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PAR'SHAT BALAK: We Should Pray That Our Enemies Become Our Friends.

6/26/2018

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 ועתה לכה־נא ארה־לי את־העם הזה כי־עצום הוא ממני אולי אוכל נכה־בו ואגרשׁנו מן־הארץ כי ידעתי את אשׁר־תברך מברך ואשׁר תאר יואר׃ 

Therefore, please come, and curse this people for me, because they are stronger than I am. Maybe I will be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is in fact blessed, and whomever you curse is in fact cursed." 
(Num 22:6 CJB)

We should pray that your enemies become our friends
 
* * * * * * *

The Chofetz Chayim had some things to say about this passage concerning Balak's decision to curse Israel. Here is what Balak believed concerning Balaam's powers, "... I know that whomever you bless is in fact blessed, and whomever you curse is in fact cursed." The Chofetz brings out the true antisemitic and violent nature of Balak by pointing out that according to what he believed were Balaam's powers, Balak had the choice to have Balaam either curse Israel, or bless his own people with protection.

We often are faced with similar choices and like Balak, naturally let our hatred and vindictive spirit dictate our response towards the destruction of others rather than the protection of our own. In doing so, we forget that they are also creatures of the Most-High.

Here is an anecdote to illustrate the point:
     The non-Jews of the city of Telshe greatly respected Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, the Rabbi of Telshe and founder of its Yeshiva, and many of them would ask him to pray for their welfare. One a non-Jewish farmer came to Rabbi Gordon and asked him to pray that his enemy should die. Rabbi Gordon explained to him that the proper thing for him to do was not to curse his enemy, but to pray that his enemy become his friend. (Tnuas Hamusar, vol 2, p.433)

King David sang about this in,

תערך לפני שׁלחן נגד צררי

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 
(Psa 23:5 ESV)
His son, King Solomon followed suit in:

When a man's ways please Adonai, 
he makes even the man's enemies be at peace with him.
 (Pro 16:7 CJB)
 This idea of a table set before one's enemy comes from Isaac, the patriarch. King Abimelech tried to steal Isaac's wells which he inherited from his father Abraham. When he realized that Isaac was truly the heir of Abraham and therefore the inheritor of the covenant made between his family than that of the belated patriarch, he repented. Abimelech then came to Isaac and wanted to act as if nothing had happened. He said, 

"We saw very clearly that Adonai has been with you; so we said, 'Let there be an oath between us: let's make a pact between ourselves and you (29) that you will not harm us, just as we have not caused you offense but have done you nothing but good and sent you on your way in peace. 
Now you are blessed by Adonai.' "


(What gall!)  Isaac did not give vent to natural senses of indignation
 
(30) Yitz'chak prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.
 (Gen 26:28-30 CJB)

Instead of seeking revenge and vindication, Isaac set up a banquet in front Abimelech. The full story can be found in Genesis 26. Later, his father Jacob acted according to the same principle towards his brother Esau in Genesis 32 and 33. In doing so, the patriarchs of our faith followed in the footsteps of Abraham of whom we talked in a precedent newsletter.

It is according to these story which constitute the basic context and foundation of the Torah, that our own beloved rabbi and Master Yeshua also taught. He said,

"You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Love your neighbor -- and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 
(Mat 5:43-48 CJB)



Paul concurred in:

Till this very moment we go hungry and thirsty, we are dressed in rags, we are treated roughly, we wander from place to place, we exhaust ourselves working with our own hands for our living. When we are cursed, we keep on blessing; when we are persecuted, we go on putting up with it; when we are slandered, we continue making our appeal. We are the world's garbage, the scum of the earth -- yes, to this moment! ... Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 
(1Co 4:11-16 CJB)



We all have those people in our lives with whom we have issues. We have them in our societal life with neighbors and friends: in our professional life at work; in our domestic life with flesh relatives, and even within our own congregations.  

It is the belief of this writer that we need to fight those issues in our midst. They are like spots at our festive gatherings. (Jude 1;12)
  • Congregation: We often cannot help negative situations to occur, but we have to not accept them and do everything we can to repair these breaches in our fellowship. The survival of the congregation depends on it; a little stone can break the whole windshield, and as the story goes, the loss of the nail, was the loss of the shoe, and the loss of the shoe became the loss of the horse which incurred the loss of the soldier, and in the end the loss of the battle. According to the Master as well as to Peter and to Paul, it is better to be wrongly accused and accept being defrauded rather than allow a breach in our fellowship. (Mat 5:10-11, 40; 1 Cor 6:7; 1 Pet 1:20
  • Families: Paul teaches, 
Now if the challah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. 
(Rom 11:16 CJB) 

