The Torah tells us that “the number of individuals in Yaakov’s family who came to Egypt was seventy”. However anyone who takes the trouble to count the names listed will find that only sixty-six individuals are actually mentioned. The Sages of the Talmud explain that Yosef and his two sons were included in the sum total even though his two sons had been born in Egypt and did not technically “come to Egypt.” In addition, Moshe’s mother Yocheved was born at the exact moment when the Jews crossed the Canaan-Egypt border and thus she completes the count to seventy.

The commentators explain that the number seventy represents the collective totality of humanity. In numerous instances we find that the Torah refers to the world population at large as the “seventy nations.” and the “seventy languages” The purpose of humanity as a whole is to bring about the rectification of the evil found among the seventy nations, a process of “tikun.” Hashem gave mankind several opportunities to fulfill this mission yet mankind failed time after time.

Finally Hashem gave up on mankind in general as his agents in this mission and assigned the task of purging the world of evil to a select group of spiritually advanced individuals -the Jews. However, as representatives of the entire human race, they would assume their new role only when their group would expand to the point that it would include seventy individuals and thereby become a microcosm of mankind.

The Torah here informs us that the Jews attained this new status moments before the onset of their exile in Egypt. From that point on, Hashem’s relationship with the Jews would remain the focal point of world history.

Shabbat Shalom

Yirmiya Milevsky

Daas Torah

Many, if not all, modern day issues that are labeled as Daas Torah, and consequently cause a commotion, must be viewed with true Daas Torah; this letter from Reb Chaim Ozer.

Eastern Religions

As our patriarch Avraham was preparing for his passing, the Torah tells us about his interactions with his children. “Avraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines. He sent them away from his son, Yitzchak, to a land in the east.” The Midrash identifies the gifts as a “Shem Tumah”, literally- a name of impurity. However, the explanation of the Midrash requires clarification: What is a “name of impurity”?

The great rabbi and mystic Rabbi Yishaya Horowitz - also known as the Shelah HaKadosh (d. 1630) - notes that Tumah impurity always has an element of holiness to it. The concubines mentioned in the verse in Hebrew are pilagshim, that can be read as palag shem – half a name. Thus, notes Rabbi Horowitz half, of what the children received was holy. In the messianic era the element of holiness from what was given by Avraham to his children will appear. According to Rabbi Horowitz, a culture from the east will offer something in the messianic era that will be used for holiness.

The word Shem, in Hebrew, means name. However, our rabbis tell us that it also means ‘the essence’, since in the holy language the name of something defines its essence. When Avraham gave to the sons of his concubines a Shem he gave them the tools to identify the true essence of being. It is very possible that eastern religions, which focus on insight into the ultimate nature of reality and emphasize ethics and correct understanding, base their teachings on concepts that originated with Avraham. It is interesting to note that one of the ancient Buddhist works is the Abhidharma.
שם טומאה מסר להם. וזהו סוד הדבר, כי הטומאה דהיינו הקליפות, יש לה למעלה אחיזה בקדושה,
כענין שפירשתי בסמאל, שמחציו ולמעלה נקרא 'אל'. וזהו 'פלגשם' חסר יו"ד, שאז הוא - 'פלג שם', רצה לומר, שחציו הוא שם קודש. וכל זה יהיה באחרית הימים, שהקליפה תחזור לקדושה, והאלילים כרות יכרתון לתקן עולם במלכות שדי וכל בני בשר כו', כנודע ביאור ענין זה למקובלים

Lessons From the Eyelid

Pareshat Haazinu is always read in the beginning of the year, either before or after Yom Kippur, at a time when we feel close to the Al-mighty. The Commentators note several references to the High Holiday season in the Paresha and I would like to share with you one of them.

The song of Haazinu describes the journey of humanity and the Jewish people.

When expressing the kindness of Hashem to the children of Israel in the wilderness the verse states: "He found them in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he surrounded them, he instructed them, he protected them like the Ishon of his eye." Rashi, in his commentary to the Torah, explains the word Ishon as the blackness of the eye- the pupil. According to this reading Hashem protects the children of Israel with great sensitivity just as one protects his pupil. Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, the grandson of Rashi, has a different understanding of the word Ishon. Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir understands the word Ishon to be the “flesh that is drawn down over the eye” namely, the eyelid. In biblical Hebrew Ishon means darkness thus the eyelid is an Ishon because it makes things dark. According to Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir the verse is telling us that Hashem protected the children of Israel in the wilderness just as the eyelid protects the eye.

Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir identifies Hashem’s protection of the Jewish people as that of an eyelid. To better appreciate what the Al-mighty is doing for the sake of the children of Israel, we must understand the significant role of the eyelid and blinking. Blinking automatically supplies moisture to our eyes to keep them from drying out. In addition, it keeps foreign matter from entering and irritating our eyes. Accordingly, Hashem, metaphorically, gives these services to the Jewish people.

