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Rich-Poor
Turnus-Rufus asked Rabbi Akiva; Obviously Hashem hates the poor, for otherwise He would have provided for them. So is not charity a contravention of His Will?
Rabbi Akiva answered cryptically: ‘So that we may merit through them.’
What was his response?
Rabbi Akiva expressed a paradigm shift; Hashem does not really hate the poor, rather He wants us to merit. Hashem’s scheme is simple; instead of giving parnassah to Reuven and giving parnassah to Shimon, He gives double parnassah to Reuven, and then instructs him to help Shimon.
Hashem does not grant one man a million dollars to use . Proof is that some people have too much money to ever use. It can only be to share, for nothing else is reasonable.
Why didn’t Hashem provide for the poor directly? Because this is more profitable; had He provided the poor directly, the rich would not gain merit. Hashem gives the poor man’s portion to the rich man so that he can merit through charity, not because He hates the poor man.
That is what Rabbi Akiva was saying: So that we – the rich – merit through them.
Rashi points out an apparent contradiction; we are to keep shmitta and nullify debts owed us. We are promised; ‘there will not be a poor person among you, for Hashem will bless you in all your endeavors.’ The next parsha, however, talks about helping the poor, ‘for the poor will never cease from the land…’
Will there be poor or not? (Rashi answers that if we are good, there will be no poor, but if not…)
We suggested that there will be poor, yet they will be provided for. How? By us helping them! Hashem will bless us, so that we receive the poor man’s portion too. We will give them theirs.
That’s Hashem’s plan!
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The Price Of Eretz Yisrael
‘These are the laws and judgments that you be careful to keep in the Land that Hashem the G-d of your fathers gave you to inherit, all your life’.
Sounds like we are about to hear the most important ideas of the Torah. What follows next?
Destroying Avodah Zara from the land, an injunction against bringing sacrifices anywhere one pleases, not to learn idolaters ways even to serve Hashem, to disbelieve idols and kill their promoters etc.
Are these the main points of the Torah?
The context for discussion here is living in Eretz Yisrael. And these are things specific to Eretz Yisroel. Keep idol worship away from the land and guard it’s sanctity. Eat kosher. Though these laws are binding even outside Eretz Yisroel, they are the sticker price for Eretz Yisroel. That’s why they are listed here.
Some mitzvos are because we’re human, others because we are Jews. And some are the price of Eretz Yisroel.
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More Is Less
“Do not add to the mitzvos, nor subtract from them” Why not add??
Perfection needs no adjustment. Adding implies that we believe the mitzvos to be man-made, in need of revision, and not Hashem’s perfect instruction.
Additionally, adding to mitzvos means we take possession of them, adding and adjusting them. Leave off; they are not ours to touch.
Another thought: We are weak creatures, limited in brain and spirit. We fail in understanding the depths of human psyche, spiritual entities and their relationships, absolute moral right and wrong, and what is and is not pragmatic or good. In fact we often don’t even see the effects of the interplay any action we do will have on our daily routine. It would be folly and conceit to consider ourselves capable of setting down a proper course of behavior. Absolute presumptuousness.
Were there no option, of course we would be duty-bound to try and figure out the best way to act. But since we were handed a Torah, we’d be nuts to try and improve it…
A fourth idea is that I read of an auto manufacturer discussing the integration a car needs for successful design: Air conditioning needs to be powerful enough that it cools down a hot, baking car within minutes. Otherwise the ride is often over before the car gets cool – a waste and an unhappy customer. However to do so requires powerful fans. Fans make noise, so the stereo speakers need to be loud enough to be heard over them. And so on.
The point is that its all related; anything added here, subtracts there.
We may think that we are adding mitzvos without cost. But there is always cost – to our pocket, marriage or time. Do not add to mitzvos, because adding is subtracting.
(Having a chumra is a temporary affair – its identified as merely a chumra, and waived as necessary)
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Noblesse Oblige?
Rabbi Chiya told his wife that when a poor man knocks, she should run to help him, so that when their own children beg, others will help them out just as quickly.
She was shocked at the implication. She asked ‘Are you cursing us that our children will be poor?’ He answered: ‘No, I’m merely quoting the pasuk: If we help out the poor, Hashem will bless us. That means that He will return us in coin when we will need His help for the same thing. That will happen when our descendants will need charity themselves.’
Do we give tzedakkah, to have it returned? Is the Torah telling us to focus on ulterior motives?
A person must find and feel personal meaning in Mitzvos. It need not necessarily be the true goal of the mitzvah, but it connects one personally to the mitzvah. That’s why we consider the benefit that our children may reap from tzedakkah, so that we do the mitzvah eagerly.
