The mishna in Rosh Hashana says "Vechi nachash meimis oy nachash mechayah elah lomar luch shekol zman shohya Yisroel mistaklim klapia mallah umishabdim ess lebom huya misrapim..."
After Aharon was niftar the Torah relates that Klal Yisroel got impatient of the traveling and complained to Moshe about food and water. The Posuk continues "Then Hashem let the poisonous serpents loose against the people." After they did teshuva Hashem told Moshe "Make yourself a poisonous serpent and set it on a high pole, and everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it shall live." The Mishna quoted above asks, does a snake have healing powers that just by looking at it one got healed? The mishna answers, that whenever one would look up to the heavens and dedicate their hearts to Hashem they'd be healed. The snake didn't have any special healing powers it was just a way to get the nation to look up and see Hashem. The point that needs clarification is why did Hashem give them this medicine at this time? Why did this sin get this punishment and this specific remedy?
Klal Yisroel at that point had what to eat - namely the mon - they were just not satisfied with it and they wanted real natural food that regular humans eat and drink. They asked Hashem to let them live naturally. The posak says Hashem let "Hanechashem" the serpents. Hashem didn't create or transfer new snakes to where Klal Yisroel was. All He did was let the serpents do their natural thing and attack the people. These were the same serpents that naturally roam the dessert, that he miraculously kept away from them for forty years. The snakes where always there but the Yidden didn't even see them, for Hashem kept them protected from all the dangers in the dessert. Now that they complained that they want to live a natural life Hashem gave them a taste of life in the dessert with all its dangers. The attacks of the serpents weren't a punishment but rather that is what they had asked for. The tshuva for this was to look up and see that there are snakes out there and the only one that's protecting you from them is Hashem. One who was bitten had to only fix the image of a serpent firmly in his mind so that he realizes that even when Hashem's gracious power will keep the serpents at a distance he will remember that the danger is still lurking and only with Hashem's mercy are we being saved. Just like the punishment was just what they asked for so to the medicine was just to help them see and correct their mistake and way of thinking.
We most learn from this Parsha that anything that comes our way is closely calculated by Hashem's great mercy. Any danger in life that doesn't come our way is a special protection from Hashem, and when c"v something not to pleasant comes our way, every big prize in the lottery that Hashem has failed to let us win, it is Hashem that in his infinite wisdom and mercy sending our way. We must have the lesson of the the serpents ingrained in our minds and be able to recognize that all of it has a reason and is directly from Hashem.
Taken from R. S. R. Hirsch zt"l
21 June, 2007
13 June, 2007
Parshas Korach
The Mishna in Avos says "Any argument that's leshaim shemaim- with a noble purpose will result in abiding value, but any controversy that has no noble purpose shall not have abiding value. Which controversy was one of noble purpose? The controversy between Hillel and Shammai. And which had no noble purpose? The controversy of Korach and his company." The Ohr Gedalyauh comments that the problem with Korach wasn't in his arguments it was merely that they weren't not leshaim shomaim. If he would of meant what he said it would of been an everlasting argument just like Hillel and Shammai. What is it that Korach said? What is it that got him off track? And is there any significance of the placement of this Parsha?
Reb Tzodok Hachoen from Lublin in a classic piece says, that in Eretz Yisroel everyone in Klal Yisroel will have the capability to learn and strive in there yiddishkiet on their own. In a perfect world there is no need for leaders of Klal Yisroel to lead ,all of us will have his own channel to Hashem. The Medrash says that when Moshiach comes he's going to want to teach Klal Yisroel Torah, but we're going to tell him go teach the goyim - we want to learn straight from Hashem. Korach felt that Klal Yisroel was ready for this level and that is what he meant when he said "Ki kol haaida kulam kidoshim" For the whole community, everyone of them, is holy. His argument was that there was no need for Moshe to lead the Jews anymore - that everyone was ready to forge his own connection to Hashem. His theory was a correct one but he didn't realize that Klal Yisroel wasn't ready for such a intense connection with Hashem. Like the meraglim before him and Miriam before that he didn't accept that Moshe was their connection to Hashem. They still needed Moshe and Ahron to forge that connection and lead the way into Eretz Yisroel and then they would be able to be on their own. If Korach would've waited until Klal Yisroel was ready, his argument would've been accepted, but he was blinded with jealousy that steered him in the wrong direction, that was his "Shelo leshaim shmaim", that he wasn't up to par with his argument. Had he been at the point where he was ready to lead himself, then this machlokes would've gone down in history as a holy one, just like Hillel and Shammai.
