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Devarim 5763 (2003)

YearningWhat would it be like to live in a world withoutdeath, pain or suffering, without struggle or striv-ing, anxiety or yearning, without deadlines orhassles, effort or achievement? What would wedo all day?

A Tale of Two Kabbalists"I shall soon leave this world," said the great mas-ter. "The one who will take my place will saythings that may seem to contradict what I havetaught you, but do not oppose him, for his teach-ings stem from the same source as mine"

Devarim — Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22For 37 days Moses talks: recalling, remind-ing, rebuking, warning, promising; about therevelation at Sinai and their journeysthrough the desert, about spies and wars andvictories and the Land and about what it'slike to serve as a leader of G-d's chosenpeople

new materialadded daily!

Kosher YearningsA man sits and yearns for a

thing he should not have. Theyearning in itself is good - aman who does not yearn is notalive. To live is to yearn. But theform this yearning has taken,this is death itself.

So the form must be crushed.Extinguished like the embers ofan abandoned campfire in a dryforest. Once that is done, theinner yearning, the flame of lifethat burns inside, can be freed.

This magazine contains sacredTorah material. Please do not discard.

There are no "rules of thumb" inserving G-d, and this, too, is notalways true

("The Holy Jew of Peshischa,"Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak (1766-1814))

Losing BloodWhen the blood began leaving my body, my bodyhad three pints of blood to nourish it; now it hastwo. At such times, we glimpse what it means to domore than simply live

Voices

Story

aa pprroojjeecctt ooff wwwwww..CChhaabbaadd..oorrgg

Comment

Parsha

Three Parenting Hints Love your child's mother, don't say "No"

when you mean "I don't know", and what totalk about when your children are listening

Parenting

The are two states of existence, two ways to be. Youcan be striving, or at rest. Fighting, or at peace.Estranged, or betrothed. Yearning, or satisfied. On theroad, or at home.

In the Torah, the first state is called galut (“exile”),and the second state is called geulah (“redemption”).

For much of our 4000-year existence, we’ve been ingalut. It started when G-d appeared to Abraham andcommanded him to “Go you from your land, from yourbirthplace and from your father’s house, to the landwhich I shall show you.” Abraham reaches thePromised Land, but must almost immediately leave itbecause of famine. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, isforced to flee to Charan, and subsequently compelledto follow Joseph to Egypt. Jacob’s descendents are lib-erated from Egypt after four generations of exile andslavery, only to wander for 40 years in the wilderness.Joshua conquers the Land, but the fighting continuesfor hundreds of years, right through the reign of KingDavid (877-837 BCE). That was followed by the 40tranquil years of Solomon’s reign — described by oursages as a time when “the moon was in its fullness”;but after Solomon’s passing the people of Israel splitinto two kingdoms, and from thereon on everythingwas basically downhill until the destruction of the HolyTemple and the Babylonian exile in 423 BCE. Wereturned after 70 years of exile in Babylon, but this wasnever a complete redemption as internal strife andexternal enemies plagued us throughout the SecondTemple Era. Then came the destruction of the SecondTemple in the year 69 of the Common Era, followingwhich it’s been one long chain of sorrows and strug-gles.

A fundamental principle of the Jewish faith is thatgalut will end and will be supplanted with a “true andcomplete redemption.” After thousands of years of liv-ing in a world that’s out of sync with our deepestselves, we will enter an era of eternal peace and tran-quility, a world that is “wholly Shabbat and rest, for life

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Yearningby Yanki Tauber

Comment

everlasting.”What would it be like to live in such a world? A

world without death, pain or suffering; a world withoutstruggle or striving, anxiety or yearning; a world with-out deadlines or hassles, without effort or achievement.What would we do all day?

We cannot imagine such a world, because today wehave very little understanding of what “rest”, “peace”or “tranquility” even is. We have the weekly island ofheaven called Shabbat, and the daily moments of com-munion we create with prayer. But these are but subtletastes of the real thing. We know, with every fiber ofour being, that the way things are now are not the waythey should be. But how should they be?

All we know is that galut is bad, very bad. And thatgeulah will certainly be infinitely more good than galutis bad. But what would this goodness be? Living in aworld in which rest is rest from toil, satisfaction is thesatisfaction of want, and fulfillment derives only fromthe fulfillment of striving, we can only form a mostvague and abstract idea. Like a person who has beenblind from birth trying to imagine what colors are. AsMaimonides put it, “how these things shall come topass can only be known when they come to pass.”

