Shlomo's Thoughts on the Torah

We fast in memory of the disaster of Jew against Jew violence. It always leads to disaster.

On Rosh Hashana we look back at our actions over the previous year to see how we can improve ourselves and decide to be better.

We blow the Shofar throughout the month of Elul to wake us up so that we can correct our mistakes from last year. This is preparing for Rosh Hashana.

While Nisan is the beginning of the Jewish people, Tishei reminds us that we are responsible for our actions as a free people.

One of the most important lessons of the Torah is that we have to make an effort and God will then help us. That said, we should never say that God did not have a hand in our success.

Moses's final message to the Jewish people is that they have to maintain the standard of morality that they achieved in the wilderness.

The central message of this week's portion is that leaders come and go but the institutions of the Torah are eternal,

When we are called the Chosen people, it means that God chose us to show the world how a moral and ethical society behaves. We are not superior to others.

The commandment to keep accurate weights and measures in business comes before the commandment to destroy Amalek. The meaning is simple. Unethical business practices will destroy society from within. That is when Amalek strikes.

The Torah commands us to treat people as adults. That, as adults, we are responsible for our actions. We treat children as children until they reach adulthood.

In this week's portion Moses gives his last speech to the Jews. This is the last day of his life and he wants to stress that their fate is in their hands. That we are not fated by our birth or status. We can overcome our difficulties through keeping the commandments.

God wants us to serve Him with joy. That we can show the world what true service to God is. That we serve God, not only in prayer but in how we treat each other and that we treat each other morally and ethically with joy.

Being grateful to God is one of the hardest things to do when we are successful. That is why there is a special commandment in the Torah to remind us of this.

We are admonished not to punish the fathers for the sins of the sons and not to punish the sons for the sins of the father. This is a fundamental principal in the Torah. God gave us fee will but free will means that we are responsible for our actions.

When we marry for the wrong reasons the end result is anger. Physical beauty will disappear, but their inner beauty will last.

We start to blow the shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul. This is to awaken Within us that we will be judged on Rosh Hashana. We should start doing a personal accounting for our action of the preceding year.

The operative verse in this week's portion stresses the words "to you". This is to teach that the most important judge we have is ourselves. Then the family unit. All society if based on these.

The cities of refuge were set up so that someone who committed an accidental killing would be safe. He was being punished for the death of another but it was not murder.

The Torah admonishes judges to judge the facts before them. It is known that in many countries where the courts are perceived to be biased fall apart for that very reason.

We are commanded to destroy all forms of idolatry but must keep anything with God's name on it. This is because idolatry is inherently false and will lead people astray, while the Torah is true and will make us better.

The use of the singular verb to begin the Parsha shows that we are all morally responsible for our actions. The use of the plural "to you" shows that as individuals we are a society.

The second paragraph of the Shema emphasizes that we have a communal responsibility to help. It is not enough that we are personally spiritual but that we are communally spiritual.

It is no accident that July 4, 1776 fell on the 17th of Tamuz that year. It shows that the unity of purpose and the unity of the people in instituting a workable government was what saved the Americans, while the division and destruction of Jewish society caused the destruction of the 1st & 2nd Temples.

The Jewish people are a nation based on the Torah, much like the US is a nation based on the Constitution. We might criticize our government, leaders and fellow citizens but we have to do it out of our love of the nation.

We have to remember that, while we value all people, we do not value all ideas. There are some ideas that cannot be justified.

While we should not have baseless hatred towards one another, we should stand up for what is right and hate evil and evil doers.

In this week's portion we get to the division of the Land of Israel among the tribes. That within each tribe they divided the land among the families. The Torah is emphasizing the concept of private property. That your land is yours and that it cannot be taken away by the government.

As we end the Book of Numbers we are preparing to enter the Land of Israel. Up until now God took care of our every need. Now it is time for us to show God that we are able to stand up and take care of ourselves.

The commandment to destroy Midian was not one of revenge. It was to mete out justice for the evil that Midian had meant to commit against the Torah and the Jewish people. That is why it was so harsh.

The Torah places a lot of importance on keeping your word. The reason is that society is based on our word. We have to trust one another in business, in law, in all forms of dealings with each other. Without this society would break down.

