Foreign leaders

In this weeks parsha Bereishis 36,31 the Torah lists all the kings of Edom. What is the significance or the importance of the Torah teaching us about the Kings of Edom. What lesson can we as human beings learn from this listing. We know that the Torah is not a history book and the purpose of all that is written in the Torah is to teach us proper morals and beliefs so that we can get close to G-D(with thought)and follow his will.
The Rambam writes in Moreh Nevuchim (volume 3 chapter 50)the following(Shlomo Pines translation)"The reason for[Scripture's]enumeration of the kings that reigned in the land of Edom is the fact that according to one of the commandments:Thou mayest not set a foreigner over thee,who is not thy brother".
The Rambam continues that these leaders of Edom were foreigners and as a result dealt with the descendents of essav with cruelty and humiliated them. So this listing of the Torah is actually a lesson and an explanation to the commandment that was given later to the jewish people that they should not appoint a foreigner as a leader or a king. We have seen countless times in Jewish history where Jewish leaders that were foreigners caused grief and misery to the jewish people(King Herod and his descendents).
I find it curious that the founding fathers of the United States insisted that it be law that a foreigner(born overseas) could not become President and only someone born on American soil could run for this office. I wonder if they took this idea from the Torah in an attempt to prevent the "harrassment of the people" that took place under the foreign leaders of Edom.

Torah with a Job

Today in shul I was asked to say a Mishnah from Pirkei Avos. I randomly opened the siddur to the Mishnah in the second perek

ב,ב רבן גמליאל בנו של רבי יהודה הנשיא אומר, יפה תלמוד תורה עם דרך ארץ, שיגיעת שניהם משכחת עוון; וכל תורה שאין עימה מלאכה, סופה בטילה וגוררת עוון. וכל העמלים עם הציבור, יהיו עמלים עימם לשם שמיים, שזכות אבותן מסייעתן, וצדקתם עומדת לעד. ואתם, מעלה אני עליכם כאילו עשיתם.



To summarize

Rabban Gamliel says that it is beautiful when learning Torah accompanies a job. When one is busy with both, then sin is prevented. On the other hand Torah without a job(like kolel-my insert)in the end will be a waste of time and will in fact cause sin.



What I find extremely interesting is the last part of the same Mishnah which talks about how to contribute and participate in helping the community. The Mishnah says that one should do it for the sake of heaven and if he does, then the merit of the ancestors will help him and in the end the credit will be his. I believe that it is not just a coincidence the linking of this part of the Mishnah to the first.

A person who only learns Torah and does not support himself does not understand or even know the needs of the congregation. In fact he himself is being supported by the congregation and therefore cannot have a non biased approach to what is good or bad for the community. It is only the person that is involved in the "ways of the world"(working for a living),that can really understand what is good or bad. Then the Mishnah warns the working man that he remember that he should not be influenced by his selfish needs(honor etc) in helping the community. Instead he should look at the earlier righteous generations that were involved in building the community and use them as the measuring stick and guide to his decisions on how to help. It is with this process that he can ensure will be acting for the sake of heaven and the credit or imprint on society and on the world will be his.

On a macro level that is why we talk about our forefathers when we start the Shemoneh Esreh. We begin by thinking about how we can continue the process that our forefathers started of improving the community and the world so that we can act for the sake of heaven and not our selfish needs.

Bitter Waters

In Exodus 15 we find the following passages

כג וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה--וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתֹּת מַיִם מִמָּרָה, כִּי מָרִים הֵם; עַל-כֵּן קָרָא-שְׁמָהּ, מָרָה.

23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

כד וַיִּלֹּנוּ הָעָם עַל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר, מַה-נִּשְׁתֶּה.

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying: 'What shall we drink?'

כה וַיִּצְעַק אֶל-יְהוָה, וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יְהוָה עֵץ, וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל-הַמַּיִם, וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם; שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט, וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ.

25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them;

כו וַיֹּאמֶר אִם-שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְהַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו תַּעֲשֶׂה, וְהַאֲזַנְתָּ לְמִצְו‍ֹתָיו, וְשָׁמַרְתָּ כָּל-חֻקָּיו--כָּל-הַמַּחֲלָה אֲשֶׁר-שַׂמְתִּי בְמִצְרַיִם, לֹא-אָשִׂים עָלֶיךָ, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, רֹפְאֶךָ. {ס}

26 and He said: 'If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that healeth thee.' {S}


