Shalom Friends;
Our Shavuot vort is being sponsored by David and Tzippora Leichter of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated lilui nishmas David’s Grandmother, Sarah bat Yehuda and dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all remianing hostages as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Leichter family, many thanks for your sponsorship and for your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShevua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShevua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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The placement of Shavuot on our Hebrew calendar is, in most years of Shavuot, nestled in between Parshat Bamidbar and Parshat Naso. In this year, Shavuot begins on Yom Sheini following Parshat Bamidbar, in the week of Shabbos Parshat Naso.
In the leyning for Shavuot, just after the Asseret HaDivrot, Torah records:
“The entire people saw the thunder and the flames, [heard] the sound of the Shofar, and the smoking mountain; the people saw and trembled and stood from afar. They said to Moshe, ‘You speak to us and we shall hear; let Hashem not speak to us lest we die.’ Moshe said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for in order to elevate you has Hashem come; and so that fear of Him shall be upon your faces so that you shall not sin.'” (Sefer Sh’mot, Perek 20, posukim 15 – 17 as rendered to English in the Artscroll Shavuot Machzor)
The Sefer “Inspiration and Insight,” Volume 2 — Discourses on the Holidays and Other Themes, by the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yehudah Zev Segal, z”l cites Rashi and Ramban on Rambam (pages 53 – 56, 59) :
…Rashi… interprets Nasot to mean ‘raise up’: “[The purpose of the revelation was] to make you great in the world; your fame shall spread among the nations, for Hashem, in His glory revealed Himself to you.”
Ramban, however, cites Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim, who relates the term Nasot to N’soyon, test:
He [Moshe] told them, “…For this that you have seen was so that when Hashem will test you to make known the level of your faith, and will send to you a false prophet who will attempt to contradict that which you have heard, you will never waver from the truth — for you have seen the truth with your own eyes.”
Aside from the insight which Rambam’s interpretation lends to the Revelation itself, a fundamental lesson can be gleaned from his words. Hashem does not subject a person to a test unless the person has the ability to pass that test. Hashem knew that at some future time the people would be tested when false prophets would attempt to sway them from their beliefs. To assure that all generations would have the spiritual wherewithal to reject the arguments of… wicked individuals, it was necessary for every member of the generation that received the Torah to become a true prophet and hear the word of Hashem directly, without any intermediaries.
The Jews were faced with a difficult test only weeks after they received the Torah. Moshe ascended to Shemayim the day after Torah was given. Before ascending, he informed the people that he would return in forty days. The people counted the days until their leader would return. The Torah relates:
“The people saw that Moshe tarried in descending the mountain…”
Rashi (ibid, citing Shabbos 89a) …relates that the Satan showed the image of a deceased Moshe Rabbeinu being borne in the heavens. The result of… this was the Sin of the Golden Calf, a sin so grievous that Hashem in His mercy spread its punishment throughout the generations, rather than exacting it in one devastating blow. (ibid, Rashi on Sh’mot Perek 32, posuk 34)
Moshe had told the people that he would be returning to them. They should not have doubted his words, despite having miscalculated the forty days of his ascent and despite Satan’s efforts at misleading them. After having witnessed the Revelation as prophets, they should have understood that no amount of ‘proof’ could stand against words that emanated from the mouth of Moshe. The entire episode was nothing more than a test — to determine whether or not their level of emunah was sufficient for them to maintain the lofty status they had achieved upon receiving the Torah. They failed.
Each person’s life has its own set of trials and tribulations. At the same time, each generation as a whole is faced with communal tests, as were the Jews in the Wilderness.
Our heroic Chayalim went to battle on 7 October, as they have in all of Israel’s previous wars, with a Divine Mandate — to fight for their fellow Jews, for the Will of Hashem. Unfortunately, it seems that the same can’t be said for much of the High Command echelons, the Shin Bet, Israel’s electronic mainstream media and leftist political echelons — Israel’s deep state who, like the generation of the Jews in the Wilderness, failed the test with catastrophic consequences for Kol Am Yisrael, both at the outset of 7 October — Simchat Torah, in subsequent “negotiations” involving providing food and other supplies to terrorist enemies, horrendous “ceasefires” and drips and drabs of hostages in exchange for thousands of bloody-handed terrorists.
We may be seeing positive changes with appointments of a new defense minister, foreign minister and military chief of staff who seem to be signaling a more zealous, diligent command structure and strategy based on valid understandings of their adversary’s intentions and concern for Israel’s sovereignty and security. And may see, from here on, that border guard personnel are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
Not withstanding the previous horrendous “ceasefires” and drips and drabs of hostages in exchange for thousands of bloody-handed terrorists, may it be that our Chayalim, regardless of the machinations of malfeasance and nonfeasance by their previous high command to date, but now under command of both a new defense minister and chief of staff, emerge totally victorious — eradicating from the face of the earth Hamas, Islamic Jihad, their other terrorist buddies, UNWRA and the so-called “innocent civilians” of Gaza who joined with Hamas in their murderous deeds. May our Chayalim return home whole — physically, mentally and spiritually and that the Chayalim Liberate and bring home all remaining hostages. May we see a Final and Decisive victory by our Chayalim, mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael.
Returning to Rabbi Yehudah Zev Segal, z”l and his concluding words in his Sefer “Inspiration and Insight,” Volume 2 — Discourses on the Holidays and Other Themes (page 59) :
Let us strive to overcome the tests of life and attach ourselves to the One Above. Through strengthening ourselves in matters of faith, we will merit the coming of Moshiach, when the veils of history will be pulled aside and past events will become perfectly clear for all the world to understand.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fifth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, as should the remains of the two chayalim from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we see, in 5785, the REAL Jews from the Ukraine and Russia as well as the US and Canada, the real Jews via matrilineal descent, make Aliyah enmass — via thorough review by Misrad HaPanim. And may we soon and finally see the total end to the Communist Chinese Wuhan Lab corona virus pandemic and all like viruses and variants. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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