Another thought is that true tzeddakah is done of humility; Noblesse oblige is not our mantra. We need to think: “We are all in it together. Its just a matter of timing. Today I have money. Tomorrow someone else will. I’d better give tzeddaka…”
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Goodbye Presents
The Torah bids to load up a departing slave with presents from all we have. Because we too were once slaves, and Hashem caused us to load up on gifts when we left Egypt.
So what? Are we Paroh? We bought a slave by paying him good money for himself. Why give him more?
A man who works long hours yet walks away with empty pockets is bitter. He is frustrated. Although he was compensated, it feels as though the time spent came to naught; practically speaking, he walks away with nothing. The Torah demands from us the sensitivity to ensure our fellowman walks away feeling decent.
When we left Egypt we gained freedom. But Hashem took care that you also felt good when leaving Egypt, and loaded you with gifts. You must grant others this feeling too. Load him up with goodbye presents!
In general we need to ensure others feel good about themselves. Don’t you think?
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Proof Of Torah
“These do not eat… the Shesuah….” The Shesuah is an animal with two backs and two spines, explains the Gemarah (hence ‘shasuah’= cut in two).
Chazal (Chullin) tell us that this proves Torah is from Sinai, for was Moshe a hunter, that he would know of such an animal?
In Meseches Niddah the Gemarrah has a dispute if the Shesuah is a species, or a freak, born of nomal (-kosher) parents. Obviously the gemarah had never heard of, and certainly did not positively know a Shesuah!! So how could this – Moshe talking about an animal no one knows – be proof of knowledge!?!?
We suggested that no one making up a religion would talk of something weird. There is simply no motivation to do so, and it only makes the talker appear foolish. Had Moshe invented the Torah, would never have talked of Shesuah. That he did so proves his truth-telling, indicating Torah Min HaShamayim.
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Giving Charity:
When a person gives tzeddakkah, ought it be out of pity or because there is a mitzvah to? Is having pity unworthy or upright? Are normal human emotions the correct course?
Lets say someone is inducted into the army. He may go for idealistic reasons – to protect others, and he may have boatloads of fun there besides. As a matter of fact, the army is pleased to have an idealistic soldier, and facts are that fun has an important role too.
Yet bottom line, there is that induction notice he must obey it even if he does not appreciate it. He does his duty when serving his stint, whether he enjoys it or not.
The same for mitzvos. Bottom line, we have to do them, like it or not. Any personal meaning and attachment is praiseworthy and profitable. It makes us do the mitzvah well and with commitment. However the primary consideration – the l’sheim Shamayim – persists, for we do it no matter what, because it is our obligation.
So go ahead and have pity. But know well that emotions aside, you do this regardless, for you serve Hashem.
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Please, Be Convinced…
If a prophet presents a miracle yet tells us to worship idols, we ought not to listen to him. The Torah says that this is just to test if we love Hashem with all our heart.
What’s the test; can man fail to be convinced by a miracle?!
We believe what we want to. A miracle happens, but we choose to be convinced by it or to explain it away. Belief cannot be forced.
This is important to know: Belief is a choice. If we love Hashem, we will choose to believe in Him. And if we choose to, we can even deny the Holocaust.
What is the lesson? We can concentrate on making Mitzvos meaningful and pleasant. If Mitzvos are attractive, we will choose to believe in them. For our attitudes determines how we perform at crunch time.
Aren’t humans funny?
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Nebech!
Six times (at least) in this parshah Levi is portrayed as a poor, unfortunate individual: landless and needy. Why??? He receives a full tenth of anyone’s produce, which is more than the landowners receives (10% of eleven farming tribes is 110%, whereas each tribe is left with 90%) and ought to be pretty well off. What nebech??
Perhaps not every Levi was gifted with Maaser. Only the popular ones were. Most Levi’im were pretty poor. Maybe people found loopholes, as they do with their taxes.
So the Torah provides for the Levi, but appeals to the Jews that they indeed pull their weight and give, and not escape their obligation.
Sometimes the Torah cannot merely legislate, but needs to appeal to our hearts as well. There always will be paths to skirt obligation…
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Excising Evil
The Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim explains that normal judicial executions, done by Beis Din, are punishments. The person who sinned to Hashem is punished by His representatives, Beis Din. However people of an idol-worshipping city – ir hanidachas – were destroyed because they deny Hashem and are evil. They are excised, not punished.
There are differences between normal procedure and the ir hanidachas. 1. even minors of an ir hanidachas are punished, although underage, 2. property is burnt too, whereas property of executed criminals goes to their children 3. Beis Din send along talmidei chachamim to attempt to get the sinners to repent, which is usually useless after one has already incurred the death penalty, 4. the punishment for idol worship is stoning, here they are killed by sword. All these indicate that the affair here is getting rid of evil, not punishment.
The Rambam adds that in his opinion any deliberate sinner, even one who merely eats treif to indicate his denial of Hashem, forfeits life. Not as punishment, but because he is evil.
