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Here are four clues for you to figure out what am I talking about?

1. It occurs in this weeks Sedra and a previous one in Sefer Bamidbar.2. On this occasion Moshe used only a sixth of the people.3. This time he decided to only involve close family. 4. It was so successful his Talmid copied him in Nach using exactly the same people.

Any comments can be directed to [email protected]. Answer on page 10

Riddle of the Week BY BORUCH KAHAN

OnegShabbos

For questions on Divrei Torah please contact the Editor in Chief, Rabbi Yonasan [email protected]

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North West Londons Weekly Torah and Opinion SheetsA Torah publication that enables local Rabbonim and Avreichim to share their insights and Divrei Torah on a variety of different levels, to provide something for everyone

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| | 16th July 2016

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.

And Miriam died and was buried. There was no water for the congregation1.

With the passing of Miriam, the well that travelled with the Jews providing a constant supply of fresh water, dried up. Rashi points out that from here we see that it was in Miriams merit that Hashem provided the Bnei Yisrael with water.

... ... 2 And Aharon died And the Canaanites heard [that Aharon had died], and they waged war with Israel.

Rashi explains that with the passing of Aharon, the divine protection of the clouds of glory disappeared, offering the Canaanites the opportunity to fight with Israel.

The Gemara3 tells us that besides for the Manna that Israel received in the merit of Moshe, Hashem returned the well of water and the clouds of glory, in his merit. One can ask, if Moshes merit was enough for the well and clouds of glory, why did they at first disappear with Miriam and Aharons passing? The Maharsha explains that it was in order to bring the awareness to the Israelites that until today it was all in Miriam and Aharons merit.

In this vein, the pasuk in Koheles4 states ... , better is the day of death than the day

1 Bamidbar 20:1-22 Ibid 20:28, 21:13 Taanis 9a

4 Koheles 7:1

one is born. Rashi explains that this refers to Miriam, Aharon and Moshe. When they were born, nobody knew who they were. Whereas upon their passing, when the Israelites lost the well, clouds of glory and mon, they then realised how great Miriam, Aharon and Moshe were.

On this, the question is obvious. Did they not realise their leaders greatness until their demise? Everyone knew that this special trio were prophets and leaders, and of an extremely high spiritual level. So how do we understand that they were underestimated, and that true appreciation was only attained when they died, when these various gifts from Hashem were taken away?

The answer is simple, yet so profound. Of course they were all appreciated for their spiritual values. But, what was underestimated was the understanding and the merit of the leaders, in the merit of the righteous people of the generation, Hashem bestows upon Klal Yisrael, the basic mundane material necessities, such as water, protection and food. This appreciation was attained upon their passing when the various necessities ceased.

To the human perception it seems that material success is credited to those who are in the business world only, whereas those who are toiling in Torah all day, though they may know how to answer queries and guide us how to act in the Torah way, but with the material world, what is their connection? The above illustrated the true Torah perspective. It is actually in their merit that Hashem showers us with our materialistic needs.

That is why in Kaddish Derabanan, we ask Hashem to give peace and tranquillity to , to those in this town who toil in Torah. It is because they are the ones who provide divine protection to the entire town.

??livingwithmitzvos.comQ

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1. When else in the year do we read from Parshas Chukas?

T H I S P A G E I S K I N D L Y S P O N S O R E D

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-

PARSHA

HINSIGHTS FROM THE MAHARAL from Sefer Tiferes YisraelRabbi Binyomin Marks | Golders Green Kollel

2

Torah SheBiksav and Torah SheBaal Peh - Why the Split?All the Torah was given to Moshe on Har

Sinai, yet it is split into two very distinct parts, Torah SheBiksav and Torah SheBaal Peh, each with its own halachos of interpretation and extrapolation. Asks the Maharal, why was it necessary for Hashem to do this - could they not both exist in the same format, either verbal or written? Furthermore, we find in the Gemara1 that there is in fact an issur to switch the format of transmission of one to the other

those written may not be transmitted orally, or vice versa. What is the significance of this?

