I was on the phone with a woman who married a friend of mine from
College, yes 45 years since I graduated. He lost a kidney in College and now
needs a Kidney transplant Daniel
ben Rivka, he has
O negative blood. Also a internet pal of about 13 years Rachel bas Bruncha needs a Refuah.
Parsha Shelach Lecha
After the desperation for water and meat in the desert and the Egel
HaZahav aka golden calf, still Am Yisrael was worthy of entering the land of
Eretz Yisrael. All they needed was a little faith in HASHEM. They had seen the
plagues, the splitting of the sea and heard THE VOICE OF HASHEM on Sinai. But
no a new sorrow would hit them and the punishment for the calf on that
generation that was put off would hit them now so that they would not enter
Eretz Yisrael except for Kalev and Yehoshua although the Medrash states that
there was a minority of 15,000 who did not die in the desert and when Tu B’Av
rolled around they declared a Yom Tov but that will be at the end of Sefer
Bamidbar. Now for our Parsha.
13:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2
'Send thou men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the
children of Israel; of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man,
everyone a prince among them.'
The Medrash seems to come to a consensus by the Sages that the
people demanded from Moshe guides to let them know the terrain and HASHEM
granted them this. Yet the Pshat is that HASHEM ordered this and the spies were
sent from the cream of the crop. Everyone a top notch person on the level of
Kalev and Yehoshua. So where did they go right and the others go wrong? For one
thing Ephraim from the Tribe of Yosef was from the inheritance and blessing of
Yacov and he received the personal blessing of Moshe changing his name from
Hoshea to Yehoshua. Kalev was from the tribe of kingship and turned aside from
the spies to pray at the graves of the Avos for strength against the council of
the spies. By meriting the help of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yacov, he was to be
granted that portion in the land and eventually the Melech would reign starting
in that area. In fact the changing of Beis Lechem HaGalil (near) Natzaires[R1] to Beis Lechem near Yerushalayim
Send
for yourself men: Why is the section dealing with the spies juxtaposed with the
section dealing with Miriam? Because she was punished over matters of slander,
for speaking against her brother, and these wicked people witnessed [it], but
did not learn their lesson. — [Midrash Tanchuma Shelach 5] Send for yourself:
According to your own understanding. I am not commanding you, but if you wish,
you may send. Since the Israelites had come [to Moses] and said, “Let us send
men ahead of us,” as it says, “All of you approached me…” (Deut. 1:22), Moses
took counsel with the Shechinah . He [God] said, “I told them that it is good,
as it says, ‘I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt…’ (Exod. 3:17).
By their lives! Now I will give them the opportunity to err through the words
of the spies, so that they will not inherit it.” - [Midrash Tanchuma 5]
3 And
Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of
the LORD; all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.
By
the word of the Lord: With his consent; He did not stop him. All of them were
men of distinction: Whenever [the word] אִנָשִׁים
[is used] in Scripture, it denotes importance. At that time, they were
virtuous. — [Mid. Tanchuma 4]
By
the word of the Lord: With his consent; He did not stop him. All of them were
men of distinction: Whenever [the word] אִנָשִׁים
[is used] in Scripture, it denotes importance. At that time, they were
virtuous. — [Mid. Tanchuma 4]
How could such men who were
learned in Torah and excelled go astray? There is a hint in Perkei Avos on
this: Any person who has more fear of G-D and good deeds than his learning, his
learning is preserved. Anybody who has more learning than fear of G-D and good
deeds, his learning is not preserved.
Story: I saw
this in an old man of blessed memory named Menashe Rosenthal. He was learning
in a Yeshiva in Hungary and the Nazis invaded. They gathered the Jews together
in an area they had large trenches where they told the Jews to strip at
gunpoint. They then shot the Jews and left them for dead. Menashe had 7 bullets
in his leg and nude managed to crawl out where a peasant found him took him in
and nurtured him back to health.
