OG GIANTS, MEN AND GRASSHOPPERS

    

           

“There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of the giant

                        from among the Nephilim; and it came to pass that in our eyes

[we were] like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.”  Bamidbar, 13:33

 

The military reconnaissance of the Land presaged a battle that  appeared hopeless as it would pit  the weak and small  against the strong and mighty. The spies – meraglim – in  answering the questions posed to them upon their return, seemingly did no more than state the obvious danger;  yet we know that they committed a grave sin in so doing.  What can we learn from this tragic event in order to avoid the errors of the meraglim?

 

The first step is to understand the nature of their failing.

The commentators acknowledge that the meraglim recognized  Hashem’s power but suggest that the spies thought that Hashem was going to limit Himself and act in accordance with nature and therefore B’nei Yisrael would be unable to triumph.

 Yehoshuah and Caleb, men of complete faith, demonstrated what it takes to remain men – anashim – even in the face of  vastly stronger and more powerful enemies. Yehoshua faced the distraught assembly that was weeping and entreating Moshe to return to Egypt and told them a simple but profound truth.  He did not deny the obvious size and strength of the giants, but exhorted that “If  Hashem is pleased with us then will He bring us into this land  and will give it to us . . . and you , you should not fear the people of the land for they are our bread; their protective shadow is departed from them as G-d is with us . . . “ (Bamidbar 14: 8-9).

           It all depends on the lens through which we view the test. The meraglim saw the inhabitants of the land as being too daunting and the land as being unconquerable, because they used their own personal discernment, Yehoshua and Calav viewed the inhabitants of the land through the lens of daas Torah and thus perceived them as presenting no meaningful obstacle.  

   Unless a Jew sees himself as a representative of G-d who is All Powerful, he will see himself  not as a person facing his adversary, but rather as a “grasshopper” facing a “giant”. The way in which we perceive our relationship to  Hashem is the deciding factor in how we view ourselves.

 Referring to the spies’ encounter with the giants, the  Torah says “vanehi b’eineinu k’chagavim” and   “and in our  eyes [too] we were like grasshoppers.”  “Nehi” connotes weeping or crying and suggests a diminished, disheartened and despairing emotional state.  Although the  meraglim were initially described as ‘anashim’  righteous men — heads of the tribes of  Israel,  their lack of faith now surfaced transforming them to lose their exalted status.  

As is all too apparent from our experiences during this long difficult galus, if our belief in Hashem weakens, our Jewish self esteem is diminished undermining our ability to see and appreciate our unique mission in this world.    The Kotzke Rebbe explains: The spies had no right to consider how the giants viewed them. As Jews and emissaries for the Jewish people, they should have thought only of their mission, not of what anyone else thought of them.            How many times do we become discouraged because of what we feel or perceive that other people think?

When, in that diminished psychological state, if we should be confronted by a difficult challenge, it takes on the hugeness of a giant in our eyes and as such has the power to discourage us from achieving our true potential and fulfilling our destiny.

             How can we overcome this challenge. First we should realize that there is no barrier so  large or overwhelming that we cannot hurdle it,  if it is Hashem’s will  that we do so. The Maraglim saw themselves as grasshoppers. Why grasshoppers? Perhaps to teach us that every challenge gives us the opportunity to choose our direction and destiny in life. When threatened, the grasshopper can either jump back, as did the meraglim who counseled the nation to jump far away from their  “giant” appearing challenges or it can use it powerful hind legs to leap over the obstacle  that lies before it.  From this we can learn a wondrous lesson that when we stand up to a challenge for Hashem’s honor our supernal “legs” of trust and faith “jump up” to the forefront and aid us in leaping over all and any perceived hurdles and barriers.

 

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

ELEVATING THE SOUL – LEVIIM

         

       The eternal Torah, whose every word
or even letter is replete with deep meaning and profound impact in our lives,
transmits to us elaborately (spanning over one hundred passukim in Parshas
Bamidbar, Nasso,  Behaaloscha [and then
further in Parshas Korach] (perek 1 
passukim 47 – 54; perek 3 : 5-51; perek 4: 1-49, perek 8: 5-26 and
18-21-32) the designation, separation, elevation of  the tribe of Leviim. “The Levities according
to their father’s tribe were not counted among them.” – that being the rest of
the Jewish Nation.  “Hashem spoke to
Moses saying, ‘but you should not count the tribe of Levi, and you shall not
take a census of them among the Children of Israel. You shall appoint the
Levities over the Mishkan of Ha’edus, over all its utensils and everything that
belongs to it”      

                       Rashi, our most illustrious
commentator, tells us that the Leviim merited this elevated status because of
their loyalty and courage in the incident of the Golden Calf (1:49). / The entire tribe of Levi
refused to participate in that sin proving their unswerving dedication to The
Creator of the Universe.

