HHMI Newsgroup Archives
From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 1997 12:20 AM
To: Parasha-Page List
Subject: R&B News Service - "SHABBAT SHALOM: Parashat Balak"
To: (IL/ROOT & BRANCH ASSOCIATION, LTD.), rb@rb.org.il
From: "Root & Branch Association, Ltd." <rb@rb.org.il>
Subject: R&B News Service - "SHABBAT SHALOM: Parashat Balak (Numbers
2-25:9) Weekly Torah Commentary by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
SHABBAT SHALOM: Parashat Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9)
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
EFRAT, July 20, Root & Branch: Balaam is one of the most fascinating
biblical personalities; a Gentile prophet-sorcerer who is hired by Balak,
King of Moab, to curse the Israelites but ends up praising them.
In the classical Mishna "Ethics of Our Fathers" we find a chilling
assessment of Balaam's character, all the more striking because his evil
qualities are contrasted with the good qualities of Abraham, our ideal:
"Whoever possesses the following three qualities is of the disciples
of our father Abraham; whoever possesses the opposite three qualities
is of the disciples of the wicked Balaam. Those who belong to the
disciples of Abraham possess a good eye (generous nature), a humble
spirit, and a modest desire. Those who belong to the disciples of
Balaam possess an evil eye (grudging nature), a haughty spirit, and an
excessive desire (for wealth)..." [Ethics, 5:22]
Of the three characteristics mentioned, a 'good vs. evil eye', and a
'modest vs. greedy desire' are clearly in evidence. We know of
Abraham's generous disposition from the tradition praising his tent,
open in all four directions, offering travelers arriving from their desert
sojourns shelter for rest and recuperation. Moreover, despite the fact
that his nephew and adopted son, Lot, displayed egregious ingratitude
towards him, Abraham wages a difficult war to free him from captivity.
Balaam, on the other hand, is totally self-centered. Although in the
end his final words of blessing to Israel sound like the love-song of a
nightingale, the fact remains that when Balak makes a monetary offer
to the Gentile prophet to curse the children of Abraham, we don't have
even a hint of Balaam's struggle with a moral dilemma. Abraham's
unselfish purpose is to unite as many as possible to share G-d's bounty,
while Balaam is ready to shut down all of Israel for his own personal
gain.
A similar dichotomy exists in the category of cupidity for material
gain. After succeeding in the difficult battle against the four Kings,
Abraham refuses to taking any bounty: "I take an oath to G-d Most
High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that not from a thread to a
shoelace - I will not take anything that is yours, so that you shall never
say, 'I have made Abraham wealthy'..." [Gen. 14:22-23]
Not so Balaam. His eyes are as wide as the skies. Despite Divine
displeasure, Balaam follows the messengers of Balak in the hope that he
will ultimately receive a reward of gold, silver and honor. He allows
himself to be tempted by a lot more than shoelaces.
But when we examine the humble spirit attributed to Abraham and
the haughty spirit attributed to Balaam, we discover a fascinating truth
about human nature relevant not only to the biblical personalities, but to
each and every one of us.
Rav Bergman, in his commentary Shaarei Orah, calls our attention to the
following passage in the Talmud: "R. Helbo said in the name of
R. Huna: Whoever has a fixed place for his prayer has the G-d of
Abraham as his helper. When he dies, people say of him: 'Where is the
pious man, where is the humble man, one of the disciples of Abraham?'
How do we know that our father Abraham had a fixed place? For it is
written, 'And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he
had stood before G-d. [Gen. 19:27]' And standing means nothing else
but prayer. For it is said: 'Then stood up Pinhas and prayed.'" [Ps.
106:30] [B.T. Brachot 6b]
Rav Bergman is perplexed as to why having a fixed place for prayer
testifies to one's humility. In his search for understanding, he cites the
contrast we have earlier seen between the humility of Abraham and the
arrogance of Balaam. R. Helbo's point, suggests Rav Bergman, is that
despite the fact that G-d did not acquiesce to Abraham's prayers
regarding the heavenly decree against Sodom and Gomorrah, the
patriarch nevertheless seeks out the very place where he had originally
been standing for his next prayer. This indicates that Abraham never
considered blaming the place; he only blames himself.
It is usual that we blame everyone else - our general environment, as it
were - for all of our failures. We are wont to say that it is our parents,
our spouses, our employers who are responsible for our mishaps. The
energy, the cosmic balance or the stars were out of sync - and in order to
be more efficacious, it would be necessary to locate a different energy
center.
