The Evilness of Machlokes That Is Not For the Sake of Heaven

Parshat Korach

by Rabbi Avi Billet

In Pirkei Avos 5:17 (or 19 or 20 – different volumes have different breakdowns) we are introduced to the merits of a Machlokes (dispute) that is for the sake of heaven versus a Machlokes which is not for the sake of heaven. A dispute over understanding of Torah, such as between Hillel and Shammai, is viewed as a dispute which endures, for it has merit. Its purpose is a higher calling – getting to the truth (see Meiri). The other kind of dispute which is considered meritless is the “Machlokes of Korach and his congregation.” 

 Many note that the dispute should be presented as one between Korach and Moshe! After all, against whom did Korach address his complaints and direct his confrontation? 

The simple answer is that the real dispute was among the people who seemed to be united, but who weren’t really united. What kept them together as a group was a seeming common cause, and an argument of “all the nation is holy,” which carries the Orwellian implication that “some are more holy than others” if you’d just give the holy position to the “correct” “some” so we would know where we all stand. 

Real Teshuvah = Moving With the Torah

Parshat Shlach

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Last week we read the “famous” verse of ויהי בנסע הארון, which essentially describes the ideal form of travel for Israel in the wilderness, with the Ark leading the way accompanied by Moshe saying “Arise God and may Your enemies run from before You.” 

The idea of the Ark leading the people should have forewarned those who tried to take initiative, too little and too late, that their quest to conquer the land would fail especially after they had been told they’d be unsuccessful (14:41-42). The verse actually states (14:44) - וַיַּעְפִּ֕לוּ לַעֲל֖וֹת אֶל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַאֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־יְקֹוָק֙ וּמֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־מָ֖שׁוּ מִקֶּ֥רֶב הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה: They tried to go up the mountain, but the Ark and Moshe did not move from the Israelite encampment. 

If the Ark does not move, there is nowhere to go! How did they miss this? 

Some Thoughts On Humility

 This was written to honor a member of our synagogue who passed away this week, but did not want any eulogies recited, nor any kind of public mourning to be done in the wake of his absence. I did not mention his name out of respect for his wishes. 

Parshat B'haalotkha

by Rabbi Avi Billet

One of the more famous statements in the Torah concerns Moshe Rabbenu, and it appears in our parsha in the context of the comments made by Miriam about her youngest brother, in talking, most surely in a concerned manner, with her brother Aharon about their brother Moshe. Without getting into the details, or trying to understand the cryptic nature of her comments, the Torah’s immediate response to what she says is וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה עָנָ֣יו מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה – the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, of all the people on the face of the earth. 

 In truth, we have seen this to be true not moments earlier in the reading when Yehoshua, in defense of his master, tried to instruct Moshe to imprison or worse to Eldad and Meidad who were prophesying in the camp. Moshe’s response was not only that he felt no slight to his own honor in their prophesying, but he wished more people would prophesy as well. If only that were a more widespread phenomenon among the people of Israel. 

What Effected Travel? Let us Count the Things…

Parshat B'haaloskha 

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

The last 9 verses of Chapter 9 give a number of permutations for how the cloud that would hover above the Mishkan would be the instigator for travel beginning, and when they would pause and set up camp. It gives examples of how they might stay in a location a very short time, such as a day or two, or even a month (this instruction is given before the people were doomed to be in the wilderness 40 years – and we know from other sources (Rashi Devarim 1:46) that they stayed in Kadesh for 19 years(!), a very lengthy period of time!). 

 The chapter concludes, telling us that since the cloud was the indicator, “On God’s word they camped, and on God’s word they traveled.” 

This makes what is presented in the following chapter very odd. Chapter 10 begins with instruction to Moshe to make for himself personal silver trumpets to be used “for calling the nation, and for indicating time to travel.” The first use is completely understood. It’s an ancient bullhorn, siren, megaphone, speaker-system… call it what you will, but the point is that the sign is a gathering call. 

