Parshas Ki Savo - A thought on the first Rashi

“When it happens that you come to the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you as territory and you inherit it and settle it.”

~ Devarim 26:1

When it happens that you come … and you inherit and settle it. This teaches that they were not obligated to bring the first fruits until they conquered the land and apportioned it.

~ Rashi on Devarim 26:1

Rabbi Avrohom Davis explains that we understand from Rashi’s comment that before the Jewish people finished their conquest and division of the land of Israel, Jews could eat the fruits and vegetables grown there without first bringing first fruits to Jerusalem.

How do we think the Jews of that era viewed their ‘freedom’ from the mitzvah of first fruits, during the interim period? They would have been well aware of the commandment to bring first fruits to Jerusalem, reiterated in this week’s parsha, and would know that the rule was only applicable after the conquest of Canaan was complete.

Perhaps some Jews at that time found the produce sweeter, because it came with fewer restrictions than (they knew) would apply later. Perhaps other Jews ate the fruit yet quietly pined for the conquest to be complete, so they could fully celebrate the bounty of the land by sanctifying a portion to thank God for His great kindnesses.

 

Which attitude do you relate to best? Are you quite comfortable when something happens and you are ‘free’ of certain restrictions in Jewish life? A great example of this, suggested by my teacher Rabbi Eli Reisman, would be when it rains on Succos and you are compelled to eat indoors; Are you quietly (or not so quietly) relieved? Or are you more akin to the almost-Bar Mitzvah boy, who (according to custom) starts putting on his teffilin weeks in advance of the big day, to show his eagerness for the mitzvah yet to arrive?

Parshas Ki Seitzei - a thought on one of the first Rashis

"If you should go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God puts them in your hand and you capture prisoners from them. And you see among the prisoners a beautiful woman; if you desire her, you may take her as your wife."

~ Devorim 21:10-11

You may take her as your wife. The Torah speaks only to go against the evil inclination, because if God would not permit her, he (the Jewish soldier) would live with her illicitly. But if he does marry her, he will ultimately hate her, as it is further stated: "If a man has two wives, etc. " [see 21:15] and ultimately he will father, with her, a wayward and rebellious son [see 21:18]. That is why these chapters adjoin one another.

~ Rashi on Devorim 12:11

Rashi's view is that the Torah grants permission to a Jewish soldier to marry a captivating captive only as a necessary but unfortunate (and ill-fated) concession to human nature. As I'm aware, this is not the only instance of the Torah  making such a concession. For example, it is the opinion of Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook that God granted Noah and his descendants permission to eat meat, after the Flood, (Bereshis 9:3) only as a last resort, in recognition that humankind had become desensitized to violence and could no longer restrain its desire for meat [see Nehama Leibowitz, Studies in Bereshis, p. 77].

These two instances are, at least, well within the realm of Torah-approved allowances to our less refined tendencies. Two questions we should ask ourselves, as we prepare for Rosh HaShana, are: What are the allowances we give ourselves that fall outside the realm of Torah-sanctioned concessions? And can we, perhaps, hold ourselves to a higher standard in the upcoming New Year?

Parshas Shoftim - a thought on the first Rashi

“Judges and police officers you shall appoint for yourself in all the cities that HaShem, your God, is giving you for all your tribes; they should judge the people (with) righteous judgment.”

~ Devorim 16:18

Judges and police officers. Judges – the magistrates who render legal decisions. Police officers – who compel the people to abide by their (the judges’) instructions by administering punishment, with clubs and whips, until they accept the judge’s decision.

~ Rashi on Devorim 16:18

Rashi’s comment on this verse suggests that, in an ideal situation, wherever there is an institution that adjudicates legal disputes there must also be a group charged with enforcing those decisions. Without such a pairing, judgment is a hollow exercise and justice becomes a mockery.

Adding to our understanding of this verse, the Seforno points out that the Gemara (Makos 7a) notes the use of the phrase “… in all your cities that HaShem, your God, is giving you for all your tribes” and uses it to qualify the command that you have judges and officers ‘in all your cities.” The Gemara instructs us that this imperative only applies in the lands that the Jewish people conquer within the Land of Israel. If the Jewish people go to war and win lands outside the Land of Israel, they only require judges and officers in every district but not in each city.”

