B"H

Thursday, Sivan 28, 5784 / July 4, 2024

This week’s Parsha is Korach. In the past few Parshiot, the Torah describes many of the episodes in which the Jewish people complained and rebelled against Moshe, which in essence means that they rebelled against G-d as Moshe was G-d’s messenger to the Jewish people..

In the previous Parshiot we read how they complained about the manna – their heavenly food that came each day. They also complained about G-d wanting to bring them to the Promised Land, after hearing the negative report from the ten spies. In this week’s Parsha, Korach, we read about another rebellion against Moshe and Aaron, this time by Moshe’s cousin, Korach, and his 250 men.

Even though the events in the Torah took place over three thousand years ago, Torah comes from the word teaching and lesson. The stories of the Torah contain a lesson for all times.

The Jewish people of that generation had seen great miracles; The Ten plagues, the Exodus, the splitting of the Sea, the pillar of cloud and fire which accompanied them in the desert, the manna, which came from heaven each day and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai etc., one miracle greater than the other.  So how can we understand the fact that they lacked trust in G-d?

The answer is that because they saw miracles continuously, they mistakenly viewed them as nature.   They thought, how can it be otherwise? As a result, they took these miracles for granted and stopped appreciating the wonderful miraculous blessings that G-d provided for them daily. They stopped seeing G-d’s hand in everything and complained about trivial things.

The lesson for us is that we, too, must realize and appreciate our daily miracles!  It is essential that we realize them as such and not take them for granted.  If we only took the time to realize how many breaths we inhale and exhale each day; how many steps we take every day and how many words we speak each day, etc. etc., we would appreciate the magnitude of our daily blessings.

What’s more, our appreciation of all these wonderful blessings would automatically alleviate our feelings of anxiety and distress in our day-to-day life, for our blessings far outweigh what we view as negativity...

A mother was once walking along the seashore with her son, when a huge wave carried him out to sea.  The mother cried out, “Please G-d, give me back my child!”   Shortly afterward a huge wave deposited her child unharmed at her feet.  The mother embraced the child, “Thank you G-d. Thank you!  I will be forever grateful to you!”  Then she looked at her child again, looked up to heaven and said sternly, “And what about his hat?”

Every morning, we recite a number of blessings thanking G-d for giving us so many wonderful things in life, which we take for granted when everything is normal. Thanking G-d for the good which we receive each day, reminds us not to take things for granted, thus our day will be a happier day!

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW.

B"H

Tuesday, Sivan 26, 5784 / July 2, 2024

This Shabbat we will recite the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot.  Among the many teachings in the chapter, is the following lesson from the Talmudic sage, Ben Azzai, "Do not be scornful of any person and do not reject anything; for you have no person without his hour…" 

Parable: A lion was asleep when a little mouse crawled over and woke him up.  Angry at the chutzpah, he declared, "You deserve to die for waking the king of the animals!"  The little mouse pleaded for her life.  "Please spare my life.  I promise to repay you one day!" the mouse begged. 

The lion roared with laughter, "How can a little mouse ever help me?" Yet, he let the little mouse go. 

A few days later, the lion was walking through the forest, and stepped into a hunters' trap.  He tried to free himself, but it was no use. The mouse heard the lion crying for help, "Now is the time to repay him."  She found the lion and started nibbling at the rope.  Before long, the rope was cut, and the lion was free! 

Similarly, the Midrash states that Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua saw a ship sinking.  One man survived by holding onto a plank. By the time he reached the shore, he had lost all his clothes. "I am your cousin a descendant from Esau, please help me!" the man cried.  But the people who saw him only laughed. 

He asked Rabbi Elazar for help.  The sage gave him one of the robes that he was wearing, brought him into his house and gave him food, drink and 200 dinars. Rabbi Elazar even had him ride his own donkey and escorted the man to his home. 

Many years later, the man became the Caesar. He ordered his army to kill all the Jews in the province.  Terrified, the people turned to Rabbi Elazar for help.  "Collect money.  Perhaps I can bribe Caesar!" he ordered.  The community gave him 4,000 dinars and Rabbi Elazar went to the royal palace. 

Outside the gates, he asked for an audience with the ruler, and it was granted. When the Caesar saw Rabbi Elazar, he recognized him and exclaimed, "Why did you come?"  

"To seek mercy for the Jews!" Rabbi Elazar replied.  "But they did not have mercy on me!" Caesar stated.  Rabbi Elazar agreed, "True, they are guilty, but please accept their gift and forgive them." 

The Caesar replied, "In your merit,I will spare your people.  What's more, I give the 4,000 dinars to you, in exchange for the 200 dinars you gave me!  I will also give you seventy robes for the one you gave me.  Go in peace to your people!"    

Life is compared to a wheel that is constantly turning.  As the wheel of fortune turns, those who have been at the bottom may one day find themselves at the top and vice versa.   One may one day need the help of the very same person whom he rejects today.  Ben Azzai teaches us that by doing good for others, you may in fact be doing good for yourself.

HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY

UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW.

B"H

Monday, Sivan 25, 5784 / July 1, 2024

Parshat Korach, which we will read this Shabbat, begins with the argument of Korach and his people against Moshe and Aaron. Korach desired a position of leadership and decided to revolt. He persuaded 250 leaders of the Jewish people to join him in this revolt against the leadership of Moshe and Aaron.

This unfortunate episode resulted in the deaths of Korach, who was swallowed into the earth, and the 250 people who were with him were burnt in a heavenly fire.

This argument brought another argument against Moshe and Aaron which resulted in the deaths of 14,700 people who died as a result of a plague.  Thus, close to 15,000 Jewish people lost their lives as a result of Korach’s rebellion against Moshe and Aaron.

Indeed one of the 613 mitzvot is the prohibition to sustain an argument. This prohibition is derived from this week’s Parsha, "And you shall not be like Korach and his company (Numbers 17:5)."

Q.How is it that the Talmud is full of arguments amongst our greatest sages? Jewish law is full of different rabbinical opinions almost on every subject?

A.The Mishna in Pirkei Avot (Chapter of our Fathers) says, “Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven (i.e. for the sake of G-d), will have a constructive outcome; but one which is not for the sake of Heaven will not have a constructive outcome.”  The Mishna continues, “What sort of dispute was for the sake of Heaven? – The dispute between Hillel and Shamai (two great Talmudic sages).  And which was not for the sake of Heaven? – The dispute between Korach and his entire company.”  

The Talmudic argument between our great sages and scholars was an argument for the sake of Heaven. They argued how to best perform G-d’s commandments. They argued about definitions in the Torah. These were not arguments for selfish gain. But Korach and his people’s argument against Moshe was a dispute for personal gain.

When the argument is for the “sake of Heaven,” both parties are interested in discovering the truth, and if proven wrong will readily admit that the other one is right.  Korach's rebellion against Moshe was only to achieve personal gain and glory, as a result of his jealousy.

This is why in describing the dispute of Korach and his people against Moshe and Aaron, it says, “Vayikach,” which speaks in the “singular” (and he took).  It should have said “Vayikchoo” (and they took)? This is because each of them had their own personal reason to argue against Moshe.  The only thing which united them was their hatred of Moshe, except for that, they were not united, for each one had his selfish interest.

The outcome of Korach’s argument was a total loss for Korach and his colleagues.  But the Halachic arguments of our great Talmudic sages are studied and revered to this day.

HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY

UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW.