The Sin of Doing One Mitzvah

Parshat VAYIKRa

by Rabbi Avi Billet

There’s a strange phrase that repeats itself several times in the parsha. “If a person sins… and does one of the commandments of God that one is [instructed] not to do” then a consequence follows. The consequence might be elaborated upon over several verses, or, as in the case, of 4:27, the consequence is preceded by the word, “v’ashem,” which means “and he is guilty.”

 Wouldn’t the verse make more sense if it said “If a person sins and violates a commandment…” or just leave it at “If a person sins…” and then list the consequence? It almost sounds like the Torah is saying that if a person sins through doing a mitzvah, then there is a consequence! How could a person sin through doing a mitzvah?!

 Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was known to look at the good of every Jew. One tale finds Reb Levi Yitzchak encountering a Jew who was smoking on Shabbos. The sinner refuted each benefit the rabbi ascribed to him. “You probably didn’t know it was Shabbos.” The man knew. “You probably didn’t know smoking is prohibited on Shabbos.” The man knew. “You must be smoking for health reasons.” No – that’s not the case.

 Reb Levi Yitzchak turned heavenward and said, “Even when your children commit sins, they tell the truth!”

 And yet, Reb Levi Yitzchak did not hold back in criticizing the Jew who is satisfied with a minimal connection with God. In his Kedushas Levi, Reb Levi Yitzchak looked at our verse in question and creatively explained the way the Torah depicts the sin of the individual. The more a person sincerely serves God, the more the person appreciates the tremendous disparity that exists between the great and Almighty God and the tiny human being.

 But, as in our verse, when a person does one mitzvah and thinks this is an adequate form of serving God, even the one mitzvah is inconsequential. To put it more succinctly – there are mitzvot which people categorize as mitzvot “that I don’t do.” I have the mitzvot that I do, the ones I am comfortable with, the ones that work for me. But there are mitzvot that fall out of my comfort zone, so I never do them. Or, perhaps, I may do it once in a while.

 Reb Levi Yitzchak said that the sin is not the doing of the mitzvah – though he questions whether the occasional trek into mitzvah-doing is worth anything, as opposed to a total commitment to mitzvoth. The sin is in having the attitude that “I have mitzvot that I don’t do” while still feeling that this incompleteness is a proper form of serving God.

 Reb Levi Yitzchak lived in a different time. And while I don’t think his entire message is apropos today – it is certainly not applicable to Jews who know very little about Judaism – there is much introspection demanded of Jews who do know better, who claim to believe in God and who live observant lifestyles, but who opt out of certain mitzvot because “I don’t do those” or who focus on one mitzvah that does work (while ignoring many others) who still think, “I am serving God properly as a Jew.”

 We live in a cynical society where the loudest people are anti-religion. Ironically, the religious population of the United States of America is one of the highest percentages in the world. For people who identify as religious Jews, it behooves us to never be satisfied with our personal status quo, and to continue to challenge ourselves to take more obligations upon ourselves, and to humbly add to our service of God, as we become increasingly aware of that disparity between ourselves and our Creator.
The sin Reb Levi Yitzchak reads into this verse is a sin of arrogance, a sin of minimal obligation and responsibility, and a sin of checking out of mitzvot based on external criteria.

 Let us embrace our responsibilities and obligations, let us be humble, and let us increasingly get closer to God so that the verses in question need not apply to our own Jewish experiences.

The Victory That Comes From Doing God's Will

Parshat Devarim

by Rabbi Avi Billet               

Moshe said, “God was also angry at me… [as He] said, ‘You too shall not go there. Yehoshua bin-Nun… is the one who will apportion it to Israel. As for your children of whom you said ‘They’ll be taken captive,’ and your children who did not know good from evil this day – they will come there. To them shall I give it and they shall possess it.’” (Devarim 1:37-39)

                

Without going into too much of the background, in this passage Moshe outlines who will be inheriting the land – as the apportioner and the apportionees – and who will not be involved in the process (Moshe himself).

                

His focus on the children being the ones to inherit – along with the emphasis on good and evil – prompted the Midrash Tanaim to explain that this is a reference to war. “They have to know that it is God who wages war for you, and that you do not have to fight when you are doing God’s will.” The Baal Haturim goes along similar lines when he says exile would have never happened had the people not turned to sin.

                

Rabbi Yehuda Amital, the founding Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion (“the Gush”), was appropriately critical of people (i.e. certain contemporary rabbis) who would look at any event and ascribe causality to it. “This tragedy happened because…” is in an ineffable statement to make. We don’t explain rockets, destruction, wars, and a Holocaust. We are not prophets. We do not know why these things happen.

                

God-fearing people say “This is God’s will. It is part of His Master Plan,” and continue to live their lives in the service of God, trying to get closer to Him despite the sadness that may pervade at any particular point in time. Rav Amital, whose fifth yarzeit was this past week, was in several labor camps during the Holocaust and lost his entire family. In response to the question of how he could have faith in God after the Holocaust, he explained that if he had lost his faith that wouldn’t bring his family back. It wouldn’t answer any of his questions about God’s hiding His face during that era of darkness.

                

But the message of the Midrash Tanaim is still worthy of consideration. We do not understand how the “doing of God’s will” plays a role in the upper spheres. But every one of us can probably pinpoint a time in our lives when we knew we were doing things right, and other things in our lives fell into place. Whether it was a job, a promotion, a family member getting better from illness, or life just being good. It happens all the time – we just don’t always notice.

