Shabbat-B'shabbato Parshat Massei

Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Massei

No 1384: 28 Tammuz 5771 (30 July 2011)

AS SHABBAT APPROACHES

Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael - by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavne

"And Moshe wrote down the beginnings of their journeys as directed by G-d. And these are their journeys based on their beginnings." [Bamidbar 33:2]. What is the meaning of the repeated phrase in the verse, and why is "as directed by G-d" written only the first time?

A person sometimes goes to a new place because he no longer wants to remain where he is, while some people leave their old place because they want to be in a new place. Some people go to Eretz Yisrael because they want to flee from the exile, while others come because they understand its value and want to live there.

Yeshayahu describes the vision of the return to Zion in two ways – "Who are those who fly as a thick cloud, like doves toward their nests?" [60:8]. Rav Kook explains that clouds are pushed around by the wind, and they will release their water wherever the wind sends them. Doves, on the other hand, return to their nests because that is their home. Yeshayahu is describing two different motives for aliya to the land: Some people flee the exile and do not care where they go, while others return home like doves that go back to their nests.

The same is true of the words of Yirmiyahu: "And they will return from the land of the enemy... And the sons will return to their boundaries" [31:15,16]. Some people come from exile, fleeing from the land of the enemy, while others are sons returning to their land. We therefore ask in our prayers, "Raise us up to our land..." We want our entry into the land to be an ascent and not flight from exile.

"This is the land which will fall to you as a heritage" [Bamidbar 34:2]. But does a land ever fall? The Ramban writes, "If you have sufficient merit to understand the first time the earth is mentioned in Bereishit... you will begin to know a lofty and hidden secret, and you will understand what our rabbis taught us – that the Temple in heaven is oriented towards the Temple on the earth." [Ramban, Vayikra 18:25].

This is a reference to the first verse in the Torah, "In the beginning G-d created... the earth" [Bereishit 1:1]. It refers to the heavenly earth, and the earth below is a development of this – just as the Temple on the earth develops from the Temple in the heavens. The Sefat Emet writes, "Eretz Yisrael is hidden and revealed." The earth below is exposed, and the earth above is mysterious and hidden. In order to understand the unique trait of the land it is necessary to have a unique point of view. When Yisrael entered the land, the heavenly earth fell down, and the sanctity of the land was revealed.

"Moshe wrote down the beginnings of their journeys as directed by G-d." As far as G-d was concerned, the start of the journey was for the purpose of going to Eretz Yisrael, but Moshe also noted that there were some people for whom the purpose of the journey was merely to move away from where they were at the time.

The innate benefit of Eretz Yisrael is dual and includes both physical and spiritual factors. There are some who see only the spiritual side and ignore the material aspects, and there are others who are involved only in the exposed reality and do not have any spiritual vision. "And both of these miss the truth... One type is not aware of the spiritual vision, and the other type does not see the physical reality with their eyes... Even though they dwell in the land, they remain enveloped in exile and darkness... For the truth is that there is no spirit without a body, and there is no body without a spirit." [Rabbi Charlap].

And that is why Yeshayahu declares, "The voice of your observers will be lifted in praise together... Let the ruins of Jerusalem burst out together in joyous praise" [52:8].

POINT OF VIEW

Is a Rightist Approach Possible for Social Action? - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

"And you shall take possession of it, and dwell on it" [Bamidbar 33:53]. "If you take possession of it from its inhabitants and then dwell there, you will be able to remain. If not, you will not be able to continue to live there." [Rashi]. "How will you take possession? By dwelling (B'Yeshiva)!" [Kiddushin 26a].

Yesterday (the twentieth-seventh of Tammuz) marked a year since the passing of Rabbi Yehuda Amital, Of Blessed Memory. He was a figure who is sorely missed in the scene of Torah and in the general public in Israel. This regular column is not involved in eulogies, and we will therefore not discuss at length the rabbi's personality and his wonderful traits. His greatness in Torah, his keen awareness of practical matters, his way of life, his brilliance, and the fact that he was pleasant to man and heaven alike – all of these matters are well known and have been discussed in many books and articles that have been written about him. In this article we will discuss the public aspects of his image. Even those of us who did not agree with his political approach (and that includes me) were forced to struggle against an opponent who could never be treated with anything else than utter respect.