Has this made our yearning for redemption lessacute? On the contrary. The fool strives for only thatwhich he can apprehend. The wise person understandsthat the truly desirable lies beyond the scope of presentunderstanding.

There was a Chassidic master who stated that in thetime of Moshiach we will yearn for the days of galut.We will miss the challenges, the effort and the toil,even the pain and the suffering, for the unique kind ofachievement and fulfillment only these can bring.

Yes, we will long for galut. But not nearly as muchas we yearn for redemption today.

By Yanki Tauber, [email protected]; based on theteachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, www.therebbe.org

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Comment | Voices | Story | Parenting | Parshah | Week at Glance 2

As the blood drains from my body, I am thinkingabout how unaware I ordinarily am of the vital riverscoursing through me. These intricate streams bringme everything I need to live, and yet when they dotheir job, they do it so efficiently that their presenceis scarcely felt. Only occasionally, during momentsof extreme terror or excitement, do I feel my beatingheart and think about the ramifications of that beat-ing — blood to my brain, blood to my legs, andblood to every cell of my body so it is ready torespond to whatever comes its way. But that aware-ness is rare; my daily life allows me blissful igno-rance of that which is most vital.

But as I watch my blood passing through the littletube, winding around my chair, filling up the littlesack, I am all too aware. I think of all the weight theblood carries in the symbolism of the ages. Violence,death, love. And life. How can one thing embodysuch contradictory ideas? How can it be both theessence of life and the epitome of death? But ofcourse, if it truly provides the one it must embodyalso the other. To take blood from another is thegreatest act of violence, to give blood, the greatestact of love. When the blood lies still in the veins, orpours from the body, that is death. When it remainswithin and flows through the body, that is life.

And then there are those moments in life whichtranscend these definitions, in which violence andlove seem to come together, where the line betweenlife and death is blurred. A surgeon wielding a knife,wreaking destruction on healthy tissue, perpetratingviolence with the greatest love. A woman givingbirth, in pain and bloodshed, to a whole new life. Aneight-day-old boy, losing a drop of blood and gainingan identity, becoming more than just a boy. It seemsto me that in those moments we transcend the veryparameters of these contravening symbols; we’reenabled a glimpse into what it means to do more thansimply live, and to truly never die.

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Losing Bloodby Bella Schapiro

Voices I am nearly finished. My bag is filling, swollen withthe deep red liquid that swirls within it. When I began,my body had eight pints of blood to nourish it; now ithas seven. But I know that even now, the cells thatremain are working feverishly to replenish. When Istand up I will feel dizzy for but a moment, and thenthe blood will rush to my brain and I will walk out ofthe room erect and proud. And tomorrow, my body willbe bounding back, new blood streaming through itsveins, and I will feel healthier than ever, more alivethan I did an hour ago.

And I don’t know why, but the thought brings a lumpto my throat, and as the last few drops of my blood fillthe bag, and the attendant comes and cuts the cord con-necting me to it, I offer a little prayer that I shouldalways be healthy enough to give a bag of my blood toan anonymous stranger.

Bella Schapiro, [email protected] is on the editorialstaff of Chabad.org



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story

A Tale of TwoKabbalists by: Yrachmiel Tilles

One of the greatest of all Kabbalists was RabbiMoshe Cordovero. He was born in 1522 in Safed,the city that was soon to become famed as a center ofKabbalah. At a young age, he already gained a repu-tation as an extroardinary genius. Besides his knowl-edge in Kabbalah, he was a Talmudic scholar andphilosopher of the highest rank, and was widelyrespected in these fields. He was even one of the fourto receive the special semichah-ordination fromRabbi Yaakov Beirav in 1538, along with RabbisYosef Caro (Cordovero’s teacher in Jewish Law),Moshe of Trani and Yosef Sagis, all of whom weremuch older and better known than the young prodi-gy.

But Rabbi Moshe’s main interest was the system-atization of the Kabbalah, setting it into a philosoph-ical structure. So respected was he in this endeavorthat he was the first Kabbalist honored by having theword “the” added before his initials, and even todayis known as “The RaMaK.”