Seforno’s comment, and the Gemara’s ruling, instructs us that in an area of greater holiness (the Land of Israel), greater efforts must be made to offer and administer justice while in an area of lesser holiness, efforts to insure justice need not be as comprehensive.

Having just entered the month of Elul, it is worth asking ourselves if we are making the greatest efforts in the areas of the greatest holiness in our own lives. Or perhaps our levels of vigilance and exactitude are not always aligned with our values. Consider these questions - What is the current balance in your bank account? What is the latest standing of your favorite baseball team (or political party)? What Torah idea did you learn or consider anew this week? To which mitzvah are you giving special attention this month?

If you can answer all four questions substantively, great! But if only two or three of these questions are relevant to you, which ones are they? And what does that say about you?

Parshas Re'ey - a thought on one of the first Rashis

“Look, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing, that (if) you heed the commandments of HaShem your God that I am commanding you today. And the curse, if you do not heed the commandments of HaShem your God and you veer from the course which I command you this day, to follow other gods which you did not know.”

~ Devarim 11:26-28

From the course which I command you this day, to follow etc. This teaches that anyone who worships idols has strayed from the entire course commanded to Israel. From here we learn that anyone who admits to idolatry denies the entire Torah.

~ Rashi on Devarim 11:28

Rashi’s explanation underscores the frightful gravity of the offense of worshipping gods beside HaShem, which is a viewed as a direct affront to God and a rejection of the entire Torah. This message is communicated repeatedly in Sefer Devarim (see, for instance, the reiteration of the Ten Commandments, Devarim 5:6-18, and later in our Parsha, 12:28-13:17).

This pointed injunction against the worshiping of other gods can prompt us to consider its correlates in interpersonal situations.

I’m confident that, if I asked what constitutes a similar unforgivable betrayal in a marriage, most people would answer “adultery.” If I considered what was the most painful betrayal for a child, it might be a situation where his/her parents violated his trust or acted in a way that showed they had no confidence in her skills or judgment.

In the same vein, what would be a painful betrayal of a good friend? Or a professional colleague you work with frequently? Or an aging, sometimes forgetful, and occasionally difficult parent? 

And if we accept that every potential offense exists on a continuum, from slight to severe, are there small betrayals we commit without thinking more commonly?

Our answers to these questions may differ, of course, as personalities and circumstances vary. The important thing is to ask ourselves the questions.

Parshas Ekev - A thought on the first Rashi

“And it will be, as a consequence of (Ekev) you heeding these laws, and you guard them and fulfill them; HaShem your God will guard for you the covenant and the kindness that he swore to your forefathers.”

~ Devorim 7:12

And it will be, as a consequence of (Ekev) you heeding these laws. If you will heed even the smaller commandments, which a person [sometimes] tramples on with his heels (B’EhKayVav), then … HaShem, your God will guard, etc. He will keep his promise to you. 

~ Rashi on Devorim 7:12

Rashi points out the use here of the uncommon word Ekev (as a consequence of) and draws on a comment from the Midrash Tanchuma, which ties this to another word with a similar root, EhKayVa (heel). The lesson, he suggests, is that our heavenly reward is contingent on our adherence to all the mitzvot, not just those we favor but also those that we might downplay, fulfill half-heartedly, or even ignore.

This raises an interesting challenge, which each of us faces individually:

What are your ‘smaller mitzvot’?

For each of us, the answer will be different by dint of our individual preferences.  

We recently concluded the mournful and introspective season of the three weeks and entered the seven-week period that leads to the High Holydays. Perhaps now is a fine time to start considering which ‘little’ areas of observance we each have neglected and what we might resolve to improve upon in the new Jewish year.

Parshas Ve'etchanan - a thought on the first Rashi

This weeks parashah of וָאֶתְחַנַּן [Va’etchanan] begins:

    וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְה בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר

 Va’etchanan el Hashem v’ayt ha he laymor

“And I implored [or entreated] Hashem at the time, saying…”

 Breaking down the sentence into three components we can see the following.