The Crying Baby

The biography of Rabbi Amital that was written by his disciple ("Beemunato," by Elyashiv Reichner) opens with the story of "the Crying Baby," which is widely quoted (on the internet) as the main theme of Rabbi Amital's way of life: "The author of the Tanya, the first rebbe of Chabad, once sat in his room studying. Suddenly, he heard a baby crying in his crib. The Tanya closed his book and went into the next room, and he calmed the baby. Then the Tanya went into another room, where he saw his son, the father of the child, deep in study. He was very surprised at his son's actions. 'Why didn't you go to calm the baby?' he asked. The embarrassed man looked up and replied, 'I was so deep in study that I did not hear the baby crying.' And the Tanya said: 'If a man studies Torah and therefore does not hear the sound of a Jewish baby crying, there is something seriously wrong with his learning.'"

Rabbi Amital's sensitivity with respect to social affairs was remarkable, and it became the keystone of his entire outlook on life. "Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are" is an ancient saying. (What is the source? Could it be Chinese? Can any of my readers enlighten me?) A similar Jewish concept is, "Tell me who your students are," and a person's character can be understood from the traits of his students. (See, for example, "What is the difference between the students of Avraham and the students of the evil one, Bilam?" [Avot 5:19].) Well, just look at the disciples of Rabbi Amital and at their own students: they are the leaders among the rabbis of Israel in the struggle for social justice and in the fact that social justice has become part of the agenda of religious Zionism and nationalist thought in Israel. All of the disciples of Rabbi Yehuda, from Mount Etzion Yeshiva in the area of Yehuda, have an ear that "hears" babies who cry.

It can thus be stated that this is indeed the main element of Rabbi Amital's approach and that of his disciples. (Another element, the close affinity to academic studies, is less a direct principle of Rabbi Amital and can be linked more to his remarkable partner as head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Aharon Lichtensein.) Rabbi Amital often linked the need to listen to the "crying baby" to the words of the prophet Eliyahu, who was quoted as saying: "There are two things in my heart for which I have great love – Torah and Yisrael. But I do not know which of the two takes precedence. People say that Torah takes precedence before everything else... But I would say, Yisrael are holy (and take precedence)" [Tana D'Bei Eliyahu 15]. And that is what Rabbi Amital often said: "The nation of Yisrael comes first!"

A Missed Opportunity or a Complex Approach

Does the nation of Yisrael take precedence over Eretz Yisrael? Can these two values proceed together as equals along the scales of faith and education? Or perhaps must those who would emphasize the banner of the land of Yisrael necessarily lower the banner of the nation of Yisrael, or vice versa. In this matter, Rabbi Amital went through a sharp transformation, and the Yom Kippur War served as a point of a deep crisis for him.

Rabbi Amital will always receive the credit for his founding of a combined yeshiva and a settlement in the newly-liberated area of Yehuda and the Shomron, specifically in Gush Etzion. A few months after the Gush was liberated (in Iyar of 5727, 1967), the yeshiva was established, then known as "Yeshivat Hagush." The father of the rejuvenated Gush Etzion, "Moshko," often quotes the passage from the Talmud at the beginning of this article: "How will you take possession? By dwelling (B'Yeshiva)!" How will the land be settled? By establishing one yeshiva after another!

At the time, Rabbi Amital was in the ranks of Gush Emunim, enthusiastically supporting "The Complete Eretz Yisrael." He could thus have easily taken on the position of a leader of the "social right," combining the desire for Complete Eretz Yisrael with a social program, paying full attention to the "crying baby." But then, the opportunity passed. Rabbi Amital changed from his initial approach to a different one, to what became the political outlook of "Meimad." He thus opened the way for a claim that anybody whose main interest is a social agenda must of necessity be part of the political left. But this is not true!

I am happy to say that many of the rabbi's disciples in Gush Etzion have listened to his clarion call: "Do not be minor versions of Amital! Pave your own way!" And many of them have indeed adopted his initial approach about the land of Yisrael and the importance of settlements, as was espoused by Gush Emunim. But many have also accepted the element of "complexity," which is another important element of Rabbi Amital's teaching, and they therefore blend the three vital components – the Torah, the nation, and the land - in various proportions, as they see fit.

RESPONSA FOR OUR TIMES

Mourning Today for the Destruction of the Temple - by Rabbi Re'eim Hacohen, Rosh Yeshiva and Chief Rabbi, Otniel

Question: What significance is there to mourning for the Temple today, since with G-d's help we have returned to our land and we have our own independent country?

Answer: Mourning in general is related to the great void that opens up in front of us when a person who is close to us is taken away. With respect to the destruction of the Temple, the Talmud defines the phenomenon as "old mourning" [Yevamot 43b]. This is mourning for a void that we have never had any opportunity to fulfill.