 

When we have been given the truth to receive, we become the firstfruit of our larger flesh relatives.  By keeping them in close relations and doing everything we can to maintain relationships with them, we become the "challah" through which they are also given a foretaste of the Kingdom. This is a very important principle that I called, "No Redemption Without Representation"  As He sent his disciples to all the families of Israel, the Master charged them with, "
 

Whoever receives you is receiving me, and whoever receives me is receiving the One who sent me. (Mat 10:40 CJB) 

It becomes then absolutely imperative that we become 'receivable' to them. We cannot let trivial issues separate us. This transcends doctrinal rectitude and we have to juggles our sometimes different views on things while still keeping relations with relatives. We must remember that the Father took it upon Himself to repair the relationship with us, relationship that we have been responsible to break through our sin. He did that by sending Yeshua who had no sin to take our sins upon Himself. This is the very same Yeshua who charged us with,"
Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you." 
(Joh 20:21 CJB)
  • Professional: At work there is usually much politics, competition, dislike of the boss, criticism. We are to show ourselves better by not participating in those things but keeping ourselves 'perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Mat 5:48 CJB) . And as far as work ethics towards earthly bosses Paul gives the advice,  
Slaves, (workers/employees) obey your human masters (bosses) with the same fear, trembling and single-heartedness with which you obey the Messiah. (Eph.6:5). 

 

He also tells the disciples in Colossi, 
Slaves, obey your human masters  in everything, not serving only when they are watching you, to win their favor, but single-heartedly, fearing the Lord. (Col. 3:22) 

 

The word "slave" here can refer to "employee". We must remember that Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and many others were asked to work under pagan kings. By being able to do in the Spirit of HaShem, they earned the love of their masters which helped them to deliver Israel from harm.
  • Societal: The Master says,  
If someone sues you, come to terms with him quickly, while you and he are on the way to court; or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer of the court, and you may be thrown in jail! (Mat 5:25 CJB)   
To which Paul adds, 
If you are bringing lawsuits against each other, it is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? (1Co 6:7 CJB) 

 

In essence, it is better to be accused of wrong, even wrongfully, and keep the peace rather than to try to validate our rightness and have discord. Peter also agreed and said, 
For what credit is there in bearing up under a beating you deserve for doing something wrong? But if you bear up under punishment, even though you have done what is right, God looks on it with favor. (1Pe 2:20 CJB).
                                                                                                                         I would like to complete this challenge to peace and unity with a little expose on the words in the Besora:

From that time on, Yeshua began making it clear to his talmidim that he had to go to Yerushalayim and endure much suffering at the hands of the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers; and that he had to be put to death; but that on the third day, he had to be raised to life. Kefa took him aside and began rebuking him, "Heaven be merciful, Lord! By no means will this happen to you!" But Yeshua turned his back on Kefa, saying, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!" Then Yeshua told his talmidim, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself, take up his execution-stake, and keep following me. For whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake will find it. What good will it do someone if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or, what can a person give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come in his Father's glory, with his angels; and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.(Mat 16:21-27 CJB)


In this passage, Yeshua warns His disciples that as He goes to Jerusalem, He will be wrongfully accused of sedition, blasphemy,  etc,  and that as a result He will be given the death penalty in the manner the worst criminal in the Land would receive. A very unjust punishment indeed that even cruel Pilate was reluctant to inflict on the Master. Peter tries to defend the Master who tells him,  "You are an obstacle in my path."  

By this the Master implies that this unjust death was his destiny, the purpose of his coming, and that this is the action that will repair our broken relationship with HaShem.  This is a totally Jewish sentiment as the Talmud teaches that,
The death and suffering of the innocent righteous  
provides atonement for the sinner.
   

After reminding Peter to not think as man thinks but as God thinks, the Master adds,"

If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself, 
take up his execution-stake, and keep following me.  

In essence, the 'execution-stake' He carried was taking upon Himself the sins of others through an execution under false accusations. He indeed suffered the wrongful death of an innocent victim. 

In this challenge the Master says that anyone who wants to come after him needs to be willing to be wrongfully accused, to be defrauded, and become an innocent victim for the sake of the redemption of others. A very hard saying indeed, but an imperative for us who have become part of the Kingdom through following the path of Yeshua. That is is what it means when Yeshua says we need to take our execution-stake and follow Him.


MAY WE THEREFORE EACH OF US 
TAKE UP OUR   EXECUTION-STAKE 
AND BE SENT TO OTHERS AS HE WAS SENT TO US.  

THIS IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO. 

