Insight
on the Weekly Reading
To be read on Shabbat Pinchas - 14 Tammuz 5774 /July
12
Torah: Numbers 25:10-30:1
Haftorah: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 (1st of 3 "Haftorahs
of Punishment")
Pirkei Avot:
Chapter 6
Pinchas is the 8th Reading out of 10 in
Numbers and it contains 7853 letters, in 1887 words,
in 168 verses
Pinchas
receives priesthood as reward for his zealous act (see end of
Balak) of killing a tribal prince who acted immorally.
After that is the census of all the tribes followed by instructions
for dividing the Land of Israel according to families. The five
daughters of Tzelofchad came to Moshe saying that their father
died leaving no male heir to inherit his portion of land. G-d
commands that these women be given their father’s portion and
also commands what should happen in all future cases where a direct
heir is not available. Before his death, G-d tells Moshe to view
the Land from Mt. Avarim, as he will not enter it; instead, Yehoshua,
his main pupil and attendant, is publicly commissioned as future
leader of the Jews. The parsha concludes listing details concerning
daily, Shabbat, new month, and holiday offerings.
 An
essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
In this week's Torah portion, the Torah speaks about
dividing the Land of Israel into tribal portions. First G-d tells
Moses that the Land should be divided according to the census, but
then G-d continues, saying that when the lots were drawn for each
tribe, this seemingly "random" lottery, perfectly coincided
with the systematic dividing of the Land according to tribe size.
There were two aspects to the division. One according to the census
- dividing the Land in an equitable way according to the tribes'
populations. The second way of dividing the Land was according to
a lottery - essentially a divine decree verifying this division,
so that the tribes would not dispute the division.
Both aspects - the rational and the supra-rational - come together
in this week's Torah portion, teaching us that our own efforts have
to reflect this unity. To survive Jewishly and successfully face
the world with all of its challenges, we have to merge together
the natural and logical with the supernatural and divine.
How is this done? On the one hand, we have to work according to
the rules of reality, - not to rely on miracles, using our abilities
to the max; we must find logical solutions to even difficult problems,
and work systematically to deal with those issues. Nevertheless,
even as we do this, through our actions we also have to reveal that
nature itself is directed by G-d. We have to work on the premise
that if we invest ourselves to the full extent of our ability, G-d
will help us arrive at the necessary goal, even if it presently
seems out of reach. Chasidut teaches, "Nature itself is in
reality higher than nature." This is further illustrated by
another saying, "Lead a supernatural life, and G-d will provide
the miracles".
Shabbat shalom, Shaul
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading,
see the archive.
____________________________________________
This
week's story from Yerachmiel Tilles, managing editor of ascentofsafed.com
and kabbalaonline.org
From
the Kabbalah Commentaries on the Chumash ("5
Books of Moses")
13th
century - "RambaN"
- Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman
14th
century - "Bachya"
- Rabbi Bachya ben Asher
16th
century - "Alsheich"
- Rabbi Moshe Alshech of Tsfat
17th
century - "Shelah"
- Rabbi Yeshaiya Horowitz
18th
century - "Ohr HaChayim"
- Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar
a sample for this week:
Alsheich
"..Go up on this mountain Avarim and behold the
land" [27:12]
Moses is shown the land, whereas those who died in the
desert, had not been granted that privilege as is stated
in Numbers 14:23. 'Behold the land!' points out the contrast
between Moses and Aharon and the rest of their generation.
But there is also a spiritual dimension to the land of Israel.
Therefore, the first reference was to the physical land
of Israel, the second to the spiritual land of Israel. Moses
was shown both. He would die only after having been granted
a glimpse of this spiritual level of the land of Israel.
(compare Zohar Parshat VeYechi on 'you will be gathered
to your people')
The Zohar compares the immediacy of entry into a higher
world by those whose physical death occurs in the land of
Israel, with the delayed ascent by those who die outside
of Eretz Yisrael. Those who die the kind of death that Moses
died, even though outside the land of Israel, do not need
to traverse the way stations reserved for ordinary people
dying outside the land of Israel. Possibly, the letter heh
at the end of the word ve-ra-ita in verse 13, (which
is most unusual) is a hint to Moses that he will enter the
hereafter without delay, that his soul would not need a
cleansing process.
(Adapted from
Torat Moshe - the 16th commentary of Rabbi Moshe Alshech,
the "Preacher of Zefat" on the Torah, as translated
and condensed in the English version of Eliyahu Munk)
For the rest of "The Masters of Kabbala and Chumash"
on this Weekly Reading;
and on all the
other Readings.
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FROM
THE SAGES OF TSFAT AND GALILEE ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more,
click to Pinchas
one sample:
Mystical Classics
 Flying
Letters of Life and Death
From Shenei Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
The Zohar comments
on the lance which Pinchas used to slay Zimri and describes Pinchas
as "garbing" himself with this lance in order to mete
out justice here on earth so that mercy could be invoked in the
parallel regions of Heaven.
To continue
reading, click here
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here.
For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety
of subjects,
click on the icon to go to the our weekly Kabbalah magazine:
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