But not Abraham. He understood that in the final analysis, one can only
blame oneself. Hence, returning to a set or fixed place for prayer
indicates true humility: the realization that one can only look towards
oneself - and not to one's environment - as the source of one's ultimate
success or failure.
By the same token, what characterizes Balaam is that he's always on
the move. Early in Ch. 23, the gentile prophet sets out to test the
efficacy of his 'prayers' by building seven altars upon which seven
sacrifices are brought. When the attempt to induce G-d to spread a web
of curses upon the Israelites backfires --praise and blessings pour forth
from Balaam instead-- Balak suggests a new location, a place where
"...you will be able to see only a small section of the (Israelite
camp)...From there you may be able to curse them for me." [Num. 23:13]
No problem, the team is off to Lookout Field, and again seven altars are
built and seven more sacrifices. But nothing doing. Balaam declares that
"... surely there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor is there
any divination against Israel..." [23:23] Balaam's words anger Balak:
"If you can't curse them, at least don't bless them." [23:25]
One would imagine that by now Balaam should have given up. Twenty-eight
animals, fourteen altars, G-d has made His will known. Yet, when Balak
suggests a new location --"If you would, let's go on...I will take you
somewhere else..." [23:27] Balaam accepts the suggestion. Had he been
carved from the same mettle that Abraham was carved from, would he be
running all over town seeking to make his curses heard?
A mystical work called the Book of Creation (Sefer Yetzirah) tells
of a specific bird who is always flying, who never stops to rest. The
reason is because the bird is constantly sickened by a foul odor, an odor
which she believes emanates from the place she is in; and so she
continually flies to escape the smell. Sadly, notes the author of the
work, the bird will always keep moving - because what the bird doesn't
realize is that the odor comes from her own self!
The best definition of maturity I know, is the realization that we
have to stop blaming our failures on place, environment, parents,
teachers or spouses. A mature person looks squarely at himself. This
is the beginning of humility - and of ultimate success as well.
Shavuah Tov,
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Efrat, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------
Shlomo Riskin is Rabbi of Efrat and a Consulting Torah Scholar to the Root &
Branch Association
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
Aryeh Gallin, President
Root & Branch Association, Ltd.
ISRAEL - P.O.B. 8672, German Colony, 91086 Jerusalem, Israel
Tel: 972-2-673-9013, Fax: 972-2-673-9012, Email: rb@rb.org.il, Web Site:
www.rb.org.il
UNITED STATES - c/o Gallin and Newman, Esqs., 860 Grand Concouse, Bronx,
N.Y. 10451
Tel: 718-585-3512, Fax: 718-993-3712
The Root & Branch Association, founded by Torah-observant Jews, represents
Jews and Non-Jews who work together on behalf of the Jewish People and the
State of Israel and who promote the study and practice of universal Jewish
teachings.
************************************************************************
To educate, train and equip for study both the Jew and Non-Jew
in the Rich Hebraic Heritage of our Faith.
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
----------
From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Monday, September 08, 1997 1:26 AM
To: Parasha-Page List
Subject: R&B News Service - "SHABBAT SHALOM: Para
To: (IL/ROOT & BRANCH ASSOCIATION, LTD.), rb@rb.org.il
From: "Root & Branch Association, Ltd." <rb@rb.org.il>
Subject: R&B News Service - "SHABBAT SHALOM: Parashat Shoftim
21-21:9) Weekly Torah Commentary by Rabbi Shlomo
Riskin
SHABBAT SHALOM: Parashat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:21-21:9)
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
EFRAT, September 5, Root & Branch: "Justice, justice shall you pursue that
you may live, and inherit the land which the Lord your G-d has given you."
[Deut. 16:20]
Two questions: Why repeat the word "justice"? Is there a level of justice
which would be overlooked if the Torah had limited itself to "justice shall
you pursue", so that the repetition comes along to alert us to something
more - a purer, more perfect kind of justice? Furthermore, our portion of
Shoftim is replete with laws dealing with
every conceivable subject in the world, from commandments that forbid the
sacrificing of blemished animals to laws on how to appoint a king (or Prime
Minister) and instructions as to how to properly wage a moral war, if war
indeed be necessary. So why is it that only in reference to justice - or
the establishment of a proper judicial system - does the Torah stipulate
the inheritance of the land as if our right to the Land of Israel is
specifically dependent upon "tzedek" (justice)? What is the
connection?
