MAY 14, 1999 VOL 2, ISSUE 33 28 IYAR 5759
Chabad of Northern Beverly Hills, 409 Foothill Road . Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Rabbi Yosef Shusterman 310/271-9063
PARSHAT BAMIDBAR
The majority of the Torah portion Bamidbar revolves around the census of the Jewish people on the "first day of the second month [Iyar] of the second year of the Exodus," at which time G-d commanded that the nation be counted. Rashi notes that G-d's love for the Jewish people causes Him to count them at every opportunity. Thus He counted them a) when they departed Egypt; b) after the sin of the Golden Calf and prior to the erection of the Mishkan; c) with the erection of the Mishkan He counted them yet again, "for the Mishkan was erected on the first of Nissan and He counted them on the first of Iyar" -exactly one month later. Surely G-d knew how many Jews there were without a census. Why, then, His repeated requests to count them? Furthermore, while G-d chose to count the Jewish people three times in a little over a year, we do not find Him commanding a subsequent count for the next 38 years. What reason did He have for counting them at these three specific points?
The census of the Jewish people saw all counted equally; the greatest was counted as no more than one, the least significant was counted as
no less than one. As such, it is understandable that G-d's love for the Jewish people - a love that finds expression in His counting them at every opportunity - is not the result of their particular merits (which differ from one Jew to another) but because of their quintessential Jewishness, in which all Jews are equal. Since the quintessential aspect of a Jews' Jewishness transcends revelation, G-d commanded that the Jewish people be counted - although He surely knew their exact number - in order to reveal this aspect, for "counting" reveals this essential level. When this quality is invoked within a Jew, he will readily give his very life in order not to be sundered from G-d.
More particularly, the revelation of a Jew's essential Jewishness will generally have one of three effects: a) It is possible that although this quality is revealed within a Jew, it will not have an ongoing impact on his intellect, emotions, speech and actions. Thus, while as a rule even the most sinful Jew will face martyrdom rather than deny G-d's unity, this same person may very well transgress in other areas, the reason being that this quality did not influence his intellect, emotions, etc. b) Alternately, this essential quality may not permeate and transform him, but rather overpower and overwhelm him. c) Finally, the quintessential aspect of the person's Jewishness may so permeate the individual that all his powers and faculties are transformed and act in tandem with this essential quality.
Herein lies the reason for the three counts: At the time of the Exodus, the Jews' simple faith in G-d was revealed. However, it did not affect their inner powers - the count affected them only on the most elementary level. The Mishkan was then to be erected in order for G-d to reveal Himself and reside "within them" - within each and every Jew. For this to transpire, yet another count was necessary, so that their essential quality would be revealed in a manner that affected their inner powers as well. Yet this revelation too came about as a result of G-d's desire to dwell within them, and as such did not transform the Jews themselves. Once the mishkan was erected and G-d resided within them as a result of their own service, the third count permitted the Jews' essential quality to permeate and transform their entire being
.(From: Wellsprings, Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. VIII, pp. 1-6.)