I was giving the Daf today (Tractate Sotah)and I noticed that the Torah (Numbers 5,11-31)when referring to the water that is given to the Sotah to drink, also refers to the water as "Mayim Hamorim"(bitter waters).The jealous husband brings his wife who is suspected of being disloyal to the Temple and she is then tested by being given to drink this "Mayim Hamorim"(a recipe that consists of a parchment with G-D's name that is ground up and mixed with water). If she is found guilty she dies a horrible death with her stomach exploding.On the other hand if she is found innocent she is blessed with children.
It seems that the Jewish people after surviving Egypt and were now about to enter a covenant with G-D(with the giving of the Torah)were also being tested by the "Mayim Hamorim". That is why it says שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט, וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ. (There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them; ). Apparently whatever laws were given at that time(Rashi brings a Michiltah that the laws of Shabbos,the Red Cow and Monetary laws were given),proved that the Jews were loyal and ready to dedicate themselves to G-D. It was after this test of obedience and dedication that G-D and the Jewish people were ready to consummate their marriage with the giving of the Torah.

My Sabbaths shall you observe and My Sanctuary shall you revere

Parshas Behar ends off with a seemingly strange passage "My Sabbaths shall you observe and My sanctuary shall you revere-I am Hashem"(Perek 25 Pasuk 2). At first glance one would think that this passage is referring to the commandment of keeping the weekly Sabbath which Jews celebrate every Saturday to remember G-D's creation of the world. Throughout the Torah the reason why the Sanctuary is mentioned together with the the Sabbath is (as our sages tell us)in order to teach us that we cannot violate the Sabbath even when building the Temple(this may also be the link to the thirty nine types of work that was done to build the temple and is thus prohibited for a Jew to practice on the Sabbath). The only problem with this interpretation in this particular Parsha is that the main subject of Parshas Behar was the Shmitah(every seventh year) and the Jubilee(every fiftieth year),which as our rabbis teach us is linked to the Shmitah cycle. There is no other mention in this Parsha of the weekly Sabbath laws.Why would Moshe end this Parsha with the weekly Sabbath instead of the main subject of the Parsha, the seven year sabbatical(Shmitah)? Furthermore the Shmitah is also referred to as sabbath as the Pasuk says in the beginning of our Parsha"but the seventh year shall be a complete sabbath for the land,a sabbath for Hashem;your field you shall not sow and your vineyard you shall not prune"(Perek 25 Pasuk 4).

I would therefore like to propose that the last passage in this Parsha is actually a summation of Parshas Behar and is also a final warning for us and for future generations to keep the Shmittah. The mentioning of the Temple with the Shmittah is in order for us to realize that the keeping of the Shmittah is eternally linked to the Temple in a way that the existence of the Temple is tied into our keeping the Shmitah. As G-D tells Moshe and the Jewish people " And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. Then shall the land be paid her Sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye are in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and repay her Sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall have rest; even the rest which it had not in your Sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it."(Leviticus 26:33-36).Also see Rashi on Pasuk 35.

We also find that G-D told the prophet Jeremiah to tell the Jewish people "therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying: 'At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that hath been sold unto thee, and hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee'; but your fathers hearkened not unto Me, neither inclined their ear...... Therefore thus saith the LORD: Ye have not hearkened unto Me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbour; behold, I proclaim for you a liberty, saith the LORD, unto the sword, unto the pestilence, and unto the famine; and I will make you a horror unto all the kingdoms of the earth."(Jeremiah 34:12-22)
Finally we find in Chronicles the passage "And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia; to fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had been paid her Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. "(Chronicles II 36:19-22)

The Robe of the Ephod by my son Daniel (10 yrs old)

My son Daniel told me that his Rebbi asked him a question in Parsha Tetzaveh. It says in Chapter 28 Passage 34 regarding the Robe that the Kohen Gadol wore in the Tabernacle that it must have
פַּעֲמֹן זָהָב וְרִמּוֹן, פַּעֲמֹן זָהָב וְרִמּוֹן, עַל-שׁוּלֵי הַמְּעִיל, סָבִיב

a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.

There is a tradition that there were seventy two pairs of bells and pomegranates on the skirt of the robe.His rebbi wanted to know how we can learn this tradition from the passage above. So my son answered with an original (as far as I know)brilliant answer . He said that there are a total of twenty four hebrew letters in the words describing the golden bell and a pomegranate which are mentioned twice in this passage(twelve times two). When you multiply twenty four by three( the three words describing the golden bell and pomegranate) you arrive at the number seventy two.

Ephraim and Judah forever linked

Is it not fascinating that during the forty years of wilderness the person that was next in line for leadership and eventually took on that very role was Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim. He also was the one that acted as the first general in the war against the arch enemy of Israel,Amalek. Joshua was the one responsible for bringing the Jewish people into Israel and conquering their enemies.