                

And so it is up to us, particularly at this time of year with Tisha B’Av approaching, to ask ourselves if we are properly doing God’s will. The great prophets and Sages were granted the insight to say the first Temple was destroyed because of murder, idolatry, immorality, and the Second Temple was destroyed on account of baseless hatred. And while we don’t dare make similar pronouncements in our times (and shame on those who do!), we can certainly improve in those areas! Idolatry and murder are, thank God, not big challenges for our people. But immorality is. And baseless hatred certainly is.

                

There’s a reason many of the “al chet”s we include in our Viduy confession are for sins of the eyes and the mouth, because it is through these channels that most of our sins are committed – whether we ourselves look at things we should not be looking at and say things we should not, or whether we cause others to look at things they should not see or have them hear things they should not be hearing.

                

The good and evil that the Midrash Tanaim says refers to war could have two meanings. The esoteric meaning is for the internal battle that a person fights between the yetzer hara (the evil inclination) and the yetzer hatov (the good inclination).

                

But in a practical sense, it refers to the battles which were to soon be waged by the Israelite armies entering the land. And Moshe is recalling how 39 years earlier he told the generation that was not going to be entering the land that it would be up to their innocent children, who had not yet tasted good and evil, to lead the charge in inheriting the land.

                

The verses which follow show the response of the people when they heard this pronouncement:  “We have sinned to God! We will go up and do battle according to everything that our God has commanded us!” (1:41)

                

And the Exodus generation was told not to, because God was no longer with them and would not fight their battles any more.

                

Are we reliving this history? Every generation in Israel has borne the responsibility of fighting the battle that the previous generation did not finish. It is the “children” (18-22 year olds are young men, but they are all sons of the nation of Israel) who are fighting, the children who learn quickly about the difference between good and evil. Many of these “children” are older reservists, and they too are battling in the trenches.

                

Our job is to love them, to care for them, and to do our part through doing God’s will. Unlike the generation who left Egypt, who were told (when they messed up with the spies) that God is no longer with them, we must assure, for the safety of our soldiers and our People in Israel and around the world, that we are doing God’s will, so God will in-turn be with us.

                

When the enemy is so evil and only cares to rack up deaths on both sides, we must know where we stand. War is sadly a necessary evil. And it brings great sacrifice in pursuit of a hopefully attainable and sustainable peace. The attitude of Tzahal (IDF) through all of this has been inspiring.

                

May our efforts, not just during the Nine Days, but throughout the year as well, sway God to continue to guide the soldiers of Israel in their important work, and may all of Israel merit to live peacefully under the banner of the promise that “your children who did not know good from evil this day – they will come there. To them shall I give it and they shall possess it.” In safety, in peace, and – much like has been demonstrated in Israel in support of the soldiers – with a complete sense of Ahavat Chinam, loving our fellow Jew.

Value of Our "Seed"

Parshat Bechukotai

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The final chapter of the book of Vayikra delves into the topic of Endowments and Valuations, essentially answering the question of what value humans, animals and properties have if a person makes a pledge to the Mishkan based on the value of another human being, etc. It is not to suggest that a direct monetary value can be assigned to any person, because human beings are priceless, but that a donation based on such a declaration carries with it a measurable value.

              
“If a man consecrates a field from his hereditary property to God, its endowment value shall be calculated according to the amounts of seed [required to sow it], 50 silver shekels for each chomer of barley seed.” Chomer is a measurement of seed that might cover or plant close to 4 acres of farmland. (See the Living Torah)

              
Rabbi Akiva Sofer asks a very simple question, and gives a very Hassidic-style answer. “Do you want to know the value of the person who sanctifies his property to God? Do you want to know if he is complete in his heart, in his fear and reverence of God? Then ‘his value should be calculated based on his seed.’”

              
Rabbi Sofer takes the literal meaning of the text and takes a very simple alternative twist, utilizing another important translation of the word “Zera” -

A Great, Wise, and Understanding People? Right...

Parshat Va'Etchanan

by Rabbi Avi Billet

We are now past Tisha B'Av, and our first Shabbos foray into the synagogue puts us in a position to hear this message from Moshe: "Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the Lord, my God, commanded me, to do so in the midst of the land to which you are coming to possess.  And you shall keep [them] and do [them], for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations, who will hear all these statutes and will say, 'This great nation is only a wise and understanding people.'" (Devarim 4:5-6)

            

I try not to live with blinders on. Which is why reading this triggers an exasperating throw of my hands skyward, along with a look heavenward, and a cry (sometimes aloud, but more often silent because no one is listening) of "Us? When will THIS happen?"

            

Did this happen a long time ago – perhaps during the time of David or Solomon? Did this happen during the time of the first or second Temples? Did this happen during the Talmudic Period? Does it refer to the historical anomaly of the kingdom of the Khazars?

            

It's great that the Kuzari was written by Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi. Would it ever have been written by someone from the "nations" described in the Torah?

            

The only "wisdom of this nation" I hear bandied around is the accusation of the Jews being the Illuminati, or that the Protocols are true. Of course both of these are nonsense. But when the headlines "amongst the nations" (when true) are about Jews who commit abominable deeds – especially Jews who are supposed to know better on account of their Jewish education and upbringing – the Torah (and I shudder to say this) seems to be out to lunch on reality.

            

Of course, the Torah is right. If the Jewish people would only "keep them and do them" – the commandments, that is – we would indeed be a wise and understanding people. A model to all. After all, thievery, physical abuse, cover-ups, dishonesty, slander, etc are all intolerable offenses which have no place in a world governed by Torah ideals.

            

But even so, our Public Relations would still need a lot of work. There are many cynical and skeptical people, Jewish and not Jewish, who believe the Torah mandates the stoning of adulterers (Vayikra 20) and the killing of minors (Devarim 21:20-21, 22:21-24), and the most heinous of punishments not for the perpetrators, but for the victims of sexual abuse (Devarim 22:29).

            

Anyone who makes these claims does not understand the magnitude of Torah knowledge as they look at the verse in its most simplistic translation, and have no concept of the Oral Torah, and thousands of years of rabbinic discussions addressing what these cases mean, and whether the punishments described in the Torah were ever carried out en masse or were more fixated on demonstrating the gravity of the sin, while life itself was valued.

            

The Talmud (Makkot 7) claims that courts did not exercise capital punishment. At worst, it was a very rare occurrence. And the conditions leading to such were almost impossible to attain: valid witnesses, proper warning, zero contradictions in testimony.

            

We live in a time when Sharia law, which takes some of the Biblical laws literally (or at least as prescribed in the Quran), and practices the worst kinds of corporal punishment, is on the rise in the world, in practice and acceptance, even in some Western countries.

Halakha, on the other hand, which has so many varying opinions and is a system which can help people live meaningful and fulfilling lives following various schools of interpretation, isn't growing beyond very small circles of Jews.

            

And it has become a major turnoff to many Jews who do not observe. This is wisdom? This is understanding? What are we doing wrong?

            

We are not as Jewishly educated as we ought to be. Even our rabbis and educators, and certainly a large majority of our flock do not have a mastery of Tanakh, Talmud and Halakhic literature.

            

We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the education of every child in his/her lifetime, yet we (and our children) can't read Hebrew, can't translate Hebrew, and have no patience to tackle a new text. We review the same laws every year, and we still don't know basic synagogue practice and basic holiday practice. Or what it means to live a life of "hatznea leches" – living a modest existence in which we do not call unnecessary attention to ourselves.

            

We preach about lashon hara, but we don't know the difference between a to'eles (discussion with a purpose) and what is pure besmirching and slander. Even as we wring our hands with dismay at the chillul Hashem, we enjoy reading all the dirt in the press about Jewish people who "look frum" who conduct themselves in ways that are anything but…

            

We talk about people doing teshuvah, but we are unaccepting of people we believe can't do teshuvah.

            

The Jewish criminals don't represent us. But we are not doing a good enough job of representing ourselves through living and modeling a Torah life that will cause others to say, "This is a great nation, wise and understanding."

            

Let the recent mourning period of Av serve as a reminder that we have a long way to go. May we find the strength to live up to our mandate from the Torah, to truly be a model nation.

Logic Would Seem to Dictate

Parshat Pinchas

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Outside of Bible adherents' responses, were the story of Pinchas and Zimri presented or played out in our world, it wouldn’t be Pinchas who is heralded and Zimri who is thrown under the bus for being an arrogant and abrasive antagonist.

 The story is pretty simple. Zimri, a leader of the tribe of Shimon, consorts with a Midianite woman in public. According to the Talmud (Sanhedrin82), he mocked Moshe – if a Midianite (Zipporah) was permissible to Moshe, why was a Midianite prohibited to Zimri?

 Pinchas, sensing the rebellious nature of Zimri's act, as well as his mocking tone, recalled a law that declared Zimri deserved the death penalty. And, in that particular circumstance, when he took the law into his own hands, he was praised for it. (See Rabbenu Bachaye 25:6-7) He was even granted a reward of the "The Covenant of Peace." 

 In most circumstances, we do not tolerate taking the law into one's own hands, which is why beyond Pinchas' example, there will be no endorsement of vigilantism here.

 But one wonders how our enlightened society would look at this case.

 Our society would look at Zimri and say perhaps he is a little boastful and bold, but he is an adult, is entitled to make his own decisions. Furthermore, the woman in question was a consenting adult, making their act nothing which could be construed as illegal. Furthermore, if Zimri was not married, then he was hurting no one. He has every right, our liberal provocateur will note, to marry or consort with any consenting woman he wants, of any religion.

 Pinchas, on the other hand, has no excuse for his actions. Who does he think he is? He is a murderer! Just because he doesn't like someone's behavior does not justify killing the person!

 These are all very logical arguments. And the truth is, in some cases, logic is a good sell.

 Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik noted, however, that Judaism is not always governed by logic. Korach, for example, tried to figuratively skewer Moshe in his position as leader and teacher through very logical arguments against some of the commandments of the Torah. But logic doesn't explain the mitzvah of techeilet, or the mitzvah of Mezuzah.

 And, frankly, it doesn't explain the mitzvah of Bris Milah. If Pinchas was awarded the Covenant of Peace, some continue to refer to him as one of the "guardians" of Bris Milah – THE Covenant.

 This week, my website and Facebook page were attacked by "Intactivists." These people are very vocal advocates against circumcision of infants, using many arguments such as barbarism, mutilation, nonconsensual, defenseless baby, etc.

 Logically, they are right. Circumcision, it can be argued, is an unnecessary medical procedure performed on people who, with uncommon exception, do not need it.

