Parsha Patners Shoftim 2009

8/14/2019 Parsha Patners Shoftim 2009

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PARSHAS SHOFTIM | 2 ELUL 5769 | 22 AUGUST 2009

The story of Rabbi Akiva in the Talmud(Berachos, 60B) illustrates this pointbeautifully. Once while traveling, hecame to a town where no one wouldgive him lodging for the night. He said,Whatever Hashem does is for thebest, and went out into the nearbyfields to sleep. As night fell, a strongwind came and blew out his onlycandle, leaving him in the dark. Then alarge cat crept up and ate his rooster(alarm clock, circa. 70 CE). A few

minutes later a lion came and ate hisdonkey, leaving him with nothing. Aftereach loss, he said again, WhateverHashem does is for the best.

In the morning, it turned out that a bandof violent raiders had swept throughtown, pillaging the city, and taking thepeople as captives to be sold. HadRabbi Akiva slept in town, had theraiders seen his candle or heard hisanimals, he would have been taken

along with them. Rabbi Akivas totalcalmness in the face of challengingsituations is the epitome of beingwholehearted with Hashem.

Chafetz Chaim, one of the greatestleaders of pre-war European Jewry,points out that there is a very importantflip side to this verse. The verse impliesthat it is only on Hashem whom wemust wholeheartedly rely. With humanbeings, however, we need to be

cautious and judicious. While we have acommandment to give people thebenefit of the doubt, it does not applyto areas that can affect us financially. Inthose situations, we need to carefullyinvestigate the facts presented to us.The Torah recognizes this reality anddoesnt pretend that we live in Utopia.

There is a story told about a number ofstudents in the Chofetz Chaims yeshivawho had lost almost everything they

had in a financial scam. The Chofetz

Chaim remarked that those studentswho had possibly applied the same trustthey have in Hashem to people as well.Our verse tells us that Hashem is theonly One Who warrants ourwholehearted trust.

We see this concept very clearly withour forefather, Jacob. The Torahcontrasts him with his crafty brother,Esau. The lads grew up, and Esaubecame one who knows hunting, a manof the field, but Jacob was a

wholehearted man, living in tents (Gen.25:27). The Sages explain that whileEsau was a hunter, ensnaring peoplein his deceit, Jacob followed Hashemunconditionally and studied in the tentsof the yeshiva of Shem and Eiver.

Yet it was this very same Jacob who didnot trust the ultimate scammer, Lavan.He gave Rachel a secret code to try toprevent Lavan from switching his brideon him. He devised a method to ensurethat he would receive his fair share ofLavans flock. Jacob may haveepitomized the value of trusting inHashem, but he is the same personwho teaches us how careful we need tobe before putting our resources on theline.

In Hashem we trust; all others require ahealthy background check!

Rabbi Burnham can be reached at:[email protected]

' You shall be wholehearted with Ha-shem, your G-d.(Deuteronomy 18:13)

In this weeks parsha, the Torah delineates the relationship we areexpected to foster with Hashem. You shall be wholehearted withHashem, your G-d. (Deut. 18:13) Rashi explains that this meansthat we should trust in what Hashem has in store for us. Even one whohas the means to predict the future should not do so. Instead, one shouldconfidently and wholeheartedly rely on Hashem.

Parsha Perspectives RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

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S H O F T I M Talking Points RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS1. MONUMENTAL MISTAKESAnd do not erect for yourself a monumentthat Hashem, your G-d, abhors. 16:22

That G-d abhors He abhors a stone monument when it is used for Divineworship. It is permitted however, to erect a

stone monument in memory of a deceased

person as Jacob did for Rachel and David for Absalom. Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor

Do not erect for yourself a monument A single-stone monument for sacrificialofferings, even for the sake of Heaven. ThatG-d abhors An altar made of stones oran earthen altar is acceptable, but hedetests a single-stone monument, because

it was in the canon of the Canaanites.Although He cherished it during the timesof the patriarchs who built many such

monuments, He now detests it, since theyincluded it in the idolatrous ritual. Rashi

