Pisgah - Sight of Palestine And The Confines Thereof, 1650)  Yirmiyahu is reminding us that we must search ceaselessly for Hashem’s chasadim and rachamim, with the expectation that they will be found. Little wonder, then, that in the very next pasuk in Megillat Eicha he declares: “The L-rd is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him.” 
 
Yeshayahu joins Yirmiyahu in urging us to seek out Hashem’s presence. In one of his most famous pasukim he exhorts us: “Dirshu Hashem b’hematzo, k’ra’uhu bi’yoto karov” (“Seek the L-rd where He is found, call Him when He is near,” 55:6)  Yet, where, exactly, is Hashem to be found? The Kotzker rebbe zatzal (1787-1859) addresses this question directly in one of his best-known aphorisms: “Where is G‑d? Wherever He is allowed in!” This is a profound idea. It inspires us to allow Hashem into every part of our lives, no matter where we may be, so that we may find Him. As stated by the Kotzker on another occasion: “He who doesn’t see G-d everywhere, isn’t capable of seeing Him anywhere.” (Kotzker quotations, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4287676/jewish/48-Wise-and-Deep-Sayings-of-Rabbi-Menachem-Mendel-of-Kotzk.htm) 
 
Armed with this enhanced understanding of our haftarah’s pasuk, “The L-rd is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him,” may we go forward with the discernment and heartfelt dedication to ever seek Hashem’s ineffable presence. As Dovid HaMelech said so long ago: “Shiviti Hashem l’negdi tamid” (“I have placed the L-rd before me constantly,” Sefer Tehillim 16:8)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world. 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email 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: The Rav zatzal

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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.
 
This week’s haftorah, “Chazon Yeshayahu,” includes the first 29 pasukim of Sefer Yeshayahu. While many of these verses are fascinating and a treasure trove of Jewish thought, I find the final pasuk particularly intriguing: “Zion shall be redeemed through justice (mishpat) and her penitent, bitzdakah.” (This and all Tanach translations, unless otherwise noted, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Bitzdakah is a conjunction of the letter bet, with the connotation in our verse of “in” or “through,” and the word tzedakah. In turn, tzedakah may be interpreted as righteousness or charity, and, as we will see, these approaches are followed by various Rabbinic authorities.
 
In the view of Rabbi Yosef Kra ben Shimon zatzal (1065-1135), who is considered one of the leading interpreters of Nach (Navi’im u’Ketuvim), “bitzdakah” in our pasuk must be understood as referring to righteous behavior, as it is in proximity to the word, “mishpat:”

And you must know that in every instance that you find the word, “tzedakah,” in proximity to “mishpat,” it does not refer to the giving of money [to the poor,] rather, it is an expression of the rendering of true judgment. So, too, do we find [in reference to Avraham Avinu,] “la’asot tzedakah u’mishpat” (“to perform righteousness and justice,” Sefer Bereishit 18:19), [and regarding Dovid HaMelech:] “va’ye’hi Dovid oseh mishpat u’tzdakah l’chol amo” (“and David performed justice and righteousness for all his people,” Sefer Shmuel II: 8:15, translations and brackets my own)
 
Based upon this analysis, Rav Kra would translate our pasuk as: “Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent in righteousness.”
 
An alternative approach is found in Talmud Bavli, wherein Ula follows the standard meaning of tzedakah and declares: “Yerushalayim will not be redeemed except through tzedakah, as the text states: ‘Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent through tzedakah.’” (Shabbat 139a and Sanhedrin 98a)  Since Rashi (1040-1105) does not comment on the meaning of tzedakah in these passages, we may readily assume that he understands it in its normative sense, in consonance with the positions of the Rambam (1135-1204) and the Maharsha (1555-1631:

…The throne of Israel will not be established, nor will the true faith stand except through charity, as the text states: “You shall be established through righteousness.” (Sefer Yeshayahu 54:14) And Israel will be redeemed solely through charity, as the text states: “Zion will be redeemed through judgment and those who return to her through charity.” (Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Sefer Zerayim, Matnot Aniyim 10:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
[When the text in Sefer Yeshayahu states: “Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent bitzdakah,” tzedakah actually means] “according to the merit of [the mitzvah of] tzedakah that will exist in that generation.” This is the case, since one who gives of his money, and gives away that which is his to others, will certainly not steal from others. And through this merit, [authentic] judgment will return to Yerushalayim… (Maharsha, Chidushei Aggadot, Sanhedrin 98a, translation and brackets my own)
 
