PARSHAS DEVARIM | 6 AV 5770 | 17 JULY 2010

One of the key issues Moses addresses is the decision to send spies to report on the Land of Israel nearly 40 years earlier. At the urging of the people, Moses sanctioned the plan, but the results were tragic: Ten of the spies declared that the Land was impossible to conquer. The people accepted the report, despaired of entering the Land of Israel, and caused G-d to decree that their generation die in the desert.

In recalling the events surrounding this national tragedy, Moses, states: “You approached me, all of you, and said, ‘Let us send men ahead of us and let them spy out the land’” (Devarim 1:22).

The commentators note that the phrase, “all of you,” is superfluous. Moses could simply have stated, “You approached me and said, ‘Let us send men...’” What was the purpose behind the addition of these three words?

Rashi explains that the extra words are Moses' way of emphasizing that the Jewish people failed to show proper respect when they presented their request. Instead, they approached him “like an unruly mob, the young pushing aside the elders, and the elders pushing aside the leaders.”

Rabbi Chaim Ickovits (1749-1821, Poland/Russia), popularly known as Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, and considered by many to be the father of the yeshiva movement, asks why Moses went out of his way to point out this

relatively small misdeed. Certainly, the episode of the spies included more severe transgressions than failing to show proper respect for each other and for Moses!

Rabbi Ickovits answers that Moses was indicating that the very manner in which they raised the issue revealed a deeper problem regarding their true intentions. If the desire to send spies had been driven by proper motivations, the Jewish people would have conducted themselves in a calm and respectful manner. Instead, as events bore out, they had an ax to grind against the whole idea of entering the Land of Israel. Sending the spies was a pretext, and approaching Moses as an unruly mob proved this from the outset.

This shows how vital it is to maintain an atmosphere of respect, especially when dealing with important or potentially contentious issues. Once the air becomes poisoned with disrespect, the ramifications can be tragic.

The opposite is also true. Maintaining proper respect for another person, even in a charged situation, can have tremendously positive effects, as the following story illustrates:

One of the towering figures of the Lithuanian Torah world was Rabbi Yosef Zundel of Salant (1786-1866). Rabbi Zundel once approached a wealthy individual in his town to donate funds for the benefit of the poor. Unfortunately, the

wealthy man also had a notorious reputation as a miser.

Although Rabbi Zundel spoke in a friendly and pleasant manner, the wealthy man answered him with anger and disrespect.

“I have never given my money away to another person before, and I will not do so now!” the wealthy man declared.

Upon hearing this, Rabbi Zundel stopped trying to persuade him. Instead, in the same friendly manner, he said, “I like to hear such honest words. I dislike people who make big promises but don't follow through with them. I respect you very much. You don't want to give, and so, in a forthright and honest way, you make it clear that you won't give.”

With that, Rabbi Zundel parted pleasantly and went on his way.

The Rabbi's words exerted a tremendous influence on this wealthy miser. He had expected to hear an angry rebuke, but instead he found himself on the receiving end of honest and sincere praise. From that day on, the wealthy man's attitude changed, and he would even seek out Rabbi Zundel to donate money to the poor. (From Stories My Grandfather Told Me, Mesorah Publications)

Next week, we will mark Tisha B'Av. This was the day the generation that left Egypt was punished with forty years of wandering, as well as the day the First and Second Temples were destroyed.

At their root, these tragedies began when the Jewish people failed to conduct themselves with proper respect for each other, and we continue to suffer from the effects of this attitude to this very day. Pursuing an atmosphere of respect with the people around is one way each of us can help to correct this flaw and create positive and lasting change in its place.