Although the Canaanites also used multi-

stone altars in their idolatrous worship, thisdid not become forbidden, for it is not a

practice unique to them. The only practiceabhorred by the Almighty was one that theywere unique in practicing, not a universal

practice that they too, utilized. Maharal

Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin (1817-1893), better known as Netziv, explains inhis commentary titled Heemek Davar, thatthe difference between altars and single-stone monuments is that altars were onlyused to facilitate idol worship, but theydidnt become the object of worshipthemselves. Monuments, however, were

deified by the Canaanites, and thats whythe Almighty detested them so strongly.There are many parallels to this law inmodern life, and while its important to beloyal citizens of our host countries, we mustalso be vigilant against allowing ourselves tobecome influenced by pagan practices thatare anathema to our belief system.

2. FAITH TIMEYou must remain totally faithful toHashem your G-d. 18:13

Remain totally faithful Walk with Him inperfect trust, in anticipation of Him. Do notexplore the future, rather, whatever befalls

you, accept with perfect trust. Then, you will be with Him, and He will take you as Hisportion. - Rashi

Totally faithful Do not combine your service of Him with that of another deity.

Your faith must be in Him alone. Chizkuni(Rabbi Chizkiya ben Manoach)

Totally faithful The Hebrew word for thisis Tamim, and its first letter, Tav , isenlarged. This symbolizes that one who istotally faithful to the Almighty is consideredto have fulfilled the entire Torah

represented by all the letters of the AlephBeis that begins with the Aleph and endwith the Tav. Baal HaTurim

Nachal Kedumim points out that the phraseTamim Tehiyah remain totally faithful,has a numerical value of 910. This is the

same numerical value as the Jewish monthofTishrei, hinting to the fact that especiallyduring this auspicious time of year, it isimperative to be as loyal and faithful to theAlmighty as possible. The more one doesso, the greater his chances of a favorable judgment on Rosh Hashanah whenHashem reviews our faithfulness.

3. GOOD REPS AND BAD RAPSIf a corpse is found in the land thatHashem, your G-d, gives you to inherit,fallen in the field, it is not known whosmote him. Your elders shall go out, and

your judges, and measure in the directionof the cities around the corpse 21:1, 2

Measure in the direction of the cities Inevery direction, in order to determine which

is closest. Rashi

Your elders shall go out The purpose ofthis elaborate ritual involving the leading

members of the Sanhedrin along with many others was to publicize the eventsand to hopefully generate tips to help

locate the murderer. The Elders had topublicly state that they had no knowledge

of the identity of the culprit, and this was a strong deterrent against the possibility oftheir withholding information in the

interests of political considerations. Rabbeinu Bachya

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch ztl explainedthat the entire Parshas Shoftim deals withvarious obligations of judges and magistratewhose duty it was to uphold the words ofthe Torah. In order to do so effectively, theyhad to be men of impeccable character.That is why Parshas Shoftim concludes withthe laws of Eglah Arufah (the specialprocedure to be followed when a person iskilled by an unknown murderer and hisbody is found in a field), for those lawsemphasize the need for the Elders tozealously guard their reputations. By forcingthem to publicly state that they had nohand in this murder, even in an indirectmanner, it becomes abundantly clear thatthey must go to great lengths to avoid any

behavior that can sully their reputations.

Rabbi Meisels can be reached at:[email protected]

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Dear Samantha,

Its great to hear that you are getting moreinvolved in learning about our richheritage. The genesis of the concept ofthis month goes back over 3,300 years.Forty days after the Jews received theTorah, they committed the sin of theGolden Calf, and Moses destroyed the(first set of) tablets that contained the 10commandments. The next day, Moseswent back up the mountain to plea onbehalf of the Jewish people, begging G-dto forgive them for this most egregiousfailing. G-d agreed to forgive the people,but, as explained by Rashi (Exodus33:11), retained a measure of anger.