In many ways, the interpretation of tzedakah in our pasuk as charity, and the emphasis of the Rambam and Maharsha upon its singular import, is congruent with a celebrated statement in Talmud Bavli, Bava Batra 9a: “Rav Assi said: ‘Tzedakah is the equivalent of all the mitzvot of the Torah.’” Little wonder, then, that the Rambam ruled at the beginning of the above-cited passage: “We are obligated to be careful with regard to the mitzvah of charity to a greater extent than all [other] positive commandments…”
 
Whether we follow Rabbi Yosef Kra ben Shimon’s lead and interpret tzedakah as righteous actions, or take this term at face value as referring to charity, as do Ula, the Rambam and the Maharsha, the message is clear. Yeshayahu is teaching us that we must be cognizant of our behavior toward others, and act with equity towards all humankind. Through the merit of attaining these often-elusive goals, may we witness our people’s return to Eretz Yisrael and the redemption of Tzion, soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email 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: The Rav zatzal

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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 Masei presents a puzzling array of places where our forebears traveled on their circuitous journey from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael. Rashi (1040-1105) famously asks the question that in all likelihood has been on the mind of every serious Torah student since time immemorial: “Why were these journeys written [in the Torah text]?” He suggests that the Torah provides us with this long and detailed list “to make known the loving acts of the Omnipresent One” (l’hodiyah chasadov shel Makkom). How is this the case? As Rashi states:

…that although He had decreed against them to make them move about and wander in the wilderness, you should not think that they wandered and moved about without cessation from one station to another station all the forty years, and that they had no rest, for you see that there are here only forty-two stages… [Rashi now presents an elaborate case to prove the following statement:] It follows that during the whole of the thirty-eight years they made only twenty journeys. This is excerpted from the work of R. Moses the Preacher. (Translation, Rev. M. Rosenbaum and Dr. A.M. Silberman, Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos, Haphtaroth, and Rashi’s Commentary, Numbers 33:1)
 
Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zatzal (1933-2015) summarizes Rashi’s gloss in these words:

“That is to say, the journeys were recorded in order to show the kindness of the Holy One blessed be He, for He did not force them to travel during the entire 40 years, but rather, only 20 times.” (Yeshivat Har Etzion, Sichot Roshei HaYeshivah, Parashat Masei, Erev Shabbat, 1990, summarized by Rabbi Tzvi Reiman, 1994, translation my own)

While Rashi focuses upon Hashem’s kindness in limiting our nations’ travels during their time in the Sinai Desert, the Rambam (1135-1204) has a very different perspective as to why the Torah spends 39 verses detailing every journey our ancestors undertook:

Of this kind [of narrative that appears superfluous] is the enumeration of the stations [of the Israelites in the wilderness]. At first sight it appears to be entirely useless; but in order to obviate such a notion Scripture says, “And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the L-rd.” (Numbers 33:2). It was indeed most necessary that these should be written. For miracles are only convincing to those who witnessed them; whilst coming generations, who know them only from the account given by others, may consider them as untrue. But miracles cannot continue and last for all generations; it is even inconceivable [that they should be permanent]. Now the greatest of the miracles described in the Law is the stay of the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years, with a daily supply of manna…All these miracles were wonderful, public, and witnessed by the people. But G-d knew that in the future people might doubt the correctness of the account of these miracles. in the same manner as they doubt the accuracy of other narratives; they might think that the Israelites stayed in the wilderness in a place not far from inhabited land, where it was possible for man to live [in the ordinary way] … In order to remove all these doubts and to firmly establish the accuracy of the account of these miracles, Scripture enumerates all the stations, so that coming generations may see them, and learn the greatness of the miracle which enabled human beings to live in those places forty years. (The Guide for the Perplexed, III:50, translation, M. Friedlander, pp. 382-383, underlining my own)
 
According to the Rambam, the Torah provides us with a comprehensive listing of the travels of the Dor HaMidbar (Generation of the Desert) to underscore the authenticity of the multifaceted miracles of their survival in the incredibly hostile environment of the Sinai Desert, “so that coming generations may see them, and learn the greatness of the miracle which enabled human beings to live in those places forty years.” Though, “all these miracles were wonderful, public, and witnessed by the people…G-d knew that in the future people might doubt the correctness of the account of these miracles. in the same manner as they doubt the accuracy of other narratives.” The Torah’s comprehensive account of these travels, therefore, comes to prove their extraordinary nature. Moreover, it illustrates the Almighty’s role as He Who performs ongoing miracles for b’nai Yisrael.

In the Modim section of our Shemoneh Esrei, the Anshei Kenesset HaGadolah (Men of the Great Assembly, circa 500 BCE) gave powerful voice to this concept of Hashem as He Who performs ongoing miracles for b’nai Yisrael:
​
We thankfully acknowledge that You are the L-rd our G-d and G-d of our fathers forever. You are the strength of our life, the shield of our salvation in every generation. We will give thanks to You and recount Your praise, evening, morning, and noon, for our lives which are committed into Your hand, for our souls which are entrusted to You, for Your miracles which are with us daily, and for Your continual wonders and beneficences. You are the Beneficent One, for Your mercies never cease; the Merciful One, for Your kindnesses never end; for we always place our hope in You. (Translation, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/867674/jewish/Translation.htm)
 
With Hashem’s help, and our fervent desire, may we ever acknowledge His immanent role in our existence, and recognize the daily wonders and miracles He performs for us on the journey we call “life.” V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email 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: The Rav zatzal

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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.
 
Both Parashat Korach and our parasha contain an unusual name of the Almighty:

They [Moshe and Aharon] fell on their faces and said, “O G-d, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh (Elokei haruchot l’kol basar) if one man sins, shall You be angry with the whole congregation?” (Sefer Bamidbar 16:22)
 
Let the L-rd, the G-d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the L-rd will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” (Sefer Bamidbar 27:16-17, these, and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
In Parashat Korach, Rashi (1040-1105) explains Elokei haruchot l’kol basar as, “He Who knows all thoughts…before You all thoughts are revealed,” and in our parasha, he suggests that just like Hashem knows the unique nature of each and every individual in the world, so, too, should He appoint a leader who will emulate Him in this regard and thereby be able to tolerate the idiosyncrasies of each member of the Jewish people. While both explanations present the concept of Hashem’s total knowledge of the innermost thoughts of humankind, the second one stresses the notion that Moshe’s forthcoming replacement must also have this quality, albeit, on the human level.
 
In his Torah commentary, Maor v’Shemesh, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein (1753-1825) raises a fundamental question regarding Moshe’s request concerning the nature of the leader Hashem should appoint following his impending demise:

It is fitting to focus quite clearly upon Moshe’s underlying reason for giving advice to the Holy One blessed be He regarding the need to appoint an individual over the congregation. Behold, He, may His Name be blessed, runs all the worlds, therefore, how is it possible for one born of a woman [that is, a mortal being] to give advice to the King of the Universe as to how He ought to lead His congregation? (This, and the following translations my own)
 
If we are to understand the rationale of Moshe’s appeal to the Almighty, Rav Epstein suggests we must focus upon the celebrated midrashic statement found in Talmud Bavli, Baba Batra 75a: “The Elders of that generation [who witnessed the transition from Moshe to Yehoshua, Rashi] declared: ‘Moshe’s face was like the face of the sun, and Yehoshua’s face was like the face of the moon.’” In simple terms, this means that Moshe was the earthly source of Torah, whereas Yehoshua, like the moon, reflected the Torah he had learned from Moshe. Rav Epstein maintains that this concept serves as a prologue to the second part of Moshe’s request concerning the future leader of the Jewish people, “who will lead them out and bring them in (asher yatze lifneihem v’asher yavo lifneihem).” The first Hebrew letters of this phrase have the gematria (numerical equivalent) of 87, the exact same numerical value of the Hebrew word, levanah (moon). In other words, Moshe requested that the next leader of klal Yisrael should be the human equivalent of the moon and, as such, reflect his [Moshe’s] Torah, rather than being another sun as he had been.
 
