Parasha Insight

Rabbi Eli Mansour
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Relevant weekly insights by Rabbi Eli Mansour - delivered directly to your computer and/or mobile device

  1. 5d ago

    Parashat Ki Teseh- The Rewards for Unintentional Charity – Material and Spiritual

    The Torah in Parashat Ki-Teseh (24:19) introduces the Misva known as "Shicheha," which applies when a farmer forgets some of his produce behind during the harvest. This forgotten produce, the Torah commands, must be left for the poor. If one later realizes that he left some grain behind, he is not permitted to go back to retrieve it. The Torah writes: "It shall be for the foreigner, the orphan and the widow, so that Hashem your G-d shall bless you in all your hands' actions." By leaving this forgotten produce to the poor, one earns special blessing. Rashi, based on the Sifreh, notes that the Torah promises the farmer reward for the benefit he brought to the poor despite knowing nothing about it. Meaning, even if the farmer never realizes that he forgot sheaves of grain, he is nevertheless rewarded for his unintentional charity, for the assistance that the poor received from his forgotten grain. Rashi thus infers from this verse that if a person mistakenly dropped a coin, and a pauper finds it and uses it for his needs, the one who dropped the coin receives reward. Even though he had no intention to give charity, and even if he never notices the missing coin, he is rewarded for the benefit he unknowingly brought to the needy individual. The Saba of Kelm (Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, 1824–1898) makes a powerful comment about the Misva of "Shicheha." Just as a person receives reward for the material charity that he gives unintentionally, the Saba writes, so does one receive reward for his unintentional spiritual charity. Sometimes money falls from a person's pocket; other times – and likely far more often – "money" falls from a person's soul. We are entirely unaware of the influence we have on other people. When we conduct ourselves properly, the people around us take notice, and are impacted. When a person's neighbors see him leave on time for Shaharit each morning, they are influenced by this example. When a person maintains his calm and composure in the workplace when problems arise, without raising his voice or panicking, his coworkers take notice, and are influenced. When a businessman conducts his affairs with scrupulous honesty, even at the expense of profitable opportunities, his associates take notice, and are influenced. We never know who is looking at us at any point during the day, who is noticing our behavior, and who is being influenced by the way we act and the way we speak. The rewards for our unintentional spiritual charity, the Saba of Kelm adds, are, undoubtedly, far greater than the rewards for unintentional material charity. If a person drops some money which is then discovered by a pauper, the pauper uses that money to sustain himself for a brief period of time. But our spiritual charity goes much further. The influence that people receive from our example lasts a lifetime, affecting their character, their behavior, and their choices forever. And, this influence triggers a chain reaction, as the people we positively influence have a positive influence on others, who then positively influence others, and so on. We cannot even imagine how far the effects of our behavior go – and thus we cannot even imagine the rewards we receive for these effects. People today are exposed to negative influences like never before. And so any positive influence that we can have on people today is so much more precious than at any other time. Therefore, we must live with this awareness of how every action and every word matters. We have no idea how many "coins" fall from our soul at any given moment, how we are influencing people through everything we say and do. Let us, then, try to always behave the right way – because we never know who's watching, and how they are being influenced by us.