The Maharal explains - first approach: We know that the Torah is perfect, Toras Hashem Temimah. Each part of the Torah, SheBiksav and SheBaal Peh has its own element of perfection. The written part of the Torah (Chumash and the rest of Tanach) is the foundation of all of the Oral Torah there is no halacha which exists which cannot find some manner of source in the written Torah. 2 The perfection of Torah SheBiksav is that it encompasses everything.3 Thus, its required state of being is in a written form a written text exists in a state of completeness. No word exists without the other, each word has its required place and is static in that position, with all words being equally accessible. When one speaks, on the other hand, the words are transient - they exist in the ether for a moment as sound waves, detectable to the human ear, and then they are gone, replaced by the next word. There is no state of wholeness. Therefore, one is required to maintain the state

1 Gittin 60b2 The discussions in the Gemora to discover a source for any

given halacha are often serving as a manner of verification of the correctness of that halacha for if one cannot be found it cannot be correct (unless it is known to be a Halacha Lemoshe MeSinai, which means that it has no source. See Hakdama to Sefer Kiryas Sefer on the Rambam).

3 This is true not just of the mass of halacha but of all elements of the world science, history etc

of perfection which reflects the nature of Torah SheBiksav , not to transmit it orally but to keep it in its written, and therefore whole, state.

Not so with Torah SheBaal Peh. The Oral law is what extends from the written, the branches, leaves and fruit which sprout from the roots, dividing and subdividing further and further into myriad details. There is no end to the minutiae of halacha. As life circumstances and events are endless, so are the possible manifestations of halacha.4 Thus the very nature of the Oral Law, is that it cannot be contained in any written form to write it down contradicts its inherent quality of endlessness. Only in a verbal form can it be passed on - in this form it is not being limited or contained. Thus the perfection of both chelkei haTorah is maintained only by maintaining the manner of transmission which reflects their nature.

Second approach: Any mitzvah of the Torah can be divided into two parts, firstly its fundamental obligation and secondly the details of how to adhere to that obligation. For example, there is a mitzvah to avoid eating chametz on Pesach. This is the general obligation. There are numerous halachos which comprise the details of how this must be kept, how to avoid making flour chametz etc. In broad terms the first component is what is written in Torah SheBiksav , and the second Torah SheBaal Peh. Says the Maharal, the section comprising the broad obligation is inherently imbued with divinely inspired purpose and meaning. Why do we refrain from eating chametz on Pesach? The Sefarim Hakedoshim deal with this issue at length. The details of how to keep the mitzvah however,

4 Gedolei Yisroel throughout the generations apply the same klalim of psak as given to Moshe to resolve any new shailos which arise.

are not necessarily themselves imbued with their own profundity their meaning is related and extends from the general mitzvah, of which they are products, without meaning inherent to themselves. Flour left alone with water for more than eighteen minutes can lead to chametz and must therefore be avoided this is a detail of the general mitzvah to avoid chametz - which of course has depth beyond imagination but that depth is to be attributed to the mitzvah, not the detail itself.

To give a mashal of the connection between form and purpose against detail picture a house. A house has walls and a roof to protect from the sun, the rain and to keep what is inside safe; this is the general form and purpose of a house. For the details of how to build a house speak to a builder! The walls must be so high, so thick etc. The form and function are conveyed without expression of the details.

The written word has the characteristic of structure and form. Shape equals meaning. Letters are formed on the page in a precise manner, deviation from which can change the meaning of the intended message. Thus, the general obligation of any given mitzvah, as laid out in Torah SheBiksav, is to be conveyed in writing, with a shape and form, to reflect the idea that there is a shape and form of the mitzvah, that is to say a Divine function and purpose. The details, that is to say Torah SheBaal Peh, on the other hand are not to be related to in the sense of having shape and form for they have no function and purpose which is their own. The written word does not therefore accurately reflect their nature, and therefore must not be written but rather transmitted orally.


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2. What is the connection between the parsha and the haftora?

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3

This weeks sedra contains the tragic episode of Moshe hitting the rock. As is well known, following the death of Miriam, the well that had given water in her merit dried up. The Bnei Yisrael who had regarded themselves as the community of the future, marching to their destiny in the Promised Land, now find themselves without the most basic requirement for survival, putting their lives in danger and jeopardising the entire future of Klal Yisrael. This had happened once before at the end of parshas Beshalach, in Rephidim, yet with a very different set of circumstances.

In our parsha, the Bnei Yisrael realise that the period of wandering in the desert has come to an end, that the decrees of death as a result of the sin of the spies have ended and now Eretz Yisrael is in sight. They should be basking in its bounty and glory in no time, yet instead they are all about to die of thirst. Interestingly, the Bnei Yisrael do not direct their anger and frustration towards Hashem, who, in their mind, would never have brought such a situation upon them. Rather they launch into an attack against Moshe and Aharon, accusing them of a dereliction of duty, for leading the community of Hashem to oblivion through this bitter and sorry end in the wilderness.

