Parsha Patners Reeh 2009

PARSHAS RE’EH | 25 AV 5769 | 15 AUGUST 2009

Parsha Perspectives ‫בנים אתם לה' אלקיכם לא תתגדדו ולא תשימו קרחה בין‬ ‫עיניכם למת כי עם קדוש אתה לה' אלקיך ובך בחר ה' להיות‬ ‫לו לעם סגלה מכל העמים אשר על פני האדמה‬ “You are children of Hashem, your G-d. You shall neither cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. For you are a holy people to the Lord, your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a treasured people for Him, out of all the nations that are upon the earth.” (Deuteronomy 14:1-2)

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n ancient times, when a loved one died, friends and relatives would cut themselves and shave portions of their head to express their anguish. Here, G-d commands us not to follow those practices. What seems strange is the juxtaposition of this mitzvah to the verses that precede and follow it. Why specifically does G-d remind us here that we are His children? Why, at this particular point, does He tell us that we are a treasured people? Death and dying are very weighty issues, and often misunderstood. The question of theodicy, or “why bad things happen to good people,” is one of the most philosophically challenging questions in existence. Yet, as part of our faith, we believe that no matter how difficult, challenging or sad something is, it is actually part of G-d’s beneficence. People who believe that death is the ultimate end of the deceased, feel an indescribable sense of anguish that is indescribable. It is almost impossible to console someone who sees the death of a loved one as final and believes that the deceased was just another statistic, a victim of happenstance. This intense pain

can end up expressing itself in selfdestructive behaviors such as selfmutilation. The Torah forbids such behavior. It highlights the fact we are the children of G-d, Who is intensely involved in our lives. Everything that happens to us is for the best, even when we can’t see it that way. When faced with a painful experience, we must focus on how to grow from it. We must recognize that it is part of a plan of our beneficent Father Who treasures every one of us. In the early 1980’s, a book entitled “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” was published to help people who were “hurt

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by life” cope with their anger and conflicts of faith. It was based on the experiences the author had with his son who died of a devastating, incurable disease at the age of fourteen. The author claimed that G-d could either be benevolent (all-good) or omnipotent (all-powerful). He couldn’t imagine that G-d could possibly be both, because he couldn’t reconcile how could there be so much pain and suffering in the world as part of a Divine Plan. His resolution was that G-d is good, and therefore, not omnipotent. He suggested that death and other painful experiences are the result of “fate,” i.e. outside of G-d’s control, but that G-d mourns alongside us. While the book generated significant attention for its unconvential approach to suffering, its thesis is inconsistent with virtually every source in Jewish tradition. Rather than offering solace, the author’s diminution of G-d is a recipe for added frustration and confusion. Judaism rejects this philosophy and affirms that despite our inability to understand the reasons behind painful experiences, we are confident that they are part of G-d’s plan for us His children, and that they are ultimately for our good. Knowing that everything that happens to us is from our Loving Father in heaven and part of a Master Plan is comforting in its own right. There is therefore no need to resort to self-mutilation. Instead of destroying ourselves, the Torah teaches us to better ourselves through the painful experiences we inevitably face. Rabbi Burnham can be reached at: [email protected]

Dedicated to the memory of Sadie Shigon ‫ ע''ה‬from the Felson and Diamond families.

Talking Points 1. ESTABLISHING GOOD CREDIT “Only in the place that Hashem chooses within one of your tribes, there you are to offer up your burnt-offerings, and there you are to do everything that I am commanding you.” 12:14 Within one of your tribes – The reason the Torah specified that the Sanctuary was within one of the tribes was to counter the argument that it’s unfair for the Sanctuary to be found only within one tribe and not the others. It must be here, and only here, by this tribe, says the Torah, and no other Sanctuary may be established in any other tribal territory. – Ohr HaChaim Within one of your tribes – This refers to the tribal portion of Benjamin. However, this is difficult to understand, because earlier [verse 5] it is said, ‘of all your tribes.’ How can this be? When King David purchased the threshing site from Aravna the Jebusite, he gathered the gold to pay for it from all the tribes. This is why they are credited with owning the site. Nevertheless, the actual site was in Benjamin’s tribal territory. - Rashi In P’ninei Daas, Rabbi Elya Meir Bloch zt”l added to Rashi’s point that from here we see that anyone who contributes toward the purchase of a place of worship not only receives merit for his contribution, but also earns the right to have the place called on his name to some degree. The fact that all the Tribes contributed to its purchase earned them the right to have the Torah refer to the place as belonging to “of all your tribes,” although in actuality it was in the tribal portion of Benjamin.