REMEMBER THE PARABLE 
OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT

Because of this, the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared with a king who decided to settle accounts with his deputies. Right away they brought forward a man who owed him many millions; and since he couldn't pay, his master ordered that he, his wife, his children and all his possessions be sold to pay the debt. But the servant fell down before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' So out of pity for him, the master let him go and forgave the debt. "But as that servant was leaving, he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him some tiny sum. He grabbed him and began to choke him, crying, 'Pay back what you owe me!' His fellow servant fell before him and begged, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused; instead, he had him thrown in jail until he should repay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were extremely distressed; and they went and told their master everything that had taken place. Then the master summoned his servant and said, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt just because you begged me to do it. Shouldn't you have had pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And in anger his master turned him over to the jailers for punishment until he paid back everything he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat you, unless you each forgive your brother from your hearts."  (Mat 18:23-35 CJB)

                                    
* * * * * * 

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PAR'SHAT CHUKAT:  It is meritorious to persevere in our efforts to help someone, even if they vex us.

6/19/2018

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כה אמר אחיך ישׂראל אתה ידעת את כל־התלאה אשׁר מצאתנו׃ ...

... "This is what your brother Isra'el says: 
you know all the troubles we have gone through --
(Num 20:14 CJB)

It is meritorious to persevere in our efforts to help someone, even if they vex us.


In this parasha HaShem punishes Moshe for not 'sanctifying him in front of the children of Israel. There are many versions, interpretations, and understanding as to what he did or did not do, and the most popular is that he got angry. He lost patience; he lost his cool.


Any leader, teacher, chief, overseer may at times experience frustration with the job of leading others. Leadership of any kind is a thankless job where no matter how much one gives, he is always on the losing end of the stick and people resent him. It is often the same with parenting. Even God seems to have the same kind of problem with the people that He created and tries to lead.

I saw a very encouraging article one day.

"After hundreds of years, a model rabbi has been found to suit everyone.
  • His exhaustive drashes last exactly 20 minutes and then sits down. 
  • He condemns sin, but never hurts anyone's feelings.
  • He works from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in every type of work from teaching Torah to cleaning the synagogue. 
  • He gives $60 a week to the synagogue fund. 
  • He also stands ready to contribute to every mitzvah that comes along. 
  • He is 26 years old and has been a rabbi for 30 years. 
  • He is tall and short, thin, heavyset, and handsome. 
  • He has one brown eye and one blue, 
  • His hair is parted down the middle, 
  • His beard is rich on his smooth skin
  • The left side  is dark and straight, the right brown and wavy. 
  • He has a burning desire to teach the young generation and spends all his time with older folks. 
  • He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his work. 
  • He makes 15 calls a day on the members of the synagogue, spends all his time reaching out to outsiders telling them to return to their roots, and of course, he is always available in his office.
The article is of course sarcastic, but these are often the dilemmas that congregation leaders face.
Though he failed in some way in his application of a command, Moshe never failed to be a good shepherd. Right after hearing the divine pronouncement of his sentence, Moshe continued with the job at hand. 

Here is an article from the Jewish commentary: Bamidbar Rabbah on the issue.

     "It is customary that if someone does business with another person and that person vexes him, he will leave that person and not want to deal with that person again. Moshe however was punished (he would not be allowed to enter Eretz Israel) because of the Israelites (they pressured him for water and as a consequence Moshe erred), but he did not resign as their leader and their benefactor. He continued to do all he could for the people to enable them to enter Eretz Israel."

Here is now an anecdote related by rabbi B's son:

     'Rabbi A was once arrested for political reasons. Rabbi B whose views opposed those of Rabbi A on various matters, brought a Torah scroll to the prison so that the imprisoned Rabbi should not miss the public Torah reading. The visiting Rabbi noticed that the cell was very dark and at his request, the warden agreed to move the imprisoned Rabbi to a different cell. 
     The next day, Rabbi B came again to visit Rabbi A. When Rabbi B came near the cell, Rabbi A covered his eyes with his hands and said loudly, "It is forbidden to look at the face of the wicked!"
     The warden was shocked, since Rabbi B was widely known to be a righteous person.  "Why do you trouble yourself to visit this man who doesn't seem to have any gratitude for all that you've done for him?" asked the warden.
     "Don't you realize his greatness?" replied rabbi B. He is consistent with his views, and he is not influenced by the fact that I have done favors for him."


I think that rabbi B showed an example of HaShem's consistent mercy with us, but also of what our Master Yeshua taught,
... if you are offering your gift at the Temple altar and you remember there that your brother has something against you, leave your gift where it is by the altar, and go, make peace with your brother. Then come back and offer your gift.   (Mat 5:23-24 CJB)
(Notice here that it mentions 'if your brother has something agaisnt you' something that often we cannot help, but in HaShem's world, we are still responsible to somehow address it!)