Rashi teaches us that the word Va'etchanan “And I implored” is a derivative of the word chinan, which always signifies [the request for] an unearned gift.   Moses we all know is one of if not the most righteous Jews to have lived or ever is likely to live. Even though the righteous could justify their requests based on their good deeds, in their humility they only request unearned gifts from G-d. It is said that it is probable that this is because the righteous would prefer to receive any form of reward in the world to come, rather than in this life.

“At that time.”   Rashi goes on to explain that to a certain extent Moses may have actually thought he had avoided his long feared fate of not being able to enter the land of Israel.   Perhaps he was thinking that “after I had conquered the land of Sihon and Og, I thought that perhaps the vow [which G-d had made, that I should not enter the land] was nullified, [since the land I entered has become part of the land of Canaan].

“Saying,” This is one of three occasions in which Moses said before G-d, “I will not let You go until You let me know whether or not You will grant my request.”  Of course we know better.   Moses was not to be allowed to enter the land to which he had led the children of Israel for more than 40 years, despite this heartfelt petition.   In fact G-d if anything becomes angry with Moses for the repeated asking.

In our generation, many of us feel entitled, to be given things - as a reward for our good deeds, whether it be for an act of chessed [kindness], performing a mitzvah [good dead] or “just because.”     What we should realize, especially in this generation, is that we are the recipients of so many gifts, on so many levels each and every day.   Both on a personal level, on a communal level, in the land of Israel, and as a nation of Am Yisrael.

We should all strive to be on the level of Moses, to be humble enough to recognize that what we pray for each day is not the repayment of our great righteousness but, rather, the continued gifts of a very gracious God.

Shabbat shalom.

Guest posting by

Marc Turansky

(a commentary on his Bar-Mitzvah parsha!)

Parshas Devarim - a thought on the first few Rashis

“These are the words that Moshe addressed to all of [the Children of] Israel across the Jordan, in the wilderness, on the Arava plain facing Suf, between Poron and Tofel, and Lovon and Chatzeiros and Di Zohov.”

~ Devarim 1:1

Rashi notes that the place names in this verse do not correspond to the location of the Israelite camp when the Book of BaMidbar (Numbers) ended, when they were encamped in the plains of Moav. Additionally, some of the place names (such as Tofel and Lovon) appear nowhere else in Scripture. Rashi concludes that these geographic identifiers actually serve as coded rebukes of the Jews for previous bad behavior – “in the wilderness” alludes to the episodes when the Jews grumbled against God in the desert, “Facing Suf” hints at the complaints of the Jews as the Egyptian army approached them by the Yom Suf (Red Sea), Tofel and Lovon are plays on Hebrew words to intimate the Jews’ malicious criticisms of the manna (which was white, lovon), and so on.

As a teacher, I interpret Moshe Rabbeinu’s struggles with the Jewish people by considering his role as our preeminent teacher. He was given a lesson plan to follow – food and water regularly provided by acts of Divine kindness, miracles such as the splitting of the Red Sea and tremendous military victories to demonstrate God’s benevolence, and an all-encompassing code of laws to guide the people’s daily lives. It was a comprehensive, all-encompassing lesson plan. Yet, as we know from reading Shemos, VaYikra, and BaMidbar, the students continuously rebelled.

It took tremendous patience and sensitivity of a man of Moshe’s stature to reason with the Jewish people, recognize and accept their shortcomings, and (at times) persuade God not to obliterate them. All teachers would be well served by reading this week’s parsha carefully, to be reminded that even history’s most masterful teacher faced frequent complaints and serious challenges to his lesson plan; we should expect no less.

It would do us all a lot of good to remind ourselves of role models to teaching success, who reflect Moshe Rabbeinu’s skills and resilience. For me, one such role model was Mrs. Chaya Newman – the principal of Bruriah High School for Girls (and my boss) for over three decades. Like Moshe, she faced complaints from all quarters – students, teachers, parents, and other administrators. I used to marvel at her ability to wade through and sift the complaints, to determine which were legitimate concerns and which were not. She must have read Parshas Devarim many times.

Guest posting by

Joel Glazer

Author of “It Happened in my Classroom”

Social Studies teacher in Bruriah High School for Girls

1 Av 5773

July 8, 2013