              The Ramban further enlightens us –
“The task of the Levities was not so much to protect the Mishkan [and Bais
HaMigdash] as a militia, but rather to serve as an honor guard, as befits the
royal palace” (1:53). / The Jewish people’s task is to be an instrument of
recognition of Hashem and His will in this world. Chazal tell us that a true King
only assumes status as a ruler if there exists a nation that acknowledges and
follows His decrees. / Thus Leviim in all generations are those Jews who
steadfastly keep their focus on proper, enthusiastic service of Hashem through
His Torah.

                  The Leviim’s duty in the Mishkan/Bais
HaMigdash was to assist the Kohanim – among other ways by singing and playing
musical instruments as korbonos were brought. Today the sound of  our voices and music, if expressed sincerely, is
an inner expression of our soul’s yearning to come close to the Creator. Song
also expresses the fact that the total harmony of the universe is under the
absolute control and guidance of Hashem.

             The Divine service of Leviim represents
the part of each of us that links us forever with our spiritual purpose in this
world. Rashi, on the same passuk, tells us: that “from this time on, the Leviim
were to be separated from the rest of the nation and elevated to a new status.”
The Seforno, (also on this passuk) informs us that: “because the Leviim would
be performing their service on behalf of the nation, the rest of the people
would have the obligation to support them, by giving them tithes.”

           An Art Scroll commentary explains it
thus: “Those who serve the people by filling their responsibilities in the
Tabernacle, by teaching the Torah, or by performing any other spiritual tasks
are not to be regarded as supplicants. It is national responsibility to provide
for those who carry out the spiritual obligations of the rest of the people.”

             The Leviim were counted from one
month and upward – with no limit to age indicating that their spiritual mission
is not dependent on age or strength (3:15). The Rambam describes the mission of
the Leviim in Hilchos Shemittah and Yovel 
(13: 12-13) “They
are the legion of Hashem, whose task is to serve Him and to teach His Torah and
way of life to others.” He adds : “Any who follows the example of the Leviim
becomes sanctified as kodesh kodashim, and Hashem will be his portion and heritage
for all eternity. In this world, he will merit what befits him, as the Kohanim
and Levities merited it.” This status of Levy is conferred for life on all
those who totally dedicate their lives to the service of Hashem, independent of
age or strength.

                A wonderful concept derived
from the Leviim’s designation is brought to light by the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah
3:7). The infant Leviim  counted from one
month old, surely did not participate in the guarding the Mishkan, so the
Leviim should have been counted from when they began their service. However,
Hashem wished to reward them greatly for their loyal service, so when they
reached thirty years old and began to serve, He retroactively rewarded them  as if they had indeed served from the age of
one month.

           This concept should also apply to our own lives.
Meaning, if we totally dedicate our time, energy and potential from now on to
the service of Hashem, we may merit to have our entire lives credited as Divine
service. How much hope and opportunity this teaching offers us. We can no
longer say it’s too late, or I have already wasted so much of my life. If we
start today with an absolute dedication, we can be credited with lifelong service.

                 Now let us look at a few
classical commentaries on the names and purposes of the three sons of Levi, who
each were given a unique role in the carrying of the Mishkan. In Bamidbar 3:17 it is stated – “These were the
sons of Levi, by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” However in 4:4 it
is stated “This is the work of the sons of Kohath in the Ohel Moed: the most
holy.” The commentators explain that Kohath was later listed first before
Gershon because he was designated to carry the most holy parts of the Mishkon,
meaning that he had become elevated because of his assignment.

                  What can we learn and apply
to our own lives from this part of the Torah? Some of the great Cassidisher
masters teach us that Gershon, Kehas and Merari represent three varying but
proper approaches available to us depending on our spiritual level, when we are
confronted by challenging circumstances. There is the level of the tzaddik,
whose service is so unswerving that no temptation lures him away from his
steadfast dedication to the Creator. This is symbolized by the sons of Kehas,
who carried the Aron Hakodesh miraculously on their shoulder – like tzaddkim who
don’t use the desires or objects of this world for their own personal pleasure,
but only for Divine service.