Rabbi Burnham can be reached at: rabbiburnham@partnersintorah.org

אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה אל כל ישראל בעבר הירדן במדבר בערבה מול סוף בין פארן ובין תפל ולבן ויהי בארבעים שנה בעשתי עשר חדש אחד עשר יום מחרב דרך הר שעיר עד קדש ברנע וחצרת ודי זהב

אתו אלהם' באחד לחדש דבר משה אל בני ישראל ככל אשר צוה ה

“These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel, on the other side of the Jordan, concerning the Wilderness, concerning the Arabah, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-

zahab; eleven days from Horeb, by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.” (Devarim 1:1-3)

T his week's parsha begins the Book of Devarim, which recounts the final discourses Moses delivered to the Jewish people in the last five weeks of his life.

Parsha Perspectives RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

D E V A R I M Talking Points RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

1. LETTERS OF COMFORT “These are the words that Moses spoke to all of Israel, on the other side of the Jordan, concerning the Wilderness, concerning the Aravah, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tofel, and Lavan, Chatzeiros, and Di Zahav.” 1:1

These are the words - Because these are words of rebuke, and because Moses intended to recount here all the places where they angered the Almighty, he therefore said these words in concealed fashion and only intimated that they sinned in these places. This was done in order to uphold the honor and dignity of the Jewish people. - Rashi

The Vilna Gaon shares with us an incredible insight into the entire concept of the Torah’s rebuke. The Book of Devarim begins with rebuke of the Jewish people and maintains that tone throughout a large portion of the volume. Some very strong admonitions are delivered along with a hefty dose of potential consequences should we fail to meet the lofty standard expected of us. Traditionally we are taught that when we do satisfy the required standard, instead of suffering these consequences, these tragic situations are reversed into blessings [brachah]. A hint to this can be found in the fact that if one counts from the first time the letter beis [the first letter of the word brachah] appears in this book 613 letters, the next letter he will encounter will be reish [the second letter of the word brachah]. If he counts another 613 letters from that point, he will encounter the letter chaf [the third letter of brachah], and another 613 letters from that point will lead him to the letter hey [the fourth and final letter of brachah]. This teaches us that all of these tragic consequences can be reversed into blessings if we are careful to adhere to all 613 mitzvos of the Torah.

2. JEWISH STARS “I then said to you, 'I cannot lead you all by myself. Your G-d has increased your numbers until you are as many as the stars of the sky.’” 1:9

As many as the stars of the sky - Were they really numerous as the stars that day? They actually numbered only six hundred thousand at the time. What then does “you are today” mean? You are compared to the day – you are as eternal as the sun, the moon and the stars. – Rashi

Afikei Yehudah notes that there are times when the Torah compares the Jewish people to the dust of the earth and times when it compares them to the stars of the heaven. The difference between these two comparisons is that whereas particles of sand tend to stick to one another, the stars are separated by vast expanses. When referring to the Jewish people in united fashion, they are compared to the dust of the earth. When referring to them in a fragmented state, they are compared to stars, for they are distant from one another. In expressing his frustration with the Jewish people, Moses said, “Presently you are like the stars in the heaven in that there exists much animosity among you instead of unity. When you behave in this manner, it is difficult for me alone to bear your burdens and quarrels and lead you effectively.”

3. SUM-THING TO CONSIDER “Show no favoritism in judgment, small and great alike shall you hear; you shall not tremble before any man, for the judgment is G-d’s…” 1:17

You shall not tremble before any man – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha said, “From where do we derive that a student who is sitting before his teacher and sees a point in favor of a poor man and a reason to indict a rich man, that he must not remain silent? Because it is written, ‘You shall not tremble before any man.”’ – Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin

For the judgments is G-d’s – You must not tremble before any man, even a powerful one, and rule in his favor unjustly, because ultimately the judgment is G-d’s, and He will ensure that justice is done in the end. You, in the meantime, will have perverted G-d’s judgment, sinned against Him, and

accomplished nothing. - Rabbeinu Bachya

Small and great alike – You must not favor a litigation that involves large sums of money over one that involves minimal sums. Each must be accorded the same reverence and diligence to ensure that the judgment is exact. – Rashi

Rabbi Elya Meir Bloch zt”l explains that the reason to be as exacting in the judgment of a small sum as in a large sum is not because the two are indeed equivalent. One simply cannot compare the loss of a few cents to that of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Rather, our sages write that one who renders judgment with meticulous care and exacting diligence causes the Divine Presence to rest upon the Jewish people. Thus, when rendering a judgment, any judgment is in fact, not merely a matter of ensuring that the money reaches the true owner, but also that the Divine Presence should see fit to dwell among us. The stakes are very high even when the actual sum in question is hardly significant.