We serve an audience of One, therefore our duty to help others is not dependent on their reaction or gratefulness. If Hashem did so, we would all be in trouble. Our Master and rabbi Yeshua clearly told us of His Father's ways in this matter in the following teaching:

"You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you not to stand up against someone who does you wrong. On the contrary, if someone hits you on the right cheek, let him hit you on the left cheek too! If someone wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well! And if a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, carry it for two! When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something from you, lend it to him. "You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Love your neighbor -- and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.(Mat 5:38-48 CJB)

 I have heard of congregation leaders becoming frustrated with their congregation because of lack of help or participation. Moshe did not return wrong for wrong, but continued serving Israel. Why? Because he served for an audience of One. It is a virtue from Moshe that is important for us congregation leaders to emulate.

On the subject of serving an audience of One, Rav Shaul, Paul, Yeshua's chosen apostle to teach Torah to the world outside of Israel taught,

 Slaves, obey your human masters with the same fear, trembling and single-heartedness with which you obey the Messiah. (Eph. 6:5)

 And masters, treat your slaves the same way. Don't threaten them. Remember that in heaven both you and they have the same Master, and he has no favorites. (Eph. 6:9)

 Slaves, obey your human masters in everything, not serving only when they are watching you, to win their favor, but single-heartedly, fearing the Lord. (Col. 3:22)

 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly. Remember that you too have a Master in heaven. (Col. 4:1)

He also told Timothy to:

Tell slaves to submit to their masters in everything, to give satisfaction without talking back or pilfering. On the contrary, they should demonstrate complete faithfulness always, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Deliverer more attractive. (Tit 2:9-10 CJB)

NOTE ON THE WORD "SLAVE": These texts about slaves are not to be understood within the context of the slavery that used to exist in America and other countries of Europe. Slaves here refer to live-in workers, indentured workers, or people paying off debts through work. The biblical laws concerning slavery could be equated to what we refer to today as worker's comp and benefits. A careful study of these laws demonstrate that the slave in Israel was better off with more benefits than the average workers in our modern society. 

In other words, it is not our macho "nobody's is going to tell me what to do" attitude that will bring the kingdom of God on earth. It is the weak who always have something to prove and feel that they have to demonstrate their strength. They do so because they are not confident in themselves. But rather, the Kingdom comes in our strength to humble ourselves before HaShem and before each other, not to yield to the spirits of anger and vengeance. 


Finally Paul also said it in the following words:

Recompense to no man evil for evil. ...
Rom 12:17
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
 Rom 12: 21

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PAR'SHAT KORACH: Korach, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow?

6/15/2018

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 ויקח קרח בן־יצהר בן־קהת בן־לוי ודתן ואבירם בני אליאב ואון בן־פלת בני ראובן׃ 
 ויקמו לפני משׁה ואנשׁים מבני־ישׂראל חמשׁים ומאתים נשׂיאי עדה קראי מועד אנשׁי־שׁם׃ 
 ויקהלו על־משׁה ועל־אהרן ויאמרו אלהם רב־לכם כי כל־העדה כלם קדשׁים ובתוכם יהוה ומדוע תתנשׂאו על־קהל יהוה׃

Now Korach the son of Yitz'har, the son of K'hat, the son of Levi, along with Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli'av, and On, the son of Pelet, descendants of Re'uven, took men and rebelled against Moshe. Siding with them were 250 men of Isra'el, leaders of the community, key members of the council, men of reputation. They assembled themselves against Moshe and Aharon and said to them, "You take too much on yourselves! After all, the entire community is holy, every one of them, and Adonai is among them. So why do you lift yourselves up above Adonai's assembly?" 
(Num 16:1-3 CJB)



​Korach tried to arouse others to rebel against Moshe. He protested that Moshe took too much glory and power to himself and to his brother Aharon. Doing so, Korah tried to give the impression that he was only interested in equality and in the welfare of the whole nation. On this parasha, Midrash Tanchuma explains that it was not so, but exposes the fact that Korach rebelled against Moshe simply because he was jealous of the princeship of Elitzofon, the son of Uzziel which he felt should have fallen upon himself.
       From here we see a fundamental principle that applies to many disputes. Quite often the person instigating the dispute, while proposing noble goals, is not motivated by the overall good, as if he really were he would not create a congregation riff, which in many cases is an abomination to HaShem (Prov 6:19). 
       Digging deeper, we often discover that dispute instigators, whether in families, congregations, societies, groups, are more often than not motivated by some sort of selfish personal gain that they hide under a cloak of altruism. In the case of Korach, the dispute instigator hypocritically pretended to have the welfare of the people in mind, when in fact, he was sick with pride and jealousy, feeling that he had been passed over for a leadership position that he felt should have fallen upon him. The greatest irony in all this, is that whereas he was sick with pride, Korach accused Moshe or pride, he of whom HaShem had said in the previous parasha that he was the humblest of all men (Num 12:3).