But to cause travel? What were those final verses in Chapter 9 all about? The cloud is quite visible, thank you very much. If travel is based on God’s word, and God’s word alone, why would Moshe possibly have a need, or even a right, to use the silver trumpets as a call to gather items because it is a time to travel? 

Inspiration Comes From Your Focus – Not From Where You Stand

Parshat Bamidbar 

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Now that the time has come to move from Sinai off into the wilderness, with the Promised Land as a soon-to-be-reached destination, Chapter 2 of Bamidbar focuses on how the Israelites were to encamp and travel, with Mishkan at the center, the families of Levi, the families of Aharon and Moshe directly on the four sides of the Mishkan, and three tribes in each of the 4 directions surrounding the Mishkan as well. 

How were these divisions created – why this tribe with these two? Which group is in the north v the south, etc? 

Perhaps for varying reasons, there are different ways the Midrash presents possible frameworks for how the Israeltites were placed in the encampments and travels surrounding the Mishkan. 

 One version appears in Midrash Rabba 2:3, and records that when God appeared on Sinai, 220,000 angels descended with Him and encamped around the mountain divided by flags. When the Israelites saw this (a miracle they merited to see), they wanted to eventually travel and encamp in the same manner of the angels. God then promised it would happen, and He later instructed Moshe to set them up thus. 

This approach champions a very holy level of setup, unencumbered by any kind of debate – it is a simple mimicking of divine creatures, making the assignment and its follow through easy to understand without much fanfare, discussion, or drama. 

 However, the next two Midrashim follow a different approach, noting a connection to forefather Yaakov, and practical considerations as well. 

 A Midrash recorded in the Otzar Midrashim puts the setup in Yaakov’s mouth shortly before his death. 

 Here is a loose translation of that Midrashic narrative: 

“God, with wisdom, founded the world” (Mishlei 3:19) – He created his world with four directions, east west, north, and south. From the East, light comes to the world. From the West are the storage-places of snow and hail, and from there emerges cold and hot for the world. From the North emerges darkness for the world. From the South comes rain and dew as a blessing. 

 "Just as He created four directions, so He crated four creatures around His throne, with His throne being above all of them. 

 “And so did Yaakov set his sons, in order, at the time he was instructing them to about the four future flags of wilderness [travel]. “Per this order you should carry my coffin…” and he told them that to the East would be Levi, Yehuda, Yissachar and Zevulun; to the South would be Reuven, Shimon, and Gad; to the North would be Dan, Naftali, and Asher; to the West would be Binyamin, Ephraim, and Menashe.” 

 This arrangement assumes Levi the son of Yaakov accompanied his father, while Yosef, son of Yaakov, was elsewhere, perhaps in front of everyone, but not directly around the coffin with his brothers, because his sons were in their positions alongside their Uncle Binyamin. 

“This order was used for the four flagged encampments in the wilderness. 

 “East, from which light emanates to the world: Levi – the light of the Temple, Yehuda – the king of Israel, Yissachar – who [best] know the Torah which is referred to as אור (light), as the verse says “And the children of Yissachar are the best to understand wisdom” (Divrei Hayamim I 12:33)” 

This does not explain the presence of Zevulun, nor how Levi was encamped later on in the wilderness. This will be addressed by the next Midrashic tale – from Tanchuma – presented below.

“South, from which blessed rain emanates: Reuven – who was a Baal Teshuvah (someone who had repented), because on account of the penitent God effectuates blessings to Israel, Gad – who is a master of strength, as blessed rain comes with strength, Shimon – is between them to bring atonement. 