Every year during the special period of Aseret Yemei Teshuva, Hashem, by being close to every single Jew, provides an opportunity for the Jew to revitalize his spiritual health and avoid a spiritual dry-out. In addition, it is a time to remove the impurities of sin through Teshuva. The two functions of the eyelid and blinking come to life during this wonderful period, and therefore the song of Haazinu, that describes Hashem as the eyelid, is appropriate for this time.

Shabbat Shalom

Gmar Chatima Tova

Inauthentic Jew

In Parashat Ki Tavo we read the difficult chapter of the national curses known as the Tochecha (Admonition). In the last verse of this dreadful chapter Moshe warns the children of Israel that “Hashem will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as slaves and maidservants but there will be no buyer.” Commentators point out that this last statement deals with the sad reality of assimilation.

The great rabbi of Dvinsk, Latvia, Rabbi Meir Simcha Hakohen, sensing the desire for assimilation by many Jews of the late nineteenth century, warned that when the Jew abandons his faith for the sake of social integration, society reminds the Jew of his unique task, in the form of Anti-Semitism. Not only Jewish thinkers make reference to this idea.

The great French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, wrote a short book entitled, “Anti Semite and Jew”. Sartre alleged that the Jew always is attempting to prove himself more French than the Frenchman. Sartre labelled the Jew who tries to flee Jewish reality, an inauthentic Jew. Yet as much as the Jew tries to escape his reality, the anti-Semite makes him a Jew in spite of himself.

This is what the Torah is telling us at the end of the admonition. Even if we try to “sell ourselves”, the nations of the world will not buy it. Anti-Semitism cannot be purged by rejecting Jewish tradition and identity, but rather by strengthening it.

Shabbat Shalom

Change from within

Towards the end of Pareshat Ki Tetze the Torah addresses the topic of lashes given to a sinner. The Torah remarks that, “If the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.”

Although the simple reading of the verse indicates that forty lashes are given, the sages of the Talmud (Makot 22b) note that the appropriate reading of the verse is that the court render lashes by a number that leads to forty: namely thirty-nine. What we must try to understand is why the Torah uses the number forty if indeed the tradition teaches that only thirty-nine are given.

In Judaism, when a number appears in a specific context, it is not a coincidence but rather the number represents a concept. A perfect example is the number forty. Forty always symbolizes complete change. When the pre-flood world was corrupt and required a new beginning, it rained for forty days. Likewise when the children of Israel left Egypt and were required to change from slaves to conquerors, they required forty years in the desert.

Accordingly, when the Torah remarks that the sinner receives forty lashes, the message is clear: he must transform himself and become a new person. However, the sages of the Talmud tell us that the court, by giving thirty-nine lashes, is indicating to the person that others can only place the sinner on the brink of change. The real change (forty) cannot come from an external source but rather must come from within. In other words, the sinner, metaphorically speaking, must give himself the last lash to reach forty.

In the second half of Parshat Shoftim, the portion deals with several aspects of the nation's conduct when it goes to war. The Torah tells us that a designated Cohen addressed the army before going to battle to encourage the warriors to be brave and not fear the war. The verse continues by telling us that an officer will add to the words of the Cohen and declare, “Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart.”
The Talmud records a dispute between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yossi Hagellili regarding the fearful individual referred to in the verse. Rabbi Akiva understood the fear literally, that the person was afraid of war. For Rabbi Yossi Hagellili, on the other hand, the anxiety was not the traditional fear of battle, but rather related to a person who was a sinner, and thus was cognizant of the fact that he was unworthy of the protection of Hashem.
It is very possible that the dispute between the rabbis came about as a result of different viewpoints on a contemporary issue of the second century. When Bar Kochva rebelled against the oppressing Roman Empire and mobilized a military force, he was backed by very strong support from Rabbi Akiva. For Rabbi Akiva, a Jewish army was not a theoretical concept but rather an issue that was quite relevant. For Rabbi Akiva, fear of battle was "Halacha L'Maase" (a contemporary halachik issue). Therefore the verse was understood by its literal meaning, that when a person is afraid, he cannot be present in the battle field. Rabbi Yossi Hagellili, on the other hand, was not a supporter of the uprising, and therefore viewed a Jewish army as a concept that belongs to the Utopian Messianic era when only the righteous go to battle and the victory will be supernatural. Thus the fear relates to a spiritual condition and not to conventional anxiety.

"The Inflicted Blemish"

You are the children of Hashem your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
For you are a holy people unto Hashem your God, and Hashem has chosen you to be a special people, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
(Devarim Chapter 14)

This paragraph is a testament that reminds the Jewish people of their special role.

As children of the Al-mighty we are told not to feel forlorn when we lose a loved one but rather to be mindful of our special and constant relationship with Hashem as his children. The text continues by warning the Jewish people, "Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing." Rashi explains that the abomination referred to in the verse is a situation where a Cohen receives a firstborn animal that must be brought to the temple, and with the intention of financial gain, inflicts a blemish upon the animal to disqualify it from the alter and as a result, keeps it for himself.