  2. Aug 13

    Parashat Shoftim- Judging Ourselves

    Parashat Shofetim begins with the command, "Shofetim Ve'shoterim Titen Lecha Be'chol She'arecha" – "You shall place for yourselves judges and enforcers in all your gates." This establishes the Biblical obligation to appoint in every city ("in all your gates") courts to determine the laws, and officials to enforce them. The verse later adds, "LI'shbatecha" – "for your tribes," which the Sages understood as a requirement to appoint a higher court for each tribe (see Rashi and Ramban). Surprisingly, this command is presented in the singular form – "Lecha," "She'arecha." Although the Torah here addresses itself to the entire nation, commanding the appointment of judges in every city, and over every tribe, this imperative is formulated such that it is directed toward every individual. Rav Haim Vital (1543-1620) explained that the Torah is alluding here to the obligation upon each and every individual to appoint "judges" and "enforcers" for all "She'arecha" – all the "gates" to his being. This means exercising care and discretion when deciding what we allow ourselves to see, to hear and to eat. It meant "judging" and scrutinizing ourselves, and "enforcing" our own compliance with the Torah's laws and the Torah's principles. Rav Haim Vital here is making a crucial point that cannot be overemphasized – that we must judge and govern ourselves before we try to judge and govern others. Many people happily volunteer for the position of "judge" over their city, and over their community, to criticize this person or that person, this institution or that institution, this policy or that policy. They also happily volunteer for the person of "enforcer," to tell people what they're doing wrong. Rav Haim Vital is teaching us to criticize ourselves before we criticize others, to put our own lives in order before we try to fix all the world's problems, or even all the community's problems. In the next verse, the Torah turns to the appointed judge and commands, "Lo Tateh Mishpat" – "Do not distort the judgment." In reference to judges sitting on the court, this means that a judge may not rule with favoritism, applying distorted logic in order to reach a decision in favor of the litigant of his preference. But this is true also of our "judgment" of ourselves. We are naturally inclined to find fault in others but not in ourselves. When it comes to our own behavior, we have a tendency to "distort" our reasoning, to find excuses for ourselves, to come up with justifications for things we should not have done. About this judgment, too, the Torah commands, "Lo Tateh Mishpat" – that we must judge ourselves objectively and honestly, uncomfortable as this can sometimes be. Returning to this Parasha's opening verse, the first letters of the word "Lecha Li'shbatecha Ve'shafetu Et" (Lamed, Lamed, Vav, Alef) are the letters of the word "Elul." And, sure enough, Parashat Shofetim is always read at the beginning of the month of Elul. The message being conveyed is that this month is about judging and scrutinizing ourselves, with brutal honesty. Elul is the time to stop trying to change the world, to point out all the problems other people are making, and to redirect our attention to ourselves, to the things that we need to improve.

