Chukas
Is Tum’ah Real?
What exactly is ‘Tum’ah’?
Tum’ah is an unseen reality. Radiation and radio waves cannot be seen or felt, yet exist. Similarly, Tum’ah works in specific ways, and has its own laws.
Let’s say four hundred years ago someone said to his friend “You know, that mad dog bite may not seem like much today, but in fact it’s absolutely deadly. The only thing for you to do is to eat a bit moldy bread. It’s the only thing that can save you!” His friend gives him a pitying look, thinking “poor fellow’s lost his marbles!” Yet that fellow would be 100% correct in his analysis and treatment. He knows a thing or two about the behavior of microbes.
We may wonder at the strange laws of Tum’ah. We do not understand its nature. We are thankful the Torah opened our eyes this; we have no conceivable way of figuring out ourselves!
(Swinging) At The End OF His Rope
The Midrash tells of a wicked man who set an exorbitant price for the Parah Adumah – the red heifer – he had in his barn. While they went to bring the money, he secretly worked with the heifer to disqualify it for service. The sages, however, inspected the heifer and discovered his deception. They told him that they were very sorry, but could not purchase the cow from him. Impressed by their wisdom, he exclaimed “Blessed is the G-d of Israel!”. Then he went and hung himself in pain over losing the deal.
We asked the kinderlach what is the lesson here? Some said this teaches us how wise the sages were. I suggested the lesson to us is the crook’s foolishness: yesterday he happily swung in his hammock, enjoying life. Then he gained a parah adumah and then he lost it. Mathematically, he should be back to where he started; enjoying life. Why did he hang himself??
Obviously was frustrated: he lost all that money, almost in his grasp. And it was his own fault! That is what killed him.
It can kill us too if we lose perspective. We will get anything destined for us. And if we do screw up, move on. Life is too great to be failed.
Hitting The Rock
Moshe was commanded to speak to the rock, that it may give water. He became angry at the people, and hit it twice instead, producing water. Hashem said that since he did not sanctify Him, Moshe would die in the Desert.
What was his sin?
Perhaps it was that Moshe hit the rock twice. Let’s say one would enter a command into his computer and the computer would not react. Would it help to hit the button again? No. If it didn’t go the first time, it won’t go the second time either. Only with a physical reaction, like cracking a rock, does it help to hit it over and over.
When Moshe hit the rock again and again, that showed that he considered bringing water out of the rock a physical, or semi-physical, event, not a miracle. There would be no point in hitting it twice. Removing the miracle destroyed the kiddush Hashem: “You have not sanctified Me!”
Someone in shul explained the sin differently: Rashi says that Moshe ought to have spoken to the rock, not hit it. Had he spoken the Jews would have learned that if a rock heeds Hashem, certainly should they. The Ramban asks that for a rock to produce water on being hit is a miracle too. What difference is there between hitting the rock and speaking to it?
One answer is that the forty years previously, Moshe was instructed to hit the rock and produce water for the people. The Jews learned to live with that, soon unimpressed with the daily miracle they saw. So when water was needed again, Moshe was instructed to SPEAK to the rock. They had never seen that miracle and would be impressed by it. (Moshe later told the Jews that Hashem punished him because of them, for had they not been so calloused, but rather appreciated the miracle in hitting the rock, he would have not been punished at all!).
The lesson to us; never cease to wonder at the marvel of life, let it stay magical always. Appreciate the manifold miracles we live by!
Another approach to answering the Ramban’s objection to Rashi is that the rock responding when hit is reactive. The rock did not do anything on its own, it merely was acted upon. An adult doesn’t need being hit. He can be tasked and fulfill.
The Jews had functioned similarly all up until then. Hashem wanted to upgrade them to a new level; they would be SPOKEN to and they would take action, even without getting hit, as the rock was to have acted. Moshe’s mistake blew the opportunity of providing an example of proper behavior.
One additional thought; becoming angry when challenged is often a sign of insecurity. Someone who feels completely secure responds calmly. Instead of Moshe responding coolly to their request for water, Moshe quarreled with the Jews. This did not originate from strength; on the contrary, it came from a suspicion that perhaps things indeed would NOT work out. Had Moshe displayed absolute trust in Hashem and answered the Jews unperturbed, Moshe’s powerful faith would effect the people. This was lost. Hashem said to Moshe; “You didn’t TRUST Me, to sanctify Me before the Jewish people!”