West, the storage-places of snow, cold, heat: Opposite that is Binyamin, Ephraim and Menashe. The Divine Presence is always in the west, as the verse says “The Lord's beloved one shall dwell securely beside Him; He protects him all day long, and He dwells between his shoulders.” (Devarim 33:12) 

North, from which darkness emanates to the world: Dan – whose children brought darkness through bringing idolatry (Shoftim 18), with him are Naftali, and Asher – who bring light into the darkness as the verse says “He will be pleasing to his brothers, and immerse his foot in oil.” (Devarim 33:24)” 

Beyond the absence of Yosef, and a lack of explanation for some of the later realities of the encampments, the above passage leaves much mystery, while it presents depth connected to larger workings of the world influencing the placement of the tribes – the sons of Yaakov specifically, and later their descendants. 

There is another version of this Midrash which presents how Yaakov came to this positioning of the tribes. The verse tells us (Bamidbar 2:2): אִ֣ישׁ עַל־דִּגְל֤וֹ בְאֹתֹת֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֔ם יַחֲנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִנֶּ֕גֶד סָבִ֥יב לְאֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד יַחֲנֽוּ - The children of Israel shall encamp each man by his flag with the signs of their fathers' house; some distance from the Tent of Meeting they shall encamp. 

 The Midrash Tanchuma presents a question. Why does the verse mention “the signs” – wouldn’t the flag be sufficient? [The Midrash doesn’t state it directly, but it would seem that the narrative which follows references an old “sign” going back to what Yaakov instructed.] 

The Midrash goes on to explain that when Yaakov was about to die, he told his sons that they, and only they (not any Egyptians, or even his own grandchildren who were children of Canaanite women), were to carry his coffin. The translation which follows is from sefaria.org 

“How did he charge them? He said to them, “Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun shall carry my bier on the East; Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, on the South; Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, on the West; Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, on the North. Joseph is not to carry [at all], because he is a king; and you must impart honor to him. Nor is Levi to carry. Why? Because he will carry the ark (aron), and whoever carries the ark of the One who lives forever is not to carry a coffin (aron) of the dead. If you do this and carry my bier, just as I have charged you, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to have you encamp by the various standards.” 

 “When Israel went forth from Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Now is the time for them to make standards, just as their father had proclaimed to them that they were going to make standards.” Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Make those standards for my name.” Immediately Moses began to be concerned. He said, “There is going to be dissension among the tribes. If I tell the tribe of Judah to encamp in the East, they will say, ‘It is impossible for us to encamp anywhere but in the South.’ And so each and every tribe [would act] like that one.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “What concern is that to you? They do not need you in this matter. They will recognize their dwellings by themselves. Why? Because their father's will was in their hand on how to encamp by the standards. I am not establishing something new. They already have their father's arrangements in their hands. Just as they have taken positions around his bier, so let them take positions around the tabernacle.” Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Numb. 2:2), “Each with his standard, under the banners [for their fathers' house].” 

 The Midrash then notes the blessing of having good neighbors. Because the eastern camp of Yehuda, Yissachar and Zevulun were closest to Moshe, Aharon and their families, they all became great in Torah. [Yehuda’s success is based on Bereshis 49:10, Yissachar’s - Divrei Hayamim I 12:33, and Zevulun’s - Shoftim 5:14 – a reference to the Zebulunites being scribes] 

Then the Midrash notes the curse of having bad neighbors, since in the South, Reuven, Shimon, and Gad were closest to Kehat and, most notoriously, the family of Korach. 

Rounding out the encampment - on the West were the Children of Gershon (son of Levi) with Ephraim, Menashe, and Binyamin being adjacent to them. And on the North were the Children of Merari (son of Levi), with Dan, Naftali, and Asher being adjacent to them. 

 In his Peninim Al HaTorah (vol 20), Rabbi Scheinbaum suggests there was no debate about the placement because debate only comes when a decision is made that benefits the decider. If there is no ulterior motive, except a fair and impartial judgment, it is easy for everyone to accept. Since Yaakov was not going to be alive when his children were to escort him to his final resting place, he had nothing to gain from their assigned locations, they accepted it – and their descendants were happy to follow it into their own times. 

