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Parshas Naso
If not for the Torah . . .
Volume 26, No. 31
12 Sivan 5772
June 2, 2012
Today’s Learning:
Tanach: Tehilim 73-74
Mishnah: Yevamot 9:2-3
Daf Yomi (Bavli): Niddah 12
Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Yevamot 1
Halachah Yomit: Orach Chaim 61:5-7
Our parashah opens: “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also.” Why
“also”? R’ Avraham Saba z”l (Spain; 1440-1508) explains that Gershon
was the oldest son of Levi, and his descendants had a claim to be
counted before the descendants of Gershon’s younger brother Kehat. Since
the family of Kehat was already counted at the end of last week’s
parashah, our parashah says, “Take a census of the sons of Gershon
also.”
And why were the descendants of Kehat counted first? R’ Saba explains that the Torah honors Kehat for his Torah
knowledge, just as we read in Divrei Hayamim I (4:9), “And Yaavetz was
honored more than his brothers.” As the Gemara explains, Yaavetz was one
of the greatest Torah scholars of the generation after Moshe Rabbeinu.
Similarly, Kehat’s family was honored over the family of the firstborn Gershon because of the former’s association with the Torah. On the verse (Mishlei 3:15), “It [the Torah]
is more precious than peninim / pearls,” the Midrash comments: “More
precious than a firstborn” (a play on “lifnim” / “earlier,” i.e., the
firstborn, who is the early one). The family of Kehat carried the Ark
which contained the luchot. Moreover, Kehat used to assemble crowds and
teach them Torah. [Ed. note: The publisher of R’
Saba’s work notes that the source for this statement is unknown.]
Kehat’s name alludes to his assembling crowds, just as King Shlomo is
called “Kohelet” because he also assembled large audiences; however,
King Shlomo has an additional letter “lamed” (“Kohelet” vs. “Kehat”)
because the Mishnah (Avot ch.6) states that a king has 30 special
attributes. (The gematria of “lamed” is 30.) (Tzror Hamor)
*******
“Uplift the sons of Kehat...” (4:2–last week’s parashah) “Uplift the
sons of Gershon also..” (4:22) “The sons of Merari,...you should count
them.” (4:29)
In these verses, Moshe was told to count the descendants of each of
the three sons of Levi. Why did Hashem use the expression “nasso” /
”uplift” in connection with two of them, but not the third? R’ Yaakov
Moshe Charlap z”l (Yerushalayim; died 1951) explains as follows:
We read in Breishit (2:15), “He put him [Adam] in the Garden of
Eden, to work it and to guard it.” Our Sages interpret “to work it” as a
reference to keeping positive commandments and “to guard it” as a
reference to observing negative commandments. The idea, writes R’
Charlap, is that in Adam’s state before his sin, any action that he
might have taken would have been either a mitzvah or a sin. It either
would have contributed to furthering G-d’s purpose in creating the world
or it would not have contributed to that purpose. If we lived in the
ideal world which Hashem envisioned (as Adam briefly did), this would
still be true. No activities would fall into the neutral category of
“reshut” / “optional.”
However, we live in a world where the force of spirituality is
diminished. Some of our actions are neither mitzvot nor sins, they are
only “reshut.” (Nevertheless, a memory of the “old world” exists in
Eretz Yisrael, where “optional” activities such as planting and
harvesting are intimately bound up with numerous mitzvot.) In the
future, we will again live in the ideal state where all of our actions
have a spiritual effect.
In last week’s and this week’s parashot, Hashem assigns jobs in the
Mishkan / Tabernacle to the levi’im. The Mishkan was the place where our
ancestors got a taste of the spirituality which will again be revealed
when the world reaches its ideal state. That Mishkan had three parts:
the courtyard, the Holy, and the Holy of Holies. So, too, Bnei Yisrael
have three parts: Kohanim. Levi’im and Yisraelim. There are also three
ways of serving Hashem: through Torah, through
prayer, and through work. However, “work” is only a service to G-d in
the ideal world (such as in Adam’s world). For us, work is a reshut /
optional. [Each set of three parallels the other set: (a) Torah, Kohanim and Holy of Holies (where the Torah was kept); (b) prayer, Levi’im (who sang / prayed in the Temple), and the Holy; (c) work, Yisraelim, and the public courtyard.]
There were also three parts to the tribe of Levi, i.e., the families
of Kehat, Gershon and Merari. Kehat attained the greatest level of
holiness of the three--his family carried the holiest vessels of the
mishkan, including the Holy Ark. Gershon achieved the second highest
level. Merari was third, and he thus paralleled service of Hashem
through work. However, since, until the time of mashiach, work is not
necessarily spiritually uplifting, the Torah did not use the expression “nasso” / ”uplift” in connection with Merari. (Mei Marom Vol. 11, No. 11)
*******
“Take a census [literally, ‘Lift the heads’] of the sons of Gershon, also . . .” (4:22)
R’ Meir Yechiel Halstock z”l (1857-1928; the Ostrovtza Rebbe)
writes: There are two ways that one can come to recognize and accept
Hashem. One is to seek logical proof of His existence and His dominion,
while the other is to receive a tradition from one’s parents. The
primary difference between a person who discovers Hashem and one who
believes in Him because of a tradition is that the belief of the former
is dependent on reason, while the latter’s belief is not. A conclusion
that was arrived at through logic is relatively weak because, if the
investigator later thinks of a reason to not believe in Hashem, he will
lose his belief.