When we look at the foundation of the USA we cannot help but see the Biblical influences. Also, we Jews are grateful that the USA was the first country that would treat Jews as equal citizens.

The 17th of Tamuz is the beginning of the three weeks that we mourn the loss of the Temples in Jerusalem. The rabbis point out that both the first and second Temples were destroyed because people did not treat each other with respect.

The daughters of Zelophahad knew that there was problem, but instead of yelling and causing a ruckus, they approached Moses with respect. That way they could speak with him and achieve their goal.

God commands Moses that he choose Joshua as the next leader. Moses never brings up the fact that he has two sons. Moses knows that, while his sons were good men, they were not leadership material. Joshua was.

Pinchas took drastic action in killing Zimri and Cozby. He knew that they presented a clear and present danger to the Jewish people. That is why God gave him the blessing of peace. To show all that his action was necessary and proper.

Pinchas realizes that the actions of Zimri present a clear and present danger. He knows that he has to do something to stop Zimri. Instead of waiting for the courts to take action, he does. Sometimes we have to take action to stop evil.

Balaam is hired to curse the Jews. On his way we have the famous story of his talking donkey. What is interesting is that Balaam was so concerned with cursing the Jews that he did not notice that his donkey was talking to him. We sometimes miss the obvious.

When Miriam dies the well that has been following the Jews in the wilderness disappears. The well was in her merit. The people immediately complain to Moses forgetting all the good things that they were getting. In short, they were very ungrateful for all that they were getting.

Now for a quick devar Torah.This week's parsha is Korach. The rebellion of Korach is what might be called a common-sense rebellion. On the surface, Korach's argument makes perfect sense. He says: We are all holy. The Torah calls us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. So who are you, Moshe, to place yourself above everyone else? And why is your brother Aharon the High Priest? Isn't this simply nepotism?At first glance, it sounds like a reasonable argument. But, as our sages teach, Korach's true motivation was not equality—it was ego. His real argument was: I should be the leader because I am Korach.Moshe Rabbeinu was the opposite. At the burning bush, God had to persuade Moshe for seven days to accept leadership. Moshe did not seek power. In fact, he resisted it. Only when he understood that this was his mission from God did he accept the burden and do the best he could.History teaches us that many rebellions begin with noble slogans but end in tyranny. There is an old saying: "One man, one vote, one time." A leader promises democracy, gains power, and then never gives it back.The history of the United States provides an instructive example. In 1783, before the peace treaty with Britain had been signed, the Continental Army was still in the field. Congress had not paid many of the officers for over a year. These men had families and legitimate grievances.Some officers began discussing a plan to march on Philadelphia and force Congress to pay—or even seize power outright. This became known as the Newburgh Conspiracy.When George Washington learned of the plot, he asked to address the officers. Many expected him to support them, since throughout the Revolution he had repeatedly pressed Congress to provide for the army.Washington stood before them and took out a prepared speech. Then he reached for a pair of spectacles and quietly said:"Gentlemen, you must pardon me, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country."Many of the officers had never realized that Washington's eyesight had deteriorated. The room was moved to tears.Washington then urged them to reject the conspiracy and submit to civilian authority. He had the power to seize control if he wished. The army loved him. But like Moshe Rabbeinu, he understood that leadership means service, not domination.After the war, Washington voluntarily returned to his farm at Mount Vernon. When King George III heard this, he reportedly remarked, "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."Great leaders know the limits of their power.Moshe Rabbeinu understood that he was not above the Torah. He was bound by it. His task was to serve as its faithful teacher and guardian, not to override it. Every action had to conform to God's law.Korach, by contrast, would likely have treated the law as something to be bent to his own purposes. Moshe never sought ways around the Torah; he sought ways to fulfill it.Perhaps that is one of the great lessons of Parshat Korach: true leadership is not measured by how much power one possesses, but by how willing one is to place oneself under the rule of law and moral principle.Something to think about.