"G-d spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert." (1:1)
The Torah was given to us in the barren, ownerless desert to emphasize that no man may claim any superior right to the word of G-d. It is equally the heritage of every Jew, man, woman, and child, equally accessible to the accomplished scholar and the most simple of Jews. - The RebbeThe Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, wife of the Tzemach Tzedek was forever reciting Psalms, but with many mispronunciations. Once, she commented to her son, Rabbi Yehudah Leib: "You know, it's strange. By now, I should know the book of Psalms by heart. I've been reciting the Psalms every day for many years now." "True," said Rabbi Yehudah Leib, "but each time you
recite them with new mistakes." The Rebbetzin related this exchange to her husband, adding that perhaps she had better stop her custom rather than distort the holy words. "No," insisted Rabbi Menachem Mendel, "continue to recite as before." Later, Rabbi Menachem Mendel admonished his son and instructed him to ask his mother for forgiveness. "What do you know?" he told him. "My success in Petersburg was in the merit of your mother's Psalms." (From: Once Upon a Chassid by Yanki Tauber)
LAWS OF LASHON HARA
If one begins speaking with Reuven concerning Shimon and in the course of conversation becomes aware that Reuven bears Shimon ill will, he should either bring the conversation to an end or divert it to some other subject. Similarly, if one begins to speak and suddenly realizes that his own words are leading toward loshon hora, he should muster his spiritual strength and abruptly change the subject -- in the same way that he would spit out the food he was chewing were he to become aware that it was non-kosher. If this will cause him discomfort or embarrassment, he should bear in mind the Sages' words: "Better to be considered a fool all one's days [in this world], and not be considered wicked even for a moment before the Omnipresent" (Mishnah Ediyos 5:6). As already mentioned, the restriction against discussing an individual with that person's adversary applies only when one feels himself unqualified to make peace between the two. However, when one can play the role of peacemaker, it is a mitzvah to listen to each party's grievances in order to settle their feud.
(From: Chafetz Chaim, Sefer Shmmiras HaLashon)SHAVUOT
"And G-d spoke to Moshe, in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after their exodus from the land of Egypt." (1:1) QUESTION: Why does the Torah emphasize that the Tent of Meeting, in which Hashem spoke to Moshe, was in the Wilderness of Sinai? ANSWER: Parshat Bamidbar is usually read on the Shabbat before Shavuot, which commemorates the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Midrash Rabbah (1:7) states that the Torah was given with three things: 1) Fire, as indicated by the verse, "All of Mount Sinai was smoking, because G-d descended upon it in fire" (Shemot 19:18). 2) Water, as indicated by the verse, "Even the heavens trickled, even the clouds dripped water" (Judges 5:4).3) Wilderness, as our pasuk states "And G-d spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai."
Why was the Torah given under such conditions and not on a serene day in a heavily populated area? Each of these portrays an eternal and profound message to the Jewish people about the correct approach to Torah: 1) The fire teaches that the Torah should be studied and practiced with warmth and vigor. 2) Water fulfills a physical need, but unlike other physical needs, people have little desire to overindulge in it and are usually satisfied to simply quench their thirst. This teaches us to be satisfied with our physical circumstances and indulge entirely in the study of Torah. 3) Wilderness is a abandoned property where anyone may step foot. Giving the Torah in a wilderness teaches that to succeed in Torah study, a person must be very humble and consider himself insignificant. He should permit all Jews to associate with him and not conceitedly select his company. In the Gemara (Eiruvin 54a) Rava homiletically explains the pasuk "Umimidbar mattanah umimattanah nachali'el uminchali'el bamot" (21:18, 19) as follows: "Umimidbar" - if a person makes himself like a wilderness which everybody treads upon, (i.e., he is humble), then "matanah" - the Torah - will be granted to him as a gift, and once it is given to him as a gift, "nachali'el" - it becomes his inheritance from Hashem - and once Hashem makes it his inheritance, "bamot" - he will rise to heights.
(From: VeDibarta Bam by Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky)
To find G-d, we must slowly acclimate ourselves to spiritual growth. We must rise step by step until we can begin to see the universe from a spiritual perspective and, ultimately, from G-d's perspective. This journey completes the circle of our cosmic mission-starting in G-d and ending in G-d, thus fulfilling the vision of our creator.
-The RebbeThe ascent of the soul (1) occurs three times daily, during the three times of Davening. This is particularly true of the souls of Tzadikim who "go from strength to strength." (2) It is certain that at all times and in every sacred place they may be, they offer invocation and prayer on behalf of those who are bound to them and to their instructions, and who observe their instructions. They offer prayer in particular for their disciples and disciples' disciples, that G-d be their aid, materially and spiritually.
(From Rebbe's Hayom Yom Iyar 29)