Menashe was one of the first
people to move into Chashmonayim along with one of his sons and family and his
daughter and family. Menashe had built himself up from zero until a well spoke
and outstanding person. (The cigar story with General and President Charles De
Gaulle on Shabbos which I wrote about) Through his wealthy friends, he managed
to fund the building of the frame of the Yad Moshe Synagogue. The Schul being
named after Yissachar and Moshe HY”D his relatives who perished by the hands of
the Nazis, may their names be erased.
As Menashe was nearing the end of
his life, he reviewed at least a section of the Talmudic Tractate of Bava Basra
that he had learned so many years before in the Yeshiva. I am sure that he
retained this due to his fear of heaven and good deeds.
4 And
these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. 5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the
son of Hori. 6 Of the tribe of
Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 7
Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. 8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun. 9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the
son of Raphu. 10 Of the tribe of
Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. 11
Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of
Susi. 12 Of the tribe of Dan,
Ammiel the son of Gemalli. 13 Of
the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. 14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. 15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son
of Machi. 16 These are the names
of the men that Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son
of Nun Joshua. 17 And Moses sent
them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them: 'Get you up here into
the South, and go up into the mountains;
Like today trade routes were known even if by word of mouth alone.
So today before we go on a guided tour, we get an itinerary on where we are
going. We can do our homework and are prepared for what we are about to view.
In fact today we can view the area on-line. Example: I want to tour Paris I
Google it and get the tower, arch, museums, etc. so I have an idea what I want
to see. (Notre Dame is not exactly what a Rabbi visits but the Meter Standard
next to it is what a Certified Quality Control Engineer does visit)
18 and
see the land, what it is; and the people that dwell therein, whether they are
strong or weak, whether they are few or many;
There was a problem or two with this command. It was not specified
that secrecy was in effect and the report was only for the ears of Moshe and
perhaps the elders. Rather the report ended up being public knowledge. Imagine
today knowing how man Hezballah rockets are aimed at Haifa, Netanya, etc. and
how many potential homicide bombers are out there or the true status of the
Iranian Bomb. Some knowledge is best kept from worry warts, the weak, feeble
and elderly who are dependent. One or two cowards in an army base can spark a
rout in battle.
What
[kind of] land it is: Some countries rear strong people, and some countries
rear weak [people]; some produce large populations and some small populations.
— [Mid. Tanchuma 6] Are they strong or weak: He gave them a sign. If they live
in open cities [it is a sign that] they are strong, since they rely on their
might. And if they live in fortified cities [it is a sign that] they are weak.
— [Mid. Tanchuma 6]
19 and
what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities
they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;
If they sleep in camps then they can be attacked easily but if in
fortifications then a different strategy is needed to conquer the land.
20 and
what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or
not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.'--Now the
time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.—
Is
it good: possessing springs and other good and healthy water sources.
The
object was to gather intelligence look for weaknesses and let the political and
military staff (Yehoshua) deal with the knowledge and find physical solutions.
21 So
they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, at
the entrance to Hamath. 22 And
they went up into the South, and came unto Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai,
the children of Anak, were there.
These people were extremely tall supposedly descended from Og the
giant. However, the height should not have scared a person who feared HASHEM
but a slave mentality of 600,000 men were afraid of 600 chariots. It once
happened that Joseph Stalin ordered during WWII to close down the Synagogue in
the Capitol of Georgia. The Commissar read the declaration. Before he could
finish a knife was thrown from somewhere in the crowd and he died on the spot.
Stalin did not come back to enforce that and delay his war effort. That is a
difference between fear of G-D and fear of man.
--Now
Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
What is the message here regarding Chevron? It comes to show that
Eretz Yisrael was settled after the flood before Mitzrayim and other places.