                     The next level of avoda is practiced by
those stay at a distance from the allurements of the yetzer hora, making
‘spiritual fences’, as alluded to in the name Gershon – separating or divorcing
themselves from anything that could blemish their proper service.

                      Then there are those
times when, for all of us,  the righteousness
of  Kohath or the protective attributes
of Gershon are not within our reach. At such times we must use the inner strengths
represented by Merari. Literally the name means “bitter”, and it is at those
times, when life seems bleak, when one feels helpless and besieged, that the
proper avodah is to cry out sincerely to our Creator. Merari was assigned  to carry the heaviest parts of the Mishkan
teaching us that the proper path of service during difficult times, as hinted
to in his name, is to accept the yoke of Heaven with sincere repentance.

              When the Jewish nation was asked: “Mi la-Hashem…?”
the entire Shevet Levi stepped forward. May we all merit to “step forward”
thereby bringing closer the Final Redemption, soon in our days.

 

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

REFLECTIONS & CONNECTIONS – KABBALAS HA-TORAH

       

            As we approach
the time of the giving of our Torah, let us reflect that each and every Jew is
said to be connected to an os – a
letter – in the Sefer Torah, with
both our inner perception and the outer reality in which we live being spun
from its spiritual fabric. Since this week we are reading about the giving of
the Torah let us try to broaden our understanding what possible additional
insight can be culled from the halacas that there must be an adequate space
between each os; and yet, on the
other hand, all the letters of each word must be close enough so that they are
not perceived as separated and apart?

         These halachos can perhaps be seen as having
the following profound implications: ]

    
We should always strive to allow the next person the proper distance for
maintaining respect and independence, yet without sacrificing the closeness and
connectedness that makes us areivim
responsible for one another. This is perhaps alluded to in these halachos
between the Torah’s letters and spaces. Just as the letters must be close
enough so that meaningful ideas can be communicated, we also need to be close
enough to help and interact with one another; yet, just as the letters must be
separate enough so that the distinction between them is not blurred or
obliterated, so should we always respect our neighbors and acquaintances so as
not to diminish anyone’s unique personality and identity.

 

 

The Need for Attitudinal Distance

 

Perhaps the parchment between each letter is analogous to the
“attitudinal distance” that exists between each person. Just as the white
parchment has no perceivable value, yet is crucial, so also is the need to
respect the cultural and individual “space”/differences between people. This “territory” between us and others is
the space/ place of opportunity for learning mutual respect, thus allowing each
person to maintain his independent integrity.
Through this, we will avoid
our personal feelings and agendas spilling over into someone else’s borders,
thereby allowing us to emulate the halacha of mukafos gevul. (Every letter of a sefer Torah must be surrounded by an area of white parchment – (Menachos 29a) and certainly a Torah
scroll that is not in conformity with this requirement cannot be used until it
is rectified.)

    Moreover, through accomplishing this, we will
also be blessed with a greater appreciation of our own unique role and place in
this world.

Indeed, so essential is this “space” that the Gemara teaches that
Hashem gave Moshe the Torah as white
fire and black fire, with the black fire representing the written letters while
the white fire represented the spaces in between (Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1). We can further see this aspect of the
importance of the surrounding area in the teaching that if one, chas veshalom, sees a sefer Torah burning, one must tear one’s
garments twice – one time in mourning for the written words and a second time
because of the parchment (Moeid Kattan
26a).

[[[In a different context, one commentator offered this profound
thought: “Consciousness is always surrounded by a border of unconscious
experience that itself gives shape to consciousness.” Perhaps this can be
recast as follows: Thought as expressed through the black letters of the Torah
is always surrounded by white borders of unconscious experience that helps to
give shape to our consciousness.]]]

             May this year’s Kabbalas Ha-Torah merit us
once again of the miracle of having enough “space” for everyone one of us to
prostrate ourselves in the holy Bais HaMigdash – may it be built soon in our
days.

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

THE DAYS OF HAGBALLAH – DAYS OF TRANSFORMATION

                       The Midrash teaches us that the other nations were offered the Torah however each of them rejected it because they found some of the  commandment to difficult to comply with. [For Ishmael it was the prescription against stealing, for Eisav it was the commandment not to murder]… However when it was our turn we in unison proclaimed: “We will do and then we will hear” – “Naasey vi-nismah”.

