Written during the height of Coronavirus outbreak in NY and Israel


It's during these days that we long for the way things used to be and its that longing and the similarities to todays events ; that I discovered while reading the book of Joshua, chapter seven, this past Shabbat.

After the successfull victory over Jericho, Joshua and the Jewish people attempted to attack the city of Ai. Unfortunately, there was an individual by the name of Achan (and his family)that didn't heed the warning of Joshua to not partake in the spoils of Jericho. As a result of this rebellion, thirty six soldiers died in their attempt to attack the city of Ai.
Joshua not realizing the sin of Achan and his theft of the spoils, could not understand why G-D allowed the defeat and death of his soldiers.
Joshua prays to G-d the following prayer(translation below)

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֲהָ֣הּ ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה לָ֠מָה הֵעֲבַ֨רְתָּ הַעֲבִ֜יר אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָתֵ֥ת אֹתָ֛נוּ בְּיַ֥ד הָאֱמֹרִ֖י לְהַאֲבִידֵ֑נוּ וְלוּ֙ הוֹאַ֣לְנוּ וַנֵּ֔שֶׁב בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

“Ah, Lord GOD!” cried Joshua. “Why did You lead this people across the Jordan only to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to be destroyed by them? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan!

Robert Alter in his commentary wants to say that this prayer proves that Joshua was not as great as Moses because Joshua uses the same language in his prayer as the complaint of the mixed multitude when leaving Egypt.

I strongly disagree with Alter and in fact understand this prayer completely differently.
When the Jews left Egypt and complained that they wanted to return to Egypt; they were saying that they preferred the rule of Pharaoh over the rule of G-D.

When Joshua complained, he was saying that he preferred the rulership of G-D with all his protection, on the other side of the Jordan over the reality of Jewish life and its challenges when living under the rules of society and nature. The Jewish people were now forced to change their awareness and relationship with G-D as a result of entering the land and this was troubling to Joshua. For forty years the needs of the Jews were taken care of and they knew how to behave in order to guarantee their survival. Now they were forced to deal with G-D and their new environment in a way that was apparently unfamiliar.  This unknown was very  troubling to both Joshua and the elders.

When G-D answered Joshua, that it was sin and rebellion against the edict of the leadership, that caused their defeat in battle; Joshua realized that G-D was still with them and instead it was only man that had truly disconnected from the will of G-D.
Even though the environment changed, the relationship with G-D and the rules of their relationship remained the same.

In our time, we need to realize that the walls that we built in eastern Europe to protect us against Haskallah are no longer useful and in fact are harmful and dangerous. G-D  hasn't changed his relationship with us;  it's our relationship with our Jewish brothers and our approach to the world that needs to change.

introduction

I am a Jewish, mitzvah practicing jew in Long Island that has gone through the yeshiva system all my life including a two and half year program in a black hat yeshiva in Israel(Kol Torah).My stay in Israel also included six month's working on a kibbutz(be'erot yitzchak). I am very far from a traditional black hat yeshiva bochor. I am currently married(going through a messy divorce)with three beautiful sons.I love to learn especially machshava trying to find meaning and substance to both our religion and life. I will use this blog to escape from the day to day noise of life and try to use it as a form of meditation and as tool to re energize and to refocus.

I believe that we have a beautiful religion that was designed to challenge its followers to seek out and search for G-D by studying the world he created, understanding how he runs his world and then trying to emulate his actions resulting in a better place to live. I don't believe that we can change G-d or use G-d for our own selfish needs. I believe that it is our goal to change ourselves by understanding and then trying to emulate G-D "by going in his ways". In this blog I will be laying out thoughts that occur to me whether on the parsha,navi,daf or just plain machshava that comes to me during my lifetime

The beauty of a blog is the ability to communicate thoughts to the world and then have them analyzed and critiqued. It also forces the author to develop thoughts and learning so that it can withstand the challenge of any criticism. I hope that this is what this blog will do for me. Thank you in advance for reading and I hope you enjoy-alex

Out of slavery

1.  Slaves lose their self identity. They become completely subservient to their master/s. No decision is made unless the master benefits and gives his ok. In return the servant is given shelter, food and protection. In many ways the slave master and the idols/false G-D's play the same role to the servant/worshiper. There is a real fear by the slave/worshiper, that if he stops serving his master/G-D; then the food, shelter and protection would be seriously at risk.

