Being Something Vs Doing Something: A Response to Korach

Parshat Korach opens with a complaint that Korach and his crew raise against Moshe and Aharon. Rashi quotes the Midrash as to how the complaint was formulated for public consumption: Korach asked Moshe if a completely blue tallit requires a string of blue on one of the tzitzit. Moshe answered yes. The Midrash goes on with a second challenge: Korach asked whether a room full of Sifrei Torah required a mezuzah, which contains a small parchment with a few lines from the Torah. Here again Moshe answered in the affirmative. Korach jumped on Moshe’s answers and declared that they make no sense, and Moshe must have made up these laws.

There are many different interpretations as to what exactly Korach’s challenge and problem were. I would like to focus on Moshe’s response. I think that the Halachot that Moshe quoted speak to the difference between “being something” and “doing something”. A completely blue tallit and a room full of Torahs represents “being something”. They are impressive visuals, yet they may have come about without any effort on my part. By requiring us to nonetheless place a blue string on the tallit/ a mezuzah on the door, the Torah is reminding us of the importance of “doing something.” That action may seem less impressive and less significant. But the fact that it comes about through our own initiative and effort, and done purely in the service of Hashem- make such actions meaningful and powerful.

Being Apart of Vs Apart From: No Easy Answers from the Nazir

In Parshat Naso we learn about the laws of the Nazir, a person who accepts upon himself extra restrictions relating to grapes/ wine, haircuts and contact with the dead. The Torah introduces this section with the phrase: “Ish Ki Yafli Lindor Neder” There is a difference of opinion among commentators as to how to understand the word Yafli. Rashi understands it to mean, “to separate.” The Nazir separates himself from certain permissible activities as an extreme response to the Sotah episode. The Ibn Ezra understands Yafli to be related to the word pele, which means wonder. The Ibn Ezra explains that the Torah is commending the Nazir for his asceticism, though he was never commanded to undertake such an endeavor.

From the dispute between Rashi and Ibn Ezra we can see the underpinnings of the dispute between Rambam and Ramban as to the status of the Nazir: did he do something good or something sinful? Ramban feels that the Nazir did something good, and he must bring a sin offering at the end of his Nazir-period because he is ending a period of heightened spirituality. This seems to jive with the opinion of the Ibn Ezra. The Rambam understands that what the Nazir did is less than ideal. We are not supposed to prohibit things on ourselves that the Torah did not prohibit. The Nazir felt that out of necessity, due to the times in which s/he lived and the things that s/he saw, that a vow of Nazirut was the appropriate response.

I think these approaches should give us food for thought in terms of how we must respond to the challenges that surround us in modern society. Do we circle the wagons and make even permissible ideas and practices off limits as a radical response to the permissiveness and moral relativism of general society? Or do we stay the course, fully engaged in society while attempting to be role models, based on the Torah?

There is no easy, across the board answer- but the Nazir- and how that status is viewed by our tradition, makes us aware of the dilemma and begins a critical conversation for 21st century Orthodox Jews.

Davening Early AND Early To Davening – in Honor of Shavuot

There is a widespread custom on Shavuot to learn all night of the first night of the holiday. Some suggest that the Ibn Ezra is alluding to this custom in his commentary on Parshat Yitro. When the Jews are told to prepare for receiving the Torah (Shemot 19:11), Ibn Ezra suggests that this preparation may refer to staying up all night before Matan Torah:

והיו נכונים אולי לא יישן אדם בהם בלילה, שישמעו קול ה' בבקר, כדרך כהן גדול ביום הכיפורים:

The Magen Avraham (OC 494) suggests that the custom to stay up all night serves as a “Tikkun”, repair/ repentance, for the Midrashic story that the Jews slept late the morning of Matan Torah and God had to wake the people up in order to receive the Torah (an idea worthy of its own blog post).  Hence we call All Night Learning on Shavuot – Tikkun.

איתא בזוהר שחסידים הראשונים היו נעורים כל הלילה ועוסקים בתור' וכבר נהגו רוב הלומדים לעשות כן ואפשר לתת טעם ע"פ פשוטו לפי שישראל היו ישנים כל הלילה והוצרך הקב"ה להעיר אותם כדאיתא במדרש לכן אנו צריכים לתקן זה

If the point of the Midrash is to point out the Jews’ lack of excitement and anticipation of receiving the Torah- then the appropriate Tikkun is to stay up all night studying Torah and anticipating our re-acceptance of the Torah on Shavuot morning.

But perhaps there is another point that the Midrash is making: Had God not woken the Jews up, then they may have not been on time for Matan Torah.

Some people are always on time. And some people are chronically late: for business meetings, social engagements - and shul.

I was recently at a meeting with a group of fellow pulpit Rabbis. One of the topics that came up was attendance at shul- and how people are showing up to shul Shabbat morning later and later. There are a number of reasons why people may come late: from childcare coverage to attention deficit challenges to underlying issues with organized religion and God. Without judging any particular person and any particular circumstance I would ask: If you had an important job interview with a boss, or a potential business venture meeting, would you do your best to get to the appointment on time? Every Shabbat morning we have an appointment with Hashem, The Boss of bosses- showing up on time is a way of demonstrating that we care about that appointment.