                          Since it wouldn’t be fair for all the nations to have commandments that they found very challenging and we, the Jewish nation, also did not have at least one commandments that was very difficult to accept, therefore, let us ask which mitzvah was a great challenge for us to adhere to? The Cassidishers commentaries (Sefas Emes and Even …) address this provocative question with an insightful response that expresses the greatest praise of our holy nation. The mitzvah of restraint – hagbalah – during the days just proceeding the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) was a commandment that was very hard for our nation to comply with. Why? Because every Jew had such a great desire to come as close as possible to the loftiest levels of holiness as quick as possible, our willingness to follow the commandment and hold ourselves back during the days of hagbalah showed that we had the ability and willingness to unswervingly accept all the Torah.

                       Therefore the days of hagbalah were not just days of separation and preparation but they were actually days of inner growth in strengthening our “walls” of faith and acceptance of Hashem’s Torah and its timeline.     

                The Catam Sofer in Parsha’s Yisro (19-23) reveals to us a profound thought provoking remez from within the pasuk, referring to the days of hagbalah, which ends “…bound the mountain and sanctify it”, so that no one would come closer than they were permitted. The word mountain in Hebrew is Har (Hai – Raish) with the surrounding letters, in the alphabet, of the Hai being a Dalet and a Vov and the surrounding letters of the Raish being a Kuf and Shin. These surrounding letters combine to spell out the word holy (Kadosh) – Kuf – Dalet – Vov – Shin.

              From here we can learn a beautiful thought that all of the – “boundaries” – enactments that our Sages have “put around” the Torah are not there to restrict and limit us but actually serve expand and increase the boundaries of our kiddusha.

                    Chag samach.

 

                      

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

HAR SINAI – SEARCHING FOR THE MESSAGE

                           

               This world is filled with treasure hunters—people looking for riches in all of its forms –wealth, power, position and glory.  They search high and low for clues and directional signposts to show them the way. A recent article reported on the activities of one of the most successful hedge fund managers in the world whose fund returns a whopping 36% a year (net before fees).  To accomplish this he uses  a  vast array of sophisticated computing equipment reputed to be worth over 600 million dollars and 150 employees who hold doctoral degrees in fields as diverse as  astrophysics and linguistics rather than in finance.  All of this combined brain power is used to sift through huge amounts of raw data eliminating what appears to be irrelevant information or “noise”  and  scrutinizing what remains for patterns with the goal of  discerning   investment trends and directions.  If we think about it, the tools for this search may be  new, but the methodology is not. It is the age old process of mining for minerals and gold by clearing through tons of dirt and rock  to reveal the riches within, using computers rather than digging tools.

            So much of mankind is on a seemingly never ending search for success and fortune, however, at best, their endeavors  produce only transitory gains. This is in contrast to the enduring legacy of our nation which we acquired 3300 years ago when we merited to receive the durable, eternal wealth of our holy Jewish teachings (Torah).

            At the giving of the Torah, we were not asked to be searchers seeking out subtle clues and vague directives.  We did not have to explore the heavens and plumb the depths of the seas.  We did not even have to climb to the top of the lowest mountain upon which it was given in order to receive it. It was brought down to us—by our leader and emissary, Moshe Rabbeinu. The question then as now was not how to find it,  but rather how are we to comprehend, appreciate and incorporate its treasured value into our lives?  There are maps and guideposts that are available to help us with this exploration.  All it requires is for us to take a fresh look at some old familiar landscapes.

              To start we might wish to consider the place of its presentation. The desert is a place that is separated from the busyness of the world—a place where the world’s standards and distractions do not impinge—a place where we lacked the ability to be self sustaining, but in fact had to rely upon the Creator’s (Hashem’s) kindness and protection.  In this place, greatness is measured in humility rather than in power and wealth for ones’ very survival depended upon the willingness to humbly accept the direction of the Creator of the Universe.  And thus we find our first  prerequisite for “mining” the treasure that is our Torah—that is the ability to allow the Torah to guide us rather than us making determinations that impose our own limitations upon it.

          Another key for accessing the Torah’s eternal wisdom and guidance is derived from the fact that it was given from above but was received below.  This alludes to the fact that the Torah emanates from a place that is “above” natural law, but in order for us to benefit from the wealth of our Torah these teachings need to descend into all facets of our lives.