Judaism introduced a revolutionary concept; that man is free from all forms of slavery; whether it is under man or whether it is bribing a G-D or whether it is even being a slave to one's own desires and thoughts.
Judaism doesn't want us  to be subservient to even a King; unless of course because of our given freedoms, we demand one. Even then, the chosen king has limited power. He is not allowed to amass wealth, horses(army) or wives. He is limited in his power by playing a role of a judge, with Torah constantly placed on his arm.
Even with our own worship of G-D, we are to do so, by improving ourselves and our relationship with our fellow man; in order to achieve closeness to G-D. Our sacrifices are not designed to bribe G-D but instead are to channel our drive to be mastered, into something productive. A sacrifice must be brought in a central location where all of the nation gathers with a goal of forming a community, mass education and a unified focus on the fundamental principles of our religion; with the central pillar being the idea of a non physical "first cause", that abhors slavery in all it's forms.
In the location of the sacrifices we have our supreme court, a gathering of the most educated and an economic system that is designed to help the less fortunate without reliance on an intrusive govt.
Even after G-D gave us the Torah he gave us the freedom to take control of his law and make it our own. That is the fantastic concept that the Rabbis have taught us,
 תורה לא בשמים היא.   
 
It took forty years of wandering in a desert for the Jewish people to understand this foundation of Judaism and the worship of the true G-D.
Like a drug addict it could not happen instantly but had to happen very slowly via weaning the Jewish people off the addiction of being mastered. That is why the ענן, באר and the מן was a necessity during this education process; just like a Heroin addict that is  given dangerous drugs to wean him off his even more dangerous addiction.
When finally entering Israel, the next generation of the desert was fully educated on what Judaism expected from them; complete freedom and self empowerment. They understood that they were not  to abandon the ability to control their lives/destiny to slave masters, Govt or even G-D.
It is G-D himself that tells us that we are given free will to choose between good and evil.  We are told by G-D to throw off the yolk of all forms of slavery and to move on to make the best of ourselves and the world around us. The nation of Israel is to be an example to the world, of what true freedom is supposed to look like. All the greatest Democracies in the world today, were developed as a result of this Judaic concept of freedom; that was first introduced to the world when the Jews left Egypt.
This pasuk in this weeks Parsha say all of this in twelve words.

 שמות טו: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, מַה-תִּצְעַק אֵלָי; דַּבֵּר
אֶל-בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִסָּעוּ.

 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward

Thoughts on the Daf- Berachot 31


Knowing that Samuel was a descendant of Korach (who rebelled against Moshe), it is always a beautiful idea that in contrast to his great grandfather, he gave up his own power, in order to appoint the first Jewish kings(Saul and David). In a similar manner, when Moses was told by G-D that he would destroy the Jewish people and rebuild a new nation from Moses; the response from Moses was a plea to save the Jewish people(by the golden calf).

In todays Daf(Berachot 31) both ideas are  repeated, once by discussing how Eli accused Samuel of Moreh halacha biphnei raboh(a form of rebellion). This reminds us of the potential of rebellion that Samuel inherited. As a result of Samuel's rebellion,
Eli threatened to kill Samuel. Eli promises חנה, that if allowed to punish Samuel, he would pray that G-d grant's חנה even a greater son than Samuel. חנה refuses and demands that Eli have mercy on Samuel.

Here is the Gemara-

״אֶל הַנַּעַר הַזֶּה הִתְפַּלָּלְתִּי״. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: שְׁמוּאֵל מוֹרֵה הֲלָכָה לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ הָיָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ אֶת הַפָּר וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַנַּעַר אֶל עֵלִי״. מִשּׁוּם דְּ״וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ אֶת הַפָּר״ הֵבִיאוּ הַנַּעַר אֶל עֵלִי?

