PARSHAS MATTOS-MASEI | 26 TAMMUZ 5769 | 18 JULY 2009

Yitav Lev suggests a possible reason for this by quoting a thought-inspiring story found in the famous work on character perfection, Chovos HaLevovos [Duties of the Heart].

A righteous man once witnessed a soldier returning home from the battlefield. It was clear from the look on the soldier’s face that he and his companions had been very successful on the battlefield. His swagger, his oversized smile, the medals adorning ever inch of his uniform, the way he called out to others—they all bore testament to the victory in which he had just played a role. The righteous man greeted him warmly and welcomed him back home. The soldier, flushed with excitement, eagerly shared with him some of his battlefield exploits and finished by saying, “Boy, am I tired of all this fighting. I could use nothing less than a long rest!”

“My dear friend,” said the righteous man, “I know how you feel and I do understand you, but I believe you may be mistaken. Although you believe that the big battles have already been fought over on the battlefield and that you’re coming home to rest, this is not the case. In truth, the battles you just concluded may be minor battles compared to the one you have waiting for you here. This battle will be

one in which you’ll be engaged for many years.”

The soldier looked at him with a shocked expression. How could it be, he wondered? He had been led to believe that the war had not reached his hometown. He thought he was headed home for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Why was this person telling him that the battle was even more severe back home?

“Let me explain,” the righteous man said gently, “I’m not referring to an actual battle with guns and ammunition. There will be no need to shed blood or sleep in the fields with a weapon at your side. I’m referring to the battle that you’re going to face with your yetzer hara, the purveyor of inclination to sin. He presents a tougher challenge than what you’ve faced until this point. He hides around every corner and uses any argument he can think of. He cares not a whit about ethical warfare, and although he pretends to be out for your benefit, he’s not out for your best interests. The worst thing is that his morale never seems to suffer, and that he never surrenders or agrees to a cease-fire.”

A worried look appeared on the soldiers’ face. “What exactly does he want from me,” he inquired. “What’s he after?”

The righteous man replied, “Primarily, he’ll try to convince you to act in ways that you know are wrong or harmful. He’ll try to persuade you to misuse your power of speech, regard others negatively, disregard your obligations to your parents, and consider your own needs before those of others. He will find obstacles to place in the way of your Torah study sessions and thoughts to place in your mind while praying. These may not sound like serious challenges, but they’ll require that you remain vigilant against his attempts to sidetrack you if you wish to overcome them. Your strongest weapon is the mitzvot, which are very effective in combating his influence. My friend, you’re a true warrior and your success on the battlefield speaks volumes about your strength, but this battle will be fought not with physical, but with moral might, and you’ll need to draw upon different resources if you are to be successful.”

Following their remarkable success against the Midianites, Elazar sought to remind the Jews that there was a greater battle waiting for them back home. This war would not be against the Midianites and it would not be fought with swords and lances. It was a battle for their moral health; their adversary would be the yetzer hara. The weapons proven to be most effective for this sort of warfare are the mitzvot found in the Torah. The verse therefore tells us that Elazar spoke to the soldiers “who came to the war” and shared with them the mitzvot of the Torah.

Our sages tell us that mitzvot are to be viewed as gifts granted to us by the Almighty to help ensure our success in the challenge that we all face as we go through life. The yetzer hara may be a formidable rival, but we are well-fortified against him if we make use of the special gifts granted to us specifically for this task.

Rabbi Meisels can be reached at: rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

ויאמר אלעזר הכהן אל אנשי הצבא הבאים למלחמה זאת חקת את משה‘ התורה אשר צוה ה

“Elazar the Kohen said to the soldiers who came to the war: ‘This is the statute of the Torah which G-d commanded Moses.’”

(Numbers 31:21)

T his verse refers to a speech delivered by Elazar the Kohen to soldiers returning from the war. If so, shouldn’t it have said, “To the soldiers who came from the war,” instead of “to the soldiers who came to the

war”?

