"These are the offspring of Aaron and Moses...These are the names of the sons of Aaron..."(Num 3:1-2). Aaron's children are listed while Moses' children are not listed. Why aren't Moses children listed?
Moses's children are not listed here because the Torah is listing here only the Priests, the Kohanim, and Moses' children are not Kohanim. But if so, why are the children of Aaron called also the "offspring" of Moses ("These are the offspring of Aaron and Moses")? To teach us a very important principle. Anyone who teaches and guides another individual in the ways of studying and observing G-d's laws they are considered to have given birth to them. Aaron's children are counted here as Moses' children because Moses was their teacher in the ways of the Torah, and so it is as if he gave birth to them.
This can be explained further based on the verse in Psalms (119:89):"Forever, Hashem, Your word stands firm in the heavens"- meaning that the world was created and is forever being created with G-d's speech: "G-d said, Let there be light...G-d said...G-d said...etc. (Gen. 1:1-29). So every object, physical or spiritual (light, firmament, land, organisms, etc.) was created through a process that could be best compared to speaking. This is a power reserved for the Infinite One to create ex-nihilo, something from nothing, and must continue at every moment in order to keep the creation from collapsing back into Him.
How do we preserve the creative process and raise an object's or individual's longevity? By revealing in them their role in G-d's creation. The more the creation becomes aware of its purpose, the more it is maintained as part of the ongoing creative process. This is why we say of the Torah and its commandements that "they are our life and length of days". So also when a Jew learns Torah or fulfills one of their 613 commandments they are endowed with life and length of days beyond what they received when they were born, so it is as if at this moment they are born again, and the person who helped to teach them is like their parent.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Walking the Walk (Leviticus Ch.26-27)
"If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments
and perform them"(Lev. 26:3). This verse seems to be repeating itself - what is the practical difference between "following statutes" and "observing commandments"? A statute or decree is a formal law passed by a governing body that does not require any proof for its justification. As opposed to "common law" which develops in an organic manner through a series of judicial decisions. G-d is telling us that the basis for observing all the commandments is to view them as statutes, as "carved in stone" and not subject to change based on the spirit of the generation.
In this century, we have seen a number of attempts at building a society around human logic. Fascism and communism both developed as practical applications of lofty utopian visions. However, when practically applied, these approaches proved to be the most destructive and immoral forms of governance ever known to man. Morality, by definition, must be "carved in stone". It cannot be left up to human understanding to decide what is ethical. If one peers into the philosophy and thinking upon which Western democracy is founded, it is a philosophy based around the ethics of the Bible, around a Divine morality.
Chassidus explains that one meditation concerning the world's unity with G-d is that of letters carved into a precious stone. The letters are barely distinct from the surface of the stone. The expression, "carved in stone", is not coincidental. It implies something so intrinsic that it does not require logic for its justification. A statue is a law that does not need to be proven because it is so obviously necessary, either because of its Divine origin, or because it is essential to the society's well-being. Believing in one G-d, in one authority leads to a belief that the world operates only according to one set of rules. These laws are so carved into the fabric of creation that as soon as we begin to follow them, to define ourselves as well as our goals and ambitions by these laws, we automatically experience blessings in our day-to-day life as a result, as G-d promises us in the next verse:
"...and the land will give its produce...I will provide peace in the land, and you will lie down with none to frighten you...I will make you fruitful and increase you; and I will establish my covenant with you."(Lev. 26:4-9)
In this century, we have seen a number of attempts at building a society around human logic. Fascism and communism both developed as practical applications of lofty utopian visions. However, when practically applied, these approaches proved to be the most destructive and immoral forms of governance ever known to man. Morality, by definition, must be "carved in stone". It cannot be left up to human understanding to decide what is ethical. If one peers into the philosophy and thinking upon which Western democracy is founded, it is a philosophy based around the ethics of the Bible, around a Divine morality.
