Jewish Torah Summary Parasha Behlotsecha

BS”D

 

BEHA’ALOSCHA

BRING LIGHT INTO THE WORLD

The Menorah had seven lamps, Rabbi Tanchuma compares these to 7 lights, to the lights in the Solar system spoken about in Jewish thought are the Sun; Moon; Mars; Mercury; Jupiter; Venus; Saturn (excludes the blue cold planets Neptune, and Uranus, and of course Earth itself )  I also found a foot note that references each light  corresponds with a day of creation.

At Shul on Shabbat I heard from Rabbi Aurbach, I think he brought it down in the name of the Malbim :
You will note something fascinating about creation on each day where it says G-d created, it says thereafter  it was so.... but hang on it does not say this on the first day where G-d created the light... in our portion when Aaron lit the Menorah it hints to something amazing it says after he light it is says, he did so.  The Lesson at creation the light on the first day was a hidden light a light reserved for the righteous - the light of the world to come, it does mannifest itself in various ways, but largely it is hidden.  The Menorah light in the middle burnt continously it was not of the normal light we experience on earth everyday it was a light from the spiritual world.  The other days of creation indicate creations that are visible in the world thus the words in Genesis - it was so! Amazing Stuff!!

http://ohr.edu/this_week/torah_weekly/2639:

Heaven’s Name

 

“…When you kindle the lamps, the seven lights shall cast light toward the face of the Menorah.”

 

In the name of Heaven it seems that almost as much blood as rain has soaked the earth.

 

Self-righteous fanatics from the Spanish Inquisition to Al Quaeda have invoked the name of Heaven to justify their atrocities. The Nazis believed that their obscene horror-show was the Divine Will, and the Catholic Church was right behind them in their acquiescence and not-so-passive complicity. Moslems murder Christians, Hindus murder Moslems, Catholics murder Protestants and Sunnis murder Shiites—and vice versa — all in the name of Heaven.

 

In 1646, after the Civil War in England, Mathew Hopkins, the self-proclaimed "Witchfinder General" led a terrifying purge that relied on testimony extorted by means of “ordeal.” This featured torture of the most horrific nature including hot pincers and the thumbscrew.

 

All in the name of Heaven.

 

“…When you kindle the lamps, the seven lights shall cast light toward the face of the Menorah.”

 

Rashi tells us that “The face of the Menorah” means the ner ma’aravi, the middle of the seven lights. The wicks of the three flames on either side of the ner ma’aravi must incline and “cast light” toward this central light. If so, why does the Torah say, “the seven lights shall cast light”? It should say,” the six lights shall cast light toward the face of the Menorah” – the ner ma’aravi.

 

Six represents the mundane and the workaday. Seven represents Shabbat; Shabbat is not so much the end of the week as the week’s end — its goal and purpose. The six lights pointing toward the central flame teach us to orient all our actions towards the center, towards Heaven.

 

When the Torah says that all seven lights should cast light on the center, it means that even the center must face the center; it’s all too easy to justify anything and everything “in the name of Heaven.” We must be sure that the things that we do in the name of Heaven should be worthy to bear Heaven’s name.

 

· Heard from Rabbi Menachem Goldberger in the name of the Mei Shiloach of the Ishbitzer Rebbe

 

In the Midrash Tanchuma we learn that Aaron was worried his tribe would not be invited to bring a gift in honour of the Mishkan, as in Parasha Naso all the tribes apart from the Levites contributed gifts for the Mishkan and Aaron thought he would not be commanded to represent the Levites due to his role in the Chait Ha Egel, on the contrary the Levites' role in siding with Moshe after the sin - for the sake of G-d earned them the Priesthood service.  G-d selected them to come even closer than the other tribes, they earned the right!  This week I was thinking why Judaism is not a religion about converting people, why because G-d selected us to be a light to the nations due to the deeds of our forefathers – it was earned, you are a light through what people see you do, to come close and inspire takes a lot of work there are no less than 613 commandments compared to 7 for other nations, in fulfilling these vast arrays of commands is where we earn the right to be called a light and a small holy nation of priests. That right is earned only when the Priest is held to a higher standard, they as leaders wield much power and influence.  If the examples they set are not of the humblest and purest (symbolic of crushed olive oil), well then darkness as opposed to light is the result.   We must be aware of it and act appropriately but if we G-d forbid do not adhere  to what we as Jews undertook at Sinai to do, we G-d forbid throw away the yolk of heaven, darkness and death will result –closeness to G-d is earned through dedication and service to G-d, that is why we make a converts life particularly difficult – they need to understand these responsibilities and this lifestyle is not for “sissies”, as a convert in my community once told me.