 We could add to this that simply being around the Mishkan is enough of a blessing. Not everyone can be front and center! But we can make the best of our lot, embracing the opportunities we have as being part of the encampment of Israel. When we turn to the Mishkan and the Torah as our inspiration, and make every effort possible to include ourselves in our shared destiny, we earn the stripes of being part of the people of Israel. This is enhanced by surrounding ourselves with good neighbors. 

 As we come to the holiday of Shavuos this week, let us celebrate our connection to Torah on whatever level we are. But let us also take the inspiration from those who are more advanced than we are to remind ourselves that we can always be growing. Whether we sit (proverbially) in the back of the room, somewhere in the middle, or even in the front, our focus should be towards our center, our core, which is the Mishkan, the house of the Torah, and the service of God. When we remember the source of our inspiration, and put aside where we are at personally, we can bask in His goodness and remember that our lives are enriched by how much we challenge ourselves to grow in Torah and in our relationship with God.

Not Being Lost Forever

Parshat Bechukotai 

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

One of the main features of Parshas Bechukosai is the segment that spans most of chapter 26, known as the Tokhacha, the Great Rebuke. Commentaries note that it is divided into 5 segments reflecting degrees of further admonition, repercussion, and punishment for poor choices, poor behaviors, and a general disregard for the observance of the law. 

 After all that is presented, a verse which stands out is v. 38 - וַאֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם וְאָכְלָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶ֖רֶץ אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם – you will be lost amongst the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you. 

 This concept, frightening as it sounds, is subject to much scrutiny in those who aim to understand and explain what is being predicted here. 

 Midrash Aggadah says that the idea of being lost simply means “you’ll be in exile.” Targum Yonatan and Onkelos suggest “you’ll be lost among the nations, and you’ll be finished when the enemies defeat them.” Perhaps he is suggesting that there will be no Divine protection when you find yourselves outside of the Land – the fate of your host nations will be your fate. 

Rashi speaks of being separated from one another, from your fellow Jews, when you are in those nations, and that your “being consumed” refers to those who end up dying in those foreign lands. Ibn Ezra looks at the idea of dying in those foreign lands as having been caused by the change in atmosphere and water – different air, different ph-balanced water, etc – which would cause turmoil in your bodies. (Chizkuni and Netziv also go in this direction) 

The supercommentaries on Rashi (Gur Aryeh, Sifsei Chachamim, Eliyahu Mizrachi) all question the notion that Jews in exile will be so separated from one another, particularly because the Torah does say a few verses later, that a. God will remember the Covenants forged with the forefathers (v. 42), and b. despite everything, God will not destroy and will remember, for example, His role in taking Israel out of Egypt – a memory that speaks volumes of our connection to Him forever. 

 More contemporary commentators (though from the 19th century), Netziv and R Samson Raphael Hirsch, look at this concern from a vantage point many of us would likely view as obvious, a question of assimilation. 

 Indeed that is how R Hirsch puts it, “What is spoken of here is a complete disappearance of a portion of our people.” 

 There is a famous story told of a Hassidic Rebbe (likely the Klausenberger Rebbe) who emerged from the Holocaust, who stopped the reader who was following the custom to read the Tokhacha in a whisper. “The Tokhacha has already come true. We don’t need to read it in a manner that could look like Ayin Hora any more.” 

And yet, the reality of assimilation has easily done more damage to our numbers since the Holocaust than it may have done in the centuries preceding the 19th century. 

While there was much assimilation in Europe following the Enlightenment and the Haskalah, and even into the founding of new streams/movements within Judaism, the idea of being unaffiliated or “marrying out” was far less a feature of Jewish life before the 1900s. 

 Some of the fealty to Jews marrying Jews exclusively may have been thanks to racial-like laws that did not allow Jews to marry non-Jews in many lands. And while the degree of observance of people on the fringes may not be calculable, at least when Jew marries Jew, the next generation remains Jewish and is not as easily “lost.” 