It is at this point that Moshe takes his staff. Rav Hirsch points out that Moshe has not had the staff in his hand since the war with Amalek, rather it had been deposited next to the aron in the mishkan. The staff of Hashem identified Moshe as Hashems shaliach. Whenever Moshe moved the staff of Hashem, inclined it or struck a blow with it following a warning, this meant the event about to occur would be as a result of an instantaneous, direct intervention from Hashem. Therefore Hashem tells Moshe to take his staff, as if to say that Moshe is and has always been a faithful emissary of Hashem and had never faltered in the slightest.

Moshe was told to take the staff but not to use it. Had he used it (as he was told to do in Rephidim) it would show that the water flowing from the rock was as a result of a similar act of Divine intervention. This would give the impression that Moshe had indeed made a mistake in leading the people to this desperate situation and he needed Hashem to help him out of this predicament. Rather the purpose here was to enable the people to understand that it was not Moshe and Aharon, but rather Hashem who had brought the people to this place and that this location did indeed contain plenty of drinking water. Therefore all Moshe was meant to do was to talk to the rock, a mere word from Moshe would bring forth an abundance of water. This would convince the people of the great wrong that they had done in accusing Moshe and Aharon.

Based on this, Rav Hirsch suggests that as Moshe stood before the rock with the staff he realised that the staff was last needed some forty years ago to establish his credibility and authenticate his mission before the people. It pained him greatly that forty years later he had still not been able to win the trust and confidence of the people. Of course it goes without saying that we cannot possible begin to comprehend the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu, or any of the other great people in Tanach. It is self-evident that when the Torah

portrays the sins of the great it is not doing so in a fashion that would belittle their greatness and view them as mere mortals. Rather, of course their sins are on their level, and as mentioned, such actions which would barely register for any of us, are treated with the greatest severity by the Torahs exacting standards. These parshios are written for us to learn from and therefore the characters are depicted in lashon bnei adam but let us never think for a moment that we should ever relate to them as we do to ourselves and others around us. With that in mind, Rav Hirsch explains that in the bitterness of these emotions, he forgot what he has been commanded to do and instead of speaking calmly to the rock, he angrily rebuked the people and struck the rock. Whilst he was able to bring forth water and quench the peoples thirst, he was not able to communicate the message that he was mean to, that he had never deviated one iota from Hashems mission.

This was the most difficult of all trials, never to lose patience, but to hope in Hashem and wait patiently for Him. Moshes agitation attests to a tiny doubt in the success of the Divine mission for Klal Yisrael. This momentary decline in Moshes emunah (which of course is far above and beyond anything we can possibly fathom) was the reason why he could not lead the Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael, just as the entire previous generation had not been allowed in because of their lack of emunah too. This tragedy is testimony to the fact that Hashem is exceedingly exacting with great people and even the slightest failing, which for others would not even register, is treated with the utmost severity. The Divine mission for Klal Yisrael therefore continues without Moshe and Aharon as a result of this incident. As Rav Hirsch concludes, the accomplishment of the destiny and mission of Klal Yisrael is so important that it is not dependant on any outside factor and even Moshe and Aharon are not indispensable to it.


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3. How are we to understand Moshe and Aarons sin of Mei Meriva?

Written in honour of my nephew, Yossi's Bar MitzvahWishing him and the entire family a hearty

PARSHA

H

Rabbi Sruli Lerner | Golders Green Kollel

THE POWER OF A CHOK

4

... ,

Many commentaries ask why the seemingly double wording of and .

R Chuna Halpern ztl in his sefer Imrei

Chein explains this using the chazal on the

words who

tell us that the word denotes a softer

way of saying something, giving it over with

understanding and clarity, whereas is a

harsher tone, merely stating the dry facts as

they are. The Torah is telling us that the laws

of the Torah can be given as an , with

beautiful insight and intellectual reasoning,

but ultimately they must be handed over

as a to be performed in a strict format

not dependant on human understanding

or appreciation.

The Kedushas Levi also goes with this

theme, and poetically translates

the Torah to us are which we fulfil

only due to the fact ' because that is

what Hashem has commanded us to do, and

not because we understand the logic behind

them.

We know that the Jews didnt just suddenly

decide after receiving the Torah to worship a

golden calf, our commentaries expound on the

fact that they made a calculation which led

them to believe that Moshe Rabbeinu had died,

and they felt that they needed an intermediary

between themselves and Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

Of course subconsciously they were biased, as

their aim was to permit immorality, but they

certainly felt that they had holy intentions,

and this reasoning is what allowed them to

transgress such an atrocity. This is the huge

risk of following human reasoning rather than

following the dry laws as they were given. Of

course delving into the reasons and logic of

the mitzvos helps one preform it with a deeper

understanding and more feeling, but ultimately

one must follow its teachings precisely,

independent of human comprehension. The

quintessential of the red heifer is the

befitting atonement for the sin of the golden

calf, as we are demonstrating that although

even the wisest amongst Israel could not

comprehend the logic of this commandment,

nevertheless we perform it for no reason other

than - because has commanded

it.

The Ohr HaChaim, amongst many others,

asks why the Torah starts this Parsha with

rather than the expected

. With the above we can appreciate the apt

wording, as this is a lesson for all of the Torah;

we perform the Torah in the same fashion

as we perform this commandment of the red

heifer, without any personal interpretations

only in its pure form solely because .

The Yerushalmi says that on the day that

Rebbi Yehuda HaNassi parted from this world

they allowed kohanim to become tameh and

attend his burial. Is this not unbelievable?! It is

regarding the topic of tumah and tahara that we

are taught to perform all the commandments

without need for human comprehension or

reasoning rather to keep them in the dry form

they are written, and in this very law our

Rabbis said that they feel that the Torah would

not have forbidden people from becoming

impure to the dead body of someone so holy

as Rebbi1!

Why did the Rabbis of that generation

understand that there was no impurity

attached to Rebbis body?

Rebbi was on his death bed, a very wealthy

man, and he raised his ten fingers and said It

is known before You, that I toiled in your Torah

with my ten fingers and I had no personal

pleasures with even my little finger!

What is death? Death is the separation

of the spiritual component in man from its

earthly counterpart. This leaves a body void

of holiness and is therefore impure. Before

the sin of Adam, and again after the giving of

the Torah before the sin of the calf, there was

no concept of death as the body was totally

submissive to its soul, there was no conflict,

and no separation was necessary.

I would like to suggest, that someone like

Rebbeinu HaKadosh who could say that no

part of his body enjoyed any materialistic

pleasures, such a body certainly has no tumah

associated with death as the body was only

ever associated with holiness. Eliyahu HaNavi,

someone whos body was pure enough to be

allowed to reside in the spiritual Heaven, he

was the one who said .

Our job as poshuter Jews is to put our

personal feelings aside, keep Shulchan Aruch

exactly to the letter and follow diligently our

leaders guidance. Leaders whose physical

lives are completely focused on serving their

spiritual soul; they possess the necessary

feelings needed to apply the Torah to our

generation.

1 The discussion of whether Kivrei Tzadkim are metamei is a complex one and beyond the scope of this dvar Torah. This Yerushalmi is brought for the drush rather than being an indication of Halacha LeMaaseh.

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IERAAHS LELLOK

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AHCALAH

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51 . . , . )staO rekauQ( .

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.tsrfi deticer

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.) ( si doof dednelb a rof

22 dna dilos a fo sutats eht sah puos a hcus esuaceb deticer si A.diuqil a ton


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4. Why was Moshe more scared to fight the giant Og more than the giant Sichon?

Kids 6-13

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SPEAK TO THEM

9

In todays mischievous generation, where discipline is on the decline, is there an optimum method of educating our children?

This weeks Parsha contains the infamous episode referred to as Mei Meriva, the waters of strife involving Moshe Rabbeinus deviation from the initial command of speaking to the rock by hitting it instead. But would anyone be any less impressed seeing water burst forth from a dry rock when struck by a stick rather than addressed with words? And why was the response so harsh: Since you did not generate belief in Me to sanctify me before the eyes of Bnei Yisrael, therefore you shall not bring this congregation to the land that I have given them1 ? Lastly, how does the punishment fit the crime? What did access to Eretz Yisrael have to do with striking, rather than speaking to the rock?