 But where they fail in their attack is that they don't understand that for us, this is not about a medical procedure. And we don't view it as barbaric. As Avraham was told, "Walk before me and become complete" through the act of circumcision, the mark of the covenant is placed in our flesh and in the flesh of our children to complement our relationship with God.

 I have met many happy and calm parents before brisses. I have also met my share of nervous parents before brisses. Most of these latter parents just want it to be over with. All parents want it to go well and for their baby to be fine. And when this outcome is achieved, the nervous tension goes away.

But even such "hesitations" do not drive us away from performing Bris Milah. We are who we are partially because of Bris Milah (Talmud Shabbat 130a). Our attitude has always been, upon the birth of a boy, "We need to arrange for the bris."

 These personal experiences have been the opening to many conversations over the course of this week, and every Jewish person with whom I've had this discussion has said the same thing. "Different worlds. They don't understand us. They never will."

 Many of us want to rationally understand everything we do. Some of the things we do defy logic and rational thinking, because they are matters of faith.

 Zimri's flaw, and why the Torah does not side with him, rested in his belief that his brilliant logic should trump all else. But Zimri ignored important principles of the Torah, and may have even not understood the things he violated in the first place.

 But sometimes commitment to and observance of the Torah defies logic. Do we remain steadfast and committed? Or do we throw the baby out with the bathwater? For the committed Jew, the answer is obvious. Logic alone is not what we are all about.

On Holocaust Remembrance Day

This was my sermon this past Shabbos. Some thoughts on the Holocaust, its aftermath, and on our responsibilities as the Jewish people to avoid religious extremism...

Shmini: DOING WHAT GOD WANTS

Rabbi Avi Billet

In the early 1950s the Israeli Government decided that the 27^th of Nissan would be designated as Holocaust Remembrance Day. Out of respect for Shabbos, when that date falls on the weekend, as it does this year – tomorrowbeing the day – it is moved either forward to Monday or back to Thursday, so that the preparations for or memorial services will not cross over into Shabbos. This is the law in Israel – respecting Shabbos. The law doesn't mandate observance of Shabbos the way we practice. But it respects Shabbos.

            

No words or thoughts can soften the blow of the toll the Holocaust had on the worldwide Jewish communities, and the impact it still has. The numbers remain unfathomable. The declining overall Jewish birthrate is not replenishing the loss, assimilation is making things even worse, and from a certain perspective, Jewish identity and knowledge is declining overall.

From a different perspective, there are positive developments as well. The Jewish population in Israel has – ironically – reached the 6 million mark, surpassing the Jewish population of the US, which is around 5.5 million. Jews are active and prominent in many respectable fields of influence – politics, science and medicine, Hollywood, world of finance.

These last facts are often fodder for the spewings of anti-Semites who claim the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is not a forgery – they would advocate for thinking people to believe there is an active effort and network of Jews worldwide to take over the world.

Another side of the coin: We have sadly gotten to a point where Jewish comedians make jokes about the Holocaust. I see articles about poor and needy Holocaust survivors who are being neglected in the US and in Israel. And a self-proclaimed denier of the Holocaust, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is given a chance to speak at the United Nations General Assembly.

We live in strange times. 

It is troubling to read or hear people, especially Jewish people, assigning blame for either why the Holocaust happened, or which Jews were responsible for not doing more. We are human – we do not know and will not know why personal or national tragedy befalls member or the entirety of Our People. 

A number of years ago I read a transcribed speech of Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch – in the book Reb Moshe Speaks, in which he blamed the Zionists – the secular living in Israel, who did not want an influx of European Jews in Palestine – for not doing enough to save Jews. I have seen similar accusations hurled at Chassidic Rebbes and Roshei Yeshiva for telling their constituents that this too will pass—stay, there is no reason to run away. [The troubling conflict they faced is analyzed here] The truth is, who knew? Who really could have foreseen what Hitler's Nazi Machine could do? Who really understood the gravity of the Final Solution.

Don't blame Jews for the Holocaust! Blame the Nazis for the Holocaust! And blame an indifferent world for ignoring those who escaped and reported, and for turning a blind eye to what was going on!

In his recent visit to Israel, President Obama was addressed by Rabbi Israel Meir Lau at Yad Vashem. Rabbi Lau told a personal memory of Rabbi Herschel Schacter, father of Rabbi JJ Schacter, who happened to pass away the day before Obama's visit to Yad Vashem, of his role as the chaplain for the US Army who liberated Buchenwald, where young Lulek Lau was liberated as a child at age 8. Then he spoke of a member of the military that he met 68 years after the war, who apologized to him saying, "We were too late!" And Rabbi Lau asked of President Obama not to be too late in standing up for what is right for the safety and well being of the Jewish people in Israel and around the world.

 The Pasuk towards the end of Va'eschanan says - דברים פרק ו - יח) וְעָשִׂיתָ הַיָּשָׁר וְהַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵי יְקֹוָק לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ וּבָאתָ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְקֹוָק לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ: The formula is quite simple. Do what God wants – what is ישר וטוב in His eyes, and good things will happen.

As we learn from Paroh, who was perhaps a messenger of God who chose to take things to the extreme he did, it is the oppressor that is to blame for turning the oppressed into the victims. Blaming Jews for the Holocaust is disgraceful. We blame Nazis and indifferent passive anti-Semites.