             How does this happen? Ordinarily, it is difficult to evoke changes in habits and behavior, therefore perhaps the intense roaring thunder and streaking lightening bolts at Har Sinai may have been much more than just an introduction of the giving of the Torah but actually served to “jolt” the whole nation out of their old mind set in order to elicit the new spiritual revelation that was to follow.  For us it can serve as a lesson reminding us that  before valuable growth in the service of Hashem) can occur, there often comes a challenging “storm” – ie: a difficult situation or person that  jolts us and in so doing actually helps us to realign with Torah directed sensibility and sensitivity. 

             This perhaps explains the fact that the entire nation experienced a transposition of the senses in which they heard what they saw and saw what they heard. We, who are the beneficiaries of the Sinai revelation, can continue to benefit from this vital experience, if when hearing of some else’s difficult problems – we see what we can do to help them. Likewise when we see someone struggling – if we allow ourselves to hear our inner voice guiding us as to how we can react most sensitively to their needs, we will hopefully bring closer the final redemption (geula), may it be soon in our days.

               Chag samach

 

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

ON CHESSECAKE & COMMITMENT

 

                                                                                                             

           The Pesach seder with its unusual
foods and customs is not the only holy time that summons the question, “Ma
Nishtana” –Why are we doing things differently?.   On Shavuos we can also very legitimately ask
the same question: “Why is this Yom Tov different?  On other Yomim Tovim , we honor the holidays
with flesic meals; on this Yom Tov we also have a dairy meal.  Why?  The relationship between the Creator and the
Jewish people has been compared to the relationship between a parent and a
child.  Loftier than the relationship
between a king and his subjects the parent-child relationship epitomizes ultimate
devotion and unconditional love. 
Parental giving transcends all limitations and finds no barrier too high
or too wide to prevent the flow of benefits to the child. This parental giving
is understood through and symbolized by chalav. 
In fact, the ultimate level of devotion is described as the “milk of
human kindness. Just as a parent sustains their children, providing every need,
how much more so does Hashem nurtures and sustains us.

              Through our custom of making one
of our Shavuos seudas a dairy meal, we are perhaps expressing that we
acknowledge that the Torah is the “perfect formula” for our health and
existence. We clearly understand that Hashem sustains us long before we have
done anything to deserve such devoted care as we find when the Creator promised
to take us out of Mitzrayim and bring us to a land flowing with milk and honey  (Shemos 3:7-8). The commentators inform us
that we merited this extraordinary treatment because of our potential to
receive and keep the Torah.  This reveals
an important aspect of Hashem’s governance of this world. The Giver of all life
has an even greater desire to share His goodness with us than we do to receive
it. Thus, perhaps one of the reasons, we eat dairy foods on Shavuos is to
remind us that many of the benefits and blessings we enjoy are granted to us
even before we have accumulated the merits to earn them.

                 Torah, of course, is not just
for children, but it does keep us young. 
Torah offers constant rejuvenation, the true “fountain of youth” from which
its adherents can drink from its continuous wellsprings. Torah never ages, nor
does its eternal wisdom become obsolete. Its pure spiritual “nutrients” help us
to clarify from that which is superficial from that which is essential.
Interestingly in this regard, chalav which is nourishing but not fattening,
shares the same letters as the word, chalev, which  if not required to provide energy is stored
in the body. Perhaps one of the many lessons the Torah teaches us in forbidding
the consumption of  chalev, and in
the time of the Temple
to burn it on the altar, is a remez to us that the energy, talent, strength,
wealth and wisdom that we are blessed with should all be used solely in the
service of Hashem.

           Notably sharing our blessings, in
turn, enhances the attribute of humility as is hinted through the similar words
of chalav and chalev whose gematria are both forty. Is it any
coincidence that a Bas Kol declares ones besheret forty days before conception;
that the mabul, which purified the world in the generation of Noach, lasted
forty days; that  Moshe Rabbainu fasted
forty days before receiving the Torah and that the minimum measurement for the
mikvah, which purifies and transforms us especially on Shavuos morning, all had
and have the ability to — so to speak – skim off the chalev from the chalav. 

               With these thoughts in mind this
Shavuos, may the Creator bless each of us with an abundance of everything we
need so as to be able to share our blessing with others. May we soon merit the
inauguration of our holy Bais HaMigdash, thereby being able to once again offer
up the chalev of our korbanos as a small expression of our gratitude
for all the chesed that we are blessed with.

 

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia