Shlomo's Thoughts On The Torah

Moses stresses the sin of the spies because they did not believe that we would be able to overcome all the obstacles to liberate the Land of Israel. Lewis and Clark were sent by President Jefferson, and they gave a different report. It will be hard but we and & will be able.

The Book of Deuteronomy opens with Moses going over the history of the Jews in the Wilderness. This was to teach us to learn from our mistakes. Great leaders learn from their mistakes.

Aaron was known as a man of peace. He would work to make peace between people. But he was not for peace at any price. He would not sacrifice the truth for peace. He knew that appeasement never brings peace.

The weekly portion starts out with the Jews complaining to Moses about things but it ends with Balaam's blessings. It is to teach us that sometimes we have to take a step back and see how others see us.

Sometimes we are commanded by God to do things that we don't understand. Such as in the case of the Red Heifer. Just because we do not understand why we are commanded to do something does not make it invalid. It shows our limitations as humans.

The story of Korach and his followers is a common theme throughout history. A prime example would be the Mutiny on the Bounty. What happened to the mutineers tells us what would have happened if Korach had prevailed.

Now for a Quick Devar TorahToday is Gimmel Tammuz, the third day of Tammuz, an important date in Jewish history that many people are not aware of. According to tradition, it was on this day that Joshua stopped the sun during the battle in the Valley of Ayalon. The event teaches us something important about leadership.Joshua inherited the mantle of leadership from Moses. For years he was Moses' student and disciple. Like Moses, Joshua did not seek power. He did not campaign for leadership or maneuver for position. He became leader because he was chosen by God, with Moses serving as the instrument of that choice.What stands out about both Moses and Joshua is that neither wanted leadership for its own sake. Moses spent days at the burning bush trying to avoid the job. Yet both men understood that once they were called, they had a responsibility to serve.This idea appears in this week's haftarah as well. The prophet Samuel responds to the people's demand for a king. God allows Saul to be appointed king, but Samuel makes clear what kingship means. The king is not there to enrich himself or to satisfy a desire for power. He is God's servant and the servant of the people. Leadership is not about privilege; it is about responsibility.That is the exact opposite of Korach's mistake.Korach looked at Moses and saw the trappings of leadership. He saw honor, influence, and authority. Moses, however, saw himself differently. The Torah's greatest description of Moses is not "ruler" or "commander." He is called Eved Hashem—the servant of God.It is fitting that we do not know where Moses is buried. The Torah deliberately conceals his burial place so that we would never turn Moses into an idol. Contrast this with many totalitarian regimes. In the former Soviet Union, in China, and in North Korea, the bodies of founding leaders are preserved and displayed. People are encouraged to venerate the individual.Judaism takes a different approach. We honor the teachings of our leaders, their character, and their service—not their physical remains. If someone asked us what Moses looked like, we could only guess. Perhaps he had a beard. Beyond that, we do not know, because the person is less important than the mission.The Torah even tells us that when Moses accounted for the donations to the Mishkan, he was extraordinarily careful to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Our sages note that he had no pockets in which anyone could accuse him of hiding money. Moses understood that leadership requires transparency and accountability.This brings us back to Korach. Korach spoke the language of equality and fairness. His argument sounded reasonable: "The entire congregation is holy. Why should Moses and Aaron lead?" But beneath the rhetoric was a desire for power.History teaches us to be careful when people promise equality as a path to power. The Communist movements of the twentieth century promised equality, yet often produced societies in which everyone was equally poor—except for the ruling elite, who somehow became "more equal than others."True leaders do not seek power for themselves. They accept responsibility for others. Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and Saul at his best understood that leadership is service. Korach saw leadership as privilege.That difference made all the difference.Something to think about.