The responsibility  that are required in order for a Jew to be a light are tremendous – if one takes these matters lightly you may find you step over the border and we know what happened to Nadav and Avihu  holy individuals that did not adhere to the rules - death resulted.  G-d showed us he wants to be sanctified, but you don’t just walk into the Palace unprepared, it takes training and effort in fact the Levites started training for the service at the age of 25 and only started to serve in the temple or Mishkan at the age of 30.  The period of direct service ceased at the age of 50. That is not to say that anyone cannot come close to the divine, G-d is the creator he loves all his creations, and longs that they find a closeness with and to him and have will to connect to him, but to earn the right to be a holder of the light the Menorah requires dedication to be pure and holy a life of service, so that your very deed and actions will influence all those who look up to you in a positive way, for this a person is selected and only when they are ready – Moses was an old man already when G-d first appeared to him in the burning bush and sent him to Redeem Israel

Ohr Somayach Institutions

http://ohr.edu/this_week/torah_weekly/5176:

"In your lighting..." (8:2)

Once there was a rich nobleman who had a friend who was a simple labourer. The rich man told his friend that he would eat in his home. The labourer did not stint in preparing his home to the maximum of his ability. He cleaned and arranged his meagre furnishings, set the table as lavishly as he could, and lit candles to welcome his friend. As it grew dark, the labourer went to the window and saw rising on the horizon a glow. At first, he thought it was the setting sun, but as the sky darkened, the glow continued to get brighter. Suddenly, his friend the nobleman appeared on the crest of the hill with a large group of servants all carrying torches. These torches were so bright that they lit up the night as though it were day. When the labourer saw this entourage approaching his cottage, he turned and looked at his room. The candles that he had arranged paled into insignificance in the glow of the torches that approached his home. Quickly, he extinguished the candles and hid the candlesticks in a drawer. The nobleman entered his cottage and saw the darkness and said, "Were you not expecting me tonight?" "Yes, I was," said the labourer. "Why did you kindle no lights?" enquired the nobleman. "I did," replied the other, "but when I saw the wonderful blaze of lights from the torches of your servants, I was ashamed and hid my candles away."

On hearing this, the nobleman dismissed all his attendants and said, "Tonight I will dine only by the light of your candles so you will see how dear they are to me."

People often ask why G-d gave us so many commandments.

Altogether, there are 613. It’s true, however, that not all of them can be performed by everyone. For example, there are mitzvot that only kohanim can do. There are those that only levi’im can do, ones that only women can do, as well as mitzvot that can only be done when the Beit Hamikdash exists. Nevertheless, that still leaves a tremendous amount of mitzvot.

Why does G-d need me to do all these things? What possible benefit is there to the Creator of the World if I put on tefillin, or if I love my neighbour as myself? Whatever little light I can shine into this world is infinitesimal compared to His Light. How can the little light that my kindness generates compare with G-d’s eternal kindness in creating the world and giving me the opportunity to exist and create a relationship with Him? Isn’t my little light swamped completely by His light?

This is exactly how Moshe felt when he entered the Sanctuary. When Moshe went in there he found the Sanctuary bathed in radiance of the Shechina, the Divine Presence. Moshe wondered how the poor earthly lights of the menorah could radiate any light. He thought they would be overpowered by the brilliance of the Shechina.

What possible use could G-d have for the wicks and oils of mere mortals?

G-d spoke to Moshe using the first word of this week’s Torah portion, "Beha’alotcha". This word is usually translated as "When you light"; however it can also mean "In your elevation." G-d was telling Moshe that the mitzvah of the menorah would elevate him. And so it is with all the mitzvot. Every mitzvah is a chance to become spiritually elevated.

The Torah is 613 ways to become closer to G-d.

PESACH SHENI

The chapter teaches us about those that wanted to offer a Korban (the Pesach offering) but could not do so on the 14^th of Nisan for various reasons like having touched a dead body as a result during Pesach time when they were impure and were forbidden to bring the offering in this state, or if they lived to far away and could not get to the temple on time, in his kindness Hashem gives them an opportunity to bring an offering a month later, we call this day Pesach Sheni. (The second Pesach).