While halakha clearly defines a Jew as having been born to a Jewish mother, having a parent who is not Jewish most often leads the offspring down a path of becoming lost to our people. A halakhic definition may paint any number of people in the world as being Jewish, but how they live their lives, who they marry, how they raise their children, all contribute to how quickly they become lost to the Jewish people. 

We have all heard incredible stories of people searching, who rediscover their roots through a journey that brought them to the Promised Land or to their local Bet Din. There are beautiful stories of “coincidental” events and connections that brought people “home” to our People. 

And there are many more stories that haven’t been told and that won’t be told of people who generation after generation became further removed, so much so that even mentioning “I had a Jewish great grandmother” becomes an afterthought, if not a forgotten feature of one’s history altogether. 

 We are not going to all become “Kiruv professionals” in bringing closer all those who seem lost to our people. So where does this leave us? 

I believe there are a few points that can be helpful for us to consider as we look forward. 

1. Believe fully what the Hassidic Rebbe said, that the Tokhacha is behind us. 

2. Understand that nevertheless, we are suffering its aftereffects, and that those aftereffects may continue, due to free choice, the realities of our society and communities, the separation that phones, technology and social media have created in that people communicate more online than in person 

3. We can be grateful that we are not part of the statistics R Hirsch noted of people who disappear completely and are lost to our people 

4. We can champion the cause of the Jewish people through our own enhanced dedication, our continued Torah learning, our maximal Mitzvah observance, and our living storied lives that model what it means to be Torah observant 

5. When opportunities to engage with Jews who are affiliated but not observant arise, we should rise to the occasion. 

6. When opportunities to engage with unaffiliated Jews arise, we should rise to the occasion. 

7. Particularly now, when what’s going on in Israel is bringing Jews out of the woodwork to demonstrate their Jewish pride and their identification with the plight of our people in Israel and around the world, the time is ripe for further engagement 

Whether the words of the Tokhacha reflect a past that has happened, whether it reflects different time periods of exile, persecution, being lost to our People, the reality is that the question raised by the supercommentaries on Rashi is a legitimate one. Despite it all, we are still here. In many places we are thriving. Torah is alive. The Jewish people are making our mark in the world. And we have not been completely lost and assimilated, even in host nations that are not as benevolent and free as the United States. 

 May we be blessed to see our collective efforts through to turning the tide of the aftereffects of Tokhacha so that we, and all of Israel, could merit to experience the blessings laid out at the beginning of Bechukosai, with a return of all of our people to the Holy Land, with a Final Redemption worthy of the greatest of blessings.

The Essence of Shmittah

Parshat Behar

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

Most of Parshat Behar discusses laws and rules surrounding Shmittah and Yovel, the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, during which, among other things, the entire land of Israel was to remain untilled. 

 Kli Yakar notes the different explanations raised by varying commentators.

 Many: the reason is for the land to regain its strength (this is the view of Rambam)

 Others disagree: were that the case, then the repercussion for not observing Shmittah would be that the land would not produce food. But the punishment outlined for not observing Shmittah is exile! He also notes that this would indicate the Shmittah should be called שבת לארץ, while it is referred to in the second verse of the parsha as a 'שבת לה. (The Slonimer Rebbe addresses this noting that Shmittah is referred to as שבת שבתון... לארץ.) Furthermore, what benefit is there for the land if the people are exiled and the gentiles who settle there will work the land endlessly and it surely won’t rest at all! 

Akedah: The purpose of this mitzvah is to remember the renewal of the earth, and to remember the days of yore. The problem with this is that Shabbos, which comes once a week, is supposed to remind us of the renewal of the earth. If Shabbos is unsuccessful in doing so, how could Shmittah, which comes far more infrequently, possibly be successful in conveying a reminder of the renewal of the world? 