Had
been built seven years: Is it possible that Ham built Hebron for Canaan, his
youngest son, before he built Zoan for Mizraim, his eldest son? Rather, it was
stocked with everything good, seven times more than Zoan. The intention is to
inform you of the excellence of the Land of Israel, for there is no place in
the Land of Israel rockier than Hebron, which was why it was designated for a
burial ground. And there is no country in the world as excellent as Egypt, as
it says, “it was like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt” (Gen. 13:
10). Zoan is the best part of Egypt, for the residence of the kings is situated
there, as it says, “for his princes were in Zoan” (Isa. 30:4). Yet Hebron was
superior to it seven times over. — [Sotah 34b]
-- 23 And they came unto the valley of
Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they
bore it upon a pole between two; they took also of the pomegranates, and of the
figs.—
They
carried it on a pole between two [people]: From the implication of what it says
“they carried [in the plural] it on a pole” do I not know that it was [carried]
by two? So what does “[between] two” tell us? [The answer is:] With two poles.
How was it done? Eight of them took a cluster [of grapes], one took a fig and
one took a pomegranate. Joshua and Caleb did not take anything, for the
intention of the others was to present a slanderous report, [namely,] just as
its fruit is extraordinary, so its people are extraordinary. If you wish to
know how much one of them carried, go forth and learn from the stones they set
up at Gilgal: Each man carried on his shoulder one stone [from the Jordan] and
set it up at Gilgal. The Sages weighed them [and determined that] each stone
weighed forty seah, and it is a fact that the load a person can carry on his
shoulders is only a third of the weight of the load he can carry when others
help him lift it. — [Sotah 34b
The cluster was so heavy that it took two men to carry one cluster
on their shoulders you can just imagine a vineyard!
24 That
place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the
children of Israel cut down from thence.—
The Hebrew for cluster is Eshkol.
25 And
they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
Eretz Yisrael was supposed to be to the Euphrates River so if they
had walked that far could they had made it back in 40 days of which 34 were not
Shabbos? The Medrash states that the time should have been longer but they had
heavenly help that it went so fast. I
did Google as a reference the town of Eilat since it is not that far from
Paran. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=distance+from+eilat+to+the+eurphartes+river The result was a bit crooked path and if driven today would be a
40 hr. drive. However, when I used my head and changed the search from Aqaba to
Damascus I got 285 miles or 460 kilometers. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=distance+from+aqaba+to+damascus This is a 11.5 hr. drive! I then took Damascus to Silopi Turkey as
an 11 hr and 21 minute drive or to Al Qamishli is 8 hr. and 54 min. and 446
miles or 720 km. Let us up and round off the distance to 750 miles. The men
were used to walking and during my youth the late President Kennedy asked
people for fitness to walk 25 to 50 mile hikes people used to do that in 10
hours. Of course day after day and uphill with packs on their backs but longer
days and taking into account supplies, it is not unreasonable to cover this
distance in 34 walking days as we subtract the 6 weeks where there was one
Shabbos each week. This leaves 44 miles per day to walk back and forth from
Sinai to the Euphrates which might have been shorter. Day breaks now before 5
AM and it is light until 8 PM giving between 12 to 13 hrs. of light to break
camp, pray, walk, obtain food and pitch camp it is not unreasonable for
physically fit men to undertake such an adventure. On the other hand, who says
that they went to the Euphrates or further than Damascus?
Now after all this theoretical discussion of going to the
Euphrates River, we now see how far they really went. Which is from Midbar Zin
until Hamat. Below we have Rashi on Pasuk 21.
From the desert of Zin until Rehov at the
entrance to Hamath: They walked along the length and width of its borders, [so
that their path looked] like a [Greek] gamma. They walked along the side which
was the southern border, from the eastern corner to the western corner, as
Moses had directed them: “Go up this way in the south”-by way of the
southeastern border until the sea, for the sea was its western border. From
there they turned and walked along the entire western border, which is the
coast, until the entrance to Hamath, which is near Mount Hor, in the
northwestern corner, as is described in the borders of the Land in the portion
[beginning with the words,] “These are the travels” (34:6).