However, what we can do is look at the precedent of Tanakh and see that there are many warnings of what will happen to the Jewish people if they choose not to do what God wants. Read the Tokhachas of Bechukosai and Ki Savo, and some things become abundantly clear – as they have been played out for the Jewish people generation after generation – like a script followed expertly by its performers, villains and heroes, persecutors and victims.

Are there guarantees that good will always be the result or that bad will never be the result? No. We do not know the ways of God. But certainly a reasonable formula for good tidings and outcomes, as per the Torah's description, is doing what God wants.

This morning we read of the dedication of the Mishkan on the Yom HaShmini – when all the parts of the animals to be burned were placed on the Mizbeach, all was set, leaving God to bring the anticipated fireworks. And did He deliver! when a fire descended from the heavens and consumed all items fated for burning.

Everyone present knew this was a heavenly fire. The Midrash Agada says when the people saw the fire consuming the Korban parts, נפלו על פניהם ואמרו שירה, על אותה השעה הוא אומר רננו צדיקים בה' לישרים נאוה תהלה (תהלים לג א'.  They knew they were in the presence of God, that nothing could go wrong, because they were doing everything right.

The fire that consumed Nadav and Avihu, on the other hand, was clearly a punishing fire. And why? With the exception of the very minority opinion that says the deaths of Nadav and Avihu were preordained and were necessary for the sanctification of the Mishkan, most everyone tries to nail the coffin, so to speak, on where they went wrong.

[There are many opinions: they were מורה הלכה בפני רבן, they were jealous of  kavod given to Moshe and Aharon, they acted on their own without  consulting with anyone, They drank wine before they did their avodah, they weren’t wearing the proper bigdei kehunah, they didn’t perform רחיצת ידים ורגלים, They didn’t have children, they were not married (may have even tried to woo Agunos, alternatively they caused women to be Agunos, all thinking they might marry the two most eligible bachelors), they were supposed to bring their ketores on the inside mizbeach and they brought it on firepans instead, their deaths were punishment to their father for his role in Chet HaEgel, they may have been acting as non-kohanim, as private citizens, using their kohen-status for access, but not because this was considered a proper avodah, they didn't trust in the possibility of a heavenly fire, as did their father before them (thank you to Rabbi Josh Flug for making me aware of some of these)]

Even the Torah says they brought an אש זרה, a strange fire, that God had not commanded. That God chose to make that or any of the suggested reasons a death sentence is His business, but it is a reflection of the fact that they were not doing what God wanted.

We can not give answers for the Holocaust. But in these days post the Holiday of Redemption we can ask why the Redemption has not come? Perhaps part of the answer was and continues to be – עד ביאת גואל צדק – that as a united Jewish People, there are too many imperfections in our fulfillment of God's will.

What God wants is laid out clearly in the middle of Devarim Chapter 10, and Micha chapter 6 verse 8 – it's the last pasuk in the Haftorah of Parshas Balak. Look them up and know those pesukim well. "God asks of you only that you remain in awe of God your Lord, so that you will follow all His paths and love Him, serving God your Lord with all your heart and with all your soul keeping his commandments and decrees that I am de\scribing to you today." "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly/humbly with your God."

These verse mostly address the responsibilities we have between Man and God. And between Man and Man, which is a reflection of what it means to be a Godly person, we have many of the rules which are spelled out in Parshat Kedoshim, which we will read in a few weeks.

And we need to contrast all these with what God surely does not want:

Neglect of the Torah and mitzvos on the one hand, and neglect of fellow Man on the other. Sinas Chinam continues to plague our people.

I read an article on ynet written by a Masorti rabbi – Israeli Conservative – who wasdescribing a more liberal-leaning Orthodox rabbi of the Tzohar group incomplimentary terms, and he even made some valid points about how Halakha views people, that I struggle with – while he was really bashing Orthodoxy and its adherence to more traditional, rather then liberal, interpretation of Halakha.

On the other side, I read an editorial in a right-wing Orthodox magazine, in which the author spoke of the battle between Orthodoxy and non-Orthodoxy, which he believes will be won by the Orthodox.

Are these what God wants? Bashing, name calling, a battle?

In the aftermath of the latest election in Israel, there is an uproar over the draft of the Chareidim. Some of the arguments I have read against the draft – from the Chareidi side – would be funny if they didn't mean them seriously.

From the UK edition of Hamodia [as quoted here]: "Our Hashkofoh obligates us to demand state support for Torah and chessed mosdos, not out of concern that they won't be able to continue to provide vital services to the weaker sectors, but to provide a merit for the government, which is so in need of Heavenly mercy. Even if the government doesn't appreciate and understand the workings of midoh keneged midoh, its support for such institutions will serve its interests."

One wonders if the writer has taken any notice of the reality of our world.

The theological arguments promoting a learning only culture and a government-entitlement culture, in which men do not work or participate in society are anti-thetical to the Torah.

ששת ימים תעבד! Work! Teach your child a trade! And find time to learn when you've fulfilled your work obligations.

Every Bible hero and every Talmudic master had a trade. Some were wealthy some were dirt poor. But they worked.

And when push literally came to shove, the Biblical heroes bore arms and fought – for themselves, their families and their nation. Was Avraham a military man? Was Yaakov – the Ish Tam Yoshev Ohalim? Was Moshe a fighter? Was Shmuel Hanavi a warrior? No! But they fought when they needed to!