Moses again ascended the mountain for afinal forty days, starting with the f irst day ofthe month ofElul, and continuing throughto the tenth day of Tishrei. At the end ofthat period, G-d fully forgave the people,marking the tenth of Tishrei as the veryfirst Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.As such, the month of Elul has beenlinked to the High Holidays, from the veryfirst year of Jewish history. As Moses spentthose forty days trying to recreate thebond between G-d and the Jewish

people, we too spend the forty days fromthe first of Elul to the tenth of Tishreiengaged in the same noble pursuit. Our

sages tell us that this time is especiallyauspicious for mending any mistakes wehave made during the year (Ohr Hachaim,Deut 21:11-14).

On the practical level, the shofaris blownevery morning after the morning servicesthroughout the month of Elul (except thelast day of the month). This too has itsroots in the original Elul. When Moseswent up to get the second set ofluchos,there was concern that the people mightmake the same mistake they made thefirst time he left them, when they sinnedwith the Golden Calf. To prevent this fromhappening, they blewshofars in the campon the morning Moses ascended themountain (the first of Elul) to remindeveryone to remain true to G-d. To thisday, we start blowing the shofaron thatday to remember that event (Ramban,Exodus 33:7).

While that only explains the blowing of theshofaron the first day of Elul, the authorof the Shelah (Tractate Rosh Hashana,Chap.1) quotes the Pirkei DReb Eliezer

who says that we continue blowing theshofar throughout the whole monthbecause the piercing sound of the shofarreminds us to be introspective and tofocus on the difficult process ofrepentance. It is said that in the yeshivasof Europe, one could palpably feel Elul inthe air. The anticipation of the upcoming

Day of Judgment was so strong that theywere filled with trepidation because of thediminishing amount of time they had toright their wrongs of the previous year.

There are also numerous verses hinting tothe month of Elul as a month duringwhich we try to develop a closeness withG-d. One example is the verse, , I am to my belovedand my beloved is to me (Song of Songs,6:3), which forms the acronym (ELUL). This points to the uniquecharacter of Elul, when G-d is considered

closer to us than during any other time ofthe year (Bavli, Rosh Hashana, 18A), andwhen we can create or repair our bondwith Him.

Wishing you a very meaningful Elul and aHealthy and Sweet New Year,

Rabbi Leiby Burnham

Rabbi Burnham can be reached at:[email protected]

THE ELUL FILE RABBI LEIBY BURNHAMDear Rabbi,

My partner and I will begin studying next week about the upcomingholidays. She explained that we will start discussing the month of Elul,as it is the month designated for High Holiday preparations. Im sureshes not referring to the food preparation though with my family, it

just might be. :) I attended Hebrew school and was confirmed at age16, but dont recall learning that there was anything special about thismonth. What am I missing?

Thanks for your help,SamanthaW.

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We read in this parsha about the two-part speech recited tothose poised to go out to battle.Who is the man who has built a new house and notinaugurated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he diein war and another man will inaugurate it. And who is the manwho has planted a vineyard and has not redeemed it? Let himgo and return to his house, lest he die in war and another manwill redeem it. And who is the man who has betrothed awoman and not married her? Let him go and return to hishouse, lest he die in war and another man will marryher. (Devarim 20: 5-8)) n this first section, the Torah addresses threecategories of people: those who had initiated a house,a field, or a marriage, but had not yet benefited fromthe fruits of their efforts. These people are exempt from battlelest they die in battle before ever actualizing these endeavors. Ifthe person would anyway die in battle, why would the fact thathe had or hadnt actualized their efforts make a difference?) hat makes the three categories unique that wouldexempt them from battle?The Torah continues, Who is the man who is fearful andfainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, and let himnot melt the heart of his fellows, like his heart. (Devarim 20:8)) fourth exemption is offered here for those who areafraid of battle, lest their sense of fear spread anddishearten others. The Talmud (Sotah 44a) cites theopinion of Rabbi Yosi Haglili that this fear is a fear of his sins,i.e., he fears being hurt in battle because of his sins. Thepurpose of the other three exemptions, as understood by RabbiYosi Haglili, is to provide a cover, i.e., so as not to bringattention and embarrass the person opting out because of hissins. Rabbi Yossis solution seems deficient. Why wouldnt theTorah be equally concerned that someone legitimately leavingfor one of the first three reasons be pegged (by others notknow his personal circumstances) as a sinner?

