Our Sages of blessed memory tell us that when you have a lot
of serious Torah open with something funny so that the Talmidim will be open to
receiving Torah a few quotes: Groucho Marx
"Alimony is like buying hay for a dead horse." Joan
Rivers “People say money is not the key to
happiness, but I always figured if you had enough money, you can have a key
made."
Please add Laib'l ben Perel
Parsha Bamidbar Part 3
We start off at this point between the counting of the
first born and the counting of the Leviim. For originally the first form were
to serve at the Bamah aka high place. They were to be instead of the Leviim and
would not have needed Pidyon HaBen. However, the Chet HaEgel when some of the
Bechorim (first-born) worshipped the Egel HaZahav (golden calf) and therefore
only the Leviim who remained pure could serve.
11 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 12 ‘And I, behold, I have taken the
Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that opens
the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine; 13 for
all the first-born are Mine: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the
land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and
beast, Mine they shall be: I am the LORD.’
HASHEM, CREATOR of all, stakes HIS claim to the
Bechorim of Am Yisrael.
14 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying: 15 ‘Number
the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; every male
from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.’ 16 And
Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
Only
two groups were numbered this way, the Bechorim and the Leviim as everybody
else the census was from the ages of 20 to 60 years old.
17 And
these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The
tribe of Levi was the smallest tribe and was broken up into divisions according
to the three sons of Levi.
… 25 and the charge of the sons of Gershon
in the tent of meeting the tabernacle, and the Tent, the covering thereof, and
the screen for the door of the tent of meeting, 26 and
the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court—which is by
the tabernacle, and by the altar, round about—and the cords of it, even whatsoever
pertains to the service thereof.
They
received wagons to carry these parts of the Mishkan.
27 And of
Kohath … 31 and their charge the
ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the
sanctuary wherewith the priests minister, and the screen, and all that pertains
to the service thereof;
These,
the holiest objects, were to be carried in rotation by hand. (Lehavdil when we
bury a person there is always a replacement person behind one of the people
carrying the stretcher with the body of the deceased. This is how it was done
over the distances travelled until the Mishkan was in Shilo and the Beis
HaMikdash in Yerushalayim.
32 Eleazar
the son of Aaron the priest being prince of the princes of the Levites, and
having the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary. … 36 the
appointed charge of the sons of Merari being the boards of the tabernacle, and
the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the
instruments thereof, and all that pertains to the service thereof; 37 and
the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and
their cords. 38 And those that were to pitch before
the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were
Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary, even the
charge for the children of Israel; and the common man that drew nigh was to be
put to death. 39 All that were numbered of the Levites,
whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by their
families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two
thousand. 40 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Number
all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward,
and take the number of their names.
Our
Sages say the child from a month onwards it is usually the case that a child
becomes a viable child.
41 And
thou shalt take the Levites for Me, even the LORD, instead of all the
first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead
of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.’
A
good deal of the members who worshipped the Egel Ha Zahav (golden calf) were
first born children and the Leviim were the only ones who refrained completely
from this sin.
42 And
Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the
children of Israel. 43 And all the first-born males according
to the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were
numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and
thirteen.
Note
that all the other numbers in this Parsha are from 20 and upwards and rounded
off to the nearest 10th man. Here we have the precision and are
given an odd number.
44 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 45 ‘Take the Levites instead of all the
first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead
of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine, even the LORD’S. 46 And
as for the redemption of the two hundred and three score and thirteen of the
first-born of the children of Israel, that are over and above the number of the
Levites, 47 thou shalt take five shekels apiece by
the poll; after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them—the shekel is
twenty gerahs. 48 And thou shalt give the money
wherewith they that remain over of them are redeemed unto Aaron and to his
sons.’ 49 And Moses took the redemption-money
from them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites; 50 from
the first-born of the children of Israel took he the money: a thousand three
hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 51 And
Moses gave the redemption-money unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the
word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Part of the above section is to establish where the
redemption must take place and to whom.
4:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2 ‘Take
the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families,
by their fathers’ houses, 3 from thirty years old and upward even
until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do work in the tent
of meeting. 4 This is the service of the sons of
Kohath in the tent of meeting, about the most holy things: 5 when
the camp sets forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take
down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it; 6 and
shall put thereon a covering of GIRAFFE skin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and
shall set the staves thereof. 7 And upon the table of showbread they
shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the pans, and the
bowls, and the jars wherewith to pour out; and the continual bread shall remain
thereon. 8 And they shall spread upon them a
cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of GIRAFFE skin,
and shall set the staves thereof. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue,
and cover the candlestick of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its snuff
dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it. 10 And
they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of sealskin,
and shall put it upon a bar. 11 And upon the golden altar they shall
spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall set
the staves thereof. 12 And they shall take all the vessels of
ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of
blue, and cover them with a covering of sealskin, and shall put them on a bar. 13 And
they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth
thereon. 14 And they shall put upon it all the
vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, the fire-pans, the
flesh-hooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and
they shall spread upon it a covering of sealskin, and set the staves thereof. 15 And
when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the holy furniture, and
all the holy vessels, as the camp is to set forward—after that, the sons of
Kohath shall come to bear them; but they shall not touch the holy things, lest
they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of
meeting. 16 And the charge of Eleazar the son of
Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the
continual meal-offering, and the anointing oil: he shall have the charge of all
the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, whether it be the sanctuary, or the
furniture thereof.’
This was not a menial task with the heavy items of gold
and wood and the giant skins which required a number of men and their
replacements for rotation to move by hand or on boards by hand.
Parsha Naso Part 2
Naso is the longest Parsha in the Torah but not as hard as one
might think as the gifts of the 12 tribes are dear to HASHEM and they repeat 12
times adding to the length.