Who were Yehoshua, Otniel ben Knaz, Ehud ben Geirah, Gideon, Yiftach, Shimshon, Shaul, David? Great leaders and warriors, famous for their military accomplishments!

I read another article entitled " Israeli Rabbi Causes Uproar By Post On Facebook Saying He Shaves During Sefira". The article explains that he is a mohel – according to halakha a mohel can get a haircut and shave for a bris during sefirah. But that's beside the point! An UPROAR? Over a Facebook post about a minhag? The mourning of the sefirah period is meant to be a reminder of why Rabbi Akiva's students died – because lo nahagu kavod zeh lazeh. Perhaps Rabbi Akiva was forced to realize that V'ahavta L'reiakha Kamokha is such an important principle of the Torah as a lesson learned from the way his students respected, or didn't respect, one another, and the fact that they died because of their behavior. The mourning feeling reminds us of this. And people getting in a tizzy over one person's interpretation of a minhag misses the point entirely. Mind your own business and mourn over what could have been had Rabbi Akiva's students survived and taught Torah to the world.

Let us reject religious extremism – in the pro religion or in the anti-religion (those whose "religion" it is to mock religion) side. People need to be educated and need to make educated choices. Some choose to make halakha important in their lives. Some choose not to. And some don't know anything about it. And some, to quote Groucho Marx in Horse Feathers, say "whatever it is, I'm against it." 

A halakhic life is not yet in the cards for everyone. But respecting those who choose it, or who choose not to have it, must be in the cards for everyone.

            

The first section of our parsha demonstrated the way to do God's will, in which people fell on their faces in praise of God. The second section, Nadav and Avihu's tale, and its aftermath, demonstrates an admittedly extreme measure of what can happen when people go against what God has said. Certainly the Holocaust was an extreme measure. And 2000 years of exile is also an extreme measure. But the ways of God are often hidden from us.

            

We must strive, as much and as best as we are able, to do what God wants. It is our job to be tolerant of others, to share our knowledge when possible, and to be good examples. But we can not let extremism take over who we are! Of course people must stand for something! But if what they stand for is harmful to a society, or makes life unbearable for others who live in that society – either because they make demands or don't contribute to any cause from which they benefit – this is wrong.

No ethical religion mandates such a policy, and it should be shunned and rejected. Living in a society means contributing to it, noticeably, tangibly, and in a manner that indicates clearly that I believe in this, because this is where my life is. It means being tolerant of others, letting people live their lives, and being a model citizen. Respecting the law of the land – advocating for change through the proper channels when necessary – but abiding by the law while it is the law. [Footnote – see Women of the Wall. - who are welcome to pray at the Wall, but are just asked to follow the law]

The Law in Israel, for example, respects Shabbos on Holocaust, Memorial and Independence Days.

For a Jew being the model Jew ideally means following those texts in Devarim and Micha to round out one's religious experience vis a vis God. And with regard to one's fellow man it means respecting the other person, showing compassion, empathy, being a good listener and doing God's work - looking out for others honestly, with dignity, doing our part to help bring about the Final Redemption.

The Unified Commitment

Parshat Yitro

by Rabbi Avi Billet

It is quite uncommon for the entirety of the Jewish people to agree about something. I would venture to bet that all of the Jews agree to the historical and national significance of the Land of Israel, but not all Jews agree as to the validity of the State of Israel (this disagreement is a shame).

All Jews agree that Hebrew is a Jewish language. But not all agree that it's "the" Jewish language. (ditto)

Moshe tells God's words to the people, "And the entire nation responded, united, and they said, 'All that God has spoken we will do!' And Moshe returned the words of the people to God." (19:8)

The Midrash (Pesikta) notes that "they did not answer thus in adulation or with flattery, one answering for the other. Rather they answered united with one heart. Even though we have not heard all of the things (all that He has commanded us – Midrash Sechel Tov adds) – we will do them."

A very rare unified voice!

Were they really unified?

The Alshich explains that there are two schools of thought in understanding their collective declaration. Either they believed Moshe's words because God had spoken them – everything that you have said in God's name we will do. Or, all that God has surely ('vadai') said we will do – as long as we know it's from Him, to the exclusion of what you have said of your own accord. In other words – we want to hear it specifically from Him.

The Alshich notes that Moshe understood them to mean the first interpretation (unified with Moshe), while God understood they had in mind the second interpretation (unified in not wanting to hear from Moshe). God's response, therefore, was "to come down in a cloud" (19:9), because they don't believe you, Moshe, and I want them to believe you. My coming in the cloud is so they can hear Me speaking to you.

The whole premise of these "possibilities" is disturbing, particularly in light of the verse right before the Az Yashir song, "And they believed in God and in Moshe his servant." (14:31)

Perhaps it goes back to the question made famous by the Marx Brothers, "Who are you going to believe? Me, or your own eyes?" They believed in Moshe at the Sea. But they still didn't believe him at Sinai. Until, apparently, the cloud came down on the mountain.

Rabbenu Bachaye notes the Talmudic tale of God lifting the mountain over them (Shabbos 88a) explaining that the pressure was to accept the Oral Law. But the Written Law was accepted willingly, with a great desire, with joy and gladdened hearts.