The classic commentator Rashi quotes the Sifri's explanation of the
doubling of the term "tzedek". The reason why it's repeated is because the
Torah wants to tell us that in order to pursue justice one must take the
time and trouble to find a "just" court. the implication - unfortunately
borne out by bitter experience - is that one could end up inside a
courtroom with all the trappings of justice but which is in reality a sham,
concealing mean-spirited judges who are impatient, or concentrate only on
the letter of the law without attempting to reveal its spirit. Pursuing
"justice, justice" implies going from place to place until one discerns a
truly just court to decide the issue.
In more recent times, the great 19th century Polish hassidic master,
Menahem Mendel of Kotzk, commented that the double language of "tzedek"
addresses the classic issue of the ends never justifying the means. In a
world where cognitive dissonance is all too common, and a wide variety of
people finds ways to rationalize an unethical practice
based on presumably desirable goals, the Kotzker Rebbe argues that the word
"tzedek" is repeated in order to teach us that justice has a double-edge:
not only must the goal be pure, but the means must be pure as well. We
should never allow the goal to become so important that it justifies
abandoning an ethical means. Pursue justice with just means!
This may tie up with Rashi's interpretation as well. After all, the
judicial court is the usual means for acquiring ethical and proper judicial
decisions; see to it that you rely on a truly just group of judges for the
rendering of a just result.
The linkage between justice and our inheritance of the Land of Israel
touches at the very heart of the Jewish religion and mission. Our Torah
expresses an ideal of ethical monotheism, a G-d Whose very essence is
compassion, justice, tolerance and truth. Our G-d-given task is to educate
the world towards a period of peace and truth, universal
harmony and justice. In our acceptance of Torah must be predicated our
acceptance of justice as an absolute value and ideal. Hence our right to
live eternally, as well as our right to the Land of Israel as a sovereign
nation, are predicated upon our exemplifying justice in our national and
familial lives.
What's interesting is that this fundamental principle can be seen as the
theme of the very first verse in the Torah. In fact, the first Rashi in
Genesis is saying exactly this - and is often misunderstood. Rashi there
explains why the Torah begins with the account of G-d creating the world
rather than with the first commandment: "Because if the nations of the
world should say to Israel, 'You are robbers, because you have seized by
force the lands of the seven nations,' they (Israel) could say to them,
'The entire world belongs to G-d; He created it and gave it to whomever was
right (or righteous) in His eyes.'" [Rashi, Genesis 1:1].
The language which Rashi uses is "ve-natnah asher yashar be-einav", which
is usually understood to mean that the reason why the Torah begins with the
account of the Creation is because He who created the world can certainly
choose the beneficiaries of His benevolence. But this understanding
overlooks the straight-forward meaning of the words. I do not believe that
Rashi is telling us that G-d can do what He wants to; rather, he is saying
that G-d will give Israel to whoever is "yashar" - righteous, morally
upright -in His eyes. If a nation inhabiting the Land of Israel cannot
stand up to the test of being righteous, then the land won't be given them;
and if they act as if they own it, they won't remain there for long. And
that applies to the nation
of Israel as well.
In fact, Rashi's choice of the word "yashar" may be a subtle allusion to
the very name of Israel, which spells our "yashar El". Within the very
essence of Israel we have the built-in concept of righteousness and moral
worthiness.
In terms of our return to Israel in modern times, yet another
interpretation may be offered towards an understanding of this verse. The
Jewish people stand before the world of nations with two legitimate and
righteous claims. First of all, it is right and moral for us to be able to
live as a separate and distinct religious group in the various countries of
the world. Nazi Germany and Communist Russia did not believe we
had this right; they were wrong. Our right to live - and the unspeakable
evil of genocide which made the holocaust so sui generis - must be pursued
as a fundamental expression of righteousness.
Secondly, our inheritance of the Land of Israel and our right to be a
sovereign nation in the Middle East must also be pursued as a righteous
claim, as a just demand. We have lived in this part of the world in an
unbroken chain for almost 4,000 years. Despite exile and persecution we
have never ceased dreaming of return, and we inhabit
the areas that we now inhabit - in some cases disputed lands but never
occupied lands - because we fought back against aggressive enemies who
wished to push us into the sea. These rights have even been documented -
in the Treaty of Versailles, wherein we were "guaranteed" both sides of the
Jordan and then, in a separate document signed by the
King of Jordan and Chaim Weitzman, at least the West Bank.