What we must try to figure out is why the Torah juxtaposes the statement regarding the significance of the Jew, to the warning regarding the blemish that relates to a technical detail of the laws of sacrifices. The commentators explain that the message regarding the blemish is not just about animals, but rather can be understood as a theme that relates to humans as well. People, due to personal events in their lives, are at times inspired to do more spiritually. Unfortunately the growth does not always come to fruition because the individual, remembering his flaws, deems himself inadequate and develops the feeling that he is not qualified to become connected to the higher being. In other words the growth is halted due to an "inflicted blemish". This attitude is what the Torah identifies as an abomination.

As children of Hashem we must remember how significant we are in his eyes and as a result we must appreciate what we are in our own eyes. After boosting our self esteem we will not focus on blemishes but rather realize how much we can contribute to the welfare of the nation of Israel, to humanity and to the world.

Visiting Israel for the thinking Jew, is always an overwhelming experience. The history of the land kindles the soul, while the current home coming inspires. Yet for many of us, the food has a special place in our hearts (and waistline). The Torah commands us to thank the creator for the bread by reciting the grace-after-the-meal. However, the verse preceding this commandment notes that Israel is a "land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills." Commentators wonder why mention stones and copper between the reference to bread and the blessing? The commentators explain that the stones are not average stones but rather the magnificent Jerusalem stone(Ramban). This pale limestone is so striking that the British, who governed the land before the establishment of the state, decreed that all buildings had to be faced with Jerusalem stone. Once we understand that the stones refer to Jerusalem we can appreciate why it is mentioned right before the grace after the meal. The Rabbis in the Talmud (Brachot 48) note the King David instituted that Jerusalem be mentioned in the Birkat Hamazon. Thus the stone of Jerusalem clearly belongs in the verses that command us to recite the Birkat Hamazon. Incidentally the copper is referring to the Beit Hamikdash (that is also mentioned in the Birkat Hamazon) as the verse regarding the Temple notes that "there was such a number of them; it was not possible to get the weight of the copper."

The Jewish Enlightenment is a term which is often used to describe the movement among European Jews in the late 18th century that advocated adopting enlightened values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing secular education. However the true Jewish Enlightenment occurred many years earlier as an assembly of former slaves stood at Mount Sinai. The revelation at Sinai was a moment of comprehensive Jewish illumination, and all who were present merited clarity concerning their mission in life. This supernatural and historical occurrence is known as Matan Torah- the Receiving of the Torah.

The rabbis in the Talmud note that the Children of Israel chose to make a covenant with the Almighty. Yet the decision to accept the Torah was in fact a choice made under duress. The mountain was suspended on top of the nation and an offer - that they could not refuse - was made; accept the Torah, or else I- the Almighty – will release that which is on top of you and, without the funeral home and the limo, you will be buried. The nation did indeed accept the offer. However, this incident is quite disturbing. Why did the Jews “merit” such a violent beginning? Personally, I would prefer a calm and serene atmosphere, in which I could truly absorb the wonderful experience of revelation.

A few years following this event, on the bank of the river Neranjara, a fellow by the name Gautama was meditating under a tree, and suddenly experienced a very high degree of consciousness, and reached his own personal Enlightenment. (If you want to know more about him, do a Google search.) My question is: why couldn’t the Jewish nation merit its Enlightenment under a similar magnificent tree? Why this aggressive beginning for a people who are in existence to teach and preach peace?

The key to understanding the mission of the Jew, and to appreciating the Creator’s choice for the first impression, is responsibility. The revelation at Sinai was not for personal and individual fulfillment. Rather, it was to give the most important task in the history of humanity to a chosen group.

Currently in the news there is a reasonable amount of anger at the fact that a fatigued pilot was in control of Colgan Air flight 3407, which crashed near Buffalo, N.Y. this past February. Being that the welfare of the passengers is in his hands, a pilot has an enormous responsibility. The training of a pilot, clearly, must focus on the fact that bad decisions can produce dire results and affect the lives of many.

An educator in many ways is like a pilot. The wrong word uttered by a teacher to a vulnerable student can have calamitous results. The Nation of Israel was given the greatest mission of all time; the spiritual welfare of humanity. The goal of the suspended mountain was to create a long-lasting impact on the Jewish soul, that of tremendous responsibility.

Yet we relive this experience on Shavuot by celebrating, because for the soul, responsibility is the greatest privilege. The secret service works long hours in challenging conditions, yet they take great pride in their significant mission. So too, we celebrate Matan Torah by reminding ourselves that our duty is sacred and is a necessity for the world.

May we all merit celebrating all the holidays in Jerusalem, where we will once again achieve clarity in our mission.

Chag Sameach