  3. Aug 6

    Parashat Re'eh- The Journey

    The Journey Parashat Re'eh concludes with the Misva known as Aliya Le'regel – appearing before G-d in the Bet Ha'mikdash three times each year, on the holidays of Pesach, Shabuot and Sukkot. The Gemara in Masechet Hagiga (3a) makes a comment that sheds light on the nature of this Misva, and on the vital lesson that it teaches us. King Shelomo exclaims in Shir Hashirim (7:2), "Ma Yafu Fe'amayich Ba'ne'alim, Bat Nadib" – literally, "How beautiful are your steps in shoes, the daughter of the generous one." The Gemara interprets this verse as a reference to the journey that Beneh Yisrael would take to the Jerusalem before the holidays for the Misva of Aliya Le'regel. And the expression "Bat Nadib" ("daughter of the generous one") means that Beneh Yisrael are the descendants of Abraham Abinu, who was called "Nadib," as he was exceptionally generous and giving. The Gemara here seems to draw a comparison between two journeys: Beneh Yisrael's journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash for the holidays, and Abraham Abinu's journey. On one level, this refers to Abraham Abinu's journey from his homeland to Eretz Yisrael, about which the Midrash teaches that Abraham received reward for each and every step. Abraham's journey was not merely a means to an end, a practical necessity to fulfill G-d's command to settle in Eretz Yisrael. Rather, the journey itself was inherently meaningful and valuable, and he thus earned reward for each step. Likewise, Beneh Yisrael's journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash was itself a Misva. Indeed, we call this Misva "Aliya Le'regel" – going to the Bet Ha'mikdash for the holiday, emphasizing the process of "Aliya," of journeying. The Misva was to undertake the journey, to make the effort, to go through the trouble of going to appear before Hashem. On a deeper level, when the Gemara mentions Abraham Abinu in the context of the people's journey to Jerusalem, it refers to his journey through life. The Rambam writes that Abraham was born into a family of idolaters, and he himself worshipped idols. At the age of 3, Abraham began questioning and inquiring, thinking about the world, how it came into being, and who governs it. This theological journey which began at the age of 3 continued for 37 years, as it was only at the age of 40 that Abraham arrived at the belief in a single Creator. The journey of Aliya Le'regel parallels Abraham Abinu's extraordinary spiritual journey, his lengthy, step-by-step process of growth – because Aliya Le'regel, too, is a process of spiritual preparation. A person cannot simply appear before Hashem in the Bet Ha'mikdash without first preparing himself. The "footsteps," the trek to Jerusalem, was an obligatory process of growth, of putting oneself in the proper mindset to appear before Hashem in the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Kabbalists teach that the domain of place parallels the domain of time. The Bet Ha'mikdash, the most sacred place on earth, parallels the Yamim Noraim – the period of the High Holidays, the most sacred days of the year. Yom Kippur, the apex of this period, corresponds to the Kodesh Ha'kodashim, the inner sanctum of the Bet Ha'mikdash, whereas Rosh Hashanah, the onset of this period, is represented by the Azara, the courtyard of the Bet Ha'mikdash where the people would assemble on the three pilgrimage festivals. It emerges, then, that the period of Elul – the month of preparation for Rosh Hashanah – parallels "Aliya Le'regel," the journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash. The month that we begin this coming week is a time of journeying, of growth, of "Aliya" – elevation, lifting ourselves higher, so we come prepared to the "Bet Ha'mikdash," to Rosh Hashanah, when we stand before the Almighty for judgment. It is no coincidence that Parashat Re'eh is always read on the Shabbat preceding Rosh Hodesh Elul. Throughout the Book of Debarim, Moshe Rabbenu is preparing the people for life in the Land of Israel. But in this Parasha, for the first time, he speaks of "the place which G-d shall choose" – referring to the Bet Ha'mikdash. In this Parasha, Moshe prepares the people for the Bet Ha'mikdash, explaining what his special site is and the special laws pertaining to it. This is precisely what the month of Elul is all about – preparing ourselves for the "Bet Ha'mikdash" of time, for Rosh Hashanah, by growing and lifting ourselves, one beautiful "footstep" at a time, bringing us ever closer to Hashem and to spiritual greatness.