This Shabbat we begin Sefer Bamidbar, the Book of Numbers. One of the lessons we learn from the census is that the count is precise because every person is precious. Time is also a precious commodity. To demonstrate that something is important to us we should strive to be precise and on time with our appointments, especially our appointment with prayer in shul.

Even if showing up on time every week is not something we can commit to right now on an ongoing basis, let us consider utilizing the first day of Shavuot to demonstrate that this is a value that we hope to increasingly instill into our lives. While some of us will daven early on Shavuot morning, I invite the rest of us to come early (or at least on time) to shul in honor of Shavuot.

Shavuot at the Kotel 1967: Mt. Moriah and Mt. Sinai

“Mt. Sinai and Mt. Moriah”

Shavuot 1967: Grand Reopening of the Kotel for Jewish Prayer – a week after the end of the 6 Day War. The NY Times covered the event with a special report in its June 14, 1967 issue.

The Times was not aware of just how appropriate it was for Shavuot to be celebrated in connection with the Kotel and Temple Mount. For Har Sinai (central to the Shavuot story) and Har Hamoriah (location of Temple Mount) are the two mountains most central to Jewish history and Jewish identity.

Our Rabbis teach us just how interconnected the two locations are.

Har Sinai is the model/ inspiration for the Beit Hamikdash on Har Hamoriah:

1.      Chazal teach us that the fire that constantly burned on the Mizbeach on Har Hamoriah had originally been lit from the fire that burned during Matan Torah on Har Sinai.

2.      Vayikra Rabba: the sprinkling of blood that Moshe does at Har Sinai- marks the origins of sprinkling blood, so important in the temple Service on Har Hamoriah

3.      Ramban’s opinion is that the purpose of the Mishkan is to be a mobile Sinai unit- to have an ongoing Revelation, similar to what occurred at Har Sinai- as the Jews make their way to Israel, and ultimately on Har Hamoriah in the Beit Hamikdash.

It emerges that the relationship between Har Sinai and Har Hamoriah is symbiotic and synergistic. Each Mountain teaches us lessons that are informed and enhanced by the other.

           

It was the personal sacrifice, the lonely road of submission to God and the countercultural beliefs demonstrated by Avraham at the Akeida on Har Hamoriah that set the paradigm for Bnai Yisrael. Avraham’s declaration of Hineni at Har HaMoriah inspired the nation’s declaration of Na’aseh V’Nishma (ie we submit to God even if we don’t understand) at Har Sinai.

            

And it was the commitment to Jewish unity and national identity exhibited by Bnei Yisrael at Har Sinai that was crucial for the nation to develop as they prepared to live a normal yet noble life in Eretz Yisrael, with their spiritual focal point being the Beit Hamikdash on Har Hamoriah.

            

From Har Hamoriah we learn the value of Personal Identity, Diversity and Blazing our own trail. From Har Sinai we learn national Identity, Unity. and appreciating the value of community and tradition.    These lessons must reside within one person, one spot, as the Midrash Tanchuma teaches us:

“Sinai Meheichan Bah? MeHar Hamoriah Nitlash K’Challah Me’Isa.

Har Sinai and Har Hamoriah come from the same location.  Har Hamoriah informs the Har Sinai experience which then influences the Beit Hamikdash on Har Hamoriah. There is a tension with which we live as we navigate between Har Hamoriah (personal identity) and Har Sinai (collective responsibility). And yet these two great mountains of Jewish history encourage us to understand how together they form a rich tapestry, critical to Jewish life. 

As we prepare to celebrate both Yom Yerushalayim and Shavuot, let us recommit ourselves to the lessons of Mt Moriah and Mt. Sinai.

            

It's Not Only What You Say, But What You Mean

In Parshat Behar (25:30) we find the phenomenon of Keri Uketiv, a word that is written one way and read a different way. The verse in English reads:

But if it is not redeemed by the end of a complete year, then that house which is in the city that has a wall, shall remain permanently [the property] of the one who purchased it throughout his generations. It will not leave [his possession] in the Jubilee.

לוְאִם לֹא יִגָּאֵל עַד מְלֹאת לוֹ שָׁנָה תְמִימָה וְקָם הַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר אֲשֶׁר לוֹ (כתיב אשר לא)חֹמָה לַצְּמִיתֻת לַקֹּנֶה אֹתוֹ לְדֹרֹתָיו לֹא יֵצֵא בַּיֹּבֵל:

The word Lo in the phrase Asher Lo Choma is written with the letter Aleph. Therefore according to the text it means “A city that is not walled.” However the tradition is that the word is read as if it was spelled with a vav instead of an Aleph and therefore actually means “a city with a wall.” The Talmud in Arachin (32a) explains that the Keri Uktiv phenomenon here teaches us that the determination as to whether a city is considered walled or unwalled depends on its status at the time of Joshua’s conquering of the Land of Israel. Our pasuk teaches us that if the city was walled at the time of Joshua it is to be considered walled for this law, even if it currently has no wall surrounding it.