We are at the end of the month of Kabolas Hatorah and in the middle of Seder Bamidbar. What is the connection? How does it all tie together?
Bamidbar started with the counting of Klal Yisroel, that every one of us has his own uniqueness and goals. We continued to Nassoh and Bahloscha where Hashem asks certain Jews for more then others, but everyone has a place in the grand scheme, each one a letter in the Torah. Yet there are dangers with this. You start to feel that you're greater than you really are, and you don't realize that we have leaders that connect us to Hashem - that how unique and great we are we must realize that we are far from the source. We have to learn from Miriam, the meraglim and Korach that Moshe is the leader. Without him we wouldn't be what we are. So to in every generation we have the Gedolim that not just lead the way, but are our connection to Hashem and not listening and learning from them we all are lost. Until that one day when Hashem will elevate us and we all will be able to learn straight from Hashem.
Reb Tzodok Hachoen from Lublin in a classic piece says, that in Eretz Yisroel everyone in Klal Yisroel will have the capability to learn and strive in there yiddishkiet on their own. In a perfect world there is no need for leaders of Klal Yisroel to lead ,all of us will have his own channel to Hashem. The Medrash says that when Moshiach comes he's going to want to teach Klal Yisroel Torah, but we're going to tell him go teach the goyim - we want to learn straight from Hashem. Korach felt that Klal Yisroel was ready for this level and that is what he meant when he said "Ki kol haaida kulam kidoshim" For the whole community, everyone of them, is holy. His argument was that there was no need for Moshe to lead the Jews anymore - that everyone was ready to forge his own connection to Hashem. His theory was a correct one but he didn't realize that Klal Yisroel wasn't ready for such a intense connection with Hashem. Like the meraglim before him and Miriam before that he didn't accept that Moshe was their connection to Hashem. They still needed Moshe and Ahron to forge that connection and lead the way into Eretz Yisroel and then they would be able to be on their own. If Korach would've waited until Klal Yisroel was ready, his argument would've been accepted, but he was blinded with jealousy that steered him in the wrong direction, that was his "Shelo leshaim shmaim", that he wasn't up to par with his argument. Had he been at the point where he was ready to lead himself, then this machlokes would've gone down in history as a holy one, just like Hillel and Shammai.
We are at the end of the month of Kabolas Hatorah and in the middle of Seder Bamidbar. What is the connection? How does it all tie together?
Bamidbar started with the counting of Klal Yisroel, that every one of us has his own uniqueness and goals. We continued to Nassoh and Bahloscha where Hashem asks certain Jews for more then others, but everyone has a place in the grand scheme, each one a letter in the Torah. Yet there are dangers with this. You start to feel that you're greater than you really are, and you don't realize that we have leaders that connect us to Hashem - that how unique and great we are we must realize that we are far from the source. We have to learn from Miriam, the meraglim and Korach that Moshe is the leader. Without him we wouldn't be what we are. So to in every generation we have the Gedolim that not just lead the way, but are our connection to Hashem and not listening and learning from them we all are lost. Until that one day when Hashem will elevate us and we all will be able to learn straight from Hashem.
06 June, 2007
Parshas Shelach
Last weeks Parsha ends off with the story of Miriam being punished for speaking Loshon Harah about Moshe. This weeks Parsha tells us the story of the meraglim- spies and their loshon harah about the land of Yisroel. Rashi points out this juxtaposition and explains that the meraglim were to learn from Miriam, about the consequences of speaking loshon harah and they didn't. Let us try and get a better understanding of what they were to learn from Miriam, and what we can learn from the meraglim.