Rav Epstein asserts that Moshe entreated Hashem to choose a leader of this kind precisely because the Jewish people had complained against him time and time again, even though they recognized his unparalleled status as Hashem’s greatest prophet. Ironically, it was Moshe’s unique prominence that prevented our nation from properly following him:

But this matter is to be understood in this manner: Based upon the degree of intellectual achievement and holiness that Moshe had achieved, to the point that he had reached heights higher than all other created beings, and that he was the chosen one among all whom Hashem had formed and thereby went up to Heaven itself and acquired the Torah from a place that was exalted and loftier than anything in Creation, … the members of his generations were unable to [properly] apprehend his intellect…and, therefore, [often] erred in their interpretation of his statements. (This, and the following translations and brackets my own)
 
For Rav Epstein, since Moshe understood his people so profoundly, he realized that they needed a different kind of leader to replace him: “Someone whose intellect was congruent with theirs, and someone whom they would, therefore, be able to accept. [Crucially], such an individual would allow them to choose the proper manner of serving Hashem based upon their [normative] intellectual capabilities.” In the pasuk following Moshe’s request, we find that Hashem concurred with him: “The L-rd said to Moshe, ‘Take for yourself Yehoshua the son of Nun, a man of spirit, and you shall lay your hand upon him.’” (27:18)  As Sefer Yehoshua later attests, Yehoshua had, indeed, been the perfect choice: “And Yisrael served the L-rd all the days of Yehoshua, and all the days of the Elders that outlived Yehoshua, and who had known all the works of the L-rd, that He had done for Yisrael.” (24:31)
 
May the time come soon, and in our days, when we will once again have a leader who will be accepted by our entire nation and will teach us how to serve the Almighty with true heartfelt love and devotion. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email 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, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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.
 
Balak, King of Moab, is the namesake of our parasha. He believed that his country was existentially threatened by the fledgling Jewish nation and consequently sought to annihilate us before we could become any stronger. He, therefore, hired the infamous and powerful sorcerer, Bilam, to curse klal Yisrael in an attempt to achieve this malevolent goal.
 
In many ways, Bilam, rather than Balak, is the protagonist of our sidra, since his behavior and prophecies are its main focal points. Bilam was a complex person who, at various points in his life, was more than the unsavory individual depicted in our parasha. Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 106a gives us an insight into the evolution of his persona:

“And Bilam the son of Beor, the sorcerer...”  Sorcerer? He [Bilam] was a prophet! Rabbi Yochanan said: “At first he was a prophet (navi), and in the end, a sorcerer (kosame).” (Sefer Yehoshua 13:22, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Rashi (1040-1105) explains the phrase, “and in the end, a sorcerer,” as referring to the time period wherein Bilam committed himself to cursing b’nai Yisrael, “for at that time, prophecy was removed from him, and he henceforth became a [mere] sorcerer.” (Translation my own)  This helps us understand Bilam’s transition from navi to kosame; yet, what kind of navi was he? How did he compare to the prophets of our people and, in particular, Moshe Rabbeinu? Given his ignoble end, we might be tempted to assume his prophetic experiences were on a very low level. However, according to various midrashim, nothing could be further from the truth:

Bilam had three characteristics (middot) that Moshe lacked: He knew Who was speaking to him, he knew when the Holy One blessed be He was going to speak to him, and he could speak with Him whenever he so desired. (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 14:20)
 
There were three things that made Bilam greater than Moshe: He could look upon the Shechinah (Hashem’s Divine Presence), he could join himself to the Shechinah, and he could immediately open his eyes and speak [at will] with the Shechinah. (Midrash Aggadah 24:17, translations and underling my own)
 
Based upon the metrics of these midrashim, Bilam’s prophetic encounters with the Shechinah surpassed even those of Moshe Rabbeinu. While noting this, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (“the Rav,” 1903-1993) emphasizes three additional differences between their prophecies:

The prophecy of Balaam differs from that of Moses in the use of mellifluous language, metaphor, and panoramic vision of the end of days. Who can compare to Balaam in his polished and elegant speech? His words were even integrated into the Musaf prayer of Rosh Hashanah: He does not look at evil in Jacob and has seen no perversity in Israel; the Lord, his God, is with him, and he has the King’s friendship (23:21). When a Jew enters the synagogue each morning, he recites a verse of Balaam’s prophecy: How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! The wording of Balaam’s prophecy was majestic. (Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Bamidbar: with Commentary Based Upon the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Dr. Arnold Lustiger, editor, page 193, underlining my own)
 