It is known, however that despite all these acceptances and promises, it is literally impossible for any person to fulfill all of the mitzvot of the Torah. Some are only for men, some for women, some for Kohanim, some for Leviim, some only for Yisraelim. [To bring one simple example: Many people never get divorced and thus never write a get.] The Meshech Hokhmah notes that the acceptance here is to do the mitzvot which are relevant to each individual's circumstance. Otherwise, the acceptance is to learn about and understand the details of the commandments one can not fulfill.

What is included in "all that God has spoken?" Is it everything that was said until that point? Was it a commitment to what will soon be spoken, exchanged between Moshe and God, and subsequently heard by the people? Did it include all that would be recorded in the Tanakh (24 books of the Bible)?

According to the Talmud (Berakhot 5a), all of the ideas recorded in the Bible were given over at Sinai to be recorded in written form later on. This idea is elaborated upon in the Machzor Vitri (Chapter 424).

One of the important teachings of the Torah is "not to desecrate My name" (Vayikra 22:32). One of the important teachings recorded in the Prophets is, "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly/humbly with your God" (Micha 6:8)

With the "yeshiva break" behind us, as life returns to its normal routine, it is incumbent upon us to ask ourselves if in our travels we demonstrated our commitment to "Do all that God said," "not to desecrate God's name," and "to walk humbly with our God."

When away from home, some people tend to let the "doing all God said" part of our lives slide a bit, some tend to be loud and obtrusive, to call attention to themselves, or forget that when not in one's usual environment, one does not blend in and go unnoticed. On the contrary, we are more scrutinized than in our home environments because we are clearly visitors. (Your choice to believe me or your own eyes!)

If we are truly committed to doing all God said, we must take a very careful "cheshbon hanefesh" (reflection) and resolve to be models of "Kiddush Hashem" behavior, wherever future journeys may take us.

Following the thought of the Meshech Hokhmah, these are commitments we can all relate to, as they are incumbent upon all of us. Hopefully, united, we can all agree on this one!

Keep Your Word, Keep the Torah!

Parshat Ki Tetze

by Rabbi Avi Billet

When one breaks down Devarim 23:24, properly, according to its cantillation marks, a proper translation could be "What has come out of your lips you must keep and carry out (or "do"); as you have vowed to Hashem your God a gift, that you have spoken with your mouth."

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan translated the same verse as follows: "But when you have spoken, be careful of your word and keep the pledge that you have vowed to God your Lord." And Artscroll: "You shall observe and carry out what emerges from your lips, just as you vowed a voluntary gift to Hashem, your God, whatever you spoke with your mouth."

I like Rabbi Kaplan's "translation" mostly because it is not a translation. It is clearly an "interpretation" which aims to make the confusing language of the verse easily understood. Having said that, Rabbi Kaplan ignores the fact that following the rules of "munach etnachta" (the connecting cantillation mark that sometimes - and in this case - leads to the main break in the middle of the verse), the words "you must keep and carry out" (or "be careful and keep") must go together.

This is why when the Machsom L'fi people (an organization committed to fighting the evils of Lashon Hara and gossip) take this verse to indicate a need to guard your lips from evil speech (a nice sentiment, indeed), they are taking the verse completely out of context, and are not even presenting it properly. The intent of the verse is for a person to be careful to keep promises. It is not a referendum against lashon hara. [There are other such referendums, of course, but this is not one of them.]

A grammarian can literally have a field-day with this verse. Does one have to keep a vow that has already been made? A vow that you will have made? Or a vow that will be made in the future? What is the proper tense of the sentence? What is the intent behind the vow of which the verse speaks?

Many focus on the word "nedava," as in a voluntary gift, to suggest the verse is referring to animal sacrifices, or other Temple-worthy gifts (Rosh Hashana 6a). The Midrash and Talmud go so far to include gifts that one has merely thought of giving in one's heart – the word "nedava" is so often attached to a "n'div lev" that even just a feeling of dedication could be sufficient to make one obligated to follow through (Shavuot 26b). This is not the literal meaning of the verse, of course, but which institution will turn down gifts people pledge in their hearts?

In a sense, the message is to be careful of what you say – not so much because it might be evil, but because it may end up costing you a lot of money. And if you pledge or make a financial commitment to the Temple – your word is literally your bond. This is the general approach of Ibn Ezra and Rabbenu Bachaye. Chizkuni looks at the literal words attaching a traditional warning to the term "tishmor" (to guard) as if to say "Be careful and watch over what you have said you will not do" while the "V'asita" (and you should do) is a positive assertion to "do what you said you will do – as long as it is for God's sake."

Rabbenu Bachaye interprets the verse on three different levels: Pshat (the simple meaning), Midrashic, followed by a Kabbalistic interpretation, the latter of which will now be presented: What comes out of your mouth parallels what comes from God's mouth – just as God does not need to swear He will do something He says He'll do, every person should fulfill everything that comes out of his mouth, even if "he did not promise."

This verse is an allusion to the covenant of the mouth, which refers to the power of speech that only humans possess. The mouth is the seventh of the openings of the face – two ears, two eyes, two nostrils and the mouth. God chose the #7 – He built 7 skies and chose the 7^th (for his domicile); he made 7 days and chose the 7^th for His special day; and He chose the mouth to be the greatest as it sings His praises (a warning not to misuse the mouth comes in Vayikra 22:32)

When Israel violated or went back on their word, Moshe said to them "Why have you gone against God's Word?" (Bamidbar 14:41) This is why it says, "Guard what comes out of your mouth," as if to say "You must fulfill what comes out of your mouth." 