When we look at the liturgical poems of mourning and the book of Eicha we see that the main idea is not the lack of the Temple but rather the terrible results of the destruction. And now, thank G-d, and with great help from the Almighty, the establishment of the State of Israel has indeed decreased the tragic consequences of the destruction (although many complex situations remain today which are the result of the destruction). But it is clear that the main concept of our mourning today must concentrate on the lack of the Temple and not on the suffering of the exile.

The Talmud discusses a person who does not mourn for Jerusalem:

"Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel says: Anybody who eats and drinks on Tisha B'Av can be compared to one who eats and drinks on Yom Kippur. Rabbi Akiva says: Anybody who works on Tisha B'Av will never see a sign of blessing. And the sages say: Anybody who works on Tisha B'Av and does not mourn for Jerusalem will never be happy, as is written, 'Make Jerusalem happy and be happy with it, all who love it, be happy all who mourn over her' [Yeshayahu 66:10]. The following is derived from this verse: Anybody who mourns over Jerusalem will be privileged to see its joy, and anybody who does not mourn over Jerusalem will not see it at a time of joy." [Taanit 30b].

Rabbi Shimon compares eating and drinking on Tisha B'Av to eating and drinking on Yom Kippur. It seems to me that the point of the rituals on Yom Kippur is to atone for sins in the Temple and to enhance the link between the nation of Yisrael and the Tablets which are stored in the Ark, in the Holy of Holies. One who eats on Yom Kippur is in a process of denying the existence of this link. The mourning on Tisha B'Av is related to the destruction of the Torah, as is noted in the Talmud:

"'Tears will flow and my eye will fill with tears, for the flock of G-d has been captured' [Yirmiyahu 13:17]. Rabbi Elazar said: Why does the verse contain the root dalet-mem-ayin denoting tears three times? One time for the First Temple, one time for the Second Temple, and one time for Yisrael who were exiled from their proper place. Some replace this last one by the concept of wasting time of Torah study. The opinion of the one who says the verse refers to the exile is logical, since it is written, 'the flock of G-d has been captured.' But what does this phrase have to do with wasting time of study? The answer is that the very fact that Yisrael has been exiled from their rightful place is the greatest possible example of wasting study time of the Torah." [Chagiga 5b].

In my humble opinion, the meaning of the phrase "wasting time of the Torah" refers to the fact that the Torah, the source of life for the world, is not being brought to life. The lack of the Temple is a break in the full life of the nation of Yisrael and of the entire world, which at present lives in a way that is curtailed and limited. The sages teach us that one who does not mourn for Jerusalem will never be happy since the main act of mourning for Jerusalem stems from understanding the loss of the source of life. Thus, a person who does not understand what is missing in life without a Temple and without the Torah in its full splendor will never be privileged to see the perfection of the world that draws its vitality from the Torah - which rests on the Even Hashtiya, the place in the Temple from which the creation of the world began.

Let us return to the beginning, as we noted above. Even though from the halachic point of view the mourning is defined as something old, the main element of sadness is related to the perfection of the Temple as it is described by the prophets Yechezkel, Chagai, and Zecharia, which will provide renewed vitality for the world. The mourning is not for the Second Temple, which in some ways was a "ruined house" from the beginning, and where the main elements were missing, as is described in the Talmud:

"Rav Shmuel Bar Aini said: It is written, 'I will be satisfied with it and I will be honored[Chagai 1:8]. Why is the letter heh missing from the written version of the last word? This is a symbol of five differences between the First Temple and the Second Temple: The Ark with Kaporet and the Keruvim, the Divine fire, the Shechina, the Holy Spirit, and the Urim V'tumim." [Yoma 21b].

In Midrash Tehillim, Rabbi Elazar says, "Every generation where the Temple is not rebuilt in its days is described as if it was destroyed in its time. This is because the people did not repent."

In view of these considerations, in my humble opinion, during this period of three weeks the issues related to the Temple and its sanctity should be studied in depth. We should try to imagine the world with a Temple that has the Tablets and the Torah at its center and which is the source of life for the world, with all the significance that this implies. We should pray with strong yearning, "Let our eyes see Your return to Zion with mercy."

HALACHA FROM THE SOURCE

Prayer and Blessings during Pesukei D'Zimra - by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, Rabbi of Southern Alon Shevut and a teacher in Yeshivat Har Etzion

In the previous article we discussed responding Amen in the middle of Pesukei D'Zimra, the Psalms recited in the beginning of the morning prayers. This week we will discuss interrupting the Pesukei D'Zimra with other prayers and blessings. Should a person interrupt his recitation of the Psalms or not?

"Berich Shemei"