Shalom Friends;
This week, our Parshat HaShevua, Naso is being sponsored by Matis and Marla Sklar of Ramat Beit Shemesh and dedicated Lilui Nishmas Matis’ mother Devorah bas Yisroel and his father Shmuel Chaim ben Avraham Yosef and dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all remaining hostages as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Sklar 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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Near the beginning of Parsha Naso,Torah states:
“Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘Speak to the B’nei Yisrael: A man or woman who commits any of man’s sins, by committing a trespass against Hashem, and that person shall become guilty –‘” (Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 5, posukim 5-6 as rendered to English in the Saperstein Edition “The Torah with Rashi’s Commentary”)
Rashi notes:
…The passage about one who robs and swears falsely with regard to his robbery, this is the subject which is spoken about in Parshat Vayikra: [“If a person will sin] and commit a trespass against Hashem — and be deceitful toward his friend, etc.” It is reiterated here because of two points… The first is that “and they shall confess, …[that is] to say that one is not required to pay a fifth over and above the principal and to bring a guilt offering by word of witnesses, i.e. where he swears in contradiction of the witnesses who testify that he robbed, until he confesses about the matter. And the second is regarding the theft from a convert [the Ger Tzeddik] — that it [the principal and a fifth], [in event a male convert died, not having fathered offspring following his conversion, or a female who has not married and not given birth to children after her conversion and has no heirs] the guilty party pays the principal and a fifth to the Kohanim. (Rashi on Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 5, posuk 6 as rendered to English in the Saperstein Edition “The Torah with Rashi’s Commentary,” pages 42-43).
In the next posuk, the Torah states:
“They shall confess the sin that they committed; he shall make restitution for his guilt in his principal amount and add a fifth to it.” (Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 5, posuk 7 as rendered to English in the Saperstein Edition “The Torah with Rashi’s Commentary,” pages 43).
The Artscroll Stone Chumash notes on the posuk:
This law regarding proselytes was especially relevant now that their status was accentuated by the organization of the Sh’vatim. Since proselytes, not belonging to any of the 12 tribes, encamped separately, the Torah now gives the law regarding the theft of their property. This… teaches that financial treachery toward a fellow Jew is tantamount to treachery against Hashem himself, for He defends the defenseless. (Artscroll Stone Chumash on Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 5, posuk 7, page 752)
Torah states in the following posuk:
“And if the man [referring to a Ger Tzeddik] has no redeemer to whom to return the debt, the returned debt is for Hashem, for the Kohen, aside from the ram of atonement with which he [the sinner] shall provide him[self] atonement. ” Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 5, posuk 8 as rendered to English in the Saperstein Edition “The Torah with Rashi’s Commentary,” pages 43-44).
Rav Zelig Pliskin, in his sefer “Growth Through Torah” (on Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 5, posukim 6, page 312), attributes to Sforno comments regarding the Hebrew phrase “V’Ashmah hanefesh hahi [pronounced hahe],” rendered to English as “…committing treachery toward Hashem” to the effect that:
… This refers to one who steals from a convert to Judaism. Harming him is considered a trespass against the Almighty because this person had the idealism to come to Almighty’s Torah. One desecrates the Almighty’s name in his [the Gers’] eyes by deceiving him.
A person who comes to Torah on his own volition does so because of the beautiful and uplifted ideas he hears about Torah principles. He made his decision on the assumption that those who follow Torah will act towards him in accordance with all of the Torah laws pertaining to interpersonal relations. If someone cheats him financially or in some other way wrongs him, he will not only suffer a monetary loss. Rather, he might also feel disillusioned with his decision to accept a Torah way of life…. The importance of not harming a convert can be seen from the fact that Torah warns us about this in numerous places.
The Ger Tzeddek has usually given up very much because of his ideals and will experience much pain from his disappointment that the people he is in contact with do not meet the Torah standards he expected of them. The importance of not harming a convert can be seen from the fact that Torah warns us about this in a number of places. From the negative we can learn the positive. The merit of acting with love and kindness toward a convert is great.
It would seem to this author that the laws regarding stealing, defrauding or committing “any of man’s sins, by committing a trespass against Hashem” by wronging a Ger Tzeddik set a kind of a standard or principle which would similarly apply, even where the sin is not of a physical, material nature, for one who wrongs a Ba’al Teshuva, or for that matter, even a secular Jew by way of neglect, mistreatment, threat, intimidation, etc. The penalties for such trespasses may not be the same, but there would seem to be a spiritual connection.
This author views a connection, in principle, between the sins of certain politicians, as well as Israel’s military high command echelons, of a physical, material nature and the sins of a psychological, spiritual nature against not only their subordinates, but against Kol Am Yisrael.
So embedded were these agendized conceptions and horribly mistaken perceptions in the collective mindset of the command echelons and the ISA (Shin Bet) that they failed in their duties to the security of Israel. They bore grudges, disregarded laws of loshen hora and bore false witness against their subordinates by way of arrogantly threatening and intimidating the female border guards who were issuing the warnings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and “Gazan civilians” training, weaponry and preparations for their invasion of Israel. The result was the murders of over 1,200 Jews and others by Hamas and their so-called “Gazan civilian” and UNWRA collaborators who took, physically abused, starved, humiliated and enslaved over 250 hostages.
We hope for 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. May we see our government and military become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.” And may see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger 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.
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, and the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman, 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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