Chassidus explains that one meditation concerning the world's unity with G-d is that of letters carved into a precious stone. The letters are barely distinct from the surface of the stone. The expression, "carved in stone", is not coincidental. It implies something so intrinsic that it does not require logic for its justification. A statue is a law that does not need to be proven because it is so obviously necessary, either because of its Divine origin, or because it is essential to the society's well-being. Believing in one G-d, in one authority leads to a belief that the world operates only according to one set of rules. These laws are so carved into the fabric of creation that as soon as we begin to follow them, to define ourselves as well as our goals and ambitions by these laws, we automatically experience blessings in our day-to-day life as a result, as G-d promises us in the next verse:
"...and the land will give its produce...I will provide peace in the land, and you will lie down with none to frighten you...I will make you fruitful and increase you; and I will establish my covenant with you."(Lev. 26:4-9)
Sunday, May 13, 2012
It was the Best of Times...(Leviticus Ch.25)
Leviticus Ch. 25 begins: "Hashem spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai..."- why is Mt. Sinai only mentioned in regard to this particular portion? Furthermore, the Children of Israel when they stood on Mt. Sinai where on the highest level of spirituality and unity with G-d. Here, in this portion, we are speaking of the Jewish people on a completely different level, once they are settled in the land, and working the land, immersed in the material mundane life.
To what extent do the Jewish people become immersed in the material and mundane? To the extent that when we are commanded to stop working the land for a year (Lev. 25:4):"But the seventh year shall be a complete rest for the land...", they turn around and ask (Lev. 25:20): "What will we eat in the seventh year?" (As if Hashem intends for them to starve).
Essentially it's all about mitigating these two opposites? On the one hand, living according to a Law that was handed from G-d himself at Mt. Sinai, while at the same time being immersed in the material reality in the Land. The answer is (Deut. 6:4)"Hear O Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One" - from the ultimate Divine perspective there are no opposites, since everything emanates from Him. By nullifying oneself to Hashem, becoming His agent and servant in the world, I'm able to adopt His perspective, that two opposites can coexist without contradicting one another - there can be a Divine Law, and work of the Land, and one does not detract from the other.
This also the secret behind the teaching of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Tractate Avot, Ch. 4, Mishna 13) that the crown of the good name is above all the other accomplishments. Even though Rabbi Shimon is the author of the Zohar and his whole life was immersed in the deepest mystical teachings of the Torah, nevertheless he emphasizes that the teachings flourish along with a good name, involvement in good deeds down here in this world.
This is also the explanation why the author of the Tanya ends his seven chapter discussion of meditations useful for awakening Love of G-d, with the idea of speaking words of Torah, since the highest most intense love is requited only by an outward expression in the action world (and moving one's lips and speaking is considered an action in the realm of Torah study).
Based on the Talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
To what extent do the Jewish people become immersed in the material and mundane? To the extent that when we are commanded to stop working the land for a year (Lev. 25:4):"But the seventh year shall be a complete rest for the land...", they turn around and ask (Lev. 25:20): "What will we eat in the seventh year?" (As if Hashem intends for them to starve).
Essentially it's all about mitigating these two opposites? On the one hand, living according to a Law that was handed from G-d himself at Mt. Sinai, while at the same time being immersed in the material reality in the Land. The answer is (Deut. 6:4)"Hear O Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One" - from the ultimate Divine perspective there are no opposites, since everything emanates from Him. By nullifying oneself to Hashem, becoming His agent and servant in the world, I'm able to adopt His perspective, that two opposites can coexist without contradicting one another - there can be a Divine Law, and work of the Land, and one does not detract from the other.
This also the secret behind the teaching of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Tractate Avot, Ch. 4, Mishna 13) that the crown of the good name is above all the other accomplishments. Even though Rabbi Shimon is the author of the Zohar and his whole life was immersed in the deepest mystical teachings of the Torah, nevertheless he emphasizes that the teachings flourish along with a good name, involvement in good deeds down here in this world.