Clearly, for the Rav, “the wording of Balaam’s prophecy was majestic,” and its vision inspiring. Notwithstanding, Bilam has been viewed as a reprehensible figure. Rav Soloveitchik suggests this is because he was not anchored to absolute principles and values:
​
What is more important — a disciplined life, ruled by ethical laws, or a foggy mystical experience, devoid of any impact of the religious norm? It is clear that the former is far better, even if the experience of God in such a life is more remote… Balaam was close to God and was still a satanic figure … The religious norm provides a fulcrum for one’s life. Such a fulcrum is to be greatly preferred to living one’s life in a subjective religious fog. (Lectures on Guide of the Perplexed, pp. 212-213)
 
Bilam emerges as a fractured being. Although he reached the highest heights of prophecy and mystical experience, he lived a completely undisciplined life devoid of both ethical laws and religious norms. Therefore, as great as his spiritual experiences truly were, they could not save him from being remembered for all time as a satanic figure and the personification of evil.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the 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, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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.
 
One of the many topics presented in our parasha is the passing of Miriam:

The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. The congregation had no water; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. (Sefer Bamidbar 20:1-2, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining my own)
 
The juxtaposition of the phrases “Miriam died there and was buried there,” and “the congregation had no water …,” is intriguing. Talmud Bavli, Ta’anit 9a suggests the following rationale for this linkage:

R. Jose the son of R. Judah says: “Three good leaders had arisen for Israel, namely. Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, and for their sake three good things were conferred [upon Israel], namely, the Well, the Pillar of Cloud and the Manna; the Well, for the merit of Miriam; the Pillar of Cloud for the merit of Aharon; the Manna for the merit of Moshe. When Miriam died the well disappeared, as it is said, And Miriam died there, and immediately follows [the verse], And there was no water for the congregation; and it returned for the merit of the [latter] two [that is, Moshes and Aharon].” (This, and all Talmud translations, The Soncino Talmud, underlining my own)

According to the Gemara, the well that accompanied the Jewish people throughout their 40 years of wandering in the dessert was b’zechut Miriam (in the merit of Miriam). Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself on this idea, therefore explains: “had no water: From here [we learn that] all forty years they had the well in Miriam’s merit.”
 
Two other major sources, however, unequivocally state that the well was not b’zechut Miriam but rather, b’zechut Avraham. The first dissenting view, also from Talmud Bavli, discusses three of Avraham’s actions that he performed for the wayfarers (that is, the angels) in the beginning of Parashat Vayera:
 
… the School of Ishmael taught likewise: As a reward for three things [done by Avraham] they [his descendants] obtained three things. Thus: As a reward for, “[and he took] butter and milk,” they received the manna; as a reward for, “And he stood by them, they received the pillar of cloud;” as a reward for, “let a little water, I pray you, be fetched,” they were granted Miriam’s well. (Talmud Bavli, Baba Metzia 86b)

The contradiction between this passage and Talmud Bavli Ta’a’nit 9a, was addressed by the Maharsha (Rabbeinu Shmuel Eliezer Ben-Yehudah Halevi Edels,1555-1631) in his interpretation of our passage:

One needs to be exact in their analysis: In the first chapter of Ta’a’nit our Sages said that the manna was in the merit of Moshe, the Well was in the merit of Miriam, and the Pillar of Cloud was in the merit of Aharon. From that source we have a fundamental contradiction: “Why was the Well called the Well of Miriam?” [if it was in Avraham’s merit?] One can answer this in the following manner: Based upon the merit of Avraham the Jewish people would have deserved all of these gifts for but a short period of time. Once, however, [Hashem added] the merits of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam [to these wonders and miracles,] the manna, the Pillar of Cloud, and the Well lasted for a very long time, namely, the 40 years [the Jewish people wandered in the desert]. Therefore, when Aharon passed away the Pillar of Cloud ceased, when Miriam died the Well departed, and when Moshe expired the manna was no more. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
According to the Maharsha, even though the well came into existence because of Avraham’s numerous acts of kindness toward the angels, it is forever known as the Well of Miriam, since it was on account of her merit that it remained with our people during their desert wanderings.
 