4:21 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses saying: 22 ‘Take the sum of the sons of Gershon
also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families; 23 from
thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them: all
that enter in to wait upon the service, to do service in the tent of meeting. 24 This
is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing
burdens: 25 they shall bear the curtains of the
tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin
that is above upon it, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting; 26 and
the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the gate of the
court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their
cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatsoever there may be to
do with them, therein shall they serve. 27 At the commandment of Aaron and his
sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their
burden, and in all their service; and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all
their burden. 28 This is the service of the families of
the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting; and their charge shall be
under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 29As for the sons of Merari, thou
shalt number them by their families, by their fathers’ houses; 30 from
thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them,
every one that enters upon the service, to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31 And
this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tent
of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars
thereof, and the sockets thereof; 32 and the pillars of the court round
about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, even all their
appurtenance, and all that pertains to their service; and by name ye shall
appoint the instruments of the charge of their burden.
The weight
of these objects were too much and they had to be carried by some wagons.
Although Kohath received the holiest items the work of Gershon and Merari were
as holy in their need for the Avoda of moving the Mishkan.
33 This
is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their
service, in the tent of meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the
priest.’ 34 And Moses and Aaron and the princes of
the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by
their fathers’ houses, 35 from thirty years old and upward even
unto fifty years old, every one that entered upon the service, for service in
the tent of meeting. 36 And those that were numbered of them
by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These
are they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, of all that did
serve in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the
commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.38 And those that were numbered of the
sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 39 from
thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entered
upon the service, for service in the tent of meeting,40 even those that were numbered of them,
by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand and six hundred
and thirty. 41 These are they that were numbered of
the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that did serve in the tent of
meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the
LORD. 42 And those that were numbered of the
families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, 43 from
thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entered
upon the service, for service in the tent of meeting, 44 even
those that were numbered of them by their families, were three thousand and two
hundred. 45 These are they that were numbered of
the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to
the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 46 All
those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the princes
of Israel numbered, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 47 from
thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entered
in to do the work of service, and the work of bearing burdens in the tent of
meeting, 48 even those that were numbered of them,
were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore. 49 According
to the commandment of the LORD they were appointed by the hand of Moses, every
one to his service, and to his burden; they were also numbered, as the LORD
commanded Moses.
So we have
8000 Leviim working in moving the Mishkan and rebuilding it each time.
5:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 ‘Command the children of Israel,
that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue,
and whosoever is unclean by the dead; 3 both male and female shall ye
put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camp,
in the midst whereof I dwell.’ 4 And the children of Israel did so,
and put them out without the camp; as the LORD spoke unto Moses, so did the
children of Israel.
They were
outside of the three camps – Shekinah, Leviim and Yisrael. These folks would
travel with the Machane but they were behind it at a short distance.
5 And the
LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 6 Speak unto the children of Israel:
When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to commit a trespass
against the LORD, and that soul be guilty; 7 then they shall confess
their sin which they have done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in
full, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him in respect
of whom he hath been guilty.
Shavuous was
the first time I had to read a fraction of the Zohar. In the Daf Yomi Zohar by
Rebbe Gross Shlita, it states that when one sins the sin separates the Vav from
the Hay in the DIVINE NAME. The Hay is reinforced if one does Teshuva and
returns and refrains from sin. The Vav is restored with complete Teshuva from
love and the encouragement of others to refrain from such a sin.
8 But if
the man have no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the
restitution for guilt which is made shall be the LORD’S, even the priest’s;
besides the ram of the atonement, whereby atonement shall be made for
him. 9 And every heave-offering of all the holy things of the
children of Israel, which they present unto the priest, shall be
his. 10 And every man’s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any
man giveth the priest, it shall be his.
The taking
over of a person’s property for his good is recognized and it is possible to
use for the good of the State if a person is a Ger without a wife or a husband
and family. Jews usually had some heir from some relative.
11 and
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 12 Speak unto the children of
Israel, and say unto them: If any man’s wife go aside, and act unfaithfully
against him, 13 and a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from
the eyes of her husband, she being defiled secretly, and there be no witness
against her, neither she be taken in the act; 14 and the spirit of
jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled; or
if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she
be not defiled;
A man usually does not get suspicious of his wife and most women
do not think about going astray. “Your wife should be fruitful like a vine” just
as a vine does not mingle with other species so other men should not interest a
normal wife. However, there are a few immodest women. However, if a man finds
signs that his wife is acting strange or talking too much with a male guest or
friend it might be because there is something too it. However, in most cases it
is an insecure man who is jealous. A
few women are bullied by men who are jealous but more often than not, they
leave a man who does not trust them. Even worse the woman who never thought of
cheating either is driven into the arms of another man or divorces and then
lives with another man. I have seen this in my life more than once. I even knew
of a case where both the husband and wife were earning and the husband wanted
to control the money that the wife said bye-bye. Remember partners male and
female were created as bone of my bones flesh of my flesh and as the right hand
is not jealous of the left hand so neither should one be. As for the evil
inclination and lies that removes people from this world.
15 then
shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and shall bring her offering for
her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it,
nor put frankincense thereon; for it is a meal-offering of jealousy, a meal-offering
of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance. 16 And the priest
shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD. 17 And the priest
shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the
floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the
water. 18 And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and let
the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal-offering of memorial in
her hands, which is the meal-offering of jealousy; and the priest shall have in
his hand the water of bitterness that causes the curse. 19 And the
priest shall cause her to swear, and shall say unto the woman: ‘If no man have
lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness, being under thy
husband, be thou free from this water of bitterness that causes the
curse; 20 but if thou hast gone aside, being under thy husband, and
if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee besides thy husband–21 then
the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the
priest shall say unto the woman–the LORD make thee a curse and an oath among
thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy belly to
swell; 22 and this water that causes the curse shall go into thy
bowels, and make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to fall away’; and the woman
shall say: ‘Amen, Amen.’ 23 And the priest shall write these curses
in a scroll, and he shall blot them out into the water of
bitterness. 24 And he shall make the woman drink the water of
bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causeth the curse shall
enter into her and become bitter. 25 And the priest shall take the
meal-offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the
meal-offering before the LORD, and bring it unto the altar. 26 And
the priest shall take a handful of the meal-offering, as the memorial-part
thereof, and make it smoke upon the altar, and afterward shall make the woman
drink the water. 27 And when he hath made her drink the water, then it
shall come to pass, if she be defiled, and have acted unfaithfully against her
husband, that the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become
bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away; and the woman
shall be a curse among her people. 28 And if the woman be not
defiled, but be clean; then she shall be cleared, and shall conceive
seed. 29 This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her
husband, goes aside, and is defiled; 30 or when the spirit of
jealousy cometh upon a man, and he be jealous over his wife; then shall he set
the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this
law. 31 And the man shall be clear from iniquity, and that woman
shall bear her iniquity.