I can certainly understand the clash of two claims - even the clash of two
claims on the basis of "righteousness" - which, given peaceful intent on
both sides, can be decided fairly on the basis of granting national
sovereignty to each nation over the areas which they inhabit. However, we
must understand that our claim is a righteous one, we deserve morally to
continue living in the settlements of Israel, and on the basis of our just
claim we shall indeed inhabit the land of our ancestors.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Efrat, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------
Shlomo Riskin is Rabbi of Efrat and a Consulting Torah Scholar to the Root
& Branch Association
------------------------------------------------------
Aryeh Gallin, President
Root & Branch Association, Ltd.
ISRAEL
P.O.B. 8672, German Colony, 91086 Jerusalem, Israel
Tel: 972-2-673-9013, Fax: 972-2-673-9012
Email: rb@rb.org.il, Web Site: www.rb.org.il
UNITED STATES
Law Offices of Lt. Col. Martin Gallin, Esq., A.U.S.A. (ret.)
860 Grand Concouse, Bronx, N.Y. 10451
Tel: 718-585-3512, Fax: 718-993-3712
The Root & Branch Association, founded by Torah-observant Jews, represents
Jews and Non-Jews who work together on behalf of the Jewish People and the
State of Israel and who promote the study and practice of universal Jewish
teachings.
********************************************************************
To educate, train and equip for study both the Jew and Non-Jew
in the Rich Hebraic Heritage of our Faith.
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
----------
From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Monday, September 08, 1997 1:26 AM
To: Parasha-Page List
Subject: R&B News Service - "SHABBAT SHALOM: Para
To: (IL/ROOT & BRANCH ASSOCIATION, LTD.), rb@rb.org.il
From: "Root & Branch Association, Ltd." <rb@rb.org.il>
Subject: R&B News Service - "SHABBAT SHALOM: Parashat Shoftim
21-21:9) Weekly Torah Commentary by Rabbi Shlomo
Riskin
SHABBAT SHALOM: Parashat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:21-21:9)
by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
EFRAT, September 5, Root & Branch: "Justice, justice shall you pursue that
you may live, and inherit the land which the Lord your G-d has given you."
[Deut. 16:20]
Two questions: Why repeat the word "justice"? Is there a level of justice
which would be overlooked if the Torah had limited itself to "justice shall
you pursue", so that the repetition comes along to alert us to something
more - a purer, more perfect kind of justice? Furthermore, our portion of
Shoftim is replete with laws dealing with
every conceivable subject in the world, from commandments that forbid the
sacrificing of blemished animals to laws on how to appoint a king (or Prime
Minister) and instructions as to how to properly wage a moral war, if war
indeed be necessary. So why is it that only in reference to justice - or
the establishment of a proper judicial system - does the Torah stipulate
the inheritance of the land as if our right to the Land of Israel is
specifically dependent upon "tzedek" (justice)? What is the
connection?
The classic commentator Rashi quotes the Sifri's explanation of the
doubling of the term "tzedek". The reason why it's repeated is because the
Torah wants to tell us that in order to pursue justice one must take the
time and trouble to find a "just" court. the implication - unfortunately
borne out by bitter experience - is that one could end up inside a
courtroom with all the trappings of justice but which is in reality a sham,
concealing mean-spirited judges who are impatient, or concentrate only on
the letter of the law without attempting to reveal its spirit. Pursuing
"justice, justice" implies going from place to place until one discerns a
truly just court to decide the issue.
In more recent times, the great 19th century Polish hassidic master,
Menahem Mendel of Kotzk, commented that the double language of "tzedek"
addresses the classic issue of the ends never justifying the means. In a
world where cognitive dissonance is all too common, and a wide variety of
people finds ways to rationalize an unethical practice
based on presumably desirable goals, the Kotzker Rebbe argues that the word
"tzedek" is repeated in order to teach us that justice has a double-edge:
not only must the goal be pure, but the means must be pure as well. We
should never allow the goal to become so important that it justifies
abandoning an ethical means. Pursue justice with just means!
This may tie up with Rashi's interpretation as well. After all, the
judicial court is the usual means for acquiring ethical and proper judicial
decisions; see to it that you rely on a truly just group of judges for the
rendering of a just result.
