Israel and The Sin of Expulsion
The Implications and Consequences of Expulsion for the Jewish People
We learn about the root for the momentus event of Pinchas’ zealous act against Zimri and Kosbi from an obscure posuk in Parsha Ki Tisa. “Vet Aaron v’et banav timshach v’kiddashtah otam l’Cohen Li” — Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu; “You shall annoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them as priests unto me.” And we ask, What happened to that Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aaron Ha Kohen.
Shem Mishmuel brings a Rashi which discusses the unusual loshen — regalim (the word usually used to denote festivals) used in our Parsha Balak where Hashem brings the donkey to speak to Bila’am expressing; “What have I done to you, that you hit me these three times.” [1]
Shem Mishmuel brings Rashi quoting Chazal which notes: “These three times — it was a hint that he wanted to uproot the Jewish nation, who celebrate three pilgrim festivals each year.” [2]
The placement in Torah of our Parsha Chukat and the Parah Adumah raises questions as to why the Parah Adumah and it’s Halachot are mentioned here in our Parsha; only after Korach’s rebellion and after the continued murmuring of the Am against Moshe Rabbeinu, and after the plague which killed thousands only ending with Aaron’s carrying an incense pan amongst the people (upon Moshe’s instruction), and after the story of the rods.
The Sefer “Torah Gems” by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg states the following thought; “Now took Korach…”; that Korach was blessed with many positive attributes: fine lineage, wisdom, qualities worthy of a leader of B’nai Yisrael. “‘Now took Korach — he took himself.’ He did not wait until he was offered the leadership, but he sought to take it by force. That is why he is not worthy of it.” (Torah Gems, by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, Parsha Korach, Volume 3, page 79.)
Prior to the Miraglim setting out on their mission to Eretz Yisrael, Moshe Rabbeinu prayed for Hoshea, that he should gain the strength, conviction and principle to stand against the false testimony of the other spies and to eventually lead B’nei Yisrael. Moshe blessed him before the mission and changed his name to Yehoshua which conveys the above attributes.
This prayer and blessing of Moshe Rabbeinu to Yehoshua begs the definition of the qualities which make a Real Jewish Leader.
Our Parsha speaks about the reasons for the separate section delineated by the inverted “nuns” — “When the Aron (the Ark) would journey, Moshe said, ‘Arise Hashem, and let your foes be scattered, let those who hate you flee from before you.’ And when it rested, he would say, ‘Reside tranquilly, O, Hashem, among the myriad thousands of Israel.'” (Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 10, posukim 35-36)
With Shavuot coming on Yom Shishi this year, with Shabbos following on its heels, there are various common threads between Shabbos Parsha Naso Chag HaShavuos. One such thread is the importance of caring for the Ger Tzeddik.
In Divrei Torah I develop and say over, I tend to focus on the middot of honesty and Ahavat Chinom for our fellow Jews and the impact that a lack of these middot make on our collective mindset at various levels; from personal, to business, to learning, to the levels of governing and politics. And I end off with the wish and the Bracha that we strive to perfect these middot and that the Geula should hasten to arrive. And it seems to me that a paradigm of these middot is how we are taught to treat the Ger Tzeddik. We are taught to go above and beyond the norm –to go, in the vernacular which evolved from American Pro-Football, beyond “the full nine yards” in extending kindnesses to a Ger Tzeddik.
Our Parsha Bamidbar, once getting past the numbers crunching of the census, speaks of Degalim: the flags of the Sh’vatim (Tribes), as a paradigm of Unity whch is inclusive of diversity within the various components, all of which play essential roles within a collective unity. Within a unity, there is room for integration and cooperation of diverse individual and group attributes, skillls, strong points and actions when channeled toward the common goals of Unity, i.e. the common goals of B’nai Yisrael.
Rashi asks a critical question on the very first posuk of our Parsha; “Hashem spoke to Moshe on Har Sinai, saying.” (Parsha Behar, Vayikra Perek 25, posuk 1) He asks why the laws of Shemittoh are singled out as having been given at Sinai. Were not all of the Mitzvot said at Sinai?” He answers that just as all of the Mitzvot; their general rules and their specifics were taught at Sinai, so too were the general rules and specifics regarding Shemittoh taught at Sinai. Rashi then reasons that the posuk comes to teach us that every utterance said to Moshe, they were all from Sinai.
The positioning in Torah of our Parsha Emor, following last week’s Parsha Kedoshim gives rise to thought and contemplation.
Kedoshim teaches “…You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your G’d.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 1) And we learn that the epitome of this holiness is the principle taught by Rabbi Hillel to the convert, on one foot, says “V’ohavtoh L’reiachoh Komochoh” — “… you shall love your fellow as yourself…” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 18) The Halachot subsequently taught in Parsha Kedoshim are all built upon the emulation of Hashem.