RE’EH

worship their gods, let me do so, too.’ Do not do so to Hashem, your G-d, for all that is abominated by G-d and that He hates, they have done or their gods; even their sons and their daughters do they burn in fire to their gods.” 12:29-30 Annihilated before you – When you see that I have annihilated them before you, think about why I annihilated them. It was because of their decadent behavior. Therefore, you must refrain from emulating them so that no one comes to annihilate you – Rashi Let me do so too – You may see their forms of worship to their idols and think that perhaps, I desire that too. That’s a mistake, for I detest their forms of worship and drove them out of Canaan because of it. – Sforno Even their sons and their daughters – The word “even” is extra and is inserted to inform us that not only did the parents sacrifice their children, the children did likewise to their parents. – Rashi Rabbi Yaakov Kamenecki zt”l, in his commentary, Emes L’Yaakov, explains that Moses was not only warning them not to slaughter their children to G-d. Rather, his point was that there are elements of idol worship that could very well have appeared to be rather appealing and beautiful, and the Jews may have been tempted to incorporate them into their own worship of G-d. Therefore, Moses provided them with a vivid example of how debauched and ill-suited their worship was for adaptation. An idol worship that contains elements of child-slaughter is not worth emulating in any form, even its more benign aspects.

2. GOATS, NOT KIDS “When Hashem, your G-d, will have purged the nations whom you are coming there to inherit, from before you; and you inherit them and dwell in their land; Take heed, lest you are torn apart along with them, after they have been annihilated before you, and lest you inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations

3. GRACE MANSION “At the end of three years, separate all the tithes of your produce of that year and set them aside in your city. The Levite shall come, for he has no portion [in the Land] or inheritance with you, and the proselyte and the orphan and the widow who are in your city, let them eat until satiety; so that

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Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in all the endeavors that you undertake.” 14:28, 29 Give, you shall give him – This comes to teach that if one withheld his tithes during the first and second years of the Shmittah cycle, he must divest his home of them during the third year. – Rashi Let them eat until satiety – When the needy person eats until satiety, he is sure to bless you wholeheartedly and that blessing is even more effective than the one gained by the very act of tithing. – HeEmek Davar Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin) adds that in order to be Scripturally obligated to recite Birchat HaMazon [Grace after Meals], one must have eaten to satiety. By allowing them to eat until satiety, they will now recite Birchat HaMazon, whose recital showers a household with inordinate blessing. This is why the verse continues with a promise, “that Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in all your endeavors,” for the blessing will manifest itself in an untold number of ways. Rabbi Meisels can be reached at [email protected]

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BREAD AND BLESSINGS Dear Rabbi, Reading through the text of the Grace after Meals, I was surprised to find (if I read right) only two references to bread, and many references to things I would never have associated with a meal, such as the Land of Israel, the Holy Temple, and Jerusalem. I realize that these things are important, but what relevance do they have to someone who just ate bread? Thanks for your help. Nancy B. Dear Nancy,

performs good.

I appreciate your insightful comment. Many people unfortunately don’t give much thought about the actual text of the Grace after Meals, but it is certainly important to plummet.

I mention this history only to increase the intensity of your question. How do these historical events find their way into the text of one who wants to thank G-d for the bread he has just eaten? To develop an explanation, we need to recall that one of the areas where G-d’s control of the world is more open and apparent is in matters regarding a person’s livelihood. As the verse in Psalms says, “He opens up His Hand and causes satisfaction to all life.” This open Hand symbolizes G-d’s special control, which is known as Hashgacha Pratis - His control over all things, including minor details. When a person is hungry and needs to eat, it is natural to feel the appreciation for food and make a blessing with proper intention. After becoming satiated, however, it is more difficult to feel appreciation, for our nature is that the acuteness of our appreciation declines with the relief from hunger pangs. Therefore, our recitation of these afterblessings needs added effort in order to achieve the proper level of intention.