My wife and i have travelled visiting many congregations, and it seems that this story is a repeating one. We have met so many brokenhearted congregation leaders who have had to face dispute instigators using trivial elements of doctrine, or trivialities period, in order to create a riff that usually brings them some sort of benefit, be it social (leadership/recognition), financial, or otherwise.
       I personally believe that this attitude constitutes a great danger for our congregational body. Hiding themselves under a cloak of altruism as though they were seeking the good of the people, as in the case of Korach, ill-motivated people divide HaShem's family. In the case of the places we have visited, it often involved close friends or trusted members who like Achitophel towards David (2 Sam:15:31), turned their traitorous back towards those who trusted them.  

In Psalm 55, we have King David's prayer when he was faced with a similar situation.

My heart within me is pounding in anguish, the terrors of death press down on me, fear and trembling overwhelm me, horror covers me. I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove! Then I could fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would flee to a place far off, I would stay in the desert. (Selah) I would quickly find me a shelter from the raging wind and storm." ...

... and further on ...

Ruin is rife within it, oppression and fraud never leave its streets. For it was not an enemy who insulted me; if it had been, I could have borne it. It was not my adversary who treated me with scorn; if it had been, I could have hidden myself. But it was you, a man of my own kind, my companion, whom I knew well. We used to share our hearts with each other; in the house of God we walked with the crowd. (Psa 55:4-14 CJB). 

My wife and I wrote a song about this, a song called, 'Give me Wings', which can be played from our Chag Sameach CD. (Click HERE to download 'Give me Wings'.)


In the Hebrew of Numbers 16:40 (17:5 for Jewish edition texts) we read an injunction that escapes us in the English text. 

It says, ולא־יהיה כקרח וכעדתו which reads literally,  'It [the congregation of Israel] shall not act as Korah and his group', sentence which can be read in Hebrew as a commandment to not act like Korach. To not be like Korach then becomes that transcends differences in theology, halacha, and doctrine. Because of what he did, Korach was severely punished along with all the people who joined him. The same thing also happened to Miryam, who made seditious claims against Moshe (Numb 12), and happens to us if we act as they did (1 Cor 10:6).

Our master spoke of such and of their role within the community of believers,

 "Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep's clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! (Mat:7:15) 
 For there will appear ... false prophets performing great miracles - amazing things! - so as to fool even the chosen, if possible.  (Mat:24:24) 

Paul had problems with those too:

  In my many travels I have been exposed to danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the desert, danger at sea, danger from false brothers. (2 Co:11:26)

  They do indeed have the outward appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed religious observances, false humility and asceticism; but they have no value at all in restraining people from indulging their old nature. (Col-2:23)
  
Paul prided himself in not following the example of Korach:

 For, as you know, never did we employ flattering talk, nor did we put on a false front to mask greed - God is witness. (1 Th:2:5)

In my life I have learned that love and unity are a choice, a conscious rational decision that we make. It is not dependent on feelings , emotions, facts, conditions, or doctrines. We need to make that choice in order to not allow Korach-like wolves in sheep's clothing to devour us.

MAY HASHEM HELP OUR CONGREGATIONS.
MAY HE HELP US TO MAKE THE CHOICES NECESSARY TO STAY UNITED.

B'SHEM YESHUA HAMASHIACH!

R' Gavriel Lumbroso


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PAR'SHAT SH'LACH: The Parable of the Two Eyes.

6/5/2018

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​​וימתו האנשׁים מוצאי דבת־הארץ רעה במגפה לפני יהוה׃... 

... those men who gave the unfavorable report about the land died by the plague in the presence of Adonai. (Num 14:37 CJB)


THE PARABLE
OF THE TWO EYES.​



"We are given two eyes; one is very powerful for introspection, so that we can find even or smallest faults; the other is very weak, for viewing others. 

Unfortunately, we often switch their functions."

* * * * * * *

It is noticeable that our section this week about the spies' evil report is placed next to the one concerning Miriam speaking evil against Moses. People should have learned from Miriam's lesson, but they didn't. As Miriam was punished for giving an evil report about her divinely appointed little brother, the spies were punished for giving an evil report about the piece of Land they were to inherit by divine appointment. 
         On the same level, the idea being that, 'One who finds fault in things (e.g., meals, accommodations, etc.) will also find fault in other people; conversely, one who sees the good in things will see the good in his fellow man.' The Talmud teaches, 'If those people who spoke against wood and stones received harsh retribution, how much more retribution is deserved by someone who slanders his fellow man! (Erchin 15a).