Rabbi Aurbach taught on this subject, what should a man be jealous of, not to have more or finer houses or cars, but this attribute should be used to be jelous of those who come close to G-d by performing Mitzvot!

http://ohr.edu/this_week/torah_weekly/3932

“We are contaminated by a human corpse; why should we be diminished by not offering G-d's offering in its appointed time?” (9:7)

A man goes into a shop to buy a watch. His eye settles on the glint of gold and he takes a fancy to a fake Rolex. The owner of the shop says, "Don't take that thing. It's rubbish. In six months it's going to be asking you the time. Take this one instead. True it doesn't look much on the outside, but it will last you for more than a lifetime."

But the buyer insists in spite of all on the fake Rolex so the storeowner says, "Okay, if that's really what you want – take it!"

“We are contaminated by a human corpse; why should we be diminished by not offering G-d’s offering in its appointed time?”

There's something strange about the above verse.

The group of people who complained about not being able to bring the korban Pesach said that the reason they were unable to do so was because they were contaminated. So why then should they ask, "Why should we be diminished?", meaning "Why should we be left out?" Didn't they already answer their own question? Because they were contaminated?

The answer is that their question was not a question at all, it was a cry from the heart. And through this cry from the heart an entire section of the Torah not given at Sinai was written into the Torah – the mitzvah of Pesach Sheni, a second chance to bring the korban Pesach.

What a person truly desires, G-d gives that person.

One of the ways that G-d interfaces with His creation is the characteristic called Hod. The week of the counting of the Omer that contains Pesach Sheni is the week of Hod.Hod is connected to the verb l'hodot' –"to admit"; meaning that G-d “admits” to what is in the heart of a person; that G-d will grant what a person really wants if his desire is authentic.

The Avnei Nezer asks why Amalek deserved the punishment of total obliteration. He answers that Amalek truly desired, in his heart of hearts, the removal of the Jewish People from existence. So G-d, so to speak, said, "Fine, you don't want the Jewish People to exist, so I will behave towards you as they don't exist; and seeing as the entire Creation was for the purpose of the Jewish People to observe the Torah, therefore there is no reason for the Creation to exist – in which case – you don't exist.

When Rabbi Akiva saw that water had carved a channel in a stone he reasoned that if something as soft as water could shape something as hard as stone, surely the Torah – which is as hard as iron – could shape his heart which was mere flesh.

Rabbi Akiva's feeling was, "Am I worse than a stone? Why should I be diminished?" Not having Torah was impossible to him. That feeling expressed from the deepest place of his heart brought a forty-year-old man who had never learned a thing in his life to be the father of the Oral Torah.

The nature of Hod is both frightening and exhilarating. Frightening, because it means that if our minds and hearts are full of superficial desires G-d will let us buy that fake Rolex.

And exhilarating, because if we really want Torah, then like Rabbi Akiva and those people who missed out on the korban Pesach, G-d will turn the world over for us.

 

Ch9 v15 . On the day the Mishkan was erected, the cloud covered the Mishkan, which was a tent for the Testimony, and at evening, there was over the Mishkan like an appearance of fire, [which remained] until morning.

We learn about the Clouds that went with the people by day this miracle gave the Israelites shade from the hot sun, and directions and signals on when to travel or settle.  The fire by night gave the Israelites light to see and warmth from the cold night air. 

 

 

 

SOUND THE TRUMPETS

We learn of the Silver trumpets used to summon the leaders the people to assemble, to inform the people to travel, or to warn them of pending war.  These trumpets were also blown on the festivals.

http://ohr.edu/this_week/torah_weekly/1708

Shout!

"When you sound the second teruah" (10:6)

I’m not a great fan of ball games.

It always mystified me why they engender such emotion and devotion. One thing is for sure though, the experience of being in a crowd of 50,000 people who have just witnessed a winning goal/pitch/run (please supply appropriate favourite game) is an awe-inspiring experience.

Sound and emotion are very closely linked. When we feel great emotion we are likely to let out a great cry or whoop, depending on the occasion. And the reverse is also true. A great and loud sound stirs us emotionally. It reaches both beyond and beneath the conscious mind.

The question is what do you get excited about? What makes you shout and scream?

This week’s Torah portion speaks of the teruah, a loud blast of a trumpet. The teruah was used to gather people together for public proclamations, in times of war, or for the festivals. It was used to awaken people to pray at times of national distress. In our times, every day for a month before Rosh Hashana we blow the shofar to awaken ourselves from the slumber of self-complacency and re-dedicate our lives to spirituality.