At this point, we redo the distance https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=distance+from+sde+boker+to+hamat+gader The travel time today is 3
hrs. of non-stop driving or 145 km. In modern conditions walking 50 km a day
within a week one could easily go back and forth. This is 28 miles a day walk
or an easy pace of 2.8 miles an hour which is slower than the 4 I do in an hour
at the gym. Now if we give ourselves 34 days that would average less than 10
km. per day. SO NOW THE QUESTION IS WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE HAD A SPECIAL
SHORTENING OF THE WAY?
26 And
they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the
children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back
word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the
land. 27 And they told him, and
said: 'We came unto the land whither thou sent us, and surely it flows with
milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
Up until now it looked like they were telling an impressive
positive story so the people opened up their hearts and minds to receive what
should have been a top secret military briefing.
28
Howbeit the people that dwell in the land are fierce, and the cities are
fortified, and very great; and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
Rashi already mentioned that if their cities are fortified like
the amount of shelters in Israel today or the “safe rooms” that means that
there is a chance of an external attack.
29 Amalek
dwells in the land of the South; and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the
Amorite, dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along
by the side of the Jordan.' 30
And Caleb stilled the people toward Moses, and said: 'We should go up at once,
and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.'
Aka besides that HASHEM is with us they are a bunch of small
tribes and we are a 600,000 man standing army! But a slave mentality is a slave
mentality and this week as Al Nusra attacked cities of Iraq the army melted
like dominos against a rag tag group of terrorists.
31 But
the men that went up with him said: 'We are not able to go up against the
people; for they are stronger than we.'
A brave man dies but one death and a coward a thousand deaths.
32 And
they spread an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the
children of Israel, saying: 'The land, through which we have passed to spy it
out, is a land that eats up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we
saw in it are men of great stature.
Many prominent people died as they passed through by HASHEM so
that the inhabitants would be busy with the funerals and not pay attention to
12 spies. But these men misinterpreted what was happening.
33 And
there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim; and we
were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.'
We imagined ourselves out of our fear and panic this way but
humans have a limit in growth height despite the Midrashim as the bones can
only hold so and so much weight without breaking. We would need dinosaur type
bones to grow to heights over about 9 feet as these giants have fragile bones.
14:1 And all the congregation lifted up
their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
It was the night of Tisha B’Av and because the
people cried that night it was determined that for future generations they
would have a reason to cry that night.
2 And all the children of Israel
murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto
them: 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would we had died in
this wilderness!
So you don’t want Eretz Yisrael and want to die
in the wilderness well that is OK with HASHEM.
3 And wherefore doth the LORD bring
us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be
a prey; were it not better for us to return into Egypt?' 4 And they said one to another: 'Let
us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.'
All this disturbed Moshe and Aaron and the other
leaders of Levy, Ephraim and Yehuda. But the mob was beginning to act against
them.
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their
faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb
the son of Jephunneh, who were of them that spied out the land, rent their
clothes.
It was a horrendous scene of total anarchy and
chaos with this panic and perhaps this action stopped the immediate hysterics.
7 And they spoke unto all the
congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, which we passed
through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.
This is the truth but the mob had made up their
minds.
8 If the LORD delight in us, then He
will bring us into this land, and give it unto us--a land which flows with milk
and honey.
Almond milk and date honey.
9 Only rebel not against the LORD,
neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defense
is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us; fear them not.' 10 But all the congregation bade stone
them with stones, when the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting
unto all the children of Israel.
HASHEM had to intervene to save the true
leaders.
11 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'How
long will this people despise Me? and how long will they not I
Am I my brother’s
keeper? The answer is: “Yes”. For we see that if I make no attempt like
Yehoshua and Kalev to stop the sinner, I could get caught up with the
collective punishment. For HASHEM became wroth with the generation for their
lack of love and understanding and their constant rebellion. I cannot
physically stop every Jew who wants to believe in a Trinity instead of a Unity,
Shabbos violation, Adultery, Thievery, Murder, Homosexuality, etc. but I can
exhort and warn or point out that something is wrong. The fact that I tried and
failed as we see with the two really righteous spies is taken before HASHEM as
credit.