Rashi, in his commentary to the Pasuk describing Miriams passing just prior to this encounter, teaches that Klal Yisrael were are a major crossroads at this very time. The whole congregation: The entire assembly, because all the dead ones of the desert (as a result of the sin of the spies) had died out whilst these were spared for life. The Netziv2 explains that this tells us a critical fact: the Jewish nation were now in a transitional situation they were on the cusp of entering a new reality in Eretz Yisrael which would differ sharply from

1 Bamidbar 20:7, see Rashi2 Haamek Davar introduction to Sefer Bamidbar

what they had been used to in the Midbar. No longer would bread fall from the heavens, no longer would their clothes and shoes endure forever, no longer would Miriams well sustain them and no longer would they be protected by a shield of clouds. From this point on they would have to create their own sustenance and security. And it was vital that the Yieden would start to turn that corner now they would have to wean themselves off the Divine protection they had become used to and begin developing a new mindset. In the words of the Sfas Emes3, it was time to transform from Emes to Emunah, from the open, stark truth of Hashems providence to one of faith in it.

This transition was supposed to be represented by the switch from the staff to the tongue. Moshes staff had been the symbol of hope and salvation for the Yieden since they first set eyes on it in Mitzrayim. It performed miracles, it instigated plagues, it splits seas, it led them in battle. The staff, its name Mateh which means to divert nature, had become the emblem of a supernatural existence. Now it was time to take the staff and lay it on the ground, and in its place the power of speech would start to lead. The Gemara4 tells us that the entire physical universe what we might

3 Chukas 6544 Megillah 21b

call the natural world was created through words as the pasuk says Through the word of Hashem the Heavens were created and through the air of His mouth all their hosts5. These words drew out of the initial utterance of Creation all that came into being6. Words thus have the power to extract the latent qualities that lie within; through the power of speech, inherent goodness is encouraged to flourish. And this would be the task of the Yieden as the entered into Eretz Yisrael a task of words, to extract the qualities that lay within the land. As described, no longer would goodness be foisted upon them by way of a Mateh; rather they would have to mine it from deep within.

Moshe was being asked to oversee that transition no more lehatos, to force the issue, it was time for ledaber, to gently coax it forth. Unfortunately, for reasons known only to Hashem and himself, Moshe was not in a position to do so. Perhaps, as Rav Tzadok HaCohen explains, Moshe was too far removed from the natural world to supervise such a transition. But alas that meant he could not bring the People any further.

For us, in our attempts to draw the inherent goodness out of our own charges be they our students or children, we must take similar heed. The stick, which represents the enforcement of discipline can only be used sparingly if at all. Far more important is the task of drawing out latent goodness inherent in every child. This is why the Torah enjoins us: Vedibarta bam, educate your child by speaking to them, giving expression to the true inner qualities that lie within.

5 Tehillim 33:56 See Zohar to Bereishis 1


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5. Moshe set up a copper statue of a snake. How long did this remain in existence?

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REASONS AND TASTES

Riddle AnswerSpying

1. Moshe sent spies to Yazer in this week Sedra and 2 weeks ago in Parshas Shelach to Eretz Yisroel.2. He used 2 spies only whereas in Shelach he used twelve.3. The two he sent were Pinchos his great nephew and his Kolev brother-in-law.4. Yehoshua, Moshes Talmid used the same two spies when it came to spying out Yericho before he conquered it.

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The Midrash1 relates that Shlomo Hamelech made a special effort to understand the reasons for parah adumah . In the end he concluded that the subject was still far from his understanding. Parah adumah remained the classic example of a chok, a Divine Law whose purpose completely eludes us.

1 Kohelles Rabbah 7:23

The Gemara2 explains that the reasons for the mitzvos were not revealed because in each case in which reasons were given even Shlomo, the wisest of all men, was led to err. The Torah prohibits a kind from marrying an excess of wives lest they turn his heart away from Hashem3. Shlomo decided that he therefor ignore it with impunity. At that moment, says the Midrash the yud of the yarbeh -- from which the prohibition is derived -- prostrated itself before Hashem and said, Ribbono Shel Olam, Shlomo is nullifying me. Today it is I, tomorrow another letter, until the entire Torah will be abrogated.

HaKadosh Boruch Hu responded, A thousand like Shlomo will be nullified, but one bit of you will never be nullified. In the end, Shlomo himself admitted, That which I thought I understood in the Torah was mere foolishness, for who can fathom or question the wisdom of the King?4

The Midrash is extremely difficult to understand. It seems to imply that Shlomos error lay in his understanding of the Torah. Yet it appears that his failure was due to misplaced confidence in his own powers rather than misunderstanding the Torah.