אֶלָּא, אָמַר לָהֶן עֵלִי: קִרְאוּ כֹּהֵן, לֵיתֵי וְלִשְׁחוֹט. חֲזַנְהוּ שְׁמוּאֵל דַּהֲווֹ מְהַדְּרִי בָּתַר כֹּהֵן לְמִישְׁחַט, אֲמַר לְהוּ: לְמָה לְכוּ לְאַהְדּוֹרֵי בָּתַר כֹּהֵן לְמִישְׁחַט? שְׁחִיטָה בְּזָר כְּשֵׁרָה! אַיְיתוּהוּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּעֵלִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מְנָא לָךְ הָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִי כְּתִיב ״וְשָׁחַט הַכֹּהֵן״?! ״וְהִקְרִיבוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים״ כְּתִיב, מִקַּבָּלָה וְאֵילָךְ מִצְוַת כְּהוּנָּה, מִכָּאן לַשְּׁחִיטָה שֶׁכְּשֵׁרָה בְּזָר.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מֵימָר שַׁפִּיר קָא אָמְרַתְּ, מִיהוּ מוֹרֶה הֲלָכָה בִּפְנֵי רַבָּךְ אַתְּ, וְכׇל הַמּוֹרֶה הֲלָכָה בִּפְנֵי רַבּוֹ חַיָּיב מִיתָה. אָתְיָא חַנָּה וְקָא צָוְוחָה קַמֵּיהּ: ״אֲנִי הָאִשָּׁה הַנִּצֶּבֶת עִמְּכָה בָּזֶה״ וְגוֹ׳. אֲמַר לַהּ: שִׁבְקִי לִי דְּאֶעֶנְשֵׁיהּ, וּבְעֵינָא רַחֲמֵי, וְיָהֵיב לָךְ רַבָּא מִינֵּיהּ. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: ״אֶל הַנַּעַר הַזֶּה הִתְפַּלָּלְתִּי״.

Additionally, Hannah’s emphasis in speaking to Eli, “for this youth I prayed” (I Samuel 1:27), indicates that she came to protect him from danger. As Rabbi Elazar said: Samuel was one who taught halakha in the presence of his teacher. Hannah wanted to pray that he not be punished by death at the hand of Heaven for his transgression, as it is stated: “And they slaughtered the cow and they brought the youth to Eli” (I Samuel 1:25). This verse is puzzling. Because they slaughtered the cow, therefore, they brought the youth to Eli? What does one have to do with the next?

Rather, this is what happened: Eli said to those who brought the offering: Call a priest; he will come and slaughter the offering. Samuel saw them looking for a priest to slaughter the animal. He said to them: Why do you need to look for a priest to slaughter it? Slaughter of an offering performed by a non-priest is valid. They brought him before Eli to clarify his statement. Eli said to him: How do you know this? Samuel said to him: Is it written in the Torah: And the priest shall slaughter indicating that the offering may only be slaughtered by a priest? It is written: “And the priests shall offer,” only from the stage of receiving the blood in the bowls and onward is it a mitzva incumbent upon priests alone. From here the halakha that slaughter by a non-priest is acceptable is derived.

Eli said to Samuel: You have spoken well and your statement is correct, but nevertheless, you are one who issued a halakhic ruling in the presence of your teacher, and anyone who issues a halakhic ruling in the presence of his teacher, even if the particular halakha is correct, is liable for death at the hand of Heaven for showing contempt for his teacher. Hannah came and shouted before him: “I am the woman who stood here with you to pray to the Lord;” do not punish the child who was born of my prayers. He said to her: Let me punish him, and I will pray for mercy, that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will grant you a son who will be greater than this one. She said to him: “For this youth I prayed” and I want no other.

                    וישב

לז,לא וַיִּקְחוּ, אֶת-כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף; וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ שְׂעִיר 
עִזִּים, וַיִּטְבְּלוּ אֶת-הַכֻּתֹּנֶת בַּדָּם

לז,לב וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אֶת-כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים, וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶל-אֲבִיהֶם, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, זֹאת מָצָאנוּ:  הַכֶּר-נָא, הַכְּתֹנֶת בִּנְךָ הִוא--אִם-לֹא.

לז,לג וַיַּכִּירָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר כְּתֹנֶת בְּנִי, חַיָּה רָעָה אֲכָלָתְהוּ; טָרֹף טֹרַף, יוֹסֵף.