12 I will smite them with the
pestilence, and destroy them, and will make of thee a nation greater and
mightier than they.' 13 And
Moses said unto the LORD: 'When the Egyptians shall hear--for Thou brought up
this people in Thy might from among them-- 14 they will say to the inhabitants of this land, who have heard
that Thou LORD art in the midst of this people; inasmuch as Thou LORD art seen
face to face, and Thy cloud stands over them, and Thou go before them, in a
pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night; 15 now if Thou shalt kill this people
as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak,
saying: 16 Because the LORD was
not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore
He hath slain them in the wilderness.
Moshe makes a compelling argument. You, HASHEM,
will make a Chillul HASHEM if you destroy the people for look what the other
parts of creation will say! After this, Moshe makes the following entreaty.
17 And now, I pray Thee, let the power
of the LORD be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying: 18 The LORD is slow to anger, and
plenteous in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that
will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. 19 Pardon, I pray Thee, the iniquity
of this people according unto the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, and
according as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.'
This is the key to asking for a pardon that
HASHEM to Moshe and Moshe used these attributes to save the people from the
wrath of G-D.
20 And the LORD said: 'I have pardoned
according to thy word. 21 But in
very deed, as I live--and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the
LORD—
You are correct and I will continue makings a
Kiddush HASHEM throughout all generations that the nations will know that I am
the L-RD.
22 surely all those men that have seen
My glory, and My signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet
have put Me to proof these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice; 23 surely they shall not see the land
which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised Me
see it.
Although I am a patient G-D waiting for Teshuva
after 10 times, I have lost my patience and now they will be punished!
24 But My servant Caleb, because he
had another spirit with him, and hath followed ME fully, he will I bring into
the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
He has the spirit of his forefathers and will
inherit Chevron and the environs as a merit.
25 Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite
dwell in the Vale; tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the
way to the Red Sea.'
You will cross the Yarden on your way to Eretz
Yisrael so that the generation of cowards will not see any more battles with
these fierce people even though you are stronger.
26 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and
unto Aaron, saying: 27 'How long
shall I bear with this evil congregation, that keep murmuring against ME? I
have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they keep murmuring
against Me. 28 Say unto them: As
I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to
you:
Be wary of what you wish for or say for
sometimes it comes true.
29 your carcasses shall fall in this
wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number,
from twenty years old and upward, ye that have murmured against Me; 30 surely ye shall not come into the
land, concerning which I lifted up My hand that I would make you dwell therein,
save Caleb the son of Yephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, that ye said
would be a prey, they will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye
have rejected. 32 But as for
you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.
Each would die according to the way he moaned
and mourned the Lashon HaRa of the spies but 15,000 did not. Either they were
of the idea of going into Eretz Yisrael, neutral, did immediate Teshuva or they
did believe in the salvation of HASHEM for we see in the Medrash that this number
survived even though the Pshat is different. It is also theoretically possible
that a person in his last years of service in the army in his 50’s could
survive another 38 years before passing and live a long life even by today’s
standards. In fact Kalev was in his 80’s when he entered the land.
33 And your children shall be
wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your strayings, until
your carcasses be consumed in the wilderness. 34 After the number of the days in which ye spied out the land,
even forty days, for every day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even
forty years, and ye shall know My displeasure. 35 I the LORD have spoken, surely this will I do unto all this
evil congregation, that are gathered together against Me; in this wilderness
they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.' 36 And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who, when
they returned, made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up
an evil report against the land, 37
even those men that did bring up an evil report of the land, died by the plague
before the LORD. 38 But Joshua
the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Yephunneh, remained alive of those men
that went to spy out the land.
For they stood up for the sake of HASHEM even
against the mob.