          Thus, the lesson the spies should have learned was to notice virtues rather than faults. 

Here is a true story called, The Other Side of the Prayerbook to illustrate the point. It is a story published by, Yerachmiel Tilles but told by Simon Wiesenthal, the famous Nazi-hunter when he spoke at a conference of European rabbis in Bratislava, Slovakia. The rabbis presented the 91-year-old Wiesenthal with an award, and he, visibly moved, told them the following story.

"It was in Mauthausen, shortly after liberation. The camp was visited by Rabbi Eliezer Silver, head of Agudat Harabbanim (Union of Orthodox Rabbis of North America), on a mission to offer aid and comfort to the survivors. Rabbi Silver also organized a special service, and he invited Wiesenthal to join the other survivors in prayer. Wiesenthal declined, and explained why."

"In the camp," Wiesenthal said to Rabbi Silver, "there was one religious man who somehow managed to smuggle in a siddur (a Jewish prayerbook). At first, I greatly admired the man for his courage-that he'd risked his life in order to bring the siddur in. But the next day I realized, to my horror, that this man was 'renting out' this siddur to people in exchange for food. People were giving him their last piece of bread for a few minutes with the prayerbook. This man, who was very thin and emaciated when the whole thing started, was soon eating so much that he died before everyone else-his system couldn't handle it."

He continued: "If this is how religious Jews behave, I'm not going to have anything to do with a prayerbook."

As Wiesenthal turned to walk away, Rabbi Silver touched him on the shoulder and gently said in Yiddish, "Du dummer (you silly man). Why do you look at the Jew who used his siddur to take food out of starving people's mouths? Why don't you look at the many Jews who gave up their last piece of bread in order to be able to use a siddur? That's faith. That's the true power of the siddur." Rabbi Silver then embraced him.

"I went to the services the next day," said Wiesenthal.

MORE ABOUT THE EVIL OF EVIL REPORTS.
The sages of Israel have a different twist than what is regularly taught for the events between Ham and his father. They teach that the sin of Ham was nothing more than publicly shaming his father by giving his two brothers an evil report about their father (Gen 9:22). The two other brothers had more respect for their father. Instead of gawking at their father, walking backward, they 'covered; his compromising situation' (Gen 9:23). In this situation, we see a perfect example of, 

He who conceals an offense promotes love, but he who harps on it can separate even close friends. (Pro 17:9 CJB). 

King Solomon had in fact more to say about the evils of an 'evil-tongue' than about anything else.

NOTE: According to these standards, how could any true faithful disciple be involved in the type of politics which nowadays revolves around exposing others and putting them in a bad light in order to make ourselves look better. Even enemies do not deserve what these people say against each other. They need to remember Yeshua's injunction about discipleship and belonging to His Kingdom, "

But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. (Mat 5:44-45 CJB). 

If the Master hadn't done that towards us in the Name of His Father who 

"... so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. (Joh 3:16 CJB)


...We would be in trouble!

Our Master had much to say against slander and negativity. He taught His disciples,

 ... that whoever calls his brother, 'You good-for-nothing!' will be brought before the Sanhedrin; that whoever says, 'Fool!' incurs the penalty of burning in the fire of Gei-Hinnom! (Mat 5:22 CJB)

        When  Miriam of Magdala came to Him, the Master didn't see the bad woman, but the lost soul. 
      When Zaccheus called on Him, the Master didn't see the thieving Roman collaborator, but the seeking man. 
         Likewise, He didn't see the 'doubting' in Thomas, but the exceptional disciple who gave his life for His Master in India. 
        He also did not see the sinner in you or me, but the lost soul seeking for its Maker (and we can be thankful for that). 

I heard it said once at a writer's conference that we need to stop seeing people as 'wrong', but start seeing them as 'lost'. 
          May we therefore learn to see the Light of God in each person that we meet, in each situation that we face, in each judgment that we have to call. Our world will be then like,

 "... the path of the righteous [which] is like the light of dawn, shining ever brighter until full daylight.

(Pro 4:18 CJB)
    

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PAR'SHAT B'HA'ALOT'CHA: The Meek Leader.

6/1/2018

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ויצעק משׁה אל־יהוה לאמר אל נא רפא נא לה׃
Moshe cried to Adonai, "Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her!" (Num 12:13 CJB)

In this parasha we have the element that could have ended the whole redemptive process of the Exodus: criticism, gossip, what is called in Hebrew: לשון הרע lashon harah. Even today, many a family, association, group, and even congregation is broken because of this evil practice. 