  4. Jul 30

    Parashat Ekeb- We Don’t Hide Our Jewishness

    In the second paragraph of Shema, which appears in Parashat Ekeb, the Torah warns of the harsh punishments that would befall Beneh Yisrael if they abandon G-d's laws. Specifically, it warns of poverty that would be followed by exile from the Land of Israel and dispersion among the other nations. The Torah then commands, "Ve'samtem Et Debarai Eleh Al Lebabchem Ve'al Nafshechem" – "You shall place these words of mine upon your hearts and upon your souls" (11:18). It then commands placing these words upon our heads and arms – in the form of Tefillin – and upon our doorposts – in the form of Mezuzot. Rashi (citing the Sifri) presents a surprising reading of this verse. He interprets the verse to mean, "Even after you go into exile, you shall be distinguished through Misvot – place Tefillin and make Mezuzot, so they will not be new to you when you return." At first glance, Rashi appears to be making as astonishing statement – that after Beneh Yisrael were exiled from the land, the Misvot of the Torah became, fundamentally, no longer obligatory. We need to observe the Misvot only so they are not forgotten, so they will not be "new" to us when the final redemption arrives and we return to the land. The Torah thus tells us in this verse that after the exile, we should continue performing the Misvot, such as Tefillin and Mezuzot, to preserve their memory. Numerous later writers sought to explain Rashi's comments. The Gemara in Masechet Kiddushin states explicitly that only Misvot which are inherently linked to the Land of Israel – such as the Torah's agricultural laws – are non-binding elsewhere. All other Misvot, however, are binding even outside the land. How, then, can Rashi write that the Misvot are required only as a commemoration, for the sake of ensuring they are remembered? A particularly fascinating – and meaningful – reading of Rashi's comments was offered in the work Shemen Le'mish'ha (by Rav Asher Anshel Weiss, 1882-1944). At various times throughout our history, the gentile governments forced the Jews to wear a special garment or piece of material (such as the infamous "Yellow Star") to publicize their Jewish identity. This was done so that the hostile gentiles will identify the Jews and will thus mistreat them. The Shemen Ha'mish'ha speculates that this decree might have been sent from Above in response to the Jews' efforts to hide their Jewish identity, to blend in with the gentiles, to compromise their values and traditions for the sake of resembling their gentile neighbors. When the Jews choose not to display their Jewishness, the Shemen Le'mish'ha writes, then Hashem arranges that the enemy nations will see to it that the Jews' Jewishness will be put on full display. When we feel ashamed of our identity, and try to hide it, then the gentile nations ensure to publicize it. The Shemen Le'mish'ha suggests explaining Rashi's comments in this vein. Rashi writes that the Torah here commands that in exile, "Heyu Mesuyanim Be'misvot" – we must be "distinguished," and stand out, through our Misva observance. Even when we live among other nations, we must not conceal our beliefs and practices. We must not be afraid to be different, to look different, and to act differently. The Torah therefore specifies the Misvot of Tefillin and Mezuza – practices which publicize our identity, which involve things that we wear and that we place outside our homes to distinguish ourselves. Rashi explains that the Torah urges us not to conceal our Jewishness "Kedeh She'lo Yiheyu Lachem Hadashim" – literally, "so that you will not have new ones." Meaning, if we fail to observe our Misvot that make us stand out, we will be forced to observe other, "new" practices that make us stand out – in the form of harsh decrees issued for the purpose of causing Jews to suffer hatred and hostility. We must not hide our Jewishness. We should wear it with pride and conviction, ever mindful of the precious privilege we have to be G-d's cherished nation, chosen to study and follow His sacred Torah.