Parsha Perspectives RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

M A T T O S - M A S E I Talking Points RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

1. YOU FORFEIT, YOU LOSE “But if you do not do so, behold! – you will have sinned to Hashem; know that your sin will encounter you.” 32:23

Behold! – you will have sinned to Hashem – If you do not lead the rest of the tribes in battle to conquer Eretz Yisrael before returning to build your own cities on the other side of the Jordan, you will then know that your allegedly pure intentions were impure from the start. - Sforno

Know that your sin will encounter you – Remember that you are always at risk to sin, even if you do meet the terms of our agreement, because by settling on the other side of the Jordan, you will have forfeited the protective shield offered by Eretz Yisrael against engaging in idolatry. Indeed, this is what eventually occurred as the tribes of Reuven and Gad were among the first to commit idolatry and the first to be exiled. – HeEmek Davar

In his commentary on Parshas Devarim [3:12,] Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin) expands on this theme and explains that the level of Torah study was significantly less outside of Eretz Yisrael than inside, and this too contributed to their predilection for sin which subsequently led to their premature exile. In truth, he explains, the only reason any of this occurred was due to the episode of the Spies which resulted in their later having to capture the territory on the opposite side of the Jordan before capturing the land of Israel. Had they forgone the opportunity to send spies and entered the Land directly as was expected of them, they never would have encountered the territory across the Jordan until after conquering the Land, and Reuven and Gad would not have dreamed of forgoing their rightful place in Eretz Yisrael.

2. DESERT SPARKS “These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, who left Egypt in organized groups under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.” 33:1

These Are The Journeys – Whenever the Torah uses the word, “Eilah” (these are), its intent is to indicate that only “these” were noteworthy and significant, whereas all others were irrelevant. – Midrash Rabbah, Shmos 1:2

These Are The Journeys – Why would the Torah use the word, “these are” in this instance to describe the journeys, when we know full-well that these journeys

were only necessary because the Jews had sinned in the incident of the Spies, or so that they should not have a change of heart and return to Egypt? Why were these journeys important, whereas all others were inconsequential? Perhaps the intent of the verse was to separate between the first journeys that had been part of the original plan, and those that had followed after the sin of the Spies. “These are the journeys” refers to the first set mentioned in the verse and which were noteworthy. The next set of journeys which resulted from the sin, however, were not as noteworthy, and this is what the verse intended with the word, “Eilah.” – Or HaChaim

Ohr HaChaim offers another explanation for the use of the limiting term, “eilah,” based upon the words of the Zohar [Chelek 2:157,] which says that the reason the Jews spent all that time in the desert was to gather in scattered “sparks of holiness,” which were present in the desert. These sparks were there because Ishmael, the son of Abraham and possessor of much intrinsic holiness, had made the desert his home, [Genesis 21:20] where he behaved in an unholy manner and shed his intrinsic holiness. The duration of each of their journeys in the desert depended on the amount of sparks present in each place. Those with greater degrees of holiness merited longer stays; those with lesser amounts only merited minimal stopovers. This mission, however, was achievable only through a nation purified by the “iron crucible” of Egypt, and therefore this set of journeys was truly unlike any other in history, for even the Patriarchs could not have accomplished this task. Therefore, the Torah uses the term “eilah,” to denote that these journeys were truly unlike their predecessors. “These” journeys accomplished something never before accomplished in history.