The Mishnah5 rules that one who says, As Your mercies, G-d, devolve on the mother bird and its nest, so too, have mercy on us, must be silenced. The Gemara explains that the requirement of sending away the mother bird prior to taking her eggs is solely a Divine decree, not based on the

2 Sanhedrin 21b3 Devarim 17:174 Shemos Rabbah 6:15 Berachos 33b

desire to be merciful to the mother bird, as the forbidden prayer would seem to imply. Yet the Sages themselves say6,

...So, too, G-ds mercy extends to the birds, as it says, When you discover a birds nest...send away the mother...

To resolve this contradiction, we must distinguish between a taste and a reason. If we were asked why we eat, we would answer that we must eat in order to live. If questioned further why we eat bread and not stones, we might refer to the necessary nutrients available in bread but not in stones. But if asked why human beings need these nutrients, or why we are capable to extracting needed minerals from bread and not rocks, we could say nothing more than that is how G-d created the world and the answer lies exclusively in His mind.

Even though we eat to stay alive, Hashem created the world in such a way that our food also has a pleasing taste and aroma. But that taste should never be confused with our reason for eating. Even if our taste buds were destroyed we could not taste our food, we would still have to eat. And if we let our taste buds guide our choice of foods, we might soon die of malnutrition.

The mitzvos are the spiritual nourishment of our neshamah. Why or how a particular mitzvah nourishes our soul we cannot know any more than why G-d created bodies which require certain nutrients. But Hashem wanted the mitzvos to be palatable to us, so he infused them with taste -- ideas and lessons -- that we can understand. We must never confuse, however, the lessons of the mitzvos, with

6 Devarim Rabbah 6:1

their underlying reasons. Thus all the extensive literature explaining the mitzvos always refers to these explanations as Taamei Mitzvos, literally the tastes of the mitzvos.

In this light, Meiri explains the verse, For it is chok for Yisrael a mishpat to the G-d of Yaakov7. For us, all mitzvos are ultimately chukim, unfathomable decrees. But to Hashem they are all mishpatim, based on an overall plan known only to the Divine mind.

If one entreats Hashem, Who has mercy on the birds, to similarly have mercy on us, that entreaty reflects his own determination that he understands the reason for the mitzvah from G-ds perspective. That is a mistake. We can never know why Hashem decreed a particular mitzvah. But to learn from the mitzvah a lesson of mercy, as an enhancement to our performance of the mitzvah, is perfectly acceptable. That is the intent of the Sages in the Midrash mentioned above.

With this distinction between reason and taste, the error of Shlomo becomes clear. The explanations given for the prohibition of marrying too many wives are themselves only taamei haTorah -- from the mitzvah based on these explanations is totally unacceptable. Thus Shlomos error did not lie exclusively in overconfidence in his own self-control. He also misunderstood the Torah by confusing tastes and reasons. For this reason, it was the yud that went before Hashem to complain, for the yud represents the command which supersedes all human reckoning as it originates from the Divine mind8.

All mitzvos are intrinsically chukim, unfathomable Divine decrees. With respect to some, even the taam is obscure, and they are categorized as chukim, and in some the taam is more easily discerned, and they are called mishpatim.

Parah adumah is called Chukas HaTorah, a law of the Torah, and not Chukas HaParah, the law of the red heifer, because it demonstrates in the clearest fashion that the entire Torah is based on a Divine understanding beyond our ability to fathom. Only when we base our performance of mitzvos on submission to the decree of the Creator, will they be performed with perfection.

7 Tehillim 81:58 Shiurei Daas, Part III, Bein Yisrael LaAmim

ANSWERS1. The beginning of Parshas Chukas is also read on the third of the Four Parshios, known as Parshas Parah.

2. The both discuss the approaching of the kings surrounding Eretz Yisrael when the Jews sought to enter the Holy Land.

3. There are so many opinions as to what the actual sin was that i am not going to discuss it. What I want to bring out from it is why and how can there be so many opinions as to what the sin was? The answer is that when dealing with such great people, a higher standard is demanded from them. They are judged like a thin hair, every small thing is magnified. Since the sin is so minute and can hardly be seen by placing a finger and saying this is it, this gives room for all the different opinions as to what it actually was!

4. Either because Og himself had merits and Moshe was scared that this would assist him. (See Rashi, 21:34) Alternatively, Moshe was scared that the Jews had sinned by taking for themselves booty from the battle with Sichon and this would weaken the Jews and thereby assist Og. (Midrash)

5. The Gemara (Pesachim 56a) brings that King Chizkiyahu instituted six things. For three of these actions the Sages criticized him while they agreed to the other three. One of the agreed actions was to destroy the copper snake statue set up by Moshe. The reason was that the Jews were coming to believe that the statue had the power to heal, instead of attributing this power to Hashem.

