Chabad of Northern Beverly Hills, 409 Foothill Road . Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Rabbi Yosef Shusterman 310/271-9063
PARSHAT DEVARIM
"See, I have set the land before you. Come and possess the land G-d swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give unto them and to their descendants after them." (1:8) Rashi comments: "`Come and possess the land' - there is no one to contest the matter, and you need not wage war. Indeed, if they had not sent the spies, they would not have needed any weapons." The Almighty Himself had promised the Jewish People that He would give them the Land of Israel, thus, obviously, no one can contest this. The People of Israel, therefore, could have taken possession of the land without a battle, and even without any armor that would scare off a potential enemy. Unfortunately, however, the people lacked faith. They did not rely on G-d to bring them into the land in a miraculous way. They demanded, "Let us send men ahead of us, to explore for us the land and to bring us back a report..." (Devarim 1:22) Thus they spoiled that opportunity.Their attitude and conduct made it necessary for them to follow natural procedures in taking over the land: they met opposition on the part of the in habitants which forced them to wage wars in order to assert their Divine right to the land. There is a moral in this for our own times and present condition: Of the future redemption by Moshiach it is said that it is analogous to the exodus from Egypt: "As in the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, I will show them wondrous things." (Michah 7:15) In fact, the wonders and miracles of the Messianic redemption will exceed those of the exodus.
If then, the entry into, and settlement of, the Land of Israel by those who were freed from the Egyptian exile was supposed to be in a miraculous way - "There is no one to contest the matter, and you need not wage war" - how much more so will this be the case with the Messianic redemption in our own days! Nowadays, too, just as then, this matter depends on the Jewish people themselves. We must show absolute faith in G-d and His promise that the entire Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel! We must not be afraid to inform the nations of the world, clearly and unequivocally, that the Land of Israel is Israel's eternal legacy. "Should the people of the world say to Israel, `You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations (of Canaan),' they can respond to them: `The whole earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He. He created it and gave it to whom He saw fit. (The Land of Israel) was given to (the nations) by His Will, and by His Will He took it from them and gave it to us!'" (Rashi on Genesis 1:1)
When we shall demonstrate this true and absolute faith in G-d, we shall merit immediately that "No one will contest this, and there will be no more wars nor the need for any weapons": "I shall break from the earth the bow, the sword and warfare, and I shall make them lie down securely!" (Hosea 2:20) (From: Insights to Redemption)
"These are the words which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, across the Jordan, in the desert, in the plain, opposite Suf, between Paran and Tofel, Lavan, Chatzeiroth, and Di-Zahav."(1:1) All these "places" are allusions to sins committed by the Jewish people during their forty years of wandering in the Sinai Desert. Moses rebuked them only by insinuation so as not to embarrass them. - Rashi's commentary
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch once delivered a scathing critique of a certain type of outlook and behavior. Later, one of those present complained to him: "Rebbe, why did you rebuke me in public? Could you not have privately made me aware of my negative traits, without embarrassing me in front of everyone?" Replied Rabbi Menachem Mendel: "Did I mean you? Obviously, I did. You see, I am a hat-maker. The hat-maker fashions a hat and places it in his window. People come in and try it on, until someone finds that it suits his head perfectly. Whom did he have in mind when he made this hat? Why, he made it precisely for the very customer who finds that it fits him!" (From: Once Upon a Chassid by Yanki Tauber)
Enough of your dwelling on this mountain. (1:6) A year had passed in
which Klal Yisrael was situated at Har Sinai. It became time to move on to Eretz Yisrael. The Midrash defines the word "rav" as "abundance"; Klal Yisrael's encampment at Har Sinai brought much benefit to them: the Torah, the Mishkan, the Zekeinim and other leaders. The Kli Yakar views the summons to leave Har Sinai as a practical lesson in attitude toward Torah. Moshe observed Klal Yisrael lingering at Har Sinai. They had become content with the Torah as a book of thought, a wonderful collection of laws brilliantly formulated by their Divine Author. They were, however, not prepared to move on to Eretz Yisrael, to put the Torah into practice. Moshe was, therefore , commanded to instruct the people to move on to the land, to build the Bais Hamikdash, to approach the ultimate destination.
All too often, many of us get bogged down "along the way," ignoring our objectives - if we have even developed them. A Jew has a purpose in life. Fulfilling that purpose must be his goal. We are here to serve Hashem in a positive manner. For some, the instrument is Torah study in its purest form, unimpeded by material or secular pursuits. For others, the vehicle is serving Hashem through active participation in community-oriented endeavors, such as various acts of chesed, kindness. One must, however, establish a set of goals which he strives to attain. Otherwise, he simply stagnates, proceeding through life as a Jew by rote, with no zest or enthusiasm, not appreciating the beauty and vigor of Yiddishkeit. Whatever one does, it should be goal-oriented. Even in Torah study, one should make demands on himself, setting specific goals and areas of accomplishment, aspiring for greatness with a sheifah, ambition, to master all areas of Torah. This attitude will not only enhance one's learning, but it will also transform his entire character. (From: Peninim on the Torah by Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum. http://www.shemayisrael.co.il)
TISHA B'AV
"Hashem heard your words and He was incensed and He swore, saying 'If even a man of these people, this evil generation, shall see the good Land that I swore to give to your forefathers." (1:34) Why do we still cry for the destruction of the Holy Temple? It happened so long ago. Of all his sons, Yaakov loved Yosef the most. Yaakov's favoritism provoked the brothers' jealousy. This jealousy ultimately led to their selling Yosef into slavery. They dipped Yosef's coat into blood and showed it to their father Yaakov. Yaakov supposed that Yosef had been torn to pieces by a wild animal. He rent his clothes and mourned, and despite all his children's efforts to comfort him, Yaakov was inconsolable for 22 years, until he received the news that his son Yosef was alive and well in the land of Egypt. G-d has only decreed that there be consolation over those who have passed from this world. No such decree exists for those who are still alive. This is why Yaakov was inconsolable. Consolation is only for the bereft, and Yosef was still alive.
It once happened on the night of Tisha B'Av that Napoleon was walking through the streets of Paris. He came upon a synagogue. From inside came the sounds of lamenting. Napoleon told his servant to go inside and bring him the president of the synagogue. After some moments the servant returned with the president. Napoleon said "What is the reason for this terrible lamentation? Have the Jewish People experienced a tragedy that I am not aware of?" "Your majesty," replied the president, "We have experienced a tragedy beyond words. Our Holy Temple has been destroyed." "I was not aware that a tragedy had befallen my Jewish subjects" said Napoleon. "When did this happen?" "Eighteen hundred years ago, Your Majesty." "Eighteen hundred years! - and you're still mourning?" said Napoleon. "If you can mourn for your temple for eighteen hundred years, you will surely get it back!"
Consolation is only for the bereft. There is no consolation for Tisha B'Av because the potential to have everything that we lost is still very much alive. The Holy Temple will be rebuilt. Its Builder lives and endures and His People survive as everlasting witnesses to this fact.
(From:Ohr Somayach web site, Rashi)"He who Mourns Jerusalem will merit to see it in its joy." -Ta'anit 30b