I would like
to remind everybody of the story of Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida) who
called the cheating wife into his office and he told the husband to give the
woman a get. He read the Parsha above and the husband would not divorce the
wife despite that it appears there were witnesses who came before the Chida to
tell him. He asked the wife to request a divorce. The couple left his office
and her thigh swelled etc. and she died on the street this was slightly more than
200 years ago and documented by the congregation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_Joseph_David_Azulai
6:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of
Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow,
the vow of a Nazir, to consecrate himself unto the LORD, 3 he shall
abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar
of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh
grapes or dried. 4 All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat
nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the
grapestone.
This is not
really desired by HASHEM. However, if the Yetzer of a man be strong in him
because he witnessed the act or the trail of the Sotah then he may vow this. But
one should not that being a Nazir is a sin in reality as he is trying to be
holier than thou so he has to bring a Korban as described blow.
16 And the
priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin-offering, and
his burnt-offering. 17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of
peace-offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest
shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering
thereof. 18 And the Nazir shall shave his consecrated head at the
door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head,
and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of
peace-offerings. 19 And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram
when it is sodden, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one
unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazir after he hath
shaven his consecrated head. 20 And the priest shall wave them for a
wave-offering before the LORD; this is holy for the priest, together with the
breast of waving and the thigh of heaving; and after that the Nazir may drink
wine. 21 This is the law of the Nazir who vows, and of his offering
unto the LORD for his Nazir-ship, beside that for which his means suffice;
according to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his Nazir-ship.
Perhaps one of
the most practical parts of the Parsha for todays world is right here:
22 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 23 ‘Speak unto Aaron and unto his
sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say
unto them: 24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee; 25 The
LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; 26 The
LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee
peace. {S} 27 So shall they put My name upon the children of
Israel, and I will bless them.’
7:1 And
it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the
tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture
thereof, and the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and
sanctified them; 2that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’
houses, offered–these were the princes of the tribes, these are they that were
over them that were numbered. 3 And they brought their offering
before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen: a wagon for every two of
the princes, and for each one an ox; and they presented them before the
tabernacle. 4 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 5 ‘Take
it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tent of meeting; and thou
shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.’ 6 And
Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites. 7 Two
wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their
service. 8 And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of
Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of
Aaron the priest. 9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, because
the service of the holy things belonged unto them: they bore them upon their
shoulders. 10 And the princes brought the dedication-offering of the
altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes brought their offering
before the altar.
First came the
joint offering of all the princes of the Shivaism (tribes) and now came the
individual gifts that were equal so that no tribe would be slighted or appear
richer.
11 And
the LORD said unto Moses: ‘They shall present their offering each prince on his
day, for the dedication of the altar.’ 12 And he that presented his
offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; 13 and
his offering was one silver dish, the weight thereof was a hundred and thirty
shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the
sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a
meal-offering; 14 one golden pan of ten shekels, full of
incense; 15 one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb of the first
year, for a burnt-offering; 16 one male of the goats for a
sin-offering; 17 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen,
five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs of the first year. This was the
offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 18 On the second day
Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer … 24 On the third
day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun: … 30 On
the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of
Reuben: … 36 On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai,
prince of the children of Simeon: … 42 On the sixth day Eliasaph the
son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad: … 48 On the seventh day
Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim: … 54 On
the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of
Manasseh: … 60 On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of
the children of Benjamin: … 66 On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of
Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan: … 78 On the twelfth day
Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali: … 84 This
was the dedication-offering of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, at
the hands of the princes of Israel: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins,
twelve golden pans; 85 each silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty
shekels, and each basin seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand and
four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; 86 twelve
golden pans, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of
the sanctuary; all the gold of the pans a hundred and twenty shekels; 87 all
the oxen for the burnt-offering twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the he-lambs
of the first year twelve, and their meal-offering; and the males of the goats
for a sin-offering twelve; 88 and all the oxen for the sacrifice of
peace-offerings twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-goats sixty,
the he-lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication-offering of the
altar, after that it was anointed. 89 And when Moses went into the
tent of meeting that He might speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking
unto him from above the ark-cover that was upon the ark of the testimony, from
between the two cherubim; and He spoke unto him.
One nation one
heart or Am Ehud Lev Ehud in Hebrew that is how they gave the equal gifts of
the princes.
Parsha
Behaalosecha
8:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Speak unto Aaron, and say unto
him: When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of
the candlestick.'
When you light: Why is the
portion dealing with the menorah juxtaposed to the portion dealing with the
chieftains? For when Aaron saw the dedication [offerings] of the chieftains, he
felt distressed over not joining them in this dedication-neither he nor his
tribe. So God said to him, “By your life, yours is greater than theirs, for you
will light and prepare the lamps.” - [Tanchuma Beha’alothecha 3]
See how sensitive
HASHEM is to the feelings of HIS loved ones. For Aaron felt sad for his tribe
that nobody brought a gift unto HASHEM.
