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Vayeira 5785

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Dust and ash[1]

ויען אברהם ויאמר הנה-נא הואלתי לדבר אל-אדנ”י ואנכי עפר ואפר
Avraham answered and said, “Behold, now I have begun to speak to the Lord. I am but dirt and ash”[2]

Our Sages tell us[3] that in the merit that Avraham called himself “but dirt and ash”, his descendants were given the mitzvos of the dirt of the Sotah procedure[4] and the ash of the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer[5]. Now, it’s true, we see that Avraham said dirt and ash, and these two mitzvos are with dirt and ash. Still, is there any deeper significance with this reward?

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Lech Lecha 5785

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Proclaiming the greatness of Hashem[1]

ויאמר אברם אל-מלך סדם הרמתי ידי אל-יקוק קל עליון קנה שמים וארץ: אם-מחוט ועד שרוך-נעל ואם-אקח מכל-אשר-לך ולא תאמר אני העשרתי את-אברם
Avram said to the king of Sedom: “I raise my hand to Hashem, the Supernal G-d, the Owner of Heaven and Earth. I will take neither a string nor a shoe strap, nor anything that is yours, so you will not say that I made Avram rich”[2]

Avraham heroically rescued his nephew Lot who was kidnapped by the mightiest kings of the time. Simultaneously, Avraham rescued the king of Sedom. The king offered Avraham the spoils of the war, but Avraham vehemently refused. He announced he wouldn’t even take a string or a shoe strap from the spoils. Our Sages teach us[3] that in the merit of this proclamation, his children merited the mitzvah of the string of techeiles on their tzitzis, and the mitzvah of the strap of tefillin. How can we understand the midah k’neged midah, the measure for measure of this reward? Meaning, why did Hashem find these mitzvos to be an appropriate response to this act of piety? Rashi clarifies[4] that part of the merit was that Avraham didn’t want to benefit from theft, but what theft was there here? Avraham was the victor of the battle…

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Sukkos 5785

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Anti-agent activities[1]

בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים…‏
You shall dwell in Sukkos for seven days[2]

In Jewish law there’s the concept of Agency[3]. Meaning, I can appoint an agent to perform certain acts on my behalf, such as betrothing a wife, ending a marriage, separating tithes, and slaughtering offerings. A question that is asked[4] is that logic would dictate that agency shouldn’t work for the mitzvah of Sukkah, but why not? Why can’t I have someone else dwell in the Sukkah on my behalf? Why should it be different than the above mitzvos? Similarly, why can’t I have someone else wear Tefillin for me?

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Rosh Hashanah 5785

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Hashem’s unusual listening conduct[1]

כי אתה שומע קול שופר ומאזין תרועה ואין דומה לך. ברוך אתה יקוק שומע קול תרועת עמו ישראל ברחמים
For you hear [שומע] the sound [קול] of the shofar, and hear [מאזין] the broken sound [תרועה], and no one is like You. Blessed are you Hashem, Who mercifully hears the broken sound of His nation of Israel[2]

The Mussaf service on Rosh Hashanah is unlike any other Yom Tov. Usually, the silent prayer, known as the Shemoneh Esrei, consists of seven blessings. Three praising G-d, one corresponding to the day, and three blessings of thanks. Rosh Hashanah, instead of just one blessing in the middle, has three, known as Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros. Blessings declaring Hashem’s Kingship, Hashem’s “recollection” of events, and the famed shofar blasts. These three, perhaps, correlate to the three principles of Jewish faith: There is a G-d, the Torah is of Divine origins, and there’s reward and punishment[3]. Malchiyos obviously correspond to the fact there is a G-d. Zichronos correspond to reward and punishment, for Hashem recalls our good and not so good deeds. Shofaros correspond to the Torah, which was given at Sinai with Shofar blasts[4].

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Nitzavim/Vayeilech 5784

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Beyond our capabilities? Impossible[1]

לא בשמים הוא לאמר מי יעלה-לנו השמימה ויקחה לנו וישמענו אתה ונעשנה

It’s not in the heavens, such that you would say, “Who will bring us up to the heavens, that he’ll take it for us, that he’ll have us hear it and perform it”[2]

The subject of our verse is Torah[3]. The verse tells us that it’s not in the heavens. Rashi tells us[4] that the implication is that if the Torah were in the heavens, we would be required to go up there and learn it. The question is, how would we get up there? We have to say that if we really would be required to go up to the heavens to learn the Torah, Hashem would provide for us a way[5]. The main point is to say that Hashem would never command us to do something that is beyond our abilities. Now that the Torah is in our domain, we have to seek after it and learn it.