This is also the explanation why the author of the Tanya ends his seven chapter discussion of meditations useful for awakening Love of G-d, with the idea of speaking words of Torah, since the highest most intense love is requited only by an outward expression in the action world (and moving one's lips and speaking is considered an action in the realm of Torah study).
Based on the Talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Friday, May 11, 2012
A Time to Rest from Resting (Leviticus Ch. 23)
Leviticus 23:3-4: "For six days labor may be done and the seventh day is a day of complete rest...These are the appointed festivals of Hashem." To any astute reader of the Five Books of Moses this verse presents a problem: chapter 23 of Leviticus deals with the various festivals celebrated by the Jewish people throughout the year. What is the connection here with the upholding the Sabbath?
The festivals and the sabbath are very similar in character, both defined primarily as days when labor is forbidden, as defined by constructive activities involved in building the Tabernacle (see Exodus Ch. 31). However, they are also different in many ways. As we see in Exodus 12:16 that we are allowed to cook on the Festival, and hinted to in Leviticus Ch. 23, in the phrase "you shall do no 'laborious' work" which is repeated by each of the festivals.
Furthermore, even if we are being reminded of the sanctity of the Sabbath in order to inspire us and encourage in regard to upholding the festivals, it is still not clear what the beginning of the verse is coming to tell us. Why are we told that for six days labor may be done?
Exodus 31:17 provides an answer:"Between me and the Children of Israel it is a sign forever that in a six-day period Hashem made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed." The world was pre-programmed with a connection to the six days but the on the seventh day G-d rested and was "refreshed", meaning the creation reverts and reconnects with its pre-Creation relationship with G-d. This is also the inner meaning behind Genesis 2:1:"Thus the heaven and earth were consummated and all their array." The creation is "consummated" with a desire for G-d, and so the seventh is a fulfilment of the creation's desire to reunite with its Maker, a chance to rest from being a creation and therefore be refreshed.
This is what we the festivals are coming to teach us as well. Even on an ordinary Sunday or Wednesday, while still inside the six-day scheme, we can exprience a sabbatical from the workaday life. This is because rest is not imposed on us from outside but is as natural a part of life as breathing, and just like G-d created the mundane weekday for work so also he created the Festival weekday for rest, both are essential aspects of life in this world.
The festivals and the sabbath are very similar in character, both defined primarily as days when labor is forbidden, as defined by constructive activities involved in building the Tabernacle (see Exodus Ch. 31). However, they are also different in many ways. As we see in Exodus 12:16 that we are allowed to cook on the Festival, and hinted to in Leviticus Ch. 23, in the phrase "you shall do no 'laborious' work" which is repeated by each of the festivals.
Furthermore, even if we are being reminded of the sanctity of the Sabbath in order to inspire us and encourage in regard to upholding the festivals, it is still not clear what the beginning of the verse is coming to tell us. Why are we told that for six days labor may be done?
Exodus 31:17 provides an answer:"Between me and the Children of Israel it is a sign forever that in a six-day period Hashem made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed." The world was pre-programmed with a connection to the six days but the on the seventh day G-d rested and was "refreshed", meaning the creation reverts and reconnects with its pre-Creation relationship with G-d. This is also the inner meaning behind Genesis 2:1:"Thus the heaven and earth were consummated and all their array." The creation is "consummated" with a desire for G-d, and so the seventh is a fulfilment of the creation's desire to reunite with its Maker, a chance to rest from being a creation and therefore be refreshed.
This is what we the festivals are coming to teach us as well. Even on an ordinary Sunday or Wednesday, while still inside the six-day scheme, we can exprience a sabbatical from the workaday life. This is because rest is not imposed on us from outside but is as natural a part of life as breathing, and just like G-d created the mundane weekday for work so also he created the Festival weekday for rest, both are essential aspects of life in this world.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Spiritual Boundaries and the Natural Order (Lev. Ch. 19)
Ch. 19 of Leviticus contains numerous instructions regarding the correct conduct in terms of one's worldly possessions as well as social conduct. In regards to planting and reaping, we are first directed (Lev. 19:9-10) "you shall not complete your reaping to the corner of your field...for the poor and the proselyte shall you leave them." And a few verses later (19:19)"...you shall not plant your field with mixed seed". The question arises why we are taught two commandments regarding our fields in such close proximity to each other but in seemingly the opposite order, first the commandment regarding reaping and afterwards the commandment regarding sowing.