  5. Jul 16

    Parashat Devarim- Turning Tisha B’Ab Into Simhat Torah

    A number of books draw an intriguing – though puzzling – parallel between two periods on the Jewish calendar: the period of Ben He'mesarim (the Three Weeks from Shiba Asar Be'Tammuz through Tisha B'Ab) and the period of the holidays in the month of Tishri. The month of Tishri begins with Rosh Hashanah, and the holiday season concludes with the celebration of Shemini Aseret on the 22nd of Tishri. (In the Diaspora, we observe Shemini Aseret as a two-day celebration, referring to the second day as Simhat Torah, but fundamentally, this is just one day, on the 22nd of Tishri, and this is how it is celebrated in Israel.) According to a number of Rabbis, these two 22-day periods parallel one another, and are linked to one another. This parallelism leads us to an astonishing conclusion – that the final days of these two periods, Tisha B'Ab and Simhat Torah, are connected. This conclusion is astonishing because, quite simply, it would have been hard to come up with any two days on the Jewish calendar that are more different from one another. In fact, these days are polar opposites – and not only because one day is spent fasting, sitting on the floor and mourning, while the other is spent dancing, singing and feasting. Simhat Torah marks the day when the first Bet Ha'mikdash was inaugurated. King Shlomo conducted a two-week celebration in honor of the Temple's inauguration, which culminated on the 22nd day of Tishri. And, for this reason, the Zohar teaches that Shlomo is considered the "Ushpizin" for Shemini Aseret, which is, in a sense, the eighth day of Sukkot. It thus emerges that the day when the Bet Ha'mikdash's inauguration was completed is, remarkably, linked to Tisha B'Ab, the day when the Bet Ha'mikdash was destroyed. If Shemini Aseret is associated with Shlomo Ha'melech, then Tisha B'Ab is associated with Yirmiyahu – the prophet who warned of the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash. Shlomo Ha'melech enjoyed a life of wealth, prestige, peace, comfort and serenity, and he composed Shir Ha'shirim – a joyful, heartwarming book about the intense love between Hashem and the Jewish People. Yirmiyahu suffered misery throughout his life, being constantly taunted and at one point even imprisoned, and then personally witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and was driven into exile. The book he wrote – Echa, which we read while sitting on the floor on Tisha B'Ab – laments the rupture of the bond between G-d and His people, and the unspeakable calamities that befell our nation at the time of Jerusalem's destruction – the polar opposite of Shir Ha'shirim. Interestingly enough, the Arizal – based on a number of earlier sources – teaches that King Shlomo's soul returned in Yirmiyahu, further underscoring the connection between Simhat Torah – the day associated with King Shlomo – and Tisha B'Ab – the day associated with Yirmiyahu. These two figures shared the same soul, and thus the days that embody their lives' respective missions are closely linked. These two days are linked because Simhat Torah is the day when we celebrate the precious gift of the Torah – and it is through Torah that we become worthy of redemption. The Or Ha'haim (Rav Haim Ben-Attar, 1696-1743) writes that Mashiah does not wish to redeem a nation of ignoramuses. It is only when we recommit ourselves to Torah learning and put in the time and effort to learn that we earn our long-awaited final redemption. Tisha B'Ab is associated with Simhat Torah because it is through the joy of Torah learning, embodied by the festive celebration of Simhat Torah, that we end the exile which we mourn on Tisha B'Ab. In our community – and in many others, as well – we are witnessing a truly extraordinary phenomenon, one which clearly shows that we are well on our way to making the transition from Tisha B'Ab to Simhat Torah, from mourning the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash to celebrating the restoration of the Bet Ha'mikdash. My father recalled to me how in his time, people spent Tisha B'Ab afternoon at the beach. Now, as everyone knows, Tisha B'Ab is likely the greatest day of Torah learning in the entire year. Synagogues are packed with men and women of all ages hearing Torah classes for many hours throughout the day, and some even the entire day. Ironically, in our time, Tisha B'Ab has turned into a "Simhat Torah." Of course, it is still a day of mourning and grieving. But nevertheless, we cannot overlook the drastic change that has occurred, with the entire community – and many other communities – joining together for hours upon hours to learn Torah on this day. This phenomenon is representative of the broader transition that has been taking place in recent years. People are devoted to Torah learning like never before. With all the unique spiritual challenges of our generation which I and many other Rabbis speak about regularly, the amount of Torah being learned on a daily basis in our time is breathtaking. This is a clear sign that we are, gradually, transitioning from Tisha B'Ab to Simhat Torah, from a state of Hurban (destruction) to a state of redemption. May Hashem help us continue this transition, to continue devoting ourselves to Torah learning and inspiring others to do the same, so we may be worthy of Mashiah's arrival and the rebuilding of the Bet Ha'mikdash, when we will experience an everlasting Simhat Torah, amen.