Rabbi Meisels can be reached at: rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

This page is dedicated to and written for the 6,500 Partners in Torah mentors. We welcome you to join their ranks by

calling 800-STUDY-4-2. Please send your comments, ques-tions, and suggestions to info@partnersintorah.org

Contact Info for Partners in Torah Mentor Advisors*:

Rabbi Elazar Meisels 732-917-6370

(Sunday & Tuesday 8:00—11:00 pm, and Thursday 10:00am—12:00 noon) rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

Rabbi Pinchos Jung 845-425-6533 (leave message)

*Kindly reserve use of our advisors

for mentor contact

Dear George,

Your question actually touches on several key points about fasting in general and fasting on Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av) in particular. There happens to be a lot of confusion on these issues, so hopefully I can fill in some of the major facets of the overall picture.

1) Human beings are interesting creatures. We have a body, which is completely physical, and a soul, which is completely spiritual. Because we live in a very physical world, on most days the voice of the soul is somewhat muted, to say the least. Or, to put it another way, ice cream and introspection don't mix very well.

Reining in the body by withholding food and drink helps amplify the voice of the soul. This is especially the case when fasts are accompanied, as they should be, by prayer and reflection on our actions and those of our forefathers. It is even more effective when that prayer

and reflection take place in a structured environment, like a synagogue or program.

The true purpose of a fast day, therefore, is not to be sad, or even to directly produce a sense of cleansing. The true purpose of a fast day is to stir our hearts to reflection and introspection so we can improve our ways. (See A Summary of the Halachos of the Three Weeks, by Rabbi Shimon D. Eider, and Mishna Berura 549:1)

2) In the same vein, the day of Tisha B'Av itself is not a “sad” day. It is a day of mourning.

The essence of mourning is the pain we feel over the loss of a relationship. One day we were able to be in the presence of a loved one, and the next He is gone. Any sadness we experience stems from the awareness of the loss.

On Tisha B'Av, our task is to come to a keener awareness that the state of the

Jewish people, of our priorities, of our personal interactions, and our relationship with G-d is tragically broken and in deep need of repair.

That awareness should of course provoke a sense of mourning and sadness – but it should also spur us on to a new determination to correct the situation once and for all. That determination is the true meaning behind the fast of Tisha B'Av.

May you have an easy and meaningful fast.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Greenbaum

Rabbi Greenbaum can be reached at: parsha@partnersintorah.org

THESE FAST DAYS SURE GO SLOW, RABBI! RABBI TZVI HIRSH GREENBAUM

Dear Rabbi,

I know that the 9th of Av is next week and that we are supposed to fast and feel sad because of the Destruction of the Temple and the Exile. To be honest, I don't really understand how a fast is supposed to make us feel sad. I get the point of fasting on Yom Kippur, because we are cleansing ourselves, but the idea of fasting on the 9th of Av just leaves me thinking I'll be hungry all day and not get much out of it. What am I missing in this equation?

Sincerely,

George S.

LOOK WHO MADE PARTNER…

RECENT SAMPLING OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOINED AS PARTNERS:

NECHAMA CANTOR -- BALTIMORE, MD

YISROEL COHEN -- BROOKLYN, NY LIANA WALTERS -- PORTLAND, OR

SHELLY PELLER -- ROME, GA ARI DEUTSCH -- LAKEWOOD, NJ

TOVA RIVKAH JOHNSON -- FLUSHING, NY JASON FARHIDIAN -- NEWPORT BEACH, CA LEAH BRISTON -- PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA

Making Partner has never been this easy!