3 And
Aaron did so: he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the
candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. 4 And this was the work of
the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the
flowers thereof, it was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the LORD
had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick.
The Torah
comes to remind us how the Menorah looked like as it was hidden most of the
time from view by the Mishkan.
5 And the
LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 6 'Take the Levites from among the
children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 And thus shalt thou do unto
them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let
them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their
clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8 Then let them take a young
bullock, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, and another young
bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering. 9 And thou shalt present
the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt assemble the whole
congregation of the children of Israel. 10 And thou shalt present the
Levites before the LORD; and the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon
the Levites.
This is the
purification of the tribe of Levi with a Korban.
... 17 For
all the first-born among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast;
on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified
them for Myself. 18 And I have taken the Levites instead of all the
first-born among the children of Israel.
This is a
reminder that the Leviim have replaced the Bechorim of Yisrael.
… 23 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 24 'This is that which pertains
unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to
perform the service in the work of the tent of meeting; 25 and from
the age of fifty years they shall return from the service of the work, and
shall serve no more; 26 but shall minister with their brethren in the
tent of meeting, to keep the charge, but they shall do no manner of service.
Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charges.
The age of
Avoda was from 25 to 50 but the ones who worked on the Mishkan needed the
maximum strength which occurs at the age of 28 which is Chaf-Chet in Hebrew or
Koach = strength so that was from 30 until 50. What did the Leviim do before 25
years of age? They learned in a Yeshiva. What did they do after the age of 50?
They were teaches to the Am of Torah and upon entrance into Eretz Yisrael from
their 24 dispersed cities would go out and teach the traditions to Am Yisrael.
They also had some plots of land and their main earnings were from Maaser.
9:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the
second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt,
saying: 2 'Let the children of Israel keep the Passover in its
appointed season. 3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at dusk, ye
shall keep it in its appointed season; according to all the statutes of it, and
according to all the ordinances thereof, shall ye keep it.' 4 And
Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the Passover. 5 And
they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month,
at dusk, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded
Moses, so did the children of Israel. 6 But there were certain men,
who were unclean by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover
on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that
day. 7 And those men said unto him: 'We are unclean by the dead body
of a man; wherefore are we to be kept back, so as not to bring the offering of
the LORD in its appointed season among the children of Israel?' 8 And
Moses said unto them: 'Stay ye, that I may hear what the LORD will command
concerning you.'
We see here
that we are still in the time period of the establishment of the Mishkan and
Aaron’s sons just passed away. I don’t know from whence the Sages say that
until entering Eretz Yisrael and the people not having Bris Mila the Korban
Pessach stopped. From the Pshat of the Pasukim here this does not seem logical
to me. But rather there were a number of people for whatever reason were not
circumcised but I would think that most observed Pessach.
9 And the
LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 10 'Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying: If any man of you or of your generations shall be unclean by reason of
a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the Passover unto
the LORD; 11 in the second month on the fourteenth day at dusk they
shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs; 12 they shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break a
bone thereof; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep
it. 13 But the man that is clean, and is not on a journey, and
forbears to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people;
because he brought not the offering of the LORD in its appointed season, that
man shall bear his sin.
These Pasukim
add to my contention that most of the Am celebrated Pessach in HaMidbar. For
why would Moshe let the Mitzvah sleep through the nation and ignore it and let
the people get Kares?
14 And if
a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the Passover unto the LORD:
according to the statute of the Passover, and according to the ordinance
thereof, so shall he do; ye shall have one statute, both for the stranger, and
for him that is born in the land.'
Pessach
applies to Gerim and we see each year the Beisei Dinim allowing a lot of people
to convert right before Pessach.
15 And on
the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle,
even the tent of the testimony; and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it
were the appearance of fire, until morning.16 So it was always: the cloud
covered it, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the
cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel
journeyed; and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel
encamped. 18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel
journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they encamped: as long as the
cloud abode upon the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 And when
the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel
kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. 20 And sometimes the
cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the
LORD they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the LORD they
journeyed. 21 And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning;
and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed; or if it
continued by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they
journeyed. 22 Whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that
the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel remained
encamped, and journeyed not; but when it was taken up, they
journeyed. 23 At the commandment of the LORD they encamped, and at
the commandment of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD,
at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Imagine a
600,000 man army and families awaiting signals from G-D where and when to march
for 40 years. This is a nation who had not much more to do than to learn Torah.
10:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Make thee two trumpets of
silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them; and they shall be unto thee for
the calling of the congregation, and for causing the camps to set
forward. 3 And when they shall blow with them, all the congregation
shall gather themselves unto thee at the door of the tent of
meeting. 4 And if they blow but with one, then the princes, the heads
of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. 5 And
when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall take their
journey. 6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps that
lie on the south side shall set forward; they shall blow an alarm for their
journeys. 7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, ye
shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. 8 And the sons of Aaron,
the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a
statute for ever throughout your generations. 9 And when ye go to war
in your land against the adversary that oppresses you, then ye shall sound an
alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God,
and ye shall be saved from your enemies. 10 Also in the day of your
gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in your new moons, ye shall blow
with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the sacrifices of your
peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am
the LORD your God.'
There was a
multipurpose use of the trumpets as marching orders, emergency network and
various festivities using different calls and signals.
11 And it
came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of
the month, that the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the
testimony. 12 And the children of Israel set forward by their stages
out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud abode in the wilderness of
Paran.-- 13 And they took their first journey, according to the
commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 14 And in the first
place the standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward according
to their hosts; and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. … 33 And they set forward from the mount of
the LORD three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went
before them three days' journey, to seek out a resting-place for
them. 34 And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, when they
set forward from the camp. 35 And it came to pass, when the ark set
forward, that Moses said: 'Rise up, O LORD, and let Thine enemies be scattered;
and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.' 36 And when it rested,
he said: 'Return, O LORD, unto the ten thousands of the families of
Israel.'