3. PIECE BY PEACE “And Hashem spoke to Moses saying, ‘These are the names of the men who are to take possession of the Land for you: Elazar the Kohen and Joshua son of Nun. And one leader from each tribe shall you take to possess the Land. These are the names of the men; for the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Yefunah…’” - 34:16-19

Take possession of the Land for you – Each tribal leader acted as if he was the designated representative to divide the land equally among the families and individuals. - Rashi

For the tribe of Judah – The tribes of Reuben and Gad were not listed among these, because they had already taken their share of the land on the other side of the Jordan. - Rabbeinu Bachya

These are the names of the men…These are the names of the men – This is stated twice, to teach that they were exemplary in their good names, and in their good deeds. – Baal HaTurim

The ways of the Torah are only peaceful, and therefore the Torah sought to ensure that the process of dividing the Land would be conducted in a manner that promoted peace to the maximum extent possible. Sifsei Kohen explains that this is the reason the Torah insisted that it be conducted only through the tribal leaders instead of by self-representing individuals. Furthermore, even the tribal leaders were not permitted to engage in petty partisanship and were expected instead to follow the words of Elazar and Joshua, who were granted Divine inspiration to assist them in dividing it among the tribes. Additionally, with a few notable exceptions, the verses refer to each of the tribal leaders as “Nassi” (prince) to enhance his prestige among the people and to dissuade them from contesting his decisions.

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Dear Paul,

I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. Your accepting the responsibility to say Kaddish indicates that you are a very dedicated and faithful son. I hope that the following year brings you and your family much comfort.

Judaism places very high value on the recitation of Kaddish, but not for the reason many people think. Many label Kaddish as a “prayer for the dead,” when, in fact, it does not mention death or the departed. While it is true that there are some specific prayers for the deceased in our liturgy, Kaddish is actually not one of them. Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of G-d in public. Specifically, one in mourning recites Kaddish at certain junctures in the order of prayer to highlight that he accepts G-d’s judgment in taking his relative from this world and that he harbors no ill will. It can be very difficult for an individual to come to terms with accepting the passing of a relative, but the one who recites Kaddish indicates that he

places his trust in G-d’s wisdom.

Judaism in general tells us about life from the perspective of one who lives in this world. Rarely are we given an insight into what “life” is like from the perspective of the hereafter. However, there is a Midrash which sheds light onto the world to come:

After a certain man had died, Rabbi Akiva taught his son how to lead the public prayer and recite Kaddish. To express his appreciation to Rabbi Akiva, the deceased father came to Rabbi Akiva in a dream and told him, “When my son read the Shabbat portion from the Prophets (Haftarah), they reduced my punishment, and when he lead the public prayer and recited Kaddish, they completely annulled my sentence. . .”

From this Midrash we see that the recitation of Kaddish, rather than a petition for mercy for the deceased, is a passage that brings great merit to the deceased. Our moral failings in this world need to be rectified in the Next. By parenting a child who says Kaddish, speaks of the grandeur

of G-d, and invites the participation of others in the synagogue to acknowledge that He is sublime by responding, “Yehei sh’mei rabbo” (‘Let His great Name be magnified forever’), the parent becomes deserving of Divine mercy for having brought such a meritorious child into the world. Children, according to Jewish thought, have the ability to bring merit to their parents.

The laws of mourning for relatives generally last for 30 days. However, for parents they extend for 12 months. Some explain the reason for the longer duration for parents is the fulfillment of the mitzvah to honor one’s parents, which can be done even when they are no longer in this world. All mitzvos that the child performs benefit the soul of his or her deceased parent, in a similar fashion as the Kaddish.

I hope this brief overview is helpful. I wou ld a l so sugges t you v i s i t www.mykaddish.com for more information.

May you be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem,

Rabbi Reuven Drucker

Rabbi Drucker can be reached at rabbidrucker@partnersintorah.org

HONOR THY FATHER RABBI REUVEN DRUCKER

Dear Rabbi, These last few months have been a very difficult period for our family as we watched my father lose his bout with cancer. Before he passed on, he asked me to say Kaddish for him. I obviously agreed, but it would mean so much more if I understood its meaning and purpose. Any information would be appreciated. Sincerely, Paul G.

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In Parshas Balak, we read about the (א

devastating effects of Bilam’s plot to incite the Jewish people to immorality

and idolatry. A devastating plague brought about the death of 24,000 Jews. In this week’s Torah portion, G-d ordered Moses to “take vengeance

for the children of Israel against the Midianites” (31:2). In subsequently conveying G-

d’s will, Moses ordered his warriors to “inflict Hashem’s vengeance against Midian” (31:3).