In 1542, at the age of twenty, the Ramak heard aheavenly voice urge him to study Kabbalah with hisbrother-in-law, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz (author ofthe L’cha Dodi prayer sung to welcome the Shabbaton Friday evening). He was thus initiated into themysteries of the Zohar, the teachings of the seminalkabbalist and Mishnaic sage, Rabbi Shimon barYochai. The young “Ramak” mastered the text com-pletely. This failed to satisfy him, however, since itsteachings are often vague, without discernible struc-ture. In order to clarify them in his own mind, hebegan writing two books. The first was Ohr Yakar(“The Precious Light”), a voluminous commentaryon the Zohar. The second, Pardes Rimonim(“Orchard of Pomegranates”), completed in 1548,secured his immortal reputation. The Pardes, as it isknown, was a systemization of all Kabbalistic

thought up to that time. Especially important was thatin it the author reconciled many early schools with theZohar’s teachings, demonstrating the essential unityand self-consistent philosophical basis of Kabbalah.

Two other books for which the Ramak is known areTomer Devorah (“The Palm Tree of Deborah”), inwhich he utilizes the Kabbalistic concepts of theSephirot (“Divine attributes”) to illuminate a system ofmorals and ethics, and Ohr Ne’erav, a justification ofand insistence upon the importance of Kabbalah study,and an introduction to its methods.

Around 1550, the Ramak founded a Kabbalah acad-emy in Safed, which he led for 20 or so years, until hispassing. It is reported that the prophet Elijah revealedhimself to him. Among his disciples were many of theluminaries of Safed, including Rabbi Eliyahu diVidas, author of Reshit Chokhmah (“Beginning ofWisdom”), and Rabbi Chaim Vital, who later becamethe official recorder and disseminator of the teachingsof the “holy Ari,” Rabbi Isaac Luria.

This group of mystics adhered to the methods of theauthor of the Zohar, and engaged in various acts ofpenance order to bring about the Redemption. Theywould spend long hours in the fields meditating andpraying, and they would visit the nearby ancient gravesof different scholars of the Mishna. When the “Ari”arrived in Safed, he joined this group of Kabbalists,behaving with the utmost modesty, hoping to concealhis greatness. Only the Ramak with his pure visionrealized who he was.

Before his passing in 1570, the Ramak said: “I shallsoon leave this earth. Yet after my passing, someonewill replace me. And even though many of that per-son’s statements may seem to contradict mine, do notoppose him and do not argue with him, for they stemfrom the same source as do mine and are absolutelytrue. His soul is a spark of Shimon bar Yochai’s, andwhoever opposes him opposes the Shechinah (theDivine Presence).”

“What is his name?” the disciples queried.“I cannot tell you. At this point, he doesn’t want his

identity made known. This, though, I can say: He whosees the cloud which at my funeral will precede mybed, will be my successor.”

A few weeks later, on the 23rd day of the month ofTammuz, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero passed on to hisHeavenly reward.

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Stunned by the news of this great loss, the entirecommunity mourned. At his funeral, which wasattended by all of Safed’s Jews, many eulogies wererecited. Among the eulogizers was the Ari, whodescribed the Ramak as totally free of sin.

As the throng accompanied the Ramak on his lastearthly journey, all wept bitterly. When the bearers ofthe his holy body reached the cemetery, they contin-ued walking a long while, until reaching a certainsite. Then, turning to the following crowd, they said:“We shall bury him here, beside one of Israel’s great-est sages.”

However, the Ari stopped them, crying out:“Don’t bury him here. The cloud which is precedinghim has continued on its path. Surely it will indicatewhere the Ramak desires to be buried.”

Hearing these words, all were stunned. Now theyknew the identity of their new leader.

That very day, the Ari’s fame began to spread, andscores of great scholars began clustering around him.

The Ari lived only two short years longer, and wassnatched from this world at the age of 38 in a plaguewhich struck the city of Safed in 1572. But in thisshort time, he revolutionized the study of Kabbalah.He was the first to explain the concept of thetzimtzum (G-d’s “contraction” of His infinite light tomake “place” for creation) and many otherKabbalistic concepts. As predicted by the Ramak,although many of the Ari’s teachings seemed to con-tradict those of his predecessor, eventually all real-ized that the views of the two really concurred.

A master storyteller with hundreds of published stories tohis credit, Rabbi Yrachmiel Tilles, [email protected] isco-founder of ASCENT OF SAFED, and editor of AscentQuarterly and the Ascent, www.ascent.org.il andKabbalaOnLine, www.kabbalaonline.com websites

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Story

A Tale of Two Kabbalists


1) Love your child’s mother/fatherIf you really love your child and would do anything

for of him or her, then one of the best things you can doto really make them happy is to love theirmother/father.