This is the
section that mentions how they travelled and all this went on over the course
of 40 years. At this point we return to the rebellious people who cannot give
thanks but just complains.
11:1 And
the people were as murmurers, speaking evil in the ears of the LORD; and when
the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among
them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp. 2 And the
people cried unto Moses; and Moses prayed unto the LORD, and the fire
abated. 3 And the name of that place was called Taberah, because the
fire of the LORD burnt among them. 4 And the mixed multitude that was
among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept on their part,
and said: 'Would that we were given flesh to eat!
Korach should
have learned from this as for the punishment for those who went against Moshe.
However, Korach thought that his grievance was for the sake of heaven against
the power of Moshe. Let us compare a previous incident of mutter for food a
year prior to this incident. Shemos 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim,
and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of
Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month
after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2And the
whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against
Aaron in the wilderness; 3 and the children of Israel said unto
them: 'Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt,
when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have
brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'
5 We
remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for naught; the
cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the
garlic; 6 but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all; we
have naught save this manna to look to.'-- 7 Now the manna was like
coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium.
Now the manna was like coriander
seed: The one who said this [verse] did not say that. The Israelites said,
“We have nothing but manna to look at,” whereas the Holy One, blessed is He,
inscribed in the Torah, “the manna was like coriander seed…” as if to say, “See,
all you who inhabit the world, what my children are complaining about-the manna
is excellent in so many ways!” - [Sifrei Beha’alothecha 1:42:1] crystal: Heb.
בְּדֹלַ×—, the name of a precious stone, [in
French,] cristal.
8 The
people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in
mortars, and seethed it in pots, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was
as the taste of a cake baked with oil. 9 And when the dew fell upon
the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.-- 10 And Moses heard
the people weeping, family by family, every man at the door of his tent; and
the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; and Moses was
displeased. 11 And Moses said unto the LORD: 'Wherefore hast Thou
dealt ill with Thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in Thy sight,
that YOU lay the burden of all this people upon me? 12 Have I
conceived all this people? have I brought them forth, that Thou should say unto
me: Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father carries the sucking child,
unto the land which Thou didst swear unto their fathers? 13 Whence
should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they trouble me with
their weeping, saying: Give us flesh, that we may eat. 14 I am not
able to bear all this people myself alone, because it is too heavy for
me. 15 And if Thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray Thee, out of
hand, if I have found favor in Thy sight; and let me not look upon my
wretchedness.'
Moshe was at
his wits end and did not think of going into Eretz Yisrael but asked to be
relieved of this nation of winers.
16 And
the LORD said unto Moses: 'Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel,
whom thou know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and
bring them unto the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with
thee. 17And I will come down and speak with thee there; and I will take of
the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear
the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
From now on
there will be 70 elders of the tribes whom you can rely upon as a Sanhedrin to
judge the people.
18 And
say thou unto the people: Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall
eat flesh; for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying: Would that we were
given flesh to eat! for it was well with us in Egypt; therefore the LORD will
give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 19Ye shall not eat one day, nor two
days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; 20 but a
whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you;
because that ye have rejected the LORD who is among you, and have troubled Him
with weeping, saying: Why, now, came we forth out of Egypt?' 21 And
Moses said: 'The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot;
and yet Thou hast said: I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole
month! 22 If flocks and herds be slain for them, will they suffice
them? or if all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, will they
suffice them?'
There were 600,000
adult men and about the same in women and then children and elders giving us a
popular of 2.5 to 3,000,000 people.
23 And
the LORD said unto Moses: 'Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? now shalt thou see
whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.' 24 And Moses
went out, and told the people the words of the LORD; and he gathered seventy
men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the
Tent. 25 And the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke unto him, and
took of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders; and
it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but
they did so no more. 26 But there remained two men in the camp, the
name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad; and the spirit
rested upon them; and they were of them that were recorded, but had not gone
out unto the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp.
Eldad and
Medad were more deserving that others on the Sanhedrin but their modesty made
them step aside so HASHEM gave them prophecy.
27 And
there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said: 'Eldad and Medad are
prophesying in the camp.' 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister
of Moses from his youth up, answered and said: 'My lord Moses, shut them
in.'
They
prophesized that Moshe would pass away in the wilderness and not enter Eretz
Yisrael. Yehoshua became infuriated and wanted them punished.
29 And
Moses said unto him: 'Art thou jealous for my sake? would that all the LORD'S
people were prophets, that the LORD would put His spirit upon them!'
He was zealous
for Moshe. From here we learn that he did not desire the honor of leading the
people into Eretz Yisrael but rather his great teacher, Moshe.
30 And
Moses withdrew into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31 And there
went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought across quails from the sea, and
let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's
journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the
face of the earth. 32 And the people rose up all that day, and all
the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails; he that gathered
least gathered ten heaps; and they spread them all abroad for themselves round
about the camp. 33 While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere
it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the
LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
Scientists
tell us that when a quail flies it produces a ketone in its wings that is
harmful to man but it gets dispersed when a quail rests and is cooked. These
gluttons could not wait to cook the meat and grabbed up raw quails like one
starving and perhaps without even a Bracha and they died from the toxins in the
quail.
34 And
the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried
the people that lusted.
When we see at
the end of Sefer Bamidbar we wonder how is it that at the end of the Sefer
there are 3000 or so less males. Well here is one spot, the plague with the
spies, Korach, the misbehavior of the tribe of Shimon etc. led to the relatively
same numbers.
35 From
Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed unto Hazeroth; and they abode at
Hazeroth.
As much as Miriam loved her sister-in-law that she was sort of a
second and ignored wife to HASHEM, she should have said something to Moshe’s
face and not talk Lashon HaRa for this she was punished and her actions became
one of the six remembrances of the Torah. So please remember her punishment for
Lashon HaRa.