Its interesting that the midrash says that this כתנת is actually the same garment that יעקב used to fool his father יצחק, in thinking that he was blessing his brother עשו. 

There are some interesting terms used in these pasukim that can possibly be reminding us of the conflict between יעקב and עשו and the deception of יצחק.
The terms שעיר and אדום) דם)  seems to allude to the other names of עשו.
The fooling by Joseph's brothers of יעקב, with the same garment to convince יעקב that his son is dead; when in fact he was really sold(as עשו sold the firstborn rights to יעקב). 
The other reminder is the fact that the garment was dipped in the blood of עיזים-the same animal that רבקה prepared the dish for יעקב to feed his father יצחק. Also notice the language of the pasuk when יצחק bless יעקב-
כז,כג וְלֹא הִכִּירוֹ--כִּי-הָיוּ יָדָיו כִּידֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיו, שְׂעִרֹת; וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ
And now the language of הכר נא and ויכירה when the brothers are fooling יעקב

We also saw this play out when לבן told יעקב after switching לאה ( the oldest) for רחל in marriage. Hear the irony in the words of לבן when לבן says in פרשת ויצא

 כט,כו וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן, לֹא-יֵעָשֶׂה כֵן בִּמְקוֹמֵנוּ--לָתֵת הַצְּעִירָה, לִפְנֵי הַבְּכִירָה

when it was לבן's sister (רבקה) that devised the plan in the first place; in order that יעקב should steal the blessings from her oldest son. Where would רבקה learn the rules of deception, if not from the family of her childhood-לבן

As long as we are on this subject of לבן, this may  also explain where the midrash picked up the story that רחל gave the סימנים to her sister לאה in order that she not be humiliated; just like רבקה gave the סימנים to her son יעקב in order to fool his father. The only difference here is that the midrash is having the youngest daughter give the סימנים to the oldest daughter, in order to fool her future husband.  Now in this parsha, the children of the oldest are using סימנים to once again deceive the parent of the true whereabouts of the youngest.

Is the Torah being critical of the deception by Yaakov of his father יצחק, by showing us in these stories consequences of our actions/decisions  and how history repeats itself...?

                            פרשת וישב



לז,כו וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה, אֶל-אֶחָיו:  מַה-בֶּצַע, כִּי 
נַהֲרֹג אֶת-אָחִינוּ, וְכִסִּינוּ, אֶת-דָּמוֹ

לז,כז לְכוּ וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים, וְיָדֵנוּ אַל-תְּהִי-בוֹ, כִּי-אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ, הוּא; וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ, אֶחָיו.

לז,כח וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים סֹחֲרִים, וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ וַיַּעֲלוּ אֶת-יוֹסֵף מִן-הַבּוֹר, וַיִּמְכְּרוּ אֶת-יוֹסֵף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים, בְּעֶשְׂרִים כָּסֶף; וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת-יוֹסֵף, מִצְרָיְמָה.

The question everyone discusses here is why the switch between ישמעאלים and  

 מדינים?                                                          

                                                     

 I don't believe that the question is so difficult. It is very common in the slave trade to have slave traders that arrange the sale for buyers. When יהודה decided to sell יוסף to the Egyptians, it was the midyanim that were the traders and     arranged and completed the sale to the Egyptians.                                                  
 What I find fascinating is the fact that the two people chosen in this story to arrange the sale of Joseph, were the very same children that were sent away by Joseph's great grandfather Abraham; and now the very descendants of those children are now involved in sending Joseph away from his father.                 

Its Jan 1st 2020 and it's been over ten years since I last wrote on my blog. Life has changed for the Guttman clan and so has my state of mind. Over the years I have been analyzing midrashim and the nuances in the Torah that may have triggered the author of the midrash to arrive at the understanding of the pasuk that he commented on. I also noticed some interesting similarities, repetition of words and ideas in many of the stories, events and mitzvot of the pasukim of the weekly parsha reading.
I hope to use this blog to document many of those chidushim and ideas for many years to come.
Note- I also completed the  גבעונים  and דינה comparison from 2011 by adding a thought that I mentioned by my son Daniel's sheva Berachot. Look back to see my chidush.