6. The ashes of the Parah Adumah, red heifer, purify us from the tuma, impurity, that comes from contact with dead bodies. Nowadays since we dont have ashes from the Parah Adumah, nor the means to sacrifice it according to the din, we cannot achieve purity from this tuma.


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6. How does the lack of Para Aduma relate to us nowadays?

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WHAT WAS LOST BY FAILING TO SPEAK TO THE ROCK?

ANGER: AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!

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Parshas Chukas contains the incident of Mei Merivah [Waters of Strife]. There is a wide disparity of opinion as to the exact nature of Moshes aveira. This aveira cost Moshe the privilege of entering Eretz Yisrael. According to many commentaries, the aveira was that Moshe hit the rock rather than speaking to it.

The obvious problem with this explanation is that there does not seem to be much difference between bringing forth water from a rock by hitting it, or by speaking to it. Why was it so important to speak to the rock? There was apparently some specific lesson that the people were supposed to learn when Moshe spoke to the rock. What was that lesson?

Rav Moshe Feinstein ztl, suggests that the lesson is that sometimes in life it is necessary to speak to rocks. Sometimes we need to speak to people who seem unreceptive to what we have to say. Sometimes we need to speak to a congregation or a community or a class and we feel that we are speaking if not to a rock, then at least to a wall. Rabbis have been doing this from time immemorial. This goes back to the days of the prophets. They speak, they speak, they speak and it is as if they are talking to a wall.

Even those people who do not have the opportunity to speak to a community or a congregation, may have the opportunity to speak to children. Sometimes talking to

children can also feel like talking to a wall. The intended message of talking to the rock was that it is necessary to speak to others, even if it seems like you are speaking to a rock. The Chafetz Chaim often said, It is necessary to speak to the people, whether one thinks it helps or not. At least seeds are planted.

That is the nature of the business. Sometimes we speak to our children and we think that they are not listening, but we need to keep speaking. We need to keep the dialogue open. The lesson of Mei Merivah was so important to the Jewish People because it taught that even when a person speaks to a rock sometimes there are results. This is a life-long lesson that we must always remember.

Moshe is finally done in by the requests of the Jewish people in the desert this time again for their water supply. In his exasperation about their constant litany of complaints and grumblings, he transgresses Hashems commandment to speak to the rock and instead he strikes the rock with his staff. His punishment for this act is swift and dramatic. He will not step into the Land of Israel but only be able to glimpse it from afar.

There are many questions and difficulties raised regarding the narrative of this incident in the Torah. Firstly, complaints about the lack of water are certainly legitimate complaints. Human beings cannot survive without water and now that the miraculous well of Miriam disappeared with her passing, the pressing need for a replacement water supply was obvious.

So, why does Moshe become so angry with them and describe them as a rebellious mob? And another perhaps greater and more difficult question is why this sin is the one that seals Moshes fate? Does the punishment really seem to be commensurate with

the crime? All of the commentators to Torah over the ages have dealt with these two questions and have advanced a wide variety of insights and explanations regarding the issues raised. It is apparent that the Torah somehow wished these issues to be further explored and studied and therefore it left its own description of the matter somewhat vague and mysterious hiding in the narrative more than it was willing to reveal.

The Rambam and other scholars throughout the ages see the events of this weeks parsha as the concluding part of a continuing and cumulative pattern of behaviour, both on the part of the people of Israel in the desert and of Moshe as well. Moshe realises, as do the people, that they require water to sustain them. But this request and the manner that it is presented to Moshe is part of their long- running, nagging behaviour pattern in the desert.

For the Jewish people, there is still a vestige of resentment against Hashem for redeeming them from Egypt. There they had water in abundance, and it was natural not miraculous water. Miraculous

water binds them to a commitment to Hashem and His Torah a commitment that a portion of the people is always attempting to wriggle out from.

With their seemingly reasonable request for water, Moshe senses all of this background music. They really want to opt out of the entire mission of Sinai, which results in Moshes extreme display of displeasure. And Moshes anger again undoes him. There is an entire literature of rabbinic study about the moments and causes of Moshes anger that appear throughout the Torah.