Who was it that went up the mountain with Moshe and awaited his teachers return. It was not Moshe's brother Aaron nor was it Caleb from the tribe of Judah (the tribe of royalty).It was instead Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim (representing Joseph). You may want to say that Aaron represented the priesthood and was therefore not allowed to rule(like we find by the Hasmoneans).It is however ironic that Moshe ruled even though he was a Levite.We also find Samuel was a leader (even though he was a Levite)until he appointed the official kings of Israel. What is especially fascinating about Samuel is the opening passage in Samuel I which introduces us to the family of Samuel..

א וַיְהִי- אִישׁ אֶחָד מִן-הָרָמָתַיִם צוֹפִים מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם וּשְׁמוֹ אֶלְקָנָה בֶּן-יְרֹחָם בֶּן-אֱלִיהוּא בֶּן-תֹּחוּ בֶן-צוּף אֶפְרָתִי:

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

Is it not wild that the founder of both camps of royalty is linked to the tribe of Ephraim(even though in IChronicles 6:18-23 it is made clear that Elkanah was actually a levite).

The very first leader of the Jewish people in Israel was actually Joseph. From that time on it has been a constant struggle between Joseph and Judah over who would lead. This may explain why the Midrash says that Caleb was the one that ran into the sea of reeds first. This may also be a way of trying to show how Judah must be the leader and the one that jumps in the water first,leading and showing the way to the jewish people. Is it not Ephraim's need to rule that causes the split of the Jewish people in Israel from the kingdom of Judah. This eventually leads to their exile. Did we not read in this past weeks Haftorah from Isaiah which states in 7:1-2 And it was told the house of David, saying: 'Aram is confederate with Ephraim.' And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest are moved with the wind.

In last weeks haftorah from Judges 4:4-5

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she sat under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Here again another leader is linked to Ephraim and yet she herself(in 5:14) compares Ephraim to the arch enemy Amalek

Out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff.

The irony is even greater here because of the fact that Ephraim(Joshua)was the first to wage war against Amalek. If one looks throughout the Bible he will constantly see this theme repeat itself.On the otherhand the kingdom from Judah is non-existant untill King David. Other than in the blessings ogf Jacob and the blessings of Moses there is no mention or desire for the monarchy from Judah. It is amazing the complete silence yet the promise of eternity that is given to the monarchy of Judah. On one side you have the constant need and fight to lead from Ephraim which in reality only shows momentary glimpses and hiccups of success and on the other side is the silence yet the eternity and eternal promise of success of the kingdom of Judah.

The Jewish people even have a tradition that there will be two messiah's,one from Joseph to begin the redemption.Then the final messiah will rule from the kingdom of David.It is also interesting to note that according to this tradition the messiah from Joseph will die and only then will the messiah from David be able to rule(competition again?).This follows the original entry into the land of Israel which began With Joseph and ended with David.

Even now the fight seems to continue. At a Pidyan Haben there is a custom that the cohen places his hand on the child's head and says the famous passage from Genesis 48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying: 'By thee shall Israel bless, saying: God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.' And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. This same blessing is said when a father blesses a son.We are called Jews which comes from the word Judah and yet the Bible sometimes refers to the Jewish people as the children of Joseph

Full Circle

I was studying with my son Rafi (9 yrs old) Chumash Bereishas when the following thought came to me.

If one wants to look at the one event that began the exile of the Jews into Egypt we can look at the dipping of Josephs coat into the "goat blood" so that the brothers would be able to convince their father that he was killed by an "evil wild animal". This event sealed Joseph's fate which eventually led to the saving of his family from famine and forcing them to relocate to egypt.

Some two hundred and seventy years later when the Jewish people were leaving Egypt they once again slaughtered a goat but this time they dipped grass into the blood and then applied the blood to their doorposts so that G-D would pass over their house when killing the first born of Egypt.

When G-d brought the plagues on the Egyptians it almost seems like there was a message within a message and that he was also educating both the Jews and the Egyptians on the natural order of the world. The first plague began with water turning to blood.The second plague began with frogs which live on water and on land.The third plague began with lice(bugs)which live solely on land.Then the wild beasts which are more sophisticated (on the evolutionary scale).The plagues keep on progressing till it hits the top of the evolutionary chain which is "man". It is at this point that the first born are killed. There is still one creature that the Egyptians believed was above man and that is the "king"(they believed Pharaoh was a G-D). He would be considered the very top and last link of the evolutionary chain. It is at the splitting of the sea that the final plague which is the destruction or death of the king that the process is complete. Ironically it is with water which started the chain that the king at the very top of the chain is destroyed. Man and redemption have both come full circle