12:1 And
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had
married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said: 'Hath
the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? hath He not spoken also with us?' And
the LORD heard it.-- 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the
men that were upon the face of the earth.-- 4 And the LORD spoke
suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam: 'Come out ye three unto
the tent of meeting.' And they three came out.
Why suddenly?
To show to Miriam that one must be Tahor 24/7 to stay away from normal intimacy
in order to be able to speak to HASHEM.
5 And the
LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and
called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth. 6 And He said:
'Hear now My words: if there be a prophet among you, I the LORD do make Myself
known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream. 7 My
servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house; 8 with him do
I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude
of the LORD doth he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against
My servant, against Moses?' 9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled
against them; and He departed. 10 And when the cloud was removed from
over the Tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow; and Aaron looked
upon Miriam; and, behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said unto
Moses: 'Oh my lord, lay not, I pray thee, sin upon us, for that we have done
foolishly, and for that we have sinned. 12 Let her not, I pray, be as
one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's
womb.' 13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying: 'Heal her now, O
God, I beseech Thee.'
Moshe’s prayer
is 3 words in Hebrew and is the shortest prayer. This teaches us that pray can
be short like this or 40 days long. For prayer should be talk from the heart.
[Nowadays, we pray a standard prayer and we are in a rush so we pray with
fervor what we can and not how we should. It is the tragedy of the rat-race in
modern society. The world does not need everybody learning in Yeshiva but
practical frum people.]
14 And
the LORD said unto Moses: 'If her father had but spit in her face, should she
not hide in shame seven days? let her be shut up without the camp seven days,
and after that she shall be brought in again.' 15 And Miriam was shut
up without the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not till Miriam was
brought in again. 16 And afterward the people journeyed from
Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.
Just as Miriam
followed and waited for what would be with the Teva of Moshe, so she was
rewarded that the nation waited for her purity.
PBS Movie Huberman’s List: http://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2013/04/02/176018068/hubermans-list-how-a-violinist-saved-jews-in-world-war-ii
The roll call of great 20th-century violinists includes so many
incredible Jewish artists: Jascha Heifetz. David Oistrakh. Mischa Elman. Ida
Haendel. Isaac Stern. Yehudi Menuhin. Itzhak Perlman.
Among the most extraordinary of that number, however,
has got to be the Polish violinist Bronisław Huberman.
As a child, he toured Europe as a prodigy, impressing even
skeptics like Brahms,
for whom at age 14 he played Brahms' violin concerto, a piece written for
Huberman's teacher, the great Joseph Joachim. But what made Huberman far more
visionary — and what had a far larger impact than his music making — was the
political foresight and bravery he displayed during the Nazis' rise to power.
As the situation for Jews began to deteriorate steadily in
Europe, Huberman used his reputation and prestige toward a bigger goal than his
own fame and fortune. He began recruiting the best of the best Jewish
orchestral players to regroup in Palestine as a new ensemble, the Palestine
Symphony Orchestra, later renamed the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. For this
effort, he enlisted the aid of such celebrities as Albert Einstein and Arturo
Toscanini, the orchestra's conductor at their first concert on
Dec. 26, 1936.
Huberman's story is told in an absorbing documentary made by
Josh Aronson calledOrchestra
of Exiles and newly
available on DVD. As musician after musician and their descendants testify in
Aronson's film, if it hadn't been for Huberman, dozens of musicians and their
families — nearly 1000 people in all — would nearly certainly have died if they
had stayed in countries including Germany, Austria, Poland and Hungary. As
Aronson makes clear, Huberman had the prescience to realize that far more than
a new job was at stake for these artists. And along with literally saving
lives, Huberman found a way to preserve and perpetuate an enormous legacy of
European Jewish musical tradition.
Along the way, Aronson recruits star performers like Perlman and
Pinchas Zukerman to impress upon us how important Huberman's accomplishment is.
Another is violinist Joshua
Bell, who presently owns Huberman's violin, now dubbed the
Stradivarius "Gibson ex Huberman." (There's an astonishing
tale only
half-told here involving a brazen theft from Carnegie Hall and loads of black
shoe polish, in how the fiddle got away from Huberman and ultimately made its
way — legally — to Bell.)
Huberman's story is a terrific if wrenching narrative that
deserves to be far better known. Aronson brings a particular ear to his work;
his Oscar-nominated documentary from 2000, Sound and Fury, was a compassionate profile of an
extended family wrestling with the decision of whether or not to give their
deaf children cochlear implants. What I didn't realize when I saw that earlier
film just how fundamental sound and music are to Aronson. In his non-filmmaking
life, he is a concert pianist and the husband of violinist Maria Bachmann, with whom he runs the Telluride Music fest. When he
turns to this historical story, however, Aronson is a more uneven director; his
reliance on corny re-enactment segments is particularly unfortunate. Even so,
it's a story begging for wider recognition, which hopefully it will get this
month, with the DVD out and a national airing on PBS scheduled for Sunday,
April 14th. (Thanks to a man named Afshine E.)
Black and Jewish WWI Veterans finally get
the Congressional Medal of Honor: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/02/black-and-jewish-wwi-heroes-finally-getting-medal-honor/
President Obama
awarded the Medal of Honor Tuesday to two World War I Army soldiers who may
have been denied the top military honor in the past due to
discrimination.
"It's never
too late to say thank you," Obama said.
Obama
posthumously recognized Sgt. William Shemin, a Jewish soldier, and Pvt. Henry
Johnson, an African-American serviceman, for their heroism rescuing comrades on
the battlefields of France nearly a century ago.
"They both
risked their own lives to save the lives of others," the president
said.
Shemin's two
daughters, Elsie and Ina, received the award on behalf of their father. New
York National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Louis Wilson accepted the medal on
Johnson's behalf.
Shemin repeatedly
dodged gunfire to pull wounded comrades to safety during three days of bloody
battle. And Pvt. Henry Johnson rescued a wounded comrade from his all-black
regiment while single-handedly fighting off a surprise German attack.