Rabbenu Bachaye concludes his kabbalistic interpretation referring to the promise the people made in donating to the Mishkan. But he also mentions that the people heard the Ten Commandments.

While he does not extend his thought further, I think he gives us enough of a hint of the identity of the promise referred to in the verse, that "was made" – as in, in the past tense.

When the people stood at Sinai and collectively cried out "We will do and we will listen," they were essentially declaring a binding allegiance to God and His Torah for themselves and their posterity.

The instruction to "Guard and Do what comes out of your mouth" is a reminder of a commitment to the Torah, as it was originally intended in the manner transmitted and eventually recorded in the Talmud by the scholars and teachers of Israel. The "gift" vowed to God, perhaps even "voluntarily" is our unchanging dedication to Him. It may have begun as volunteering, but, as Rabbenu Bechaye says, your word is your bond, even if you never said, "I promise."

As we inch closer to Rosh Hashana, let us pray that the collective Jewish people will remember the declaration of our ancestors and strive to keep our ancestors word as we rededicate ourselves once again to keeping the our promise to keep the Torah.

Irrelevance is Relative

Parshat Emor

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Last week I was privileged to teach a class about Mikveh to a group of non-Orthodox Jews. The first ten minutes of the class focused on the concepts of "tumah" and "taharah" and how every single-word or two-word "translation" of each of these words does not do justice to the discussion. Neither people or animals are "unclean," or "contaminated," or "impure."  They can be "tameh" or be in a status of "tumah" (or be "tahor" or in a status of "taharah"). This does not reflect a hygiene issue even in the slightest.

In discussing the concept of "tumah" – which I define as a "spiritual status which bars something or someone from participating in a holy act" – the question was raised as to how much tumah plays a role in our lives today. Without the Temple in Jerusalem, which contained the system and formula for getting rid of tumah – as well as the major source for the need to do such - much of the tumah discussions are irrelevant today.

We do remove tumah with water when we ritually wash our hands and when we go to the mikveh. However, without the Red Heifer (Bamidbar 19), everyone of us is "tameh" in some manner.

            

This leads us to our parsha, which opens with a tumah warning that is still largely practiced today, even in the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem. Kohanim are not to become tameh through contact with (or certain proximity to) dead bodies, with the exception of a close relative, as per the Torah's allowance.

            

When I was a senior in high school, Rav Dovid Lifshitz zt"l's wife passed away, and her funeral was actually held in the yeshiva's beis medrash. A couple of the rebbeim, who were Kohanim, took all the Kohen students to a different building and had the morning classes with them until the funeral was over. I recall going to the teachers' lounge during lunch and seeing one of the non-observant Jewish teachers who had a Priestly last name. I asked him a couple of questions about something we had been learning, and then he lowered his voice to a serious tone and asked me, "Is the funeral still going on?" I told him it was. He said, "I probably shouldn't be in the building. Right?"

            

The Midrash Rabba 26:6 quotes the verse in Tehillim 19:10 that says "Fear of God is pure, enduring forever." Rabbi Levi taught, "From the fear that Aharon reserved for God, he merited that this section in the Torah was given to him and his descendants until the end of time – and never becomes irrelevant. This refers to the section about how to deal with a dead body, as it says 'God said to Moshe to tell the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon…'"

            

A few paragraphs earlier (26:3) the Midrash recounted the fact that in the times of King David, little children knew how to understand and explain all the facets of the laws of tumah and taharah. I would equate this notion (on a limited scale) to some of the laws of kosher with which our children these days are largely familiar.

            

My two year old can distinguish between a dairy and meat dish. He understands that when I say a treat in the supermarket he has his eye on is "not kosher," there is nothing to discuss because we don't eat that.

            

When you are living and breathing a reality, kids soak it up from the moment they have any conscious notion of understanding.

            

Over the last couple of months, I have read a number of articles (see here and here) as well as a book review, that address the never overstated concern over "what we're doing to keep our kids interested in remaining observant Jews." It is easy to create form-fitting robots who go through the motions of washing and bentching and davening in shul, but are we reaching the neshama (soul)? Is there depth to the commitment? Will an unanswerable question prop itself up one day and shatter everything?

            

Do we even know what our goals ought to be in this matter of a lifestyle we call "observance?" How do we reconcile the fact that over half of the counted commandments in the Torah do, in fact, have no relevance to our lives in the Temple's absence?

            

This is why I think classes like the mikveh class, which revisit an old topic for some, but a new one for others, is such a healthy task to undertake:

We need to look at everything with a fresh eye. We need to question the role of tumah and taharah in our lives, and we need to understand why we still run from eating animals that are in the tameh category.

            

We need to recognize that the more we expose children to the truths of our Jewish lives from a younger age, the more aptly they will pick it up and "get it." And they will hopefully understand that a single bad experience or a specific unscrupulous individual need not be the cause for rejecting all of the Torah.  

            

And finally, we must treasure the kohanim, the last ones to carry the remnant of this ritual on a daily basis. A true testament to their "fear of God" is how much kohanim who bless the people take pride in their role and take extra care not to put themselves in a position that may compromise their ability to fulfill their mitzvah of blessing the people.

            

May we all merit to have a commitment and dedication to our Judaism as the kohanim (for the most part) have to their role in the Jewish community – a role that has somehow survived (in modified form) through two Temple destructions and thousands of years of exile.