Stop Panic
The Jews continuously doubted Moshe and Hashem – despite sign after sign, proof upon proof, reverting back to claim that Moshe had taken them out on his own, leading them to their deaths in the desert. Why did they doubt?
Perhaps the people were on the edge of panic. If something went wrong, they were out in the middle of nowhere. There was no security or foreseeable source of help. They were far from the degree of trust where they could look looming disaster in the eye and not flinch. That stage would come in time, but it would be a matter of developing a new nature.
Although the situations they faced may have been comparable, and time and again Moshe was vindicated and salvation ensued, the people were only slowly gaining the backbone they needed. Part of their training was to panic again and again, until eventually they learned to stop. They had to live it to become it.
Victory Tip
Faced with battle, the Jews vowed; if Hashem grants them victory over their their enemies, they will consecrate the spoils of war to Him. They won and gave the booty all to Hashem. So explains Rashi.
The Targum however, translates that they vowed to destroy the cities of their enemies.
Why would this convince Hashem to grant them victory?
Perhaps the Jews were saying that if Hashem gives this nation into their hands it will be a victory for His greater glory alone. We will gain nothing. Removing their personal gain from the equation, the miracle could proceed on the merit of Hashem’s greater glory. There needed to be no discussion if they merited a miracle or not.
What would be Hashem’s gain? Rabbi Shamshon Refael Hirsch suggests that they would leave the cities desolate as an eternal tribute to Hashem’s power. A memorial of what happens to one who attacks His people. They forwent ready-built cities and the use of that area forever for the sake of Hashem’s greater glory.
By forgoing personal gain and devoting all to Hashem, they prayed for victory.
And Is It Kosher?
Where did the Jewish nation learn this ‘trick’ from?
The Midrash teaches that Yaakov originated it. (It states here ‘Vayidor Yisroel’ – a reference and hint to Yisroel, our grandfather Yaakov Avinu). Yaakov had vowed: ‘If Hashem will be with me and return me to my father;’s home, give me clothes to wear and food to eat, then Hashem will be my God and this stone will be an alter, and all that He will give me I will tithe for Him’.
Yaakov made a conditional vow – IF Hashem will do for me this, I will do for Him that: a deal with Hashem. What business do we have making deals with Hashem? IDK, but Yaakov is certainly a reliable source that this is okay.
(I wonder if this applies to anything other than tzeddaka. Tzeddaka is reffered to by the Pasuk as ‘lending Hashem’ – something Hashem takes as a personal debt and favor, something He will repay. But other mitzvos are done for our own selves, to help us gain olam habah or greatness. What leverage do we have there: “Uh, Hashem, I’ll do a mitzvah for my own good and you give me xyz in return, okay?” So perhaps the concept only applies to Tzeddaka or otherwise Hashem-directed mitzvos.)
There is an issue with this. The Mishna (avos) teaches that we ought to do mitzvos for their own sakes, not for reward. Moreover, we know that someone giving money so that his son recover from illness, if indeed that is his only intention and otherwise he regrets his giving, is deemed a sinner in the gemarrah. What difference is there between someone giving money so that his son recover and someone making a vow on condition of Hashem granting him victory?
The Rishonim answer that it depends if there was an upfront condition to the vow. In the case of Yaakov and the Jewish people, they had clearly stipulated that they were only vowing on condition of Hashem helping them. Otherwise there was no vow. There is no a-priori obligation to give that tzeddaka, so it would be alright to stipulate a condition on ones giving. However the fellow giving money that his son recover had not stipulated the recovery as a condition to the vow, therefore if he regrets the vow when his son does not recover that is backtracking on his promise and he is therefore considered a sinner.
And indeed, it would be nicer had Yaakov and the Jews made their vow with no condition, as a servant working for his master for no reward, but they had done no actual wrong by asking for a reward.
Today, it has been popularized to donate money to charity for a specific dividend, such as finding a mate or meriting children. As per above, this may be permitted.
©2013
kollel parshah | Tiferet Ramot 83-21, Jerusalem, Israel, 97290
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