The award comes
after tireless efforts by advocates for the two men led Congress to pass an
exemption from Medal of Honor rules specifying that heroic actions have to have
taken place within five years to be considered.
"It has
taken a long time for Henry Johnson and William Shemin to receive the
recognition they deserve and there are surely others whose heroism is still
unacknowledged and uncelebrated," Obama said, adding that there is still
work to do to ensure that the stories of all heroes are told.
"The least
we can do is to say we know who you are, we know what you did for us, we are
forever grateful," he said.
Elsie Shemin-Roth
of suburban St. Louis worked for years to gather documents in support of the
bid for her father. In the early 2000s, she learned of a law that reviewed the
cases of Jews who may have been denied medals they earned in World War II and
fought for passage of a law to provide similar review for Jewish World War I
veterans.
"This was
anti-Semitism, no question about it," Shemin-Roth, who is in her 80s, said
in an interview in December when Congress passed the exemption for her father,
who died in 1973. "Now a wrong has been made right and all is
forgiven."
Johnson
supporters pushed for the Medal of Honor for decades -- with New York Sen.
Chuck Schumer taking up the case. He was initially rebuffed for lack of
documentation, but his staff picked up the case again years later when a trove
of military records became available online. This included a communique from
Gen. John Pershing describing Johnson's brave acts after coming under attack by
at least 12 German soldiers while on night sentry duty on May 15, 1918.
"While under
intense enemy fire and despite receiving significant wounds, Johnson mounted a
brave retaliation resulting in several enemy casualties," the White House
said in a statement. "When his fellow soldier was badly wounded, Private
Johnson prevented him from being taken prisoner by German forces. Private
Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to
engage an enemy soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Displaying great courage,
Private Johnson held back the enemy force until they retreated."
Johnson, who
worked as a train station porter in Albany, enlisted in the 369th, a New York
National Guard unit based in Manhattan. The "Harlem Hellfighters," as
the unit became known, served under French command because U.S. armed forces
were segregated at the time.
Hobbled by his
wartime injuries, Johnson died a destitute alcoholic at age 32 at a veterans
hospital in Illinois in 1929.
Shemin was 19
when his platoon was involved in a bloody fight. "Sergeant Shemin left the
cover of his platoon's trench and crossed open space, repeatedly exposing
himself to heavy machine gun and rifle fire to rescue the wounded," the
White House announcement said.
The young
sergeant took shrapnel but survived. He led the platoon out of harm's way for
the next three days, until a German bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind
his left ear. Shemin was hospitalized for three months and was left partly
deaf. Shrapnel wounds eventually left him barely able to walk, although he
earned a degree from Syracuse University and started a nursery business in the
Bronx.
Perkei Avos Chapter 2 Continued
from last week: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682513/jewish/English-Text.htm
Dear Rachamim,
You may use the
translations for your blog, with the request that you reference the translation
as being used with the permission of the Meaningful Life Center, and include a
link to our website ( meaningfullife.com).
11. Rabbi Joshua would say: An evil eye,
the evil inclination, and the hatred of one's fellows, drive a person from the
world.
How
many times have I seen a person cut off his nose to spite his face out of
hatred for somebody else. Then there is jealousy that the King said you can
have what you want but your friend will get twice. So in the end he asks to
have an eye removed so that his friend will lose two. A few women are bullied
by men who are jealous but more often than not, they leave a man who does not
trust them. Even worse the woman who never thought of cheating either is driven
into the arms of another man or divorces and then lives with another man. I
have seen this in my life more than once. I even knew of a case where both the
husband and wife were earning and the husband wanted to control the money that
the wife said bye-bye. Remember partners male and female were created as bone
of my bones flesh of my flesh and as the right hand is not jealous of the left
hand so neither should one be. As for the evil inclination and lies that
removes people from this world.
12. Rabbi Yossi would say: The property of
your fellow should be as precious to you as your own. Perfect yourself for the
study of Torah, for it is not an inheritance to you. And all your deeds should
be for the sake of Heaven.
1 -
Would it only be so that our elected leaders treat our taxes as David Melech
Yisrael did and spend frugally as if it belonged to the nation and not their
self-interest. Is there not a Mitzvah if the donkey of your enemy has a burden
that you should help.
2 –
Torah belongs to all of Am Yisrael if you know it spread it.
3 –
Do not do Mitzvos for gaining a larger place in the next world or reducing time
in Gehennom, but for the sake of heaven as L. Nemoy playing Mr. Spock used to
say “it was the right thing to do at the time.”
13. Rabbi Shimon would say: Be meticulous
with the reading of the Shema and
with prayer. When you pray, do not make your prayers routine, but [an entreaty
of] mercy and a supplication before the Almighty, as is stated ``For He is
benevolent and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, and
relenting of the evil decree'' (Joel 2:13). And do not be wicked in your
own eyes.
This
is one of the hardest things for a modern man in the rat race to do. One is
busy and wants to pray but has to catch a subway, bus, drive to work or the
doctor, punch a card or has a meeting. 45 years of having left the Yeshiva
World and switching to Hebrew has killed my Kavannah. Despite what the Rabbis
told me, I say pray with fervor in English than mouth words in Hebrew. Try to
control one’s anger and always try to be a Tzaddik.
14. Rabbi Elazar would say: Be diligent in
the study of Torah. Know what to answer a heretic. And know before whom you
toil, and who is your employer who will repay you the reward of your labors.
Put
in a great effort to learn and understand Torah. Often one has to contra an
idiot or let him make a fool of himself. All Torah endeavors will get a reward.
15. Rabbi Tarfon would say: The day is short, the work
is much, the workers are lazy, the reward is great, and the Master is pressing.