  6. Jul 9

    Parashat Matot- Rabbi Akiba’s Tears

    Rabbi Akiba's Tears Parashat Matot begins with a number of laws regarding vows, including the authority given to a husband to annul certain vows taken by his wife. The Torah states that in such a case, when a wife takes a vow and the husband declares its annulment, "V'Hashem Yislah Lah" – G-d will forgive the woman (30:13). The Sages understood this verse as referring to a situation where the wife did not know that her husband annulled the vow, and nevertheless proceeded to violate it. For example, the wife declared herself a Nezira, committing to abstain from wine, and she later decided to drink wine despite her vow. As it turned out, she committed no transgression by drinking wine, because her husband annulled her vow of Nezirut. Nevertheless, she requires G-d's forgiveness since she intended to violate the vow. The Gemara (Kiddushin 81b) tells that Rabbi Akiba would weep each time he read this verse. He was overcome by emotion upon seeing that even a person who did not commit a sin requires atonement if he intended to commit a sin. If even such an act – which was actually permissible – requires atonement, then how much more so is a person held accountable when he commits an act that is truly forbidden. A deep explanation for Rabbi Akiva's tears emerges from the teachings of Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli (1600-1648). Ashkenazic communities have the custom of including in the Kinnot on Tisha B'Ab a lament for the Asara Harugeh Malchut – the ten great sages who were murdered by the Romans. The Roman emperor learned the law in the Torah that kidnapping a person and then selling him as a slave is a capital offense, punishable by death. He thus decreed that ten great sages must be murdered to atone for the sin of Mechirat Yosef – when Yosef's brothers committed this exact crime, selling their brother as a slave. Since this crime was committed by Yosef's ten brothers, ten sages were brutally murdered to atone for this misdeed. In truth, only nine of Yosef's brothers participated in his sale as a slave. Binyamin, the youngest, was home and thus not present at the time of the sale, and Reuben tried to rescue Yosef. Thus, this crime was committed by only nine brothers. Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli cites the Arizal as teaching that the Almighty Himself, as it were, was the tenth participant. He decreed that this should happen, and He thus "completed the Minyan," so-to-speak, joining Yosef's brothers in selling him as a slave to Egypt. Now the Kabbalists have identified the specific correspondence between the Asara Harugeh Malchut and the brothers who sold Yosef – meaning, which of the ten great sages corresponds to which of Yosef's brothers. For example, one of these sages was Rabbi Huspit Ha'meturgeman – a great Rabbi who was blessed with a loud, clear voice, and thus worked as the "broadcaster" who would help the Rabbis deliver their lectures. He corresponds to Naftali, who is described as "Ha'noten Imreh Shafer" (49:21) – the speaker of beautiful words. Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli taught that Rabbi Akiba, who was among the ten sages murdered by the Romans, corresponded to G-d, the tenth "participant" in Mechirat Yosef. This is because Rabbi Akiba taught that the Torah's command to fear Hashem extends also to Torah scholars – meaning, just as one is obligated to fear Hashem, so must one show reverence to the sages. As Rabbi Akiba equated, in a sense, Torah scholars with the Almighty, he was chosen to "represent" G-d as one of the Asara Harugeh Malchut. We can now return to Rabbi Akiba's weeping upon reading the verse in Parashat Matot, "V'Hashem Yislah Lah." Rabbi Akiba knew that he represented G-d as the tenth participant in Mechirat Yosef. However, he felt comforted by Yosef's own words many years later, when he explained to his brothers that he felt no resentment toward them for what they did: "Ve'atam Hashabtem Alai Ra'a, Elokim Hashabah Le'Toba" – "You plotted evil against me, but G-d plotted for the good" (50:20). Although the brothers intended to inflict harm, their actions actually brought great blessing and good fortune, as Yosef ended up saving Egypt and the entire ancient world by predicting the seven years of famine and ordering the storage of grain during the preceding years of surplus. Rabbi Akiba thus figured that he – as a representative of Yosef's brothers – would not be held accountable for the sin of Mechirat Yosef, because it in truth turned out to be a blessing, and not a sin. However, when Rabbi Akiva read the verse "V'Hashem Yislah Lah," he wept. He then realized that even if a person's actions ended up being permissible, nevertheless, he requires atonement if he had intended to act wrongly. Rabbi Akiba thus understood that the time would come when an accounting would be made for the sin of Mechirat Yosef. As we approach the observance of Tisha B'Ab, let us all work together to rectify the sin of Mechirat Yosef by striving to be kinder, more compassionate and more forgiving. If Yosef's brothers brought calamity upon future generations through their efforts to harm Yosef, let us correct this mistake by redoubling our efforts to help and bring joy to all our brothers and sisters, even those with whom we have disagreements, and we will then be worthy of our final redemption, Amen.

  7. Jul 2

    Parashat Pinhas- Teshuba Thoughts

    We read in Parashat Pinhas of the census taken of Beneh Yisrael at the end of their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. The Torah lists the families of the various tribes, and in listing the families of Reuben, the Torah explains that two families – those of the brothers Datan and Abiram – were not counted, because they perished after joining Korah's revolt against Moshe Rabbenu. In this context, the Torah mentions that "U'bneh Korah Lo Metu" – Korah's sons did not die together with their father and the other rebels. Rashi, citing the Gemara (Megilla 14a), explains that Korah's sons initially participated in the uprising, but they then had thoughts of Teshuba (repentance), on account of which "Nitbaser Lahem Makom Gabo'ah Be'gehinom Ve'yashebu Sham" – " An elevated place in Gehinam was set apart for them, and they remained there." Rashi's concluding remarks – "and they remained there" – suggest that Korah's sons stayed in that "elevated place in Gehinam" for all time, and this is, indeed, the view taken by several later commentators. This is also the implication of the Midrash cited by Tosafot in Masechet Kiddushin (31b). The conventional understanding, however, is that Korah's sons remained in the underworld for a period of time and were ultimately rescued, whereupon they rejoined Beneh Yisrael. (This is perhaps evidenced by the fact that Korah's sons had descendants who sang in the Bet Ha'mikdash.) Regardless, the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rav Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, 1902-1994) draws our attention to an important – but often overlooked – word in this passage in Rashi's commentary. Rashi did not say simply that Korah's sons participated in their father's uprising against Moshe. Rather, he writes that Korah's sons were part of this undertaking "Tehila" – right at the outset. They were among the initiators. They didn't just "go along" with the idea – they were the ones who conceived it! The Rebbe further notes Rashi's comment that during the revolt, "Hirharu Teshuba Be'libam" – Korah's sons had thoughts of repentance in their hearts. It seems clear from Rashi's formulation that Korah's sons did not repent entirely – they merely entertained thoughts of Teshuba. And yet, despite the fact that they were the instigators of this evil uprising, even their thoughts of Teshuba sufficed to save them from death. The Rebbe added that this shows us the great power of even incomplete repentance, and of even "Hirhureh Teshuba" – genuine thoughts and feelings of repentance. Even when a Jew does not change his behavior fully the way he should, but he merely thinks and reflects on how he needs to improve – these thoughts are precious and beloved by G-d. The Rebbe explained on this basis why, at one of the holiest moments of the year, as we prepare to sound the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, we read the 47 th chapter of Tehillim, which was composed by Korah's sons – "La'menase'ah Li'bneh Korah Mizmor." Unlike Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah is not a time for confessing and begging G-d for forgiveness. However, during the sounding of the Shofar, we are to think "Hirhureh Teshuba," thoughts of repentance. This is a time to think seriously and somberly about our mistakes and shortcomings during the previous year, and how we wish to improve during the coming year. We therefore recite this chapter composed by Korah's sons – who devised a wicked plot to challenge Moshe Rabbenu, and yet were spared punishment because of their "Hihureh Teshuba." We are reminded of the great power of Teshuba thoughts, of the value of our genuine feelings of regret and desire to improve. Back in Parashat Korah, we read that when the ground opened to devour the leaders of the revolt and their families, the rest of the nation "Nasu Le'kolam" (16:34) – literally, "ran to their voices." This seems to mean that the people ran toward the opening in the ground where the rebels were screaming in horror, which would be very difficult to understand. Rashi avoids this problem by interpreting these words to mean that the people ran "on account of their voices," because of the shrieks that they heard. In light of what we have seen, however, there might be another understanding. After Korah's sons were saved, Beneh Yisrael ran to hear their voices, to hear them sing praise to Hashem, in order to receive inspiration from them. Korah's sons became a powerful source of motivation for all Beneh Yisrael – and for us – by showing the value of even incomplete Teshuba, how every step forward is significant and cherished by the Almighty. Indeed, Rav Moshe Wolfson (1925-2024) noted that the letters that spell the word "Le'kolam" (Lamed, Kof, Lamed, Mem) are the first letters of the words "La'menase'ah Li'bneh Korah Mizmor." Beneh Yisrael rushed to hear the beautiful praises sung by Korah's sons to be inspired and driven to work toward improvement, one small step at a time. The Rebbe cited in this context the Rambam's famous comment that "En Beneh Yisrael Nig'alin Ela Bi'Tshuba" – the redemption depends upon the Jewish People's repentance (Hilchot Teshuba 7:5). Many people wondered how this will happen. When we look at our nation today, how the majority of Jews are so distant from observance, and how even generally observant Jews face so many religious challenges which they frequently fail to withstand, how can we ever be deserving of redemption? Korah's sons provide us with the answer. They show us that even incomplete Teshuba is valuable, as long as it is sincere. Every genuine thought, feeling and action in the direction of Teshuba, every time a Jew reflects on his inadequacies and regrets his deficiencies, he has achieved something precious. Every small step toward repentance will, hopefully, lead to another, such that we can, indeed, become worthy of our final redemption, speedily and in our time, Amen.