In a previous parasha we read,
 Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, "If someone develops on his skin a swelling, scab or bright spot which could develop into the disease tzara`at, צָרָעַת he is to be brought to Aharon the cohen or to one of his sons who are cohanim. (Lev 13:1-2 CJB)

Most English texts use the word 'leprosy' but biblical leprosy does not refer to what we know today as leprosy so, to stay true to the ideo of the text, I will use the Hebrew word 'tzara'ah'. In the Talmud, tzara'ah is connected to gossip and evil speech, to what is commonly referred to as "lashon harah."  The connection for this is in our parasha this week in the episode of Miryam becoming Tzar due to her criticism of Moshe. 

Aharon and Miryam's criticism was concerning a "cushite" woman who was married to Moshe. Who  was she? Many speculate, but at present there is no evidence that Moshe married anyone else but Zipporah, Jethro's daughter.

Aben Ezra, Ben Melech, and the Jerusalem Targum represent her  not as a native of Ethiopia, the country of the Abyssines, but as a Cushite native of Arabia Chusea, in which country Midian was, where also Zipporah came from. Hence the tents, of Cushan, and the curtains of Midian, are spoken of together, . I saw trouble in the tents of Kushan and the tent hangings shaking in the land of Midyan. (Hab: 3:7). Being a desert woman, she might have had dark skin. Until today, the Hebrew word used for   "black", toward a black person is the word: "cushi." someone from 'Cush'.

Let us now examine Aharon and Miriam's criticism.

Miryam and Aharon began criticizing Moshe on account of the Ethiopian woman he had married, for he had in fact married an Ethiopian woman. They said, "Is it true that Adonai has spoken only with Moshe? Hasn't he spoken with us too?" Adonai heard them. (Num 12:1-2 CJB)

These 2 verses have one thing in common: the laws of clean and unclean.
Here is how it works:
  • Moses was married, but he was also in constant communication with HaShem.
  • Sexual relations create uncleanliness, Moshe therefore became a "eunuch" for the sake of the Kingdom as Yeshua once talked about (Mt 19:12).
  • In pride and jealousy, Miryam questions "Is it true that Adonai has spoken only with Moshe? Hasn't He spoken with us too?"
  • In essence, "Who do you think you are? Why do you give yourself such importance? Aren't you guilty of spiritual pride? You are not so indispensable!"
HaShem heard it, and gave His own commendation of Moshe for people to read forever:

Now this man Moshe was very humble, more so than anyone on earth. (Num 12:3 CJB)

Like Aharon and Miryam did in their day, some people like to find fault in Moshe, but after reading HaSWhem's assessment of Moshe in Numbers 12:3, I would be careful to utter anything against him lest  I contradict HaShem! 

Now HaShem explains what's going on:
Suddenly Adonai told Moshe, Aharon and Miryam, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." The three of them went out. Adonai came down in a column of cloud and stood at the entrance to the tent. He summoned Aharon and Miryam, and they both went forward. He said, "Listen to what I say: when there is a prophet among you, I, Adonai, make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. (Num 12:4-6 CJB)

In other words, "Yes; I do speak through other people; not only through Moshe, and here is how it goes!"

But it isn't that way with my servant Moshe. He is the only one who is faithful in my entire household. With him I speak face to face and clearly, not in riddles; he sees the image of Adonai. So why weren't you afraid to criticize my servant Moshe?" (Num 12:7-8 CJB)

"I speak face to face with Moshe. It is different!"
  • Moshe was a prophet of a different caliber.
  • He was constantly on-call with HaShem.

The anger of Adonai flared up against them, and he left. But when the cloud was removed from above the tent, Miryam had tzara`at, as white as snow. Aharon looked at Miryam, and she was as white as snow. (Num 12:9-10 CJB)

Then, Aharon enters his role as a levite and intercedes with Moshe:
Aharon said to Moshe, "Oh, my lord, please don't punish us for this sin we committed so foolishly. Please don't let her be like a stillborn baby, with its body half eaten away when it comes out of its mother's womb!"  (Num 12:11-12 CJB)
  • Moshe intercedes with HaShem.

WE HAVE SO FAR LEARNED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE  DISPARAGE THE ANOINTED OF GOD. (This does not apply to self-proclaimed "anointed of God!") 

MUCH LEADERSHIP ETHICS CAN BE LEARNED IN HOW MOSHE REACTS TO HIS OLDER SISTER'S VERBAL ATTACKS. 