Rabbi Lam can be reached at:[email protected]

TABLE TALKFOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

RABBI LABEL LAM

Soul TalkThe Sefer HaChinuch (The Book of the 613Mitzvos) states that the deeper meaning of theTorah requirement that a single witness not bebelieved (and is thus not permitted to testify inbeisdin, Jewish court), is because only when a group ofat least two people testifies together may we accepttheir words as absolute truth, for it is extremely rare,if not impossible, for two people who are generallyrecognized as honest enough to be accepted aswitnesses in beis din to together contrive to lie incourt. However, it is possible for a single witness,

who is driven by monetary gain or the desire totake revenge on the person against whom he istestifying, and who does not require the assistanceor even approval of another person, to be driven tolie in court. Thus, to ensure the absolute honesty ofall testimony inbeis din, the Torah warns (19:15): , A single witness shall not stand up againstany man for any iniquity or for any error.

Although testifying inbeis din is not something thatmost of us do every day, the Sefer HaChinuchnotes that the message of this mitzvah is one thatis relevant to us all, every day of our lives. TheTorah prohibition restricting one witness fromtestifying, out of fear that he will fabricate testimony,is one that applies to every single person, even to

the biggest sage or tzaddik (righteous person). Thisis because each person has a yetzer hara (evilinclination), which, when given the slightestopening, will always drive him to sin, even in anarea in which the person has acted appropriately formany, many years. This sad fact is seen in theTalmud in Berachos (29a), which tells us thatYochanan the Kohen Gadol(High Priest) served asKohen Gadol for eighty (!) years, and each yearmerited to exit the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippuralive, and nevertheless, toward the end of his life,succumbed to his yetzer hara and became aSadducee who rejected the Oral Law that wasinstructed to Moses at Sinai. Similarly, the Talmud

(Sanhedrin 90a) tells of Chanania ben Azur, whospiritually perfected himself to the degree that hewas a prophet who received communication fromHashem. Even so, he eventually sinned, and falselyprophesied that the proper thing to do was to serveidols. Thus, says the Sefer HaChinuch, even in acase where an established sage wishes to testify asa single witness against a person who is known tobe a sinner (and it is thus probably true that hecommitted the wrongdoing of which he is beingaccused), nevertheless the sage may not do so.

The Sefer HaChinuch offers insight as to why thetestimony of a single witness is forbidden: the onlything possibly stopping this person from lying ishimself, which is not necessarily enough to preventa person from sinning. It is only when two peopleare testifying together that they are believed, for thehonesty of each one of these people serves as adeterrent for the second person, who is ashamedto suggest that the two of them lie in courttogether. When reinforced by a second person,each one of this set of witnesses becomesinherently believable.

We may learn from the Sefer HaChinuch a twofoldmessage. First, we see that no matter what gooddeeds a person has already accomplished in hislife, he may never assume that he has conquered

hisyetzer hara, but must always continue to remainon guard to continue to improve his spiritualstanding. Second, the Sefer HaChinuch is perhapsadvising us of the way in which we can continue toprotect ourselves, namely, by joining with otherswho are also devoted to serving Hashem. In thisway, each person will not need to rely on his owninherently fallible conscience and self-restraint.Instead, each persons current desire to do goodreinforces the other person, and ensures that hecontinues to serve Hashem in the proper way.

With permission from Artscrolls Daily Dose

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Parsha Patners Shoftim 2009