           

Keri Uktiv is a phenomenon that occurs with some frequency in the Prophets, but is rare to find in the Chumash

Another unique aspect to this Keri Uketiv is that the two words are homonyms, they are pronounced exactly the same: “Lo”. And yet they mean completely opposite things.  The Halacha is that the person who is reading the Torah should have in mind “Lo” with a Vav even though he reads “Lo” with an aleph.

            

Perhaps there is an additional lesson we can learn from this unique Keri Uketiv. We can say the exact same words and they can mean completely different things depending on our tone and the circumstances. For example if I tell someone while playing softball “nice job!” it means one thing if the person just made a great play while something else completely if he just dropped the ball.

            

We must be careful not only with what we say, but how we say it and how the words will be perceived and taken by the listener.

Prepping for Finals and all of Life's Tests

Students go to school 9 months a year, but it is this time of year when they really think about how to grasp information, if for no other reason than to spit it back on final exams, standardized tests, achievement tests, etc. There are other reasons in life that we might need to gain information, or impart that information onto others. Not just for tests in school but for the tests that we come across in life: the right way to act, how to respond to injustice or mistakes- made by us or others. The very beginning of Parshat Emor gives us suggestions on how lessons can be learned:

And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: Let none [of you] defile himself for a dead person among his people

אוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹא יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּיו:

Emor--- veAmarata

On the most basic level, Hashem tells Moshe to convey these rules to the Kohanim- twice. Lessons are rarely learned on the first try, Learn it- and learn it again, and probably a few more times. Our Rabbis have said that to truly know a piece of Gemara you need to review it 4 times- or 100 times, and “the person who reviews it 101 times is even better.” As students of life we must be willing to accept that we won’t learn it the first time. As educators we can’t say that we’ve done our job by mentioning the lesson once, or even teaching it thoroughly once- we need to constantly review and reinforce.

Midrash: Emor- VeAmarta: Teaches us that angels with no yetzer hara can be told things once, while humans who have a yetzer hara need to hear things at least twice.

The Midrash is not discussing our ability to absorb information but rather our willingness / interest inundertaking a course of study. Before a person will learn something, s/he must be ready and willing to undertake the learning process. This can only be accomplished when students understand the importance of that lesson and therefore commit to learning it, such as: it’s important for my grade or if I learn it I will get an incentive. This step of appreciating the value of the lesson is critically important for those lessons that do not have a clear and immediate payoff- the lessons of modesty, honesty, faith in Hashem, commitment to Halacha- the lessons that don’t appear on one’s final grade (from school at least).

          Every student needs to make appreciate the value of the lesson and commit to it, as the step before any lesson can be learned. This is an often ignored but critically important role that a teacher fills. we can't just learn Hilchot shabbat or the Talmud in Baba Metziah; we must also explain why Shabbat and the holidays are so important to Jewish identity, and what an ox goring another ox has to do with 21^st century Jewish living.

Let us commit to teaching and learning in the spirit and with the strategies that we learn from Emor - VeAmarta.

Adding Kedusha to What We've Done All Along

Parshat Kedoshim uses the term “Kadosh, “Holy” a number of times. 

At the beginning of the Parsha, Rashi suggests that Kedusha comes about by abstaining from those activities which are forbidden. The Ramban also suggests that Kedusha is primarily expressed through abstaining, but add that Kedusha can be found even in areas of life that are technically permissible (please see their comments inside for their full impact).

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch takes the Ramban and expands even further our assumptions about Kedusha. He writes that no natural human tendency or power is inherently good or evil. The Torah gives all activities a positive aim and a negative limit. In the service of the purpose indicated by God, and within the limits set by Him, everything can be good and holy. Rabbi Hirsch notes that kedusha, holiness, is mentioned in connection with the prohibition of Pigul, not eating the Shlamim sacrifice after 2 days. Of all sacrifices, the shlamim is the sacrifice that is most eaten by people.

Shlamim are a path towards Kedusha, ie we must spiritualize and instill with morality and purpose even the enjoyment of our sense. As Rav Hirsch puts it, the goal of Kedoshim Tihyu finds fulfillment when our dinner table is transformed into an altar for Hashem, and we appreciate the religious value of even seemingly mundane acts like eating.  Outlets for Kedusha must inform the entirety of a Jew’s life. This is an idea that we find in the writings of Rav Soloveitchik. For instance, in this quote from Halachik Man:

“Halachik man does not chafe against existence, rather he reads with the simplicity and innocence that is typical of him the verse in Genesis, ‘And God saw everything that He had made and behold it was very good’ and accepts its verdict.”

Everything in this world and all of our actions have the potential to tap into that goodness identified by God. Even mundane activities must have the potential to be viewed as opportunities to express holiness.

Let us think about Kedusha, and our religious growth, not only in terms of “doing more”: accepting new mitzvoth, but also in terms of adding depth and meaning to those activities that we have been doing all along.