  8. Jun 25

    Don't Be Too Smart!

    We are all familiar with the story of Moshe hitting the rock, an act for which he was punished. Less familiar, however, are the circumstances that led to Moshe's decision to strike the rock, after he was commanded to produce water by speaking to it. The background to the story is the death of Moshe's sister, the righteous prophetess Miriam, in whose merit a miraculous well provided water for Beneh Yisrael throughout the previous forty years of travel in the wilderness. This well accompanied the people, and water supernaturally flowed from it, ensuring an adequate supply of fresh water. When Miriam passed away in the final year of Beneh Yisrael's sojourn in the desert, the well dried, leaving Beneh Yisrael without water. In response to their complaints, G-d instructed Moshe to assemble the people around the rock – the rock of Miriam, which had stopped providing water – and tell it to once again produce water. Rashi (20:10) explains that after Moshe assembled the people, they argued with him, asking why he needed to produce water specifically from this rock. Surely, Hashem was capable of providing water from a different rock. They pointed to another rock, whereupon Moshe and Aharon exclaimed, "Can we extract water from this rock?!" Moshe then struck it several times, and, sure enough, water began to flow. Why did the people challenge Moshe to produce water from a different rock? Why were they not content with having Miriam's well resume its production of water? The answer is that the people thought that extracting water from a different rock would create a greater Kiddush Hashem (glorification of G-d's Name). After forty years, water flowing from Miriam's rock was no longer considered special or miraculous. Certainly, they figured, G-d's glory would be manifested much more dramatically if water was produced from a different rock. The people's motivations, then, were sincere, but they were still wrong – for the simple reason that G-d had commanded Moshe to produce water from this particular stone. Why He chose specifically this rock was not for them – or for us – to understand. They were to faithfully and humbly abide by His commands even when they did not grasp their logic, and even when different options seemed more rational. This perhaps explains the connection between this story and the preceding section in the Torah – the law of the Para Aduma ("red heifer"). This command is commonly regarded as the quintessential "Hok" – Misva whose rationale eludes our comprehension. There is no logical explanation for why slaughtering a perfectly red cow, and then burning its ashes, mixing it with water, and sprinkling the mixture on people who had become impure, should have any meaning or significance. But the Torah commands that we prepare this mixture, and that people who had come in contact with a corpse have this water sprinkled on them before they enter the Bet Ha'mikdash or eat the meat of sacrifices. This Misva, more than any other, exemplifies the notion of faithful subordination to the divine will, of obedience to Hashem's commands against our logical understanding. For good reason, then, the Torah juxtaposed the Misva of Para Aduma and the story of Moshe and the rock – because both underscore the message of surrendering our logic and reason to the will of Hashem. The lesson of this Parasha is that we must not try to be "too smart." The Torah promises that observing Shabbat brings material prosperity – even though logic dictates that working an extra day every week increases profits. We must not try to "outsmart" the Torah by thinking that keeping the business open on Shabbat will lead to greater earnings. Some mothers encourage their marriage-age daughters to stop following the requirements of modest dress to increase their chances of finding a husband. They figure that since marriage is a Misva, the right thing to do is to dress this way so they can fulfill this Misva. But this is incorrect. When G-d tells us to do something or not to do something, we need to obey even if we can come up with logical reasons not to. The intellect is a precious gift that Hashem granted us for the purpose of learning, building and achieving. At the same time, however, He demands that we suspend our logic when necessary to show our humble subservience to Him and to His will.

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  • Creator
    Rabbi Eli Mansour
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
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