In the Holy Temple, the kohanim would hold lotteries for the different types of service of that day. The lottery would be announced and the kohanim would rush to the location of the forthcoming lottery. This sudden frenzy would cause quite a disturbance. The question arises: Why didn’t they do all the lotteries at the same time and minimize the disturbance? The answer is that they wanted the disturbance. The service of G-d demands disturbance! We need to disturb the humdrum of our lives and make a big noise about serving G-d.

When those incorporeal spiritual beings that English translates, erroneously, as "angels" praise the greatness of G-d, they do so with a "mighty tumultuous sound." It doesn’t say that they praise G-d with sound, or even a tumultuous sound; it says a "mighty tumultuous sound." When it comes to G-d, there must be a great tumult, for that demonstrates that the only thing that’s worth getting excited about is G-d.

When we feel joy, we should shout to G-d. What’s the point of having a band at a wedding and all that noise? To show that we are going wild over the greatness of G-d!

Shout to G-d when you have good health! And shout to Him when you need a cure! Pour out you heart to G-d! When we say Shema Yisrael, when we proclaim His Oneness, shout it out loud!

The more excited we get about G-d, the more we shout, the more we will come to know Him in our lives and in our hearts.

• Source: based on Rabbi Avigdor Miller

 

We see before G-d informs us of another big failure by the Jewish people we find the below uplifting Passuk

http://ohr.edu/this_week/torah_weekly/4780

“And when the aron travelled…” (10:35)

Every person who believes in G-d faces times in his or her life when their belief is challenged.

Something happens that makes us feel that G-d has deserted us; that He's not there anymore or we've done something to cut ourselves off from Him.

If you look at this week's Torah portion in a Sefer Torah you'll find a message of hope for all of us who have ever felt like that.

Even if you can’t read Hebrew you’ll notice that there is a small passage separated from the rest of the text by two upside down letters. Nowhere else in the Torah will you find inverted letters. What is the hidden message of this anomaly?

The inverted letters are “noons”. Noon is the first letter of the word “nafila” which means “fall.”

“And when the aron travelled…”

When we go against the Will of the G-d, we fall spiritually. G-d then distances Himself from us: Our withdrawal provokes his withdrawal. He “travels” away from us. The traveling of the Ark symbolizes G-d ‘traveling’ away from the Jewish People when they sin.

When you invert a letter, it points in the opposite direction. It looks back. In the The Song of Songs, G-d is compared to a deer: “My Beloved is like a deer.” (1:9)

When a deer runs away, it always turns to look back. When G-d “runs away” from us, He, like the deer, is always “looking back” to see how we are. He is always looking out for us even as He distances Himself from us.

This is the symbolism of the backward-facing noons. Even in a time of nefila, of spiritual decline, G-d is looking backward “over his shoulder” watching out for us.

Similarly it says in the Song of Songs that “G-d is watching us from the windows, peeking out at us from between the cracks.” (1:9) When someone watches you from a window, not only can they see you, but you can see them. When they look at you from between the cracks you don’t see them.

There are times when we can’t see G‑d in our lives, when we feel that He has “run away”. However, we should know that He is still peeking out from between the cracks of this world, watching and guarding our every move.

• Sources: Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshutz in Ahavat Yonatan as heard from Rabbi C. Z. Senter

 

THE FALL

 

CAUTION : THE DANGERS OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCES !!!

“The rabble that was among them (the Children of Yisrael) cultivated a craving…” (11:4)

We also see the dangers of having people who are a bad influence in our midst, again those who bring darkness and death as opposed to light, sometimes out of ignorance,  we are taught the rabble were the Erev Rav the mixed Egyptian multitude were referred to  who were so keen to join the Jewish people after seeing G-d’s might and miracles instigate complaints as they lust for meat and vegetables  - losing sight of all the kindnesses Hashem was doing  and had done with them during  and before their Travels, claiming that in Egypt food was free was crazy: "We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge" (11:4)

Free! They had been totally enslaved in Egypt, yet when a person has lusts and desires the evil inclination enable one to forget so easily.  As a result Hashem fulfils the Lusts he throws and abundance of Quails at the people and as they lust for it and engulf  it become sick from it ( a punishment from above to teach the dangers and consequence of lust ).  It is interesting to note on reading the life story of Menachem Begin in Siberia in his book called “White Nights” he tells how he was given the same food every day, and in it he tells how amazed he was to find the fascinating biblical account of the food coming out of their nostrils we read this week, and how it had actually happened to him in prison!