When a child sees the respect and love that one par-ent has for another parent — when s/he hears thingslike, “Let’s go together and buy flowers for Mom” or“Let’s all wait and have dinner together when Dadcomes home” — this gives the child an unbelievablesense of security knowing that the two most importantpeople in his or her life are in harmony with each other.It also gives the child a living example: “If my motherrespects my father and my father respects my mother,then how much more so should I, as a child, respectboth of my parents.”

2) Don’t say “No” when you mean “I don’t know”The number one lesson in sales courses is that when

the prospective client says “No” the salesperson shouldinterpret that as, “Not now, but try again later”.

A mother recently told me that her ten-year-olddaughter knows this secret without attending anycourses. It looks like she’s naturally gifted. When shewants something and her parents say “No”, she simplykeeps on nagging until they say “OK”.

I explained to the mother that her daughter was notnaturally gifted but that her parents have taught her thisbehaviour. Children are very fast learners and theyimplement their learned ideas very quickly.

Sometimes it’s not even because we’re not firmenough in our decisions, but because our original “No”was not really a “No” in the first place. A child maysometimes put us on the spot with a request when we’renot sure ourselves as to what our response should be.So we instinctively say “No” only because we’re notprepared to say “Yes”.

In such instances, an answer like, “Let me thinkabout it” or “I need some more time to decide on that

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Three ParentingHints by Yaakov Lieder

Parenting

one” should satisfy a child. This gives you the time tothink about it and when you finally give your answer,whether the answer is “Yes” or “No”, make sure thatthis is your final decision. The child will then quicklylearn that “No” means “No” and will soon learn toaccept it.

3) Be positiveA mother came to see me with her 15-year-old

daughter who was very rebellious and showed norespect for her parents, teachers or others in authority.The girl seemed very fearful of the outside world andher rebelliousness was obviously a cover-up for herfear.

After further investigating the family patterns, itbecame apparent that a large part of the family conver-sations, which the girl had heard from a very youngage, were about other people and their imperfections.Her mother was very critical of others and was alwaysemphasizing and magnifying the shortcomings of peo-ple in their family and in their community circle; thisincluded uncles, aunts and cousins, as well as theteachers and principals of the school where her chil-dren attended.

Children at a young age see things in black andwhite and believe everything their parents tell them: “Ifmy parents say so that must be the ultimate truth.” If,like this girl, they hear only negative attitudes, theymay develop a lack of trust in others, a failure to createand maintain close relationships, which could, eventu-ally, lead to a low self-esteem.

In a vicious circle, children who have low self-esteem and don’t think much of themselves will oftenhave very negative opinions of others — that’s the onlyway they know of “bettering” themselves. In contrast,those who have good self-esteem tend to talk aboutthings or concepts rather than about other people.

If and when the subject of other people is raised inyour home, direct your comments towards giving oth-ers the benefit of the doubt and seeing the good inthem. That is how your children will learn to regardothers — and themselves.

By Rabbi Yaakov Lieder, [email protected]; seewww.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=3047 for bio, contact info andmore articles by this author



PARSHAH in a nutshell

DevarimDeuteronomy 1:1-3:22Torah Reading for Week of July 27-August 2, 2003

On the 1st of Shevat (37 days before his passing), Mosesbegins his repetition of the Torah to the assembledChildren of Israel, reviewing the events that occurred andthe laws that were given in the course of their 40-yearjourney from Egypt to Sinai to the Promised Land,rebuking the people for their failings and iniquities, andenjoining them to keep the Torah and observe its com-mandments in the land that G-d is giving them as an eter-nal heritage, into which they shall cross after his death.Moses recalls his appointment of judges and magistratesto ease his burden of meting out justice to the people andteaching them the word of G-d; the journey from Sinaithrough the great and fearsome desert; the sending ofthe Spies and the people’s subsequent spurning of thePromised Land, so that G-d decreed that the entire gener-ation of the Exodus shall die out in the desert. “Alsoagainst me,” says Moses, “was G-d angry for your sakes,saying: You, too, shall not go in there.”Moses also recounts some more recent events: the refusalof the nations of Moab and Ammon to allow theIsraelites to pass through their countries; the wars againstthe Emorite kings Sichon and Og, and the settlement oftheir lands by the tribes of Reuben and Gad and part ofthe tribe of Menasseh; and Moses’ message to his succes-sor, Joshua, who will take the people into the Land andlead them in the battles for its conquest: “Fear