Now for a quick devar Torah.In this week's parsha, Parshat Korach, one of the figures who appears briefly is On ben Pelet. At the beginning of the rebellion he is listed among Korach's followers, but then something very strange happens: he disappears from the story. When Korach and his followers confront Moshe, On ben Pelet is nowhere to be found.What happened to him?The Gemara tells us the rest of the story. On ben Pelet's wife sat him down and asked him a simple question: "What exactly do you stand to gain from this rebellion? If Moshe remains leader, you'll still be a follower. And if Korach becomes leader, you'll still be a follower. Either way, you're not the one who will be in charge."On answered that he had already pledged himself to Korach. So, according to the Gemara, his wife got him drunk, put him to bed, and he slept through the rebellion. By the time he woke up, Korach and his followers had met their fate—and On ben Pelet's life had been saved.The Sages praise On's wife for her wisdom because she saw something much deeper. She understood that Korach's rebellion was not really about lofty ideals. Korach dressed his arguments in beautiful language: "The entire congregation is holy. Why should Moshe and Aharon rule over us?" He spoke of equality and fairness. He accused Moshe of favoritism and nepotism.But beautiful words do not always reveal true motives.Throughout history, people seeking power have often wrapped their ambitions in noble slogans. They speak of equality, justice, or the good of the people. Yet sometimes beneath those words lies a simple desire for power and honor.The communist movements of the twentieth century often promised a classless society in which everyone would be equal and exploitation would disappear. Those promises attracted millions. But in many places, once power was attained, a small ruling elite emerged while ordinary people remained poor and without freedom. As the old saying went, "All are equal, but some are more equal than others."The Sages suggest that had Korach succeeded, his followers would soon have begun fighting among themselves over who should lead. The rebellion was not truly about serving the people—it was about who would hold authority.Moshe represents the exact opposite model of leadership.Moshe never sought power. At the burning bush, God had to persuade him repeatedly to accept leadership. Again and again Moshe says, in effect, "Please send someone else." He did not want the position. But when he realized that the task had to be done and that he was the one capable of doing it, he accepted the burden.That is the difference between a seeker of power and a true leader.A seeker of power asks, "What can this position do for me?"A true leader asks, "What responsibility must I accept for others?"The Torah describes Moshe as the humblest of men. Yet humility does not mean refusing responsibility. Humility means understanding that leadership is not about personal honor but about service.Perhaps one of the greatest examples of this outside the Torah was George Washington. After leading the American Revolution, some wanted to make Washington king. He refused. After serving two terms as president, he voluntarily stepped down and returned to Mount Vernon. In fact, he had to be persuaded even to serve a second term. Like Moshe, Washington understood that leadership is a burden to be carried, not an honor to be sought. The true leader says not, "How can I gain power?" but rather, "How can I serve?"The lesson applies not only to leaders but to all of us. In Jewish life there are mitzvot that need to be done, communities that need support, and people who need help. Sometimes we may prefer that someone else step forward. But if no one else will do it, perhaps that responsibility falls to us.May we learn from Moshe's humility, from On ben Pelet's wife’s wisdom, and remember that true greatness lies not in seeking honor, but in serving others.Something to think about.

A Quick Devar Torah: Korach, the Spies, and the Dangers of EgoAs we enter the month of Tammuz, we know that in just a few weeks we will begin the Three Weeks, mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples. It is striking that at this time of year we read Parshat Shelach and Parshat Korach—two parshiyot whose central tragedies are rooted in the same human failing: ego.The scouts sent in Parshat Shelach were not ordinary people. They were the leaders of their tribes, the elite of the nation. Yet perhaps part of their fear was not simply the difficulty of conquering the Land of Israel. Once the people entered the land, leadership would change. Tribal princes who had been prominent in the wilderness might become ordinary citizens. Their status, influence, and prestige could disappear.Their objections sounded noble. They claimed they were protecting the people. But beneath the surface may have lurked a fear that their own positions would be diminished. Ego often disguises itself as concern for others.Korach is another example. His argument sounds democratic and reasonable: "All the congregation are holy—why should Moshe and Aaron lead?" One could almost hear him asking, "Shouldn't there be elections? Shouldn't leadership be shared?"But the Torah reveals what was truly at stake. Korach did not merely oppose concentrated authority; he wanted authority for himself. His challenge was presented as being for the people, but in reality it was for Korach.On Shabbat I came across a remarkable gematria that puts all of this in perspective. The name Shelach—shin (300), lamed (30), chet (8)—equals 338. The Baal HaTurim notes that this alludes to the destruction of the First Temple in the year 3338. Whether one takes this literally or symbolically, the message is powerful: the sins that ultimately destroy a people often begin from within.The egotism of the spies and the egotism of Korach weakened the nation from the inside. Later generations would suffer destruction not only from external enemies, but from internal failings.This brings to mind an interesting story from the founding of the United States. At the Constitutional Convention there arose a new question unknown to monarchies: what do you call a former president? Kings ruled until death. But what happens when a leader voluntarily steps down?Benjamin Franklin reportedly offered a profound answer. A president, he said, is a servant of the people. When he leaves office, he is no longer a servant—he becomes one of the people. In that sense, he is promoted.That insight captures the Torah's vision of leadership. A leader is not a master over the people but a servant of the people. Moshe Rabbeinu embodied that ideal. Korach sought leadership without service.Perhaps that is one of the lessons as we enter Tammuz and approach the Three Weeks. Societies are not usually destroyed only by enemies from without. Often they are weakened first by pride, ambition, and the inability of leaders to remember that leadership is ultimately an act of service.Something to think about.