One of the interesting sidelights in this week's parsha is the connection between the scouts and the mitzvah of tzitzit. When Moshe sends the delegation into the Land of Israel, the Torah uses the word latur—to tour or scout out the land. In modern Hebrew, the same root gives us the word for a tourist.At the end of the parsha, however, we encounter the mitzvah of tzitzit. There the Torah tells us: "Do not follow after your heart and after your eyes."What is the connection?Joshua and Caleb saw exactly the same land as the other ten scouts. They saw the same cities, the same fortifications, and the same giants. The facts were identical. What differed was the lens through which they viewed those facts.The ten scouts looked at the obstacles and concluded that success was impossible. "We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes," they said. The challenges seemed insurmountable.Joshua and Caleb looked at the very same reality and reached a different conclusion. They did not deny the difficulties. They did not claim the conquest would be easy. Rather, they said that God had commanded the Jewish people to enter the land. If God had brought them this far, then they had the ability to succeed. The obstacles were real, but so was God's promise.That is the lesson of tzitzit. The Torah tells us to look at the tzitzit and remember the mitzvot. It reminds us that what we see is often shaped by the perspective through which we view the world. Two people can look at the same situation and come away with entirely different conclusions.There is a story told about a group of Chabad women who attended a convention in Chicago. After Shabbat, a snowstorm prevented them from returning to New York. One of them was the wife of one of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's secretaries. When the secretary informed the Rebbe that his wife was "stuck" in Chicago, the Rebbe replied, "Stuck? No Jew is ever stuck. If they are there, then God has a purpose for them being there."The women took that message to heart. Since they could not leave, they spent their extra time distributing Shabbat candles and candleholders to Jewish women in Chicago. Years later, one of them returned and discovered that some of those women were still lighting Shabbat candles because of that encounter.One person sees a snowstorm and says, "I'm stuck." Another sees the same snowstorm and asks, "What opportunity has God placed before me?"That is the difference between the ten scouts and Joshua and Caleb. It is also the lesson of tzitzit. The Torah teaches us that there is no such thing as mere coincidence. We are challenged to look beyond the surface and ask what purpose and responsibility God is placing before us.The facts may be the same. The question is: through what lens are we looking at them?Something to think about.

The lesson of following the cloud in the wilderness is that we have to trust in God even if we have different plans. We have to realize that God knows what is best for us even if we don't

Pesach Sheni teaches us that we all deserve a second chance. The catch is that we have to be deserving of it. If we do not work to achieve it we won't get it.

The Torah wants us to partake in the pleasures of life but in moderation. That is why the Nazir, a person who denies himself wine, grapes, a haircut or any contact with a dead body usually for a month. After this period, he has to bring a sin offering. It is a sin not to have permitted pleasure.

Every leader of a tribe brings an offering to the Tabernacle. It is the same offering but the Torah records each one. The lesson is that we are different but equal in the eyes of the Torah. The the sum is greater than the whole.

The Torah views the family as the basis of society. That is why it goes out of its way to show that falsely accusing a wife of adultery is bad. That if the family breaks down, so does society.

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. We have toacknowledge and respect those who gave their lives for us and the Constitution. The two are intertwined.

We read the Book of Ruth on Shavuout because it ties in all the aspects of the holiday. It concerns the harvest, which begins at this time. It shows that Ruth is the ancestor of King David. And of course, it shows that Ruth accepts the Torah from the outside.

The Torah is to keep all within due bounds, from the most powerful in society to the least. Otherwise, there would be no society.

We learn the Torah all night on Shavuout to emphasize that Torah scholarship is a meritocracy. It does not matter your background, what is important is what you do with the he gifts that God gave you.

On Shavuout we celebrate receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai. The importance of the Torah is that it shows us that morality is objective. There is no such thing and individual morality. That goes for leaders as well as followers. We are all called upon to be moral.

We have entered the month of Sivan. In a few days we will be celebrating the holiday of Shavuot. This is the traditional day that we received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. We celebrate because we realize that the Exodus story is leading to this moment.

Today is the anniversary of the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six Day War. Before this Jews were forbidden from praying at Jewish holy sites there. We celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem and the ability of people of all faiths to pray at their holy sites.

Two of the greatest people in our history were not born Jewish but joined the Jewish people. One was Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, and the other was Ruth. They chose to join the Jewish people in spite all the obstacles that they would face.

We count the Omer up and not down. Usually, we count down in anticipation of an event. The reason for the counting up is that we are preparing to become a people.

The reason that the Mishkan, or Tabernacle was in the center of the Israelite camp in the wilderness was to teach the Jews that the Torah is their constitution. That they are on a mission from God.