In order to understand this relationship, it's important to highlight that when it comes to the commandment of Peiah, the leaving of the corner of the field to the poor, the focus is on our obligation to leave the corner, not on the outcome, which is the poor person being fed. This is the universal approach of the Torah when it comes to matters of charity. My obligation to feed the poor does not emanate from my compassion for the needy but rather from the justice of separating out the part of my income that doesn't belong to me and was given to me by the Allmighty purely to fulfill the commandment of giving. This is why the word for charity in Hebrew is Tzedaka, meaning the expression of Tzedek, justice.
The commandment of leaving a corner of the field is the plainest expression of this concept. We take "our" field and portion it off, clearly demarcating the part that is ours and the part that isn't.
On the other hand, the commandment of not mixing seeds, or Kilayim, as explained by the early commentaries focus more on preventing certain outcomes in the world through the commandment. Inter-species mating, disrupt the natural order of Creation, the natural boundaries that G-d instilled into the Nature. We are commanded to do everything in our power to prevent this natural order from being disrupted.
We can now perceive why these two commandments are placed in proximity to one another. This teaches us that by clearly making a boundary in our lives between what belongs to us and what doesn't, the boundaries of Nature are also easier to uphold. Everything in the outside world is directly affected by the way we run our inner world. Inner order and discipline results in a world that is more orderly. Not just a world that is more orderly but also a world that is more fruitful and productive, as inter-species reproduction as in the case of the mule results in an inability to produce further offspring.
This is is also true when it comes to the human realm. The greatest results in terms of the upbringing of the next generation occur when there is a context and an environment based on generations of tradition and cultural background. The foundation for a stable nurturing environment is one where the child can clearly distinguish boundaries between what is allowed to them and what is not.
In order to understand this relationship, it's important to highlight that when it comes to the commandment of Peiah, the leaving of the corner of the field to the poor, the focus is on our obligation to leave the corner, not on the outcome, which is the poor person being fed. This is the universal approach of the Torah when it comes to matters of charity. My obligation to feed the poor does not emanate from my compassion for the needy but rather from the justice of separating out the part of my income that doesn't belong to me and was given to me by the Allmighty purely to fulfill the commandment of giving. This is why the word for charity in Hebrew is Tzedaka, meaning the expression of Tzedek, justice.
The commandment of leaving a corner of the field is the plainest expression of this concept. We take "our" field and portion it off, clearly demarcating the part that is ours and the part that isn't.
On the other hand, the commandment of not mixing seeds, or Kilayim, as explained by the early commentaries focus more on preventing certain outcomes in the world through the commandment. Inter-species mating, disrupt the natural order of Creation, the natural boundaries that G-d instilled into the Nature. We are commanded to do everything in our power to prevent this natural order from being disrupted.
We can now perceive why these two commandments are placed in proximity to one another. This teaches us that by clearly making a boundary in our lives between what belongs to us and what doesn't, the boundaries of Nature are also easier to uphold. Everything in the outside world is directly affected by the way we run our inner world. Inner order and discipline results in a world that is more orderly. Not just a world that is more orderly but also a world that is more fruitful and productive, as inter-species reproduction as in the case of the mule results in an inability to produce further offspring.
This is is also true when it comes to the human realm. The greatest results in terms of the upbringing of the next generation occur when there is a context and an environment based on generations of tradition and cultural background. The foundation for a stable nurturing environment is one where the child can clearly distinguish boundaries between what is allowed to them and what is not.
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