The second source in opposition to Talmud Bavli Ta’a’nit 9a is that of Midrash Bereishit Rabbah ‘48:10. Once again, the Well is viewed as having been created in Avraham’s merit:

“Please take now a small amount of water”: Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Simai: “The Holy One blessed be He said to Avraham: ‘You have said: “Please take now a small amount of water,’” I hereby swear to you that I will repay your children in the desert, in their habitation, and in the Messianic future [for your act of kindness]. Thus, the Torah states [in reference to the Well]: “Then Israel sang this song: Ascend, O’ well sing to it!” This was the case in the desert… (Translation and brackets my own)
 
The difference that obtains between this Midrashic source and our Talmudic passage in Talmud Bavli Ta’a’nit 9a is directly addressed by the Shem Mishmuel (Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain (1855–1926). He notes that the link between the well and Avraham Avinu was explicitly noted by Dovid HaMelech: “He opened a rock and water flowed; in the desert ran rivers. For He remembered His holy word with Avraham His servant.” (Sefer Tehillim 105:41-42)  Why, then, is the well linked to the merits of Miriam, rather than Avraham? The Shem Mishmuel suggests the following:

…the physical aspect and hardness of the rock [that traveled with our people in the desert] becoming softened and transformed into sponge-like matter, and like a pool of water, was a result of Avraham’s merit when he declared to the wayfarers to “Please take now a small amount of water and wash your feet” in order to purify them from the filth of idol worship … The rock, however, becoming a source that acted as a spring replete with flowing waters — this was b’zechut Miriam, since in her very nature she longed to connect to her Father in Heaven, from the earth to the celestial heights, just as a spring flows [from the depths of the earth to the surface] … (Translation and brackets my own)
 
According to the Shem Mishmuel, Miriam emerges as a spiritual giant with an indomitable will, wholly dedicated to serving the Master of the Universe. Hence, while Avraham’s zechut was the source of the rock’s physical transformation, Miriam’s zechut was responsible for its continuous flow of water throughout the 40 years of our people’s desert journey. It is, therefore, known until today as the Well of Miriam.
 
My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993, known as “the Rav” by his students and followers) further expands upon the greatness of Miriam:

Miriam is responsible for the emergence of Moses as a leader and redeemer of his people. If not for her, he would never have been imbued with great passionate love for his poor brethren. She suggested to the princess that a Hebrew wet-nurse be employed for the infant, preventing Moses from disappearing in anonymity and ignorance. (Family Redeemed: Essays on Family Relationships, page 118)
 
For the Rav, Miriam was ultimately responsible for Moshe becoming Moshe Rabbeinu and the leader and redeemer of our people. As such, the Exodus did begin with Moshe, but rather, was a process that began before him: “The consummation, the full realization [of Yetziat Mitzrayim] happened through Moshe, but the Jewish consciousness, the Jewish emunah, the faith in the promise of Hakadosh Baruch Hu [regarding the redemption], was not just incidental.” (Unpublished public lecture on Parashat Shemot; December 30, 1980, this, and the following transcription my own)  It was Miriam who safeguarded the emunah of our people in her role as their leader prior to Moshe’s return from Midian. As the Rav states:

If not for her, perhaps, Yetziat Mitzrayim would not have taken place… So basically, after the people left Mitzrayim, the leader of the people was Moshe. Before they left from Mitzrayim, when Moshe was yet in Midian, during his long sojourn in Midian, the leader of the people was Miriam HaNaviah [Miriam the Prophetess].
 