In this week's parsha, Moses recounted and

expanded on the episode of the spies forty years

earlier. At the time, the Jewish people declared that

G-d's intention to bring them into the Land of Israel was actually a sign of His hatred for them, as

opposed to His love. According to Rashi, their

reasoning was that the Land of Israel was inferior to

Egypt. In Egypt, the crops were regularly irrigated by

the Nile. In the Land of Israel, the crops had to rely

on rainfall to grow.

The people assumed that if G-d truly loved them, he

would have simply driven out the Egyptians and

allowed the Jewish people to live in peace and prosperity in the land of Egypt. (See Devarim 1:27,

and Rashi's explanation) According to the spies'

report, however, the Land was in fact, good –

“flowing with milk and honey.” (Devarim 1:25;

Bamidbar 13:27-29) They were convinced that G-d

would not help them conquer the Land.

If their chief concern was that G-d would not (א

allow them to conquer the Land, what

relevance is the agricultural quality of the land?

The main sin in the episode of the spies was (בthat the Jewish people did not believe G-d

would bring them into the Land of Israel.

Ironically, they were punished with forty years of

wandering in the desert, essentially proving their

point! Instead of imposing this sentence then,

wouldn't it have been more advantageous to

miraculously bring them into the Land of Israel before the eyes of the whole world, thus proving to

all that G-d was fulfilling His promise?

To post comments, visit www.partnersintorah.org/parsha-partner/balak-5770#comments

TABLE TALK FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

Parsha At-A-Glance This week’s parsha opens as Moses began to deliver his last will and testament to the Jewish people. It was a unique moment in the history of the nation, the culmination of forty years of wandering in the desert, on the eve of the conquest of the Land of Israel.

This final series of discourses took place over the last five weeks of Moses' life. During that time, Moses reviewed the laws he taught to the Jewish people and also rebuked them for certain significant sins and mistakes they committed in the desert.

Out of respect for the Jewish people in the eyes of the nations of the world, Moses introduced these topics with great sensitivity, hinting to the events, rather than overtly confronting the nation with its flaws.

Moses first pointed out that the very appointment of a judge and lower courts (Exodus 18:13-26) signaled a flaw in the Jewish people's approach to Torah and Moses as their leader. He indicated that the people were too eager to put this system in place, and should have insisted on learning from Moses himself rather than through intermediaries.

The parsha continues with an extended and in-depth account of the incident of the spies, which led directly to the Jewish people being sentenced to forty years of wandering in the desert. That generation's refusal to believe that G-d would take them into the Land of Israel as He had promised was a tragedy that

has ramifications until this very day. Their purposeless tears occurred on the 9th of Av. In response, G-d decreed not only that the generation would perish in the desert, but also that this day would be a day designated for tears throughout the generations. Many future tragedies, including the Destruction of the First and Second Temples, have taken place on this day.

Moses then described the encounters with Esav, who dwelt in the land of Seir, Moab and Ammon. All three nations were not to be provoked or attacked at this time.

On the other hand, the response to provocations by Sihon, the King Heshbon, and Og, the King of Bashan, was immediate and overwhelming. G-d delivered these two kingdoms into the hands of the Jewish people, as well as their territory, their cities and their property.

The parsha concludes with Moses recounting his agreement to grant the conquered territory on the other side of the Jordan to the tribes of Reuven, Gad and half of Menashe. The agreement was conditioned on the tribes of Reuven and Gad fighting at the forefront of the Jewish people as they conquered the Land of Israel.

Finally, Moses reiterated his appointment of Joshua as the new leader of the Jewish people, who would lead them in the conquest of the Land of Israel, under G-d's divine protection.