Therefore, Kli Yakar feels, the purpose of Shmittah is to implant in Israelites the quality of Emunah (faith) and Bitachon (trust) in the Almighty. God was concerned that when the nation of Israel would enter the land they’d work it as per how people live, and one thing would lead to another, and they’d forget that God runs the world and provides the produce and they’d think it grows from the might of their hands and labors. 

He goes on to say that the custom of farmers throughout the world is that over a 6 year period, they rotate their fields’ usage, planting two years, then having a field rest while utilizing a different part of the land (I recently heard a podcast about people who are trying to regenerate the soil around the world, using methods that aim to reverse damage done by certain types of industrial farming – see kisstheground.com, and the documentary “Common Ground”). [The non-Shmittah approach rotates fields, but is always planting. The Shmittah approach has the entire country laying fallow, all while being unable to plant ANYWHERE within the land for an entire year!] 

God’s promise is that the 6th year will be so productive, it will yield food for 3 years – the 6th, 7th (when nothing is planted), and the 8th (when the land is only starting to produce per new planting after an entire year of not working the land at all). 

The notion of the field producing for three years is indeed the workings of miracles, certainly after working it SIX years, the field then producing three-years-worth of food is even moreso. However, there is an inference, based on the letter ה in the word התבואה, that the amount of food that would be produced in year 6 would be enough for one year, but the amount that people would need to eat in order to be satiated would be much less than usual. Thus the food would last for 3 years. THIS is an even greater miracle - וזה ודאי נס נגלה וגדול מכולם. 

 These miracles will lead the nation to see that “the land is Mine” (כי לי כל הארץ), which would cause people to lift their eyes to God. A similar pattern followed with the manna, when the people turned heavenward to demonstrate their appreciation for the source of their food. The reliance on miracles for our sustenance is the purpose of Shmittah, based in a premise of having faith and trust that God will provide as He promised, conditioned on our keeping our end of the deal of keeping the land unworked during Shmittah. 

 This is why the punishment for ignoring Shmittah is exile. Those who don’t trust in God in order to live in the land on His benevolence do not deserve to live in the land, is essentially what the Torah is telling us. 

 Gentiles will not have such a fallback because their existence in the Land is based on seeing things through the lens of the natural world and science. Our existence in the land is based in miracles. 

 Through the continuing of his commentary on the Parsha, Kli Yakar demonstrates how the verses and phrases support this meta-analysis of the concept of Shmittah. 

 While there is a big push to observe Shmittah these days in the land, and there are other methods utilized for the land to not completely lay fallow for a year (Heter Mechirah, etc), that is in the Land of Israel. 

 Perhaps it goes without saying, but huge admiration is due to those who live in the Land of Israel, who are quite literally on the front lines of the story of the Jewish people, and who most clearly live in the Land on account of a deep faith and trust in the Almighty. 

This does not call anyone else’s faith and trust in the Almighty into question, as every person has reasons for being where we are, and every person has one’s own relationship with God that is based on many factors, including a variety of which are nobody else’s business. 

 However, the notion that we live our lives in a manner that is wholly devoted to God, or that our very existence relies upon our faith in God is something we ought to consider and reconsider. 

How much do we look at our homes, cars, assets, etc. and thank God for what we have? 

How much do we look at our families and thank God for what we have? 

How much do we look at our friends and neighbors, thanking God for what we have? 

How much do we look at our kehillah expressing gratitude to the Almighty for being part of a network of kind people? 

If Shmittah and Yovel are meant to remind us of our connection to God and reliance upon Him for His good graces while me make our own sacrifices to fulfill His will and live according to His precepts, then we need to translate that notion to wherever we live, however we live, and into whatever sacrifices we are willing to make to abide by the laws of His Torah, which give us the direction for living lives of holiness. 

 If life seems easy, we are truly blessed. From a different perspective, perhaps we are not sacrificing enough to demonstrate our love for the Almighty and our appreciation for the role He plays in our lives every single day.