39 And Moses told these words unto all
the children of Israel; and the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose up early in the morning, and got them up to the
top of the mountain, saying: 'Lo, we are here, and will go up unto the place
which the LORD hath promised; for we have sinned.'
This was the right wing of Ephraim that wanted
to show that they could repent and fight. However …
41 And Moses said: 'Wherefore now do
ye transgress the commandment of the LORD, seeing it shall not prosper? 42 Go not up, for the LORD is not
among you; that ye be not smitten down before your enemies. 43 For there the Amalekite and the
Canaanite are before you, and ye shall fall by the sword; forasmuch as ye are
turned back from following the LORD, and the LORD will not be with you.' 44 But they presumed to go up to the
top of the mountain; nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and
Moses, departed not out of the camp. 45
Then the Amalekite and the Canaanite, who dwelt in that hill-country, came
down, and smote them and beat them down, even unto Hormah.
And their bones were left in a valley. Yechezkel
saw them in his vision of the resurrection of the dead and THEY WILL RETURN for
although misguided, their intentions were for the sake of heaven!
15:1 … 18 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye
come into the land whither I bring you, 19
then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall set
apart a portion for a gift unto the LORD. 20 Of the first of your dough ye shall set apart a cake for a
gift; as that which is set apart of the threshing-floor, so shall ye set it
apart.
This is the Mitzvah of Challah and unless one
has a large family and a Yom Tov and Shabbos together, most women do not bake
enough bread to take the Challah.
21 Of the first of your dough ye shall
give unto the LORD a portion for a gift throughout your generations.
This is whether in Eretz Yisrael or in Galus.
22 And when ye shall err, and not
observe all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses, 23 even all that the LORD hath
commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD gave
commandment, and onward throughout your generations; 24 then it shall be, if it be done in error by the congregation,
it being hid from their eyes, that all the congregation shall offer one young
bullock for a burnt-offering, for a sweet savor unto the LORD--with the
meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof, according to the
ordinance--and one he-goat for a sin-offering. …
32 And while the children of Israel
were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks upon the Sabbath day.
This is the first record of the violation of the
Holy Shabbos.
33 And they that found him gathering
sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34 And they put him in ward, because
it had not been declared what should be done to him.
The execution of this man by Beis Din was to
serve a deterrent for all to prevent further Chillul Shabbos in the future.
35 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'The
man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with
stones without the camp.' 36 And
all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones,
and he died, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Unlike the spies when the violator of HASHEM’s
law is put to death the congregation is exonerated.
37 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 38 'Speak unto the
children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their
generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with
the fringe of each corner a thread of blue.
We shall continue with the theme of Techeles in
Parsha Korach with the help of HASHEM.
39 And it shall be unto you for a
fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the
LORD, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own
eyes, after which ye use to go astray; 40
that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.'
A refreshing prayer break
There are many different pray Minchagim in
Judaism. The Yemenite Community has two variations. The Ashkenazim have at
least three major variations Ashkenaz, Sephard and Ari. The Sephardim appear
from my limited knowledge to have one custom. I like to daven Nusach Ashkenaz
but it has two variations those who say “V’ Shomru” and those who don’t. They
do say the Mishnayos of Chapter 2 and V’ Shomru which was quite interesting and
refreshing for me. Also there were nice songs in the prayer.
Reaping the 3rd
Melacha By
Rabbi Jack Abramwitz :
Kotzeir (reaping) is the third
of the 11 agricultural labors used in constructing the Mishkan. The melacha of
kotzeir involves detaching a growing thing from its source of nourishment. (“A
growing thing” is usually plant life or vegetation, but not exclusively.)
Harvesting wheat, apple-picking and weeding the front lawn are all examples of
kotzeir. Picking mushrooms is also kotzeir, even though mushrooms are fungi and
not plants.