For Moshe, the greatest of all human beings, it is agreed that this is his one failing. And, therefore, Moshe unwittingly becomes the model and example of the dangers involved in falling into the pit of emotional anger. The incidents of his anger past and present were now cumulatively judged by Heaven and the punishment is not for this one incident alone. Anger is a character trait to be avoided at almost all cost.

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Pirkei Avos

There were ten generations from Adam to Noah.

Meiri lists these ten generations:

1. Adam : died in the year 930 from Creation

2. Seth : born in the year 130 from Creation; died in 1042

3. Enosh : 254-1140

4. Kenan : 325-1235

5. Mahalalel : 395-1290

6. Jared : 460-1422

7. Enoch : 622-987

8. Methuselah : 687-1656

9. Lamech : 874-1651

10. Noah :1056-2006

Many details of human history do not appear in the Tanach; even the lives of the spiritual giants are not portrayed in full. For example, the years in Moshes life, from when he initially left Egypt until he arrived at the home of Yisro, receives not a word in the Scriptures. This is because the Torah is not meant to be a history book; it instructs man on how to live. If the Torah lists the names and lifespans of the ten generations from Adam to Noach, it can only be that there is a lesson to be learned, and this is what the mishnah teaches (Tiferes Yisrael).

According to the Maharal, however, the mishnah does not seek to explain the Torahs reason for reporting these ten generations, but rather to explain their existence. Why did Hashem find it necessary to bring ten generations in to the world before the Flood?

The missing years. The fascinating details of Moshe life are reported in Yalkut Shimoni (Shemos 168):

When Moshe fled from Egypt he came to the camp of [King] Kokanus [of the land of Cush]. He was eighteen years old at the time, and was as tall as a cedar, as radiant as the noontime sun, and as strong as a lion. He became the kings adviser. Nine years later, the king fell sick and died. [After] he was buried, [the people] seated Moshe on a platform and cried, Long live the king! Then [using a clever strategy devised by Moshe] they fought against the city of their enemies and captured it. On that day, a thousand of the citys population died, and Bilaam the sorcerer and his two sons fled to Egypt. Moshe was seated on the throne, a crown was placed on his head, and the Cushite queen was given to him as a wife. But Moshe feared the G-d of his fathers and did not approach her; neither did he stray from the path which Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov had trod.

[Forty year later,] the queen said to the ministers, For forty years now, this person has been ruling over Cush and he has not come near me; neither has he worshiped the gods of the Cushites. It is better for you to serve the son of your master than to serve a stranger. They then crowned Muncham, son of Kokanus, king, and to Moshe they gave costly gifts and sent him off with great honour.

Moshe was sixty-seven years old when he left Cush. [From there he] went to Midian, for he was afraid to return to Egypt because Pharaoh might avenge the Egyptian whom Moshe had killed many years earlier.

to show the degree of His patience.

In spite of the wickedness of these ten generations, Hashem did not destroy them immediately in order to allow them the opportunity to repent (Rashi, Meiri). Further, His patience is not a result of forgetting, or overlooking, mans sins. Rather, He often awaits the birth of a descendant who will be more righteous than his ancestors. If Hashem, for example, had killed Terach for his sins, Avraham might have never been born. His trailblazing role in introducing knowledge of Hashem to the world could not have existed had Hashem not been patient and delayed retribution. Hashem, Who knows the future, exercises patience with the wicked so that their righteous descendants may be born (HaChassid Yaavetz).

for all those generations angered Him increasingly, until He brought upon them the waters of the Flood.

Hashem waited patiently for them to repent. His patience, however, does not last forever, as the Talmud teaches: Anyone who claims that Hashem waives the punishment of sin will have to waive his life (Bava Kamma 50a). If man does not repent, the natural consequence is that he must be punished, so after all these generations, Hashem brought the Flood upon the world (Machzor Vitry).

R Yonah sees this mishnah as a source of comfort to us in our long exile. Even though Hashem extended His patience for ten generations, He eventually exacted retribution and brought the Flood. Let no one wonder why Hashem allows our enemies to oppress us and keeps us in exile for so many long year. Just as His patience eventually gave way to our oppressors will end, and Hashem will repay them for their terrible deeds. Hashem is forbearing even with the enemies of Himself and His people, but in the end He will redeem us and punish them for their iniquities.

T H I S P A G E I S K I N D L Y S P O N S O R E D B Y

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Reproduced with permission from the ArtScroll / Mesorah Heritage Foundation:

The No Edition PIRKEI AVOS