Miriam- who was a prophetess in her own right, equated Moshe with all other Neviem, saying that just as the other Neviam didn't need extra special preparations to get nevuah so to Moshe doesn't have to go that extra step. Her 'mistake' was that she thought that her brother was on the same level as all the other prophets. Not realizing that even though all prophets are holy, Moshe was the 'av' (literally the father) of all the Neviem, he was the one that connected the prophets of all times to the higher source. Moshe was the only Navi in history that actually went up to heaven. What Miriam didn't realize was that Moshe was on a much higher level then the rest of the Neviem and that he was the one that brought down nevuah to the rest of the prophets and that's why he needed extra preparation.
The Torah (13;26) says "And they went and came to Moshe.." says Rashi, that just as the returning was with evil intentions so to their leaving was with evil intentions. The Maharal asks: Rashi in the beginning of the Parsha says that all the Meraglim were great men, leaders of klal yisroel, so how was it that their going was with bad intentions at that moment they were still great people? The Maharal answers that Moshe sent them to spy the land as his own messengers - that they went as messengers of Klal Yisroel that was their mistake. The Medrish says that Eretz Yisroel wasn't ready for Klal Yisroel, for the Knanim destroyed the land and Hashem promised a land of flowing milk and honey so Hashem made them wait forty years for it to be rebuilt. But had Moshe gone into Eretz Yisroel he would've had the proper influences and changed the physical aspect of the land. Hashem told Moshe to send them 'Ledatacha' according to your 'opinion', meaning that the point was that Moshe should send his 'influence' and the meraglim should prepare the land for Moshe to come into. This is where they failed, they went as messengers of klal yisroel to spy the land and not of Moshe to uplift the land. Just like Miriam before them, they didn't realize that Moshe was on a higher plane then the rest of the nation and that their orders were to connect Moshe and the holy land. They thought Eretz Yisroel was just like any other land and that Moshe was just like any other prophet, while both of them are on a much higher 'madreiga'. They are our connection to Hashem and his kedusha.
Miriam- who was a prophetess in her own right, equated Moshe with all other Neviem, saying that just as the other Neviam didn't need extra special preparations to get nevuah so to Moshe doesn't have to go that extra step. Her 'mistake' was that she thought that her brother was on the same level as all the other prophets. Not realizing that even though all prophets are holy, Moshe was the 'av' (literally the father) of all the Neviem, he was the one that connected the prophets of all times to the higher source. Moshe was the only Navi in history that actually went up to heaven. What Miriam didn't realize was that Moshe was on a much higher level then the rest of the Neviem and that he was the one that brought down nevuah to the rest of the prophets and that's why he needed extra preparation.
The Torah (13;26) says "And they went and came to Moshe.." says Rashi, that just as the returning was with evil intentions so to their leaving was with evil intentions. The Maharal asks: Rashi in the beginning of the Parsha says that all the Meraglim were great men, leaders of klal yisroel, so how was it that their going was with bad intentions at that moment they were still great people? The Maharal answers that Moshe sent them to spy the land as his own messengers - that they went as messengers of Klal Yisroel that was their mistake. The Medrish says that Eretz Yisroel wasn't ready for Klal Yisroel, for the Knanim destroyed the land and Hashem promised a land of flowing milk and honey so Hashem made them wait forty years for it to be rebuilt. But had Moshe gone into Eretz Yisroel he would've had the proper influences and changed the physical aspect of the land. Hashem told Moshe to send them 'Ledatacha' according to your 'opinion', meaning that the point was that Moshe should send his 'influence' and the meraglim should prepare the land for Moshe to come into. This is where they failed, they went as messengers of klal yisroel to spy the land and not of Moshe to uplift the land. Just like Miriam before them, they didn't realize that Moshe was on a higher plane then the rest of the nation and that their orders were to connect Moshe and the holy land. They thought Eretz Yisroel was just like any other land and that Moshe was just like any other prophet, while both of them are on a much higher 'madreiga'. They are our connection to Hashem and his kedusha.
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