The Book of Numbers is called this because there are so much census taking of the Jews. The question is why? The answer is to show that there are no extra people. Everyone counts.

The name of the portion of the week is Bemidbar, in the wilderness. The Jewish people were organized by tribes surrounding the Tabernacle. This was to show that, while each tribe had its own mission and unique qualities, they were united in their mission for God.

Nations do not suddenly cease to exist. They get destroyed from within through corruption and violence. Long before the barbarians conquered Rome it was destroyed by these things.

The Torah states that if you carry out the mitzvot then you will be blessed with a good economy. The meaning of this is that the wealth is spread by the businessman hiring people to increase his earnings and paying the employee a decent salary so that all benefit.

It was no accident that the founding fathers chose a verse from this week's portion to be laced on the Liberty Bell. It sent the message that in America we are not bound by our previous economic status. We can overcome our past.

The Book of Leviticus ends with a reminder that all the work that we do in the Tabernacle is irrelevant if our society does not reflect our moral and ethical values.

The Torah is concerned what type of society do we want. That is why it lays down laws concerning the behavior of the Priests, that we celebrate time, that we take care of the poor properly and with respect, and that we keep our speech within due bounds.

The Torah is concerned with the dignity of all members of society, even the poor. That is the reason that the poor have to glean the wheat so that they can say that they had a hand in making it into bread.

We learn that we have to be careful in what we say. There are those who will take our words and use them to justify evil acts. One who speaks like that is as guilty as the one who pulled the trigger.

The priests in the Tabernacle had to be physically perfect. They could not have a blemish. The reason is that they were the spiritual representatives of the people to God and God's representatives to the people.

The theme of the Torah is that without structure then spirituality will fail. We need structure so that our society will attain the spirituality we crave.

The Haftorah for this week comes from Amos where he points out that piety is not enough. We were chosen to build a just society. That it is not a one way street. God gives the land but if we do not build a just society then we will lose the land.

The Torah is clear, the reason for the offerings in the Tabernacle was so that we would create a better society based on God's laws.

Today is Israel Independence Day. The story of the liberation of our land from foreign intruders is nothing less than miraculous. We celebrate the independence and security of the State of Israel.

The reason that Acherei Mot comes before Kedoshim is to teach us that our rituals are what make our good actions possible.

During the month of Iyar we go from the sadness of loss to the happiness of success. We mourn the soldiers who fell in defending our people and land to a celebration of our independence in that land.

Creating life is holy if done properly. There is a problem in Israel in that the sperm of a fallen soldier can be used in invitro fertilization so that the memory of the soldier can live on. This is a major issue with Jewish legal ramifications.

We don't realize the damage we do when we gossip about others. We should strive to talk about issues and philosophical ideas, not gossip.

One of the mistakes that we make is that we think we can reason with anti-Semites. Their hatred is so great that it defies reason. As was told to me many years ago, you simply cannot reason with a rabid dog. You have to realize that its either you or the rabid dog.

The Parsha deals with a spiritual disease caused by lashon hara, gossiping. Lashon hara is true but negative. It is bad for everyone involved.

There is a spiritual and physical connection between the laws of kosher animals. It reminds us that as humans we are both spiritual and physical beings.

Passover is the holiday of Jewish freedom, yet we have very strict limitations on what we can eat. This is to teach us that freedom has limitations.

We are encouraged to ask questions at the Seder. The reason is that this is a sign of being a free people.

When we look at the 4 sons as 4 generations, we get a deeper understanding what the Hagadah is point out. How the wise son leads to the wicked, who leads to the simple who then leads to the one who doesn't know how to ask.

The questions asked by the four sons reflect how we handle them. The wise son needs to be reminded that the Seder is to be experienced. The wicked son needs to be exposed as a disrupter.

We rely on God's protection, but we have to remember that first we have to prepare for the worse. Without God's protection, we would have been destroyed long ago.

We call the 1st of Tishri the "Jewish New Year". This is wrong. The 1st of Tishri is when man was created. It is the beginning of the world. The Jewish New Year is the 1st of Nisan, when the Jews became a nation.