Korach's argument against Moses seems to make sense. But in reality, it is based on a false notion that everyone was equally holy and Korach knew it. His real desire was power. He had no interest in improving the holiness of the people.

Just because a problem seems to be impossible to solve does not mean that God wants us to give up. He wants us to try to solve the problem. If we make the effort, then He will help us. If we do not, then He will not.

Now for a quick Devar Torah.This week's parashah deals with a difficult episode in our history: the delegation of scouts who turned themselves into spies and brought back a negative report about the Land of Israel. It is not one of the most glorious moments in Jewish history, but it is part of our history nonetheless.One of the important lessons we learn from this parashah is that a people must remember its history—the good and the bad. If you forget your history, you lose sight of who you are, and without a sense of who you are, it becomes very difficult to have a future. Many peoples have disappeared from the stage of history because they forgot why they existed in the first place.For the Jewish people, memory is central. So many of our customs, holidays, and rituals are designed to help us remember. We remember the Exodus, we remember Sinai, we remember Jerusalem, and we even remember our mistakes so that we can learn from them.In the 1950s, there was a growing concern that people were forgetting the great chazzanim of the early twentieth century. Instead of listening to cantors such as Yossele Rosenblatt and others who had shaped Jewish musical life, many preferred the newer popular entertainers, such as Mickey Katz, whose humorous and satirical songs were enormously popular.One man recognized that an important part of Jewish cultural history was in danger of being lost. That man was my father-in-law, Benedict Stambler. He founded Collector's Guild Records and began reissuing recordings of the great cantors of the 1920s and earlier generations. He was also among the first to make recordings that preserved the music and traditions of Chabad and other Jewish communities.Like many fathers, he enlisted his children to help with the work. My wife spent time in the New York Public Library researching material for the liner notes that accompanied the albums. The old recordings had to be restored, cleaned up, and preserved for future generations.Because of his efforts, a tremendous amount of Jewish musical heritage was saved. The music of those cantors was more than entertainment. It reflected the experiences, emotions, hopes, and history of Jewish communities throughout the world. Without those efforts, much of that heritage might have been lost forever.Today is his yahrzeit, and as we remember him, we can reflect on the lesson of this week's parashah. Preserving memory is not just about looking backward. It is about ensuring that future generations know who they are and where they came from.May the memory of Baruch Zalman ben Yehuda Moshe Leib be a blessing, and may the heritage he helped preserve continue to inspire generations to come.

A majority of the delegation that Moses sent to scout out the land came back with a bad report. Only Caleb and Joshua were positive. They stood by the truth and were proven right.

The reason that the delegation that Moses sent to the Land of Israel misrepresented the Land was that they were afraid they would have to put the mitzvot into action.

We can only operate on the information provided to us. The problem is that sometimes we are given bad information. Then we make a bad decision based on that. We have to try to understand what good information is and ignore those who are going on the bad.

This week's Haftorah carries an important message. We do not build a society on the power of an army alone. It has to have the moral infrastructure to support it. Without that they all else falls apart.

God tells Moses to appoint 70 elders to help him lead the people. The lesson for a leader is that he cannot do it all alone. He has to delegate. Also, he has to recognize that he has to prepare the next generation of leaders.

Gratitude is one of the most important lessons that we can learn. The Jews in the wilderness were given everything but were not grateful. They were afraid that now that they were free they were responsible for their actions.