LET US SEE HOW THE TRUE 'ANOINTED OF GOD REACTS TO THIS TREACHERY FROM HIS OWN FAMILY, FROM THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM.
  • He is not angry at her. 
  •  Our natural reaction to verbal attacks is usually to attack back; find fault with the "messenger", but Moshe does not hit back or retaliate. That's a sign of his true humility. Moshe actually lives by the words of the Master: "You have heard that our fathers were told, 'Love your neighbor -- and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. (Mat 5:43-45 CJB)
  • He prays and interceds for Miryam.

"Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her!" (Num 12:13 CJB)

MUCH CAN BE LEARNED FROM THIS!

Back to Miryam:

From our Sages on this Parashah:
  • David the Psalmist compares slanderous talk to "Sharp arrows of the warrior, coals of broom" (Psalms 120:4). 
  • All other weapons smite from close quarters, while the arrow smites from the distance. So is it with slander: it is spoken in Rome and kills in Syria. 
  • All other coals, when extinguished, are extinguished without and within; but coals of broom are still burning within when they are extinguished without. So is it with words of slander: even after it seems that their effects have been put out, they continue to smolder within those who heard them. It once happened that a broom tree was set on fire and it burned eighteen months -- winter, summer and winter.

HERE IS THE DEFINITION OF LASHON HARAH:
  • IT IS NOT CRITICISM.
  • IT IS HAVING SO MUCH ARROGANCE THAT WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE TRUE ANOINTED OF GOD TO THE POINT THAT WE EQUATE OURSELVES WITH HIM/HER, CONSIDER THEM AS PEERS AND ALLOW OURSELVES TO JUDGE THEM.

Many people, especially religious leaders or religiously inflamed political leaders use this story and the threat of tzara'at to deflect all and any criticism against them. They call it "persecution for righteousness' sake."
  • But criticism done in a positive manner is a positive thing.
  • It helps us stay in tune with the reality of our sinful selves and drives away the main enemies of any spiritual leader: spiritual pride and self-righteousness.
Let's look at the mechanism of this gossip and criticism:
  • They looked at Moshe's personal life and found fault
  • Moshe knew his own weakness; he had already told HaShem that he was not worthy not capable to do the job.
  • That's why his brother Aharon was summoned to help him.
This is the main mode of attack towards HaShem's leaders, and it is not because we are so concerned about their spiritual life, but because we are jealous. It's not about 'justice', it's about 'just-us!'
  • We  often 'buck' against some truth they tell by attacking them back using their humanity against them. 
  • We don't do it for a concern for justice. We do it because we try to protect our own pride and sense of righteousness, (just-us!).
  • That's lashon Harah.
  • Miryam and Aharon's statement may have been true, butthey were  ill-motivated, coming from jealousy which is born of pride.

The state of being afflicted with  tza'rah is called 'motzera'. In Hebrew, this is written מוצארע which when cut in two words reads,  מוצא רע which actually means: "He who finds evil." 

In our pride and jealousy we demand much more from our leaders than even HaShem demands of them, or of us. We also tend to do that sometimes with our spouses also which is very toxic to a marriage.
  • Criticism of leaders mostly focuses on their personal lives.
  • But in our leaders, it is not the person that we respect. When we do, we become "man-worshipers."
  • What we respect is the "uniform." When we do that we respect HaShem and His role in the person, not the person.
EXAMPLES:
  • Samson behaved sinfully, but he was still the judge of Israel and a Nazarite at that. We know that because what he was punished for was breaking his Nazarite vow.
  • In spite of himself, he fulfilled his role in a mighty valiant way.
So what happens if a great spiritual leader seems to be doing something wrong? Should be corrected? Even dismissed?
  • If he is self-appointed, there is no concern for 'lashon hara'
  • But if he is Torah/HaShem appointed then there is a concern to be careful in our criticism. 
Paul did just that:

Sha'ul looked straight at them and said, "Brothers, I have been discharging my obligations to God with a perfectly clear conscience, right up until today." But the cohen hagadol, Hananyah, ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. Then Sha'ul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Will you sit there judging me according to the Torah, yet in violation of the Torah order me to be struck?" The men nearby said, "This is the cohen hagadol of God that you're insulting!" Sha'ul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was the cohen hagadol; for it says in the Torah, 'You are not to speak disparagingly of a ruler of your people.' "  (Act 23:1-5 CJB)

David also feared doing or saying anything bad to Saul, the anointed of God. He also killed he who gleefully announced his death.
​


We must learn from Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ester who all worked for ungodly pagan rulers unto whom they owed their lives. They had to respect their position. By their examples of humility and faithfulness, they were used to save Israel from destruction. 

This is the attitude that they exemplified for us to have, even under pagan worldly leaders . 

How much more should respect our earthly leaders, especially those who lead us in the ways of Torah.
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