Insight
on the Weekly Reading
To be read on Shabbat Devarim - 6 Av 5774 /Aug.
2
Shabbat Chazon
Torah: Deut. 1:1-3:22
Haftorah: Isaiah 1:1-27 (3rd of the Three
Haftorahs of Affliction)
Pirkei Avot:
Chapter 3
Devarim is the 1st Reading out of 11 in
Deuteronomy and it contains 5972 letters, in 1548
words, in 105 verses
Overview: All of
the Book of Devorim takes place in the last forty
days of Moshe's life. He begins by reviewing many of the
Jews’ desert travels, wars and conquests, the appointing of judges,
the spies’ sin and the nation’s subsequent punishment. G-d promises
to help Yehoshua conquer in the Land of Israel as He helped Moshe
conquer the lands of the Emorites and Bashan (the present day
Golan) which were given to the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and part
of Menashe.
 An
essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
We are now towards the end of the annual three week
period of mourning for the destruction of the Temples. The Torah
tells us how to act outwardly during this time - many of the standard
laws of mourning apply - but how is a Jewish person supposed to
react inwardly to sad events that happen, now or in the past?
The Rebbe of Toldos Avraham Yitzchok tells a story in connection
with this week's Torah portion. Rabbi Shmelke of Nikelsberg and
his brother, Rabbi Pinchas of Frankfort, the author of the book,
"The Hafla'ah," once came to the Magid of Mezrich and
asked: How can a person fulfill the requirement of the Mishna to
thank G-d for the bad things in life just like you thank Him for
the good? The Magid sent them to speak to the famous Rebbe Zusha,
and they found him living in extreme poverty. Yet when they asked
him this question, he stood up in amazement and said that he couldn't
help them because he didn't understand what bad is at all and therefore
he didn't understand the mishna. His sincere words were the answer
they needed. This is the true meaning of the verse in this week's
portion (2/7), "G-d is with you, you will lack nothing."
When a person is completely attached to G-d he understands that
G-d gives him what he needs, and he does not feel any pain or discomfort
because everything he has is good.
But not everyone is capable of reaching the level of seeing everything
as good, certainly not at all times. The Holy Ari, whose yahrzeit
is the 5th of Av (Thursday evening and Friday) suggests another
perspective. The Talmud (Brochos 17a) says, "A man's end is
death and an animal's end is slaughter and all will eventually die."
This is a pretty morbid statement. The Ari explains: The Almighty
created a world composed of four kinds: inanimate, plants, animals
and humans. Each of them is elevated by the one above it. The inanimate
or mineral world is elevated by the plant world that absorbs it.
The plant world is elevated by the animal world that eats it. And
similarly the animal world by the humans. This is the meaning of
the phrase, "The end of an animal is slaughter." Its end
is its elevation. But the system is not completed until man is elevated.
Through a person's death the soul returns to its heavenly source
and becomes fully attached again to the Almighty, completing the
cycle. This is the inner meaning of, "…all will eventually
die." Everything's ultimate rectification and completion is
through death. From this perspective, bad things do happen, but
they are purposeful.
In a talk about the 7th day of Av (the day the Talmud records as
the day when the inner sanctum of the holy Temple was defaced and
destroyed), the Lubavitcher Rebbe explains how we are supposed to
react to sad events. The Rebbe asks, "Why does the Torah even
record this tragic day? Certainly not to cause pain and sadness
about something that happened almost 2,000 years ago. Rather, tragic
events are supposed to push each of us to a higher level of action
in our own lives, to work to hasten the final redemption and the
rebuilding of the holy Temple. We see this in what the Midrash says:
The lion (the Greeks and Romans) rose and destroyed the lion of
G-d (the holy Temple)… in order that the lion (the Mashiach)
will come and rebuild the lion of G-d (the third Temple).
So it is with remembering the 7th day of Av each year. We see that
another year has passed and we still have not merited the final
redemption, and worse, that on these days, terrible, tragic things
have happened. But this knowledge is only in order to give each
person extra strength and power from the depths of his heart to
actualize the promise, "the lion will come and rebuild the
lion of G-d." Additionally, when we demand the redemption of
every single Jewish person, and call out to G-d that enough is enough,
we create a unity with all members of Israel. And even more, by
doing something, by adding in Torah study and mitzvah observance
and the giving of tzedakah, we add to our unity, and in dispelling
the very reason for exile (disunity) we will bring about the final
redemption.
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
"The L-rd heard the sound of your words...and swore..."
[1:34]
After the dramatic manner in which Moses had described
the sin of the people and the spies, the fact that none
of the people died at an age younger than 60, could have
made it appear that the sin could not have been all that
serious. To prevent such a feeling, Moses lists G-d's kindness
which was operative when the people died over a 40 year
period. He had not acted from the attribute of justice.
Secondly, He had reacted only to the sound, to the thoughts
which had actually been voiced, not to the as yet unspoken
thoughts. Previously, in Shelach Lecha, G-d had stated that
the children would inherit the land which the older generation
had despised, a thought which had not actually been voiced
by the people, but proof that G-d was well aware of the
people's feelings on the subject. The reason G-d had used
an oath, was to prevent the attribute of justice at a later
date intensifying the decree, making it worse.
(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.
|
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 Devarim
one sample:
Chasidic Masters
 Shabbat
of Vision
By Binyomin Adilman
When the Temple was standing, the special unity between G-d and
the Jews was readily apparent and existed all week. Although the
unification was greater on Shabbat, it wasn't an appreciable greater
source of joy.
Now that the
Temple is no longer standing and there is a lack of unity, when
Shabbat comes and the Jews are able to renew their connection once
again with G-d, He especially rejoices in this unity with His people.
To continue
reading, click here
For a free email subscription to our weekly anthology, click
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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