Punishing sin is mandated to Beis Din, and only Beis Din. There cannot be any vigilante action. Perhaps this other type of execution – that of ridding the world of rotten apples, – applies even today, outside of Beis Din. No individual is mandated to the task, but perhaps if someone steps forward and takes the initiative, it would be justified.
Pretty dangerous thoughts, but its also pretty dangerous to leave rotten apples around…
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Torah Ideals
“…you shall not add to them nor subtract from them….” This is the second time the Torah seem to be telling us the exact same prohibition – do not add or subtract to the Mitzvos. What is added here?
The context. The previous few pesukim warn us not to adopt religious practice from the nations we conquer (common Roman practice was to incorporate the religious practices of the all nations she conquered, eventually setting up the Pantheon to store and display them all, for lack of space!) for “even their sons and daughters they burn in fire to their G-ds!”
Rabbi Sampson Raphael Hirsch explains the subtlety here: those pagan religions concepted G-ds who were masters of a certain power, but not the creators of the world or Mankind. Man needed to gain their goodwill, and their sufferage. He did so by demonstrating obeisance and self-negation.
However Judaism considers Hashem as our Creator and Father, who cares for us. Burning a child is a fine way of indicating to a ferocious God that you are not a threat to him, but this will not endear you to Hashem!!
(In similar vein when the Roman soldiers came to arrest Unkelos the proselyte he showed them two things;
1. he asked that when each officer carries a torch for the one above himself, who does the top man carry for?
They answered ‘No one’.
He responded that we believe that Hashem, Greatest of all, went before the Jewish people to light the way for them.
1. He asked the soldiers if they knew the meaning of a Mezuzah. They did not, so he explained; usually a king sits inside and his guards protect him, but we sit within and Hashem sits at the doorway guarding us!
And the soldiers converted!
What had moved them so? Perhaps it was this very idea; our G-d is our Father and Protector. He is not a monster we need to contend with, but an entity vitally concerned and loving. This was a paradigm shift for them, totally different from what they had concepted until now, and they were blown away.)
So beware adding to the Torah – the ideas you come up with may be totally foreign in nature. They may seem sweet, and look wonderful, but be antithetical in root to Torah ideals.
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Virtuous Pride
“…and you shall rejoice in all your handiwork…” The Torah tells that until we moved into Eretz Yisrael we ate meat by sacrificing it in the Mishkan, and even after moving into Eretz Yisrael the Jews brought their Bechorim and Maaser to the Beis Hamikdash to sacrifice and “…rejoice in all their handiwork”.
What does “rejoicing in handiwork” mean?
In the Sifra it seems that it refers to the results of the sacrifice – if one sacrifices, they will receive blessing in all they attempt subsequently.
However others indicate that it refer to the source of happiness – the Jews are to rejoice, each one with his lot in life. One rejoices because of his family, job, health and assets. Another rejoices in his study. A third in his industry. And so on.
And this pleases Hashem. He is happy that his People are living correctly and decently, and take pride and joy in their lives….
Pride is a good thing!
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Double Holy
“For you are a Holy Nation unto Hashem, your G-d, and Hashem choose you as His beloved nation – Am segulah – of all the nations of the world”. Rashi explains thus: “For you are a Holy Nation” – your inherent holiness is endowed by your forefathers, and what’s more, “Hashem chose you as His beloved nation” – a second level was added by Hashem choosing you as his cherished People.
In essence Rashi is addressing the duality of Jewish endowment. The Jewish people were special yet in Egypt. They were already then His nation. Their status came as a result of the bonds created with the forefathers, Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov.
Later, at Sinai, they were endowed with a second level of holiness – as it states there; “…and you will be a beloved nation – segulah – of all Nations, for all the world is Mine, and you shall be to Me a nation of Priests and a Holy People”.
Here is a second endowment – as a personal mascot to Hashem.
The first Kedusha is one of Exeptionality in our own nature – perhaps derived from dedication onto Hashem for our part, coming from our forefathers, while the second relates to his affection for His People, His Chosen Ones.
There are parts of Judaism that derive from the former, and parts from the latter. For instance, later on in this parshah we are told not to eat meat a kid cooked in its mothers milk – ‘for you are a Holy nation unto Hashem your G-d’ – i.e. this is a function of our ancestral holiness.
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Bloody Powerful!
The Torah repeatedly asks us not to drink blood, and even showers those that refrain with blessing for it. Is refraining from blood so central to Judaism??
The Ramban explains that the ancients would drink blood in sorcery, so as to be able to divine the future. Mankind desires fervently to know what will be, and considered this to be an avenue to that knowledge.
So asking them to hold off was a major request. The reward is so great because it is so seductive. What the Torah calls for is for is no less than Man’s surrender to G-d’s plans.
That’s high stakes!