Many of the melachos have
reciprocal relationships that are equally prohibited: writing and erasing,
igniting and extinguishing, sewing and tearing, etc. Kotzeir, however, is not
the reciprocal of zorei’ah (planting). For example, if one were to pull down
the shade to prevent light from reaching a houseplant in order to impede its
growth, that would be an oddly spiteful thing to do to a plant, but it would
not violate the melacha of kotzeir. In order to transgress kotzeir, one would
have to pluck the plant (or part of it).
Kotzeir is the reason that using
a tree is rabbinically prohibited on Shabbos. Accordingly, one may not climb a
tree or use something directly suspended from a tree, such as a swing or a
hammock. This is also the reason that horseback riding (of all things) is
prohibited on Shabbos. It is common for a rider to break off a branch from a
nearby tree for use as a switch (see Talmud Beitzah 36b).
As I continue on with my review of
the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch or Code of Jewish Law by Rabbi Ganzfried, I came
across Siman 32 which is healthy living that I recommend for everybody to
review perhaps once a year as we do the laws of Pessach. It covered eating
habits for youths, middle-aged and elderly as we burn less energy. We are told
to drink more warm drinks in winter and cool drinks in the summer. We also
warned that heavy people have to exercise harder than lean people in 32:21 all
in all this is a great thing to ones body and mind to review the full Siman.
This can be read online at www.yonanewman.org
Kaf HaChaim by Rabbi Tilles http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=863-41
A Quick Trip The Kaf HaChaim was always begging G-d not to
ever force him to leave the Land of Yisrael. But in the end, he had no choice.
When Rabbi Yaakov- Chaim Sofer, author of the Kaf HaChaim, was preparing to
publish the first volume of his work, he had no idea how to pay for the cost of
printing. He had not so much as a penny in his pocket at the time.
His friends advised him to travel abroad in order to raise money. But this
was a very hard thing for R' Yaakov Chaim to do. He was always begging G-d not
to ever force him to leave Eretz Yisrael. But in the end, having no
choice, he did go -- praying that he would not have to stay away for long.
R' Yaakov Chaim took the train from Yaffo-Tel Aviv to Alexandria, Egypt.
When he stepped off the train onto the platform, he ran into one of the
wealthiest philanthropists of his time, a man by the name of Yosef Somocha,
with whom he was acquainted.
Mr. Somocha asked, "To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"
R' Yaakov Chaim explained his purpose in coming. The rich man immediately
took 200 lira out of his pocket -- the cost of printing the first volume.
Later that same day, R' Yaakov Chaim boarded a train for the return trip
home. It was the same train that had brought him to Alexandria.
His friends back in Jerusalem were surprised to see him back so soon. When
R' Yaakov Chaim explained the amazing thing that had happened, they protested,
"If you were so successful in raising the money, you should have stayed a
few days and raised the amount you'll need for future volumes!"
"No!" R' Yaakov Chaim declared. "I will not remain in a
foreign country one minute longer than urgent necessity forces me to
stay."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from "Stories my Grandfather told me " (Mesorah) by Zev Greenwald]
[Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from "Stories my Grandfather told me " (Mesorah) by Zev Greenwald]
Biographic note:
Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer, (1870 - 9 Sivan 1939) better known as the Kaf Hachaim (the name of the monumental halachic work which he authored), was born in Baghdad. In the beginning of the 20th century he emigrated to the Land of Israel, and settled in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer, (1870 - 9 Sivan 1939) better known as the Kaf Hachaim (the name of the monumental halachic work which he authored), was born in Baghdad. In the beginning of the 20th century he emigrated to the Land of Israel, and settled in Jerusalem.
Connection: Weekly Reading-true love of the land.