CH 11 V 20

But even for a full month until it comes out your nose and nauseates you. Because you have despised the L-rd Who is among you, and you cried before Him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'

http://ohr.edu/this_week/torah_weekly/3135

“The rabble that was among them (the Children of Yisrael) cultivated a craving…” (11:4)

Many are those who desire to do something great, but how many succeed?

How many fledgling novelists get past the opening line, let alone the first chapter; and how many would-be concert pianists end up playing nothing more complicated than an iPod?

Why is it that the nearer we get to the end of something, the more difficult it becomes? Anyone who has run a race knows the feeling of coming round the last bend and searching for the tape through sweat-drenched eyes. Your legs feel like lead, your lungs feel like perforated paper bags — and it’s not just natural tiredness. The very act of completion is itself elusive, difficult.

Why?

During the same period that the Jewish People lived in Egypt there was a group of Egyptians that separated themselves from idolatry. Originally, Yosef had circumcised them, and for hundreds of years they lived apart in their own cities. At the time of the Exodus they decided to throw in their lot with the Jewish People and left Egypt with them.

Forsaking the security and comfort of Egypt, they followed the People of Israel into the barren wastes of Sinai. However, it was this same group, the Erav Rav (“mixed multitude”), who instigated the dissatisfaction with the manna that provoked G-d’s wrath in this week’s Torah portion.

What went wrong?

There’s a verse in tehillim Psalms that says, “Who will ascend the mountain of G-d, and who will stand in His holy place?”

Even after we ascend to a higher level of spirituality there remains the greater challenge of holding fast to our new place.

It’s one thing to be a spiritual tourist; it’s quite another to take up residence.

Despite their good intentions, the Erav Rav lacked the staying power to complete their spiritual journey.

The Mishnah in Avot says, “Be bold as a leopard, swift as an eagle, run like a deer and strong as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven.”

Rabbi Yerucham Lebovitz explained that we need four different qualities to succeed. At the beginning we need boldness to instigate a plan; the faint of heart will never have the temerity to start.

Next we need to be swift as an eagle to achieve “lift-off”. The early stages of a project require alacrity to bring it from the potential to the actual. Then we must run like a deer. Lethargy is the archenemy of success.

And, finally, when the end is in sight, we need the strength of a lion to cross the finish line. The lion is the strongest of all the animals. His is the strength needed for completion.

The Chazon Ish said that the last two pages of a mesechta (volume of Talmud) are the hardest to finish. There exists a negative drive that exerts all its powers to keep us from completion.

It’s at that point that we need the strength of a lion to push out our chests, break the tape and cross the finish line.

• Source: Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe

Ch 11 v 26

Now two men remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the second was Medad, and the spirit rested upon them. They were among those written, but they did not go out to the tent, but prophesied in the camp.

We see Joshua complains to Moses of two people prophesizing in the camp, beyond the mandate given by Moshe, Joshua wanted to punish them but to the contrary Moshe says he is happy that Hashem has found individuals within the camp worthy of receiving prophecy.
 

In the Sedra ch12 v 1

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses regarding the Cushite woman he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.

Here we see the punishment of another extremely holy prophetess who speaks against Moses who has separated from his Cushite wife in an act of holiness.   G-d is angry with Miriam the sister of Moses for implying she was on the same level as his most beloved servant Moses our teacher, father of all prophets, and for misjudging him. G-d is explicit in his rebuke, and defends Moses, wow think about this Moses loves his Sister in fact he prays for her, it pains him to see her suffer, but G-d insists she deserves punishment, her punishment is our light and for our lesson – To Moses his honour is not at all important to him, but to Hashem how dear is his loyal servant, – G-d ends up defending him in the Torah and adds indicates even further how humble Moses is too - how beloved was our teacher!

Ch 12 V 3

Now this man Moses was exceedingly humble, more so than any person on the face of the earth.

Miriam is stricken with Tzara’ath and even after Moses fervent prayers for his holy sister  the entire nation is made to wait for her 7 days, as she is taught a lesson in proper respect for those closest to Hashem, and is sent to wait outside the Israelite camp.  The result of evil speech, we should use our speech to build and bring closeness  to Hashem.
 

Have a good Shabbos

Michael