May Miriam’s Torah leadership and bravery serve as beacons of truth to help bring the geulah shlaimah (the Final Redemption) soon and in our days. Then, as in the time of Miriam, the stirring words of Yeshayahu will be fulfilled: “And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the salvation.” (12:3) V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the 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, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, 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, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, 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 namesake of our parasha is Korach. It is not surprising, therefore, that most meforshim focus the majority of their exegetical efforts on this rabble rouser and his sycophants, Datan, Aviram and On ben Pelet. In contrast, these same commentators are nearly silent regarding the identity of the additional “two hundred and fifty men m’bnai Yisrael, chieftains of the congregation, representatives of the assembly, men of repute” who joined Korach’s rebellion. (Sefer Bamidbar 16:2, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  While in a passing gloss, Rashi (1040-1105) suggests these were the 250 heads of the Sanhedrot, the majority of whom were from the tribe of Reuven (16:1), and Rabbeinu Chananel ben Chushiel (965-1050) asserts they were all Levi’im from Korach’s tribe (16:2), very little other identifying information is available in standard sources. Moreover, the true nature (mahut) of these individuals remains equally obscure. Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 110a teaches us that they were men of universal renown who knew when and how to add an extra month to the calendar and establish Rosh Chodesh in its proper time. Why, then, would such accomplished and respected individuals have joined Korach’s insurrection?
 
The Netziv (Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1816-1893) answers this question in his Torah commentary, Ha’amek Davar, on our pasukim:

One must know that the 250 men were gedolei Yisrael in every way, including their awe of Hashem. Their exclusion from the Kahunah — which, itself, brings cleaving to and love of Hashem — burned like a fire within them. This was not borne of a desire for power and honor, but rather the thorough-going longing to become holy and to approach this level [of spiritual heights reached by the Kohanim] through performance of the Avodah (service in the Mishkan). Moreover, they knew that what Hashem had spoken through Moshe was absolutely true, and they did not, G-d forbid, question the veracity of his [Moshe’s] words. The only matter which they doubted was their comprehension of the proper way to understand Hashem’s authentic will. Therefore, they engaged in these deeds of manifest martyrdom [that is, the rebellion and the prohibited act of bringing the incense] because of the unlimited amount of love they had for Hashem…and because of this, they felt forced to undertake the rebellion against Moshe and Aharon and break the bonds of acceptable behavior (lifrotz geder) … (This and the following translations and brackets my own)
 
Rav Herschel Schechter shlita has said that the Netziv was so creative, and his commentary so incisive, that he rivaled the Rishonim (Rabbinic masters of the 11th-15th centuries) in his analyses. This is surely the case in this trenchant presentation. In relatively few words, the Netziv has rescued the two hundred and fifty men m’bnai Yisrael from virtual obscurity and has revealed their true nature to us. In his view, these were spiritual giants who recognized the authenticity of Moshe’s prophecy, loved and honored Hashem and held Him in awe. As such, they sought to draw closer to Him through the incense service, even if it meant their imminent demise. Given the purity of their intentions, the Netziv maintains that, rather than being swallowed in the earthquake that engulfed Korach and his ilk, these gedolei Yisrael were punished by fire that went forth from the inner sanctum of the Kodesh Kedoshim (Holy of Holies). Though they were misguided in their approach, these 250 great men had, nonetheless, acted l’shame shamayim (in order to serve the Almighty).
 
If, as the Netziv notes, the two hundred and fifty men m’bnai Yisrael were the chasidei hador (the righteous ones of the generation), how could they have so easily been duped by the likes of Datan and Aviram, and the Machiavellian machinations of Korach? He suggests the following answer:
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Regarding these men the text states: “A man who strays from the way of understanding will rest in the congregation of Gehenom.” (Sefer Mishle 21:16) …And the verse comes to teach us that even one who honestly holds Hashem in awe, yet errs and departs from all manner of logical thinking, will ultimately “rest in the congregation of Gehenom,” become an apikores and reject the Sages…and this is what happened to these 250 men, they erred and left the path of logic (she’ta’u m’derech hasechel) and were drawn into the breaches [of rebellion] of Datan and Aviram and thereby embarrassed and repudiated Moshe and Aharon.
 
According to this deep analysis, these righteous individuals failed because they permitted their desire to attain the spiritual heights reserved for Kohanim to overtake their logical understanding and commitment to Hashem’s mitzvot. Here, the Netziv teaches us a profound lesson: Even talmidei chachamim who are counted among the chasidei hador, who love and respect the Torah and hold Hashem in awe, may fall short in their service to the Almighty, if she’ta’u m’derech hasechel.
 
May the lessons and insights of our parasha help us to ensure our avodat Hashem is a product of both our hearts, and our minds. In this way, may we ever strive to serve Him in purity, and in truth. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the 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.
 
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*** 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.