R’ Halstock continues: The names of Moshe’s two sons allude to these
two types of belief. The older son was Gershom (not to be confused with
his great-uncle Gershon, who is mentioned in our pasuk). His name
alludes to Moshe’s being alone in the world – a “ger” / “convert,” i.e.,
a person who arrives at a belief in Hashem on his own. By definition, a
convert has no Jewish tradition from his parents. Moshe’s second son
was Eliezer, whose name connotes that “the G-d of my father came to my
aid” (Shmot 18:4).
In this light, R’ Halstock explains our verse as follows: “‘Lift the
heads of the sons of Gershon, also.” Gershon’s name also alludes to a
“ger,” a person who discovers Hashem through his own reasoning. Says the
Torah, “Lift his head, i.e., his thoughts, also.” He should not rely on his reasoning alone, but also on tradition.
Based on this, concludes R’ Halstock, we can explain why the family
of Gershon was responsible for transporting the tachash--skin cover of
the mishkan. The tachash was a, now-extinct, one-horned animal. This was
meant to convey to the Gershonites that there is only one sure path to
belief in Hashem, i.e., the path of tradition. (Meir Einei Chachamim:
Mahadura Telitai)
*******
“May Hashem bless you and safeguard you. May Hashem illuminate His
countenance for you and be gracious to you. May Hashem lift His
countenance to you and establish peace for you.” (6:24-26)
R’ Shlomo Zalman Ulman z”l (20th century Hungarian rabbi) notes that
all of the Priestly Blessings are phrased in the singular. They are
addressed to each individual separately. How then can the last blessing
speak of peace? Isn’t peace a collective concept--peace between nations,
peace between neighbors, etc.?
He explains: A Jew is commanded (Devarim 6:5) to love Hashem with
all his heart and with all his soul. But man has other interests, and
his organs are at war with each other. Some want to love and serve
Hashem, while others may not. How can man win this war? Our Sages teach
that one who wants to purify himself receives Divine assistance. This is
the meaning of the blessing that the Kohanim utter: “May G-d establish
peace for you,” i.e., within you. (Quoted in Otzrotaihem Shel Tzaddikim)
*******
Letters from our Sages
This letter was written in 1895 by R’ Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor z”l
(1817-1896), rabbi of Kovno, Lithuania, and one of the preeminent
halachic authorities and Jewish leaders of the late 19th century. The
letter is addressed to a well-connected Jewish banker who had
successfully lobbied the Russian government to annul a decree
prohibiting the teaching of Gemara to school-age children. The letter is
published in Igrot R’ Yitzchak Elchanan, vol. 1 p.86.
To the honored friend of the house of Yisrael, the officer, great
among the Jews, crown of Yeshurun [a synonym for Yisrael] and its glory,
great and many in deeds, known for his good name and glory, Yaakov
Polyakov, may he live long. Peace and eternal blessings!
After inquiring after your well-being with all due respect, with the permission of the holy Torah, and in the name of our brethren Bnei Yisrael, for whom Hashem’s perfect Torah
is its life and soul--it is my honor to express feelings of gratitude,
praise and blessing to your lofty honor, who merited and brought merit
to the many, saving the treasure of Israel from the terrible prohibition
that had been published, i.e., that it not be taught in cheder to young
students.
Our Sages have said that the world exists due to the Torah
study of young children for, if there are no kids there will be no
goats. If children don’t learn when they are young, they cannot be
expected to learn when they must earn a living. That is why the
prohibition on teaching Gemara in cheder meant that the Torah
eventually would be forgotten from Yisrael, G-d forbid. And, the
physical continuity of our nation is tied, like body and soul, to its
spiritual continuity. Thus, our experience shows that every sect that
has denied the Oral Law eventually has vanished, for G-d’s covenant with
us is based on the Oral Law. Therefore, only those of our people who
sacrifice themselves for the holiness of the Oral Law have persisted
until this day.
Therefore, who can express the great righteousness of his lofty
honor who, in a time of trouble for Yaakov such as this, was given the
merit by Hashem to be the angel of salvation, to save and redeem our
holy Torah which gives both spiritual and
physical life. You are fortunate that this fell in your lot. Our Sages
say that a mitzvah brings a mitzvah in its wake, and your many and great
charitable deeds for the good of our nation are like a river flowing
with charity; it is they that stood as a merit for you to be the
redeemer and savior of the Torah... Until the last generation, the praises of your lofty honor will be spoken among us, for all the good you have done for our Torah and our nation...
May the merit of the holy Torah, in which is the eternity of Yisrael, stand in good stead for yourself and your household and your descendants... |
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