The linkage between justice and our inheritance of the Land of Israel
touches at the very heart of the Jewish religion and mission. Our Torah
expresses an ideal of ethical monotheism, a G-d Whose very essence is
compassion, justice, tolerance and truth. Our G-d-given task is to educate
the world towards a period of peace and truth, universal
harmony and justice. In our acceptance of Torah must be predicated our
acceptance of justice as an absolute value and ideal. Hence our right to
live eternally, as well as our right to the Land of Israel as a sovereign
nation, are predicated upon our exemplifying justice in our national and
familial lives.
What's interesting is that this fundamental principle can be seen as the
theme of the very first verse in the Torah. In fact, the first Rashi in
Genesis is saying exactly this - and is often misunderstood. Rashi there
explains why the Torah begins with the account of G-d creating the world
rather than with the first commandment: "Because if the nations of the
world should say to Israel, 'You are robbers, because you have seized by
force the lands of the seven nations,' they (Israel) could say to them,
'The entire world belongs to G-d; He created it and gave it to whomever was
right (or righteous) in His eyes.'" [Rashi, Genesis 1:1].
The language which Rashi uses is "ve-natnah asher yashar be-einav", which
is usually understood to mean that the reason why the Torah begins with the
account of the Creation is because He who created the world can certainly
choose the beneficiaries of His benevolence. But this understanding
overlooks the straight-forward meaning of the words. I do not believe that
Rashi is telling us that G-d can do what He wants to; rather, he is saying
that G-d will give Israel to whoever is "yashar" - righteous, morally
upright -in His eyes. If a nation inhabiting the Land of Israel cannot
stand up to the test of being righteous, then the land won't be given them;
and if they act as if they own it, they won't remain there for long. And
that applies to the nation
of Israel as well.
In fact, Rashi's choice of the word "yashar" may be a subtle allusion to
the very name of Israel, which spells our "yashar El". Within the very
essence of Israel we have the built-in concept of righteousness and moral
worthiness.
In terms of our return to Israel in modern times, yet another
interpretation may be offered towards an understanding of this verse. The
Jewish people stand before the world of nations with two legitimate and
righteous claims. First of all, it is right and moral for us to be able to
live as a separate and distinct religious group in the various countries of
the world. Nazi Germany and Communist Russia did not believe we
had this right; they were wrong. Our right to live - and the unspeakable
evil of genocide which made the holocaust so sui generis - must be pursued
as a fundamental expression of righteousness.
Secondly, our inheritance of the Land of Israel and our right to be a
sovereign nation in the Middle East must also be pursued as a righteous
claim, as a just demand. We have lived in this part of the world in an
unbroken chain for almost 4,000 years. Despite exile and persecution we
have never ceased dreaming of return, and we inhabit
the areas that we now inhabit - in some cases disputed lands but never
occupied lands - because we fought back against aggressive enemies who
wished to push us into the sea. These rights have even been documented -
in the Treaty of Versailles, wherein we were "guaranteed" both sides of the
Jordan and then, in a separate document signed by the
King of Jordan and Chaim Weitzman, at least the West Bank.
I can certainly understand the clash of two claims - even the clash of two
claims on the basis of "righteousness" - which, given peaceful intent on
both sides, can be decided fairly on the basis of granting national
sovereignty to each nation over the areas which they inhabit. However, we
must understand that our claim is a righteous one, we deserve morally to
continue living in the settlements of Israel, and on the basis of our just
claim we shall indeed inhabit the land of our ancestors.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Efrat, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------
Shlomo Riskin is Rabbi of Efrat and a Consulting Torah Scholar to the Root
& Branch Association
------------------------------------------------------
Aryeh Gallin, President
Root & Branch Association, Ltd.
ISRAEL
P.O.B. 8672, German Colony, 91086 Jerusalem, Israel
Tel: 972-2-673-9013, Fax: 972-2-673-9012
Email: rb@rb.org.il, Web Site: www.rb.org.il
UNITED STATES
Law Offices of Lt. Col. Martin Gallin, Esq., A.U.S.A. (ret.)
860 Grand Concouse, Bronx, N.Y. 10451
Tel: 718-585-3512, Fax: 718-993-3712
The Root & Branch Association, founded by Torah-observant Jews, represents
Jews and Non-Jews who work together on behalf of the Jewish People and the
State of Israel and who promote the study and practice of universal Jewish
teachings.
********************************************************************
To educate, train and equip for study both the Jew and Non-Jew
in the Rich Hebraic Heritage of our Faith.
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
Return to
Newsgroup Archives Main Page
Return to our Main Webpage
�2011
Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by
Web Design by JB.