The Talmud tells us that the mitzvah to say the first three blessings of the Grace after Meals is a Torah requirement; the fourth is a Rabbinical requirement. However, the text itself was added to over time. While the Jews were in the wilderness for 40 years, physically sustained by the Manna which fell from heaven, Moses formulated the first blessing, which concludes, “Hazan es hakol” - Who provides nourishment to all. When the Jews entered the Land of Israel during the times of Joshua, Joshua added the blessing, “Al ha’aretz v’al hamazon,” For the Land and for food. After King David established the foundations of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, he added the third blessing, “U’v’nei Yerushalayim,” O, build Jerusalem. Finally, after the destruction of the Second Temple, the city of Beitar did not capitulate to their Roman enemies and were mercilessly slaughtered. Their bodies were left in the hot sun, since the Romans forbade Jewish burial. Nevertheless, many months later when the Jews finally were able to bury their comrades, they were witness to a miracle - the bodies of the slain did not decompose. The Rabbis of that generation added the fourth blessing to the Grace after Meals, “Birkas hatov v’ha’meitiv,” the blessing of the One Who

The text of the Grace after Meals is a review of G-d’s intervention in our history and His Divine Hand which directed us in our mission as Jews. In the wilderness, each individual received his portion of Manna to sustain him, and it fell at a distance from his door, depending on his particular spiritual accomplishments the prior day - a clear indication of Divine guidance. The Jews conquered the indigenous nations in the

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Land of Israel during the times of Joshua in an extraordinary manner, including Joshua’s effort to halt the movement of the sun! King David defeated the Jesubites in Jerusalem and his son King Solomon erected the Holy Temple, which served as the pinnacle of the Jews service to G-d and a fulfillment of their mission. But even after the Jews sinned and the Temple was destroyed, G-d remained with them and preserved the bodies of the slain in Beitar to demonstrate that His miraculous intervention in our lives is not dependent on our performance. He will never abandon us, even during our long exile. We need to remind ourselves of G-d’s intervention in our livelihood, which is symbolized by bread, at the time we are most apt to forget it. It is only as a result of His intervention that we were able to eat our last meal. The recitation of the Grace after Meals is not a mere “Thank You.” Without His special guidance, we would have starved to death. One can derive inspiration about Hashgacha pratis (Divine intervention) by recounting the extraordinary interventions in the life of the Jewish people as a whole, and so the text was formulated to aid us in accomplishing the proper intentions. All the best to you, Nancy. RD Rabbi Drucker can be reached at [email protected]

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Soul Talk TABLE TALK FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE RABBI LABEL LAM The first word and the title of the parsha this week is “Re’eh” – see: “See I place before you today blessing and curse; The blessing if you listen to the commandments of Hashem your G-d that I command you today, and the curse if you do not listen to the commandments of Hashem your G-d and you turn from the path that I am commanding you today to go after gods that you do not know.” (Devarim 11:26-28) The Torah continues with a dramatic demonstration for the entire Jewish Nation. Corresponding to the blessing and curse mentioned earlier, there were two mountains, each with a distinct appearance.

One

mountain,

Mt.

Grizim,

was

lush,

flowering, and fruitful, while the other, Mt. Aivil, was rocky, arid, and barren in appearance. When the blessings were enunciated, the attention of the people turned to Mt. Grizim, and while the curses were delivered, Mt. Aivil became the focal point.

‫)א‬

The Torah, in various places, including this week’s parsha, places an emphasis on hearing the words of the Torah [ex. “Hear O Israel” (Devarim 6:4), “If

you listen to the commandments” (Devarim 11:27)]. What additional message is conveyed through the use of the word ‘Re’eh’ – ‘see’?