This was posted by a woman who wants to convert to Judaism and
wants to change her name to Rivka. It is a letter from a Messianic Jew to Rabbi
Tovia Singer and the reply it is long. http://outreachjudaism.org/believing-in-jesus-changed-my-life/
Finally
an expansion of a Yeshuv: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181434#.U5HlQ8ZWHIU
Sarah
Netanyahu pulls the governmental strings and it is disgusting: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4527860,00.html
Rivlin
becomes the 10th president of the State of Israel and will restore
neutrality and honor to the job: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181570#.U5ci-cZWHIU
From
David B. Speech from the president of the Czech Republic: http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/czech-president-milos-zeman-gives-amazing-speech-about-islam-and-anti-semitism/#.U4yOOwUl51k.facebook
You Shall
not murder: http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Two-children-visiting-from-US-murdered-by-father-near-Ramle-358073
Somebody is going to pay the price for this as we see what
happened in the Parsha, I can only be like Yehoshua and Kalev or fall on my
face like Moshe and Aaron but I am sure that carcasses will fall due to this.
This is not because of prophecy but I learn from history unlike many others: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4529920,00.html
Inyanay Diyoma
Hezballah
is opposite Israeli Forces on the Golan: http://debka.com/article/23971/A-Hizballah-force-reaches-Quneitra-crossing-halts-opposite-Israeli-Golan-deployment
From
Martin Sherman: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Into-the-fray-The-wages-of-indolence-impotence-and-incompetence-355504
Egypt
shuts Hamas into Gaza: http://debka.com/article/23979/-Egypt’s-president-punishes-Hamas-Jihadi-Islami-in-Gaza-fires-up-strife-in-Palestinian-government
Catherine
Ashton another anti-Semite: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4527464,00.html
Evangelist
admits the truth: http://www.wnd.com/2014/06/franklin-graham-i-worship-a-jew/?cat_orig=world
Israel’s
Kamikaze UAV: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4528565,00.html
In the
years since the second Lebanese War the enemy has added 110,000 rockets into
its arsenal: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181537#.U5bZ8sZWHIU
Syria
with Al Qaeda heats up: http://debka.com/article/23984/Gantz-IDF-gets-set-to-target-50-000-Al-Qaeda-fighters-piling-up-around-Israel-in-Syria-and-Iraq
Assad now
has a strategic threat from Al Qaeda and with the Taliban freed from Gitmo this
threatens the US as well! http://debka.com/article/23987/Al-Qaeda-ISIS-conquers-Iraqi-Mosul-links-up-with-Syrian-front-for-core-of-Islamist-state
Rocket
blasts a giant hole in the road: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4529102,00.html
A top
terrorist caught: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4529197,00.html
Not so
sporting of him: http://www.jpost.com/Sports/Palestinian-soccer-player-admits-to-meeting-with-Hamas-operative-while-in-Qatar-356003
This is
the road that I travel to Yerushalayim: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/238538/bus-from-kiryat-sefer-to-yerushalayim-bombarded-with-rocks.html
Getting
rid of rocketeer: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181620#.U5jUr8ZWHIU and http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4529508,00.html
Iraq the
security danger to the US, Syria, Yarden, Saudis and Yisrael: http://debka.com/article/23991/Al-Qaeda-forms-up-to-march-on-Baghdad-gathering-up-Iraqi-Sunni-rebels-Maliki-cries-treason From Barry
Shaw By the
time you read this Islamic jihadi forces will be attacking Baghdad and Iraq
will fall. The reason this has happened is the vacuum encouraged by the Obama
Administration. Remember "Al Qaida is on the run!" You bet they are!
Islamic jihadists are running through Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and
Afghanistan. This will be the biggest foreign policy disaster by this
Administration and a huge risk for Israel. How? Iraq will join Syria down the
Islamic pan. Next in line will be Jordan and the fall of the Hashemite King if
America, Saudi Arabia, or even Israel, don't put boots on the ground there. If
Jordan falls and with the current situation in Syria there will be an Al Qaida
front line with Israel from the Golan Heights down the Jordan Valley to the
Dead Sea and Aqaba across the Red Sea from Eilat. This American policy failure
is deadly serious to Israel.
A wonderful and peaceful Shabbos to all,
Rachamim Pauli