Rabbi
Tarfon emphasizes that there is not enough time to learn Torah and those
learning are not always ambitious. The reward for learning Torah is tremendous
and the Moshiach is waiting but we are too lazy.
16. He would also say: It is not incumbent
upon you to finish the task, but neither are you free to absolve yourself from
it. If you have learned much Torah, you will be greatly rewarded, and your
employer is trustworthy to pay you the reward of your labors. And know, that the
reward of the righteous is in the World to Come.
It
might not be your job to bring the Moshiach or to get all the Bnei Yisrael to
repent, but you have to do your best. Your employer for Torah resides in heaven
and will reward you but not necessarily in this world.
I heard
her speaking in German 77 years later women gets the PhD that she deserved and
at 102 she still speaks clearly: http://abcnews.go.com/International/102-year-german-woman-phd-turned-nazis-77/story?id=31444347 Thanks to Ariella.
This will affect a lot of us just make sure you have enough RAM
for it to work well: http://fortune.com/2015/06/01/windows-10-release-date/
Thanks to
Stephen E. H. an example of measure for measure Mida Knegged Mida: http://videos.komando.com/watch/8031/kims-picks-youll-love-this-heartwarming-short-film-about-a-dog-paying-back-a-favor
Brooklyn replaces Silicon Valley: http://fortune.com/2015/06/01/this-is-the-city-with-the-largest-percentage-of-women-led-startups/
In case
you did not know that Yermiyahu was Emmes: http://conservativetribune.com/discovery-proves-bible/
Recently a
larger infiltration of Muslim job seekers from Africa via Egypt: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196167#.VW2Ggc-qqko
Not a
full Torah perspective but nice: On mourning and loss by S. Sandberg: http://www.jewishjournal.com/dr_emranis_mystic_healing/item/on_loss_ten_lessons_from_sheryl_sandbergs_facebook_post
Inyanay Diyoma
Ed-Op why
the left believes Abu Abbas and not Netanyahu: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4662764,00.html
With 2 tons of explosives, Hezballah man seized
in Cyprus: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196008#.VWiRc8-qqko
Breast
cancer cure breakthrough: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196025#.VWsk0M-qqkp
From Martin Sherman the depraved two State
solution: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-the-Fray-The-depraved-indifference-of-two-statism-404448
The
fighting in Syria may use missiles that were intended for Israel against ISIS http://debka.com/article/24633/Iran-weighs-turning-Hizballah%E2%80%99s-anti-Israel-missiles-against-ISIS-to-save-Damascus-and-Baghdad
Dr.
Mordechai Kedar analyses what is happening to Assad: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/16989#.VWtPUs-qqko
Moshe
Dayan and a discussion on the Temple Mount: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196073#.VWtUws-qqko
Ted Cruz
calls to remove Federal Money from Universities that Boycott Israel and
Huckabee on Iran: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196085#.VWvdJM-qqkp
Without
proper algorithms the data is useless contrary to Debka I agree with the Senate
if it did not stop the Boston Bombing and trips to Syria etc. it is time to
only work on court orders: http://debka.com/article/24635/The-US-Patriot-Act%E2%80%99s-non-renewal-would-curtail-tools-for-preventing-mega-attacks-on-US-air-traffic-
Hamas
fires more rockets – this time a developmental test: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196095#.VWxAlM-qqko
Let the
families win over the terrorists organizations: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196111#.VWxFIc-qqko
You
can scare some of the people saying you are ISIS but a Jew knows what surrender
means so it is try to live or die but fight to the death and that ISIS has
never encountered in the past. http://debka.com/article/24637/First-Hamas-ISIS-firefight-in-Gaza-%E2%80%9CIslamic-State-of-Jerusalem%E2%80%9D-supporters-sighted-on-Israeli-border
Finally the
occupation is removed: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196166#.VW19Y8-qqko
Did
Israel hit Hezballah in Lebanon? Were they moving Iranian long range missiles?
Both sides deny. Was Hezballah hit by Al Nusra? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4664110,00.html
Iran and
Syria planning a surprise for ISIS: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196205#.VW5rH8-qqko
Obama on
Iran this is scary stuff for they set their clocks to Bazaar Bargaining time. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4664266,00.html
Gail
brought down the Washington Post interview of Educational Minister N. Bennett: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/israels-naftali-bennett-i-dont-believe-in-giving-up-our-land/2015/05/29/0817d096-04f7-11e5-bc72-f3e16bf50bb6_story.html
One thing
is protecting the Arab minorities and another thing is this: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196242#.VW8mU8-qqko
Assad may
fall soon. http://freebeacon.com/national-security/arab-affairs-analyst-predicts-near-term-fall-of-assad-regime/
Stop using words that I try not to use if you support Israel: http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/07/israels-supporters-must-stop-using-these-13-phrases/
Terrorist
in Boston besides planning to behead policemen also blogger was the target: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196267#.VW_RNM-qqko
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4664044,00.html
Bombing
empty shacks or buildings as a sign of displeasure as a msg. to Hamas: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196265#.VW_SXc-qqko Fighting words but that is what it is words: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196270#.VW_3PM-qqko
Syria is
caving in like a bunch of dominos: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4664764,00.html
This is
the bottom of the 9th inning for Assad and I don’t know how much
this can help: http://debka.com/article/24639/Iranian-Rev-Guards-ready-to-intervene-in-Syria-to-save-Assad-Soleimani-Expect-major-events-in-Syria
We are about to see HASHEM at work Iran is going to clash with
ISIS but then we may have one or the other opposite us: http://debka.com/article/24646/Exclusive-Tehran-expected-to-invoke-defense-pact-for-large-scale-troop-deployment-to-Syria
This is
what happens when you give cyber security to clowns who donated to your
campaign: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/196326#.VXE_ms-qqko
African
infiltrators are hoping over the border again with ladders scaling the fence an
Ed-Op on the danger including terrorists: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4664044,00.html
Wishing everybody a pleasant and peaceful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