‫)ב‬ ‫)ג‬

Why would seeing be a more fitting directive in introducing the blessings and curses?

The first two verses use the word ‘today’ (“See I place before you today”; “that I command you today”). As the Torah couldn’t possibly expect us

today to ‘see’ the encounter on Mt. Grizim and Mt. Aivil, what message is expressed through the addition of the word ‘today’? Rabbi Lam can be reached at: [email protected]

We all know of the obligation to care for our fellow Jews. Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid (in Sefer Chassidim 553) explains that being uncaring has consequences of which we might not be aware. When we see that one person’s prayers are accepted and another’s are not, the difference between them may be the degree to which they feel for their friends and neighbors: ‘‘The reason why one’s prayers are not answered might be that he does not keep in mind the pain and shame of his fellow Jews. He should think, ‘Were I in the same painful situation as my neighbor, I would certainly pray to G-d to be saved.’ By not feeling his friend’s pain, and thus not praying that his friend’s difficulties disappear, he disregards the command (Vayikra 19:18), ָ ‫ֲך‬ ‫ֵע‬ ‫ְר‬ ‫ָ ל‬ ‫ְתּ‬ ‫ַב‬ ‫ְאָה‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ָמוֹך‬ ָ ‫כּ‬, you shall love your fellow as yourself.’’ Rabbi Moshe Cordevero’s book titled Tomer Devorah (1:4) explains that the obligation placed upon us by the verse ָ ‫ֲך‬ ‫רע‬ ְֵ ‫ָ ל‬ ‫בתּ‬ ְַ ‫ְאָה‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ָמוֹך‬ ָ ‫ כּ‬is a consequence of the deep spiritual connection all Jews share with one another. In fact, Tomer Devorah makes the point that one must not only feel his friend’s pain, but also delight in his joy: ‘‘It is therefore proper that a person should wish for his friend’s good and be pleased at his friend’s success. His friend’s honor should be as important to him as his own, because they are as one! He should want his friend’s conduct to be proper and should not talk negatively about him, nor should he be pleased by such negative talk. Just as G-d, because of His closeness to us, does not wish us any degradation or misery, so should a person not desire his friend’s shame or distress. Such events should be as painful to him as if he himself were suffering from that trouble — or,

conversely, he should be as pleased with his friend’s success as if he himself received that very benefit.” Sefer Chassidim continues to allude to the connection between one’s concern for one’s friend and his prayers being answered. In fact, the Talmud (Shabbos 151b) spells out the same lesson at greater length: “ָ ‫ְך‬ ‫ַן־ל‬ ‫ָת‬ ‫ְנ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ְך‬ ָ ‫ַמ‬ ‫ִח‬ ‫ְר‬ ‫ִים ו‬ ‫ֲמ‬ ‫ַח‬ ‫ר‬, and He will give you mercy and be merciful to you — Heaven will have mercy on one who is merciful to others, but one who is not merciful will not receive Heavenly mercy.’’ Maharsha (Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Edeles) explains that the Talmud reads the verse as consisting of two parts: And He will give you mercy — so that you should be merciful to others, and because of that [He will] be merciful to you — G-d will be merciful to you, taking care of your needs. This quality of being concerned for others is of great importance. For without it, concludes Sefer Chassidim, what separates man from animals, who are not concerned with their fellow animal’s pain? Indeed, a person who is insensitive to other’s problems has lost his humanity, and is the subject of the verse (Ecclesiastes 3:19): ‫ָה‬ ‫ֵמ‬ ‫ְה‬ ‫ַבּ‬ ‫ִן־ה‬ ‫ָם מ‬ ‫ָאָד‬ ‫ַר ה‬ ‫וּמוֹת‬ ‫ִן‬ ‫אָי‬, Man has no superiority over beast. Besides the general lesson that Sefer Chassidim teaches, that one must care for his fellow Jew, we see something else, no less important: Even when one cannot directly help a person afflicted with troubles, one can express his concern by praying for him. And in that merit, one’s own prayers will be answered. With permission from Artscroll’s Daily Dose