Why did Moshe change the terminology, and what different (or additional) message is

implied in that change?

We read (32:1-5) about how the (ב

livestock-rich tribes of Gad and Reuven asked Moses to receive the lands of

Yazer and Gilad – lands east of the land of Israel, each well-suited for raising animals – in

lieu of a portion in Israel proper. Moshe responded rather harshly to this request,

accusing them of abandoning their fellow Jews in their conquest of Israel. Despite learning that they always intended to join in the battle and to

only inhabit these lands once the Jews were settled in the land of Israel, Moses still insisted

that they enter into a legally binding agreement (32:20-27) to confirm their intentions, before

granting their request. Once Moses realized that he was mistaken about their original intentions,

why would have he considered it necessary for them to enter into a formal agreement?

TABLE TALK FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

Soul Talk In his first prophecy recorded in this week’s Haftarah, Yirmiyahu envisioned a מקל שקד, a staff of almond wood (1:11). Hashem explained to Yirmiyahu that the meaning of the vision was to be found in the word ,שקד , almond, which also means hasten. The verse states (v. 12): ויאמר

אלי היטבת לראות כי־שקד אני ' ה ,And Hashem said to me” ,על־דברי לעשתו ‘‘You have seen well, for I shall hasten regarding My word, to fulfill it.’’’ Why was Hashem hastening to bring about the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple)?

The Talmud in Gittin (78a) quotes Ulla, who explains that Hashem brought the Churban (Destruction of the Temple) two years earlier than it otherwise would have happened. The verse (Devarim 4:25) states: כי־תוליד בנים ובני,בנים ונושנתם בארץ והשחתם , “When you

beget children and grandchildren and will have been long in the Land, you will grow corrupt.” The gematria (numerical value) of ,is 852 ונושנתםand the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash in 3338 occurred 850 years after the Jews entered the land in 2488. Had the Churban occurred two years later, in the year 852, the curse in the next ve rse (4 :26) , wh ich says כי־אבד :

השמד תשמדון. . .תאבדון , ”you will surely perish . . . you will be destroyed” — would have been activated. The Baal HaNesivos in his Palgei Mayim explains that had Hashem waited two more years to bring the Churban, the destruction of the Jewish people would have been far greater. Instead, Hashem was able to destroy a structure of wood and stone, and exile his nation — rather than destroy His children.

The Maggid of Dubno offered the following analogy. A king adopted a homeless boy, raising him as a prince. As he grew older, the young man was given riches and great honor. Unfortunately,

he began to hang out with a rough crowd and squander his good fortune and name on gambling and other inappropriate activities. After the boy ignored the king’s countless warnings, the king finally took extreme measures and confiscated his wealth and honors and expelled him from the royal court. After a period of time, the former prince returned to the king to beg his forgiveness. The king immediately forgave him and returned him to his former wealth and position.

The prince asked the king why he had dealt with him so harshly. The king explained that had he taken smaller measures or waited longer to punish him, the boy’s downward spiral of behavior would have been much more severe, necessitating much harsher measures to punish and correct. By being very severe earlier, the king was able to save his beloved adopted prince even greater punishment.

So too with the Churban. Hashem said to Yirmiyahu that He was going to hasten the Churban to ensure that His beloved nation would not have to suffer even greater indignities and destruction.

Maadanei Shmuel cites Rabbi Meir Chadash as to why Tishah B’Av (9th day of the Month of Av) is called a מועד, a term that usually connotes a day of celebration. Rabbi Chadash explained that the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash was the lesser of the possible punishments. The alternative was the destruction of the Bnei Yisrael (Jewish people); thus, we celebrate the silver lining of Tishah B’Av — that Hashem directed His anger at a building of wood and stone rather than upon His children.

With permission from Artscroll’s Daily Dose