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Ki Savo 5784

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First fruit proclamation[1]

ובאת אל-הכהן אשר יהיה בימים ההם ואמרת אליו הגדתי היום ליקוק אלקיך כי-באתי אל-הארץ אשר נשבע יקוק לאבתינו לתת לנו
You shall come to the Kohen that will be in those days, and say to him: “I state today to Hashem your G-d that I have come to the land which Hashem swore to our forefathers to give to us”[2]

One of the final mitzvos that is discussed in the Torah is known as Bikkurim. There is a mitzvah to bring our first fruits to the Temple, declare our thanks to Hashem, and give them to the Kohen for consumption. There are some questions that can be asked on this whole ceremony. First of all, the verse says to come to the Kohen who will be in those days. Which other Kohen could I possibly go to? Our Sages teach us[3] that this is stressing that we have to suffice with the Kohen which will be in our days, even if he’s not on the level of earlier generations. However, the Ramban is unsatisfied with this teaching[4]. We find a similar one with the mitzvah not to rebel against the Sages. We are to heed their words, even if they’re not on the level of earlier generations. This teaching makes sense, but why would we need the same teaching with respect to the Kohanim and Bikkurim?

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Ki Seitzei 5784

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Surprising restrictions[1]

לא-תתעב אדמי כי אחיך הוא לא-תתעב מצרי כי-גר היית בארצו: בנים אשר-וילדו להם דור שלישי יבא להם בקהל יקוק
Do not abhor the Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor the Egyptian, for you were a sojourner in his land. Children that are born to them, [only] the third generation will enter into the congregation of Hashem[2]

The prohibition to marry an Edomite and an Egyptian convert is unique. Usually, someone of improper lineage which the Torah precludes from marriage cannot remove that blemish. They are forever forbidden, like a Moabite and an Ammonite[3]. This is not so for an Edomite and Egyptian convert. While they themselves cannot marry a regular Jew, nor their children, their grandchildren are permitted.

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Shoftim 5784

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Noble pursuits[1]

פן ירדוף גאל הדם אחרי הרצח כי-יחם לבבו והשיגו וגו’‏
Lest the “Blood Avenger” chase after the killer, for his heart is furious, and he’ll catch him[2]

The Torah has mercy upon an accidental killer, albeit in a limited way. The concern is due to his negligence, the family of the deceased will want to take revenge. The Torah has compassion on them, and grants permit for such actions. However, to give the murderer a fighting chance, he is granted a place of safe haven. These are known as the “Cities of Refuge”, where the murderer lives and the family of the deceased, known as the “Blood Avengers”, cannot enter.

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Re’eh 5784

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Small gifts, large benefits[1]

נתון תתן לו ולא ירע לבבך בתתך לו כי בגלל הדבר הזה יברכך יקוק אלקיך בכל-מעשך ובכל משלח ידך
Give and give to him, and it should not be bad in your heart to give to him, for due to this matter Hashem your G-d blesses you, in all of your deeds and in anything your hand accesses[2]

In discussing the mitzvah of tzedaka, the Torah uses a repeated phrase of נתון תתן, often translated as you shall surely give. Literally, it means give you shall give. This repeated expression teaches us that we are to give tzedaka to a poor person even a hundred times[3].

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Eikev 5784

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How can it rain on shabbos?[1]

ונתתי מטר-ארצכם בעתו וגו’‏
I will give the rain of your lands in its proper time…[2]

In the second paragraph of Shema, we are told of all the things that we will receive if we keep the Torah. The inverse is also true, that if we don’t keep the Torah, we will be withheld all of Hashem’s good, or worse. One of the blessings promised is that of the rain of the lands falling in its proper time. What’s interesting is we find a parallel verse in parshas Bechukosai, famous for the curses that could befall the Jews, but also some blessings. There, it says, “I will give your rain in its time”[3]. Why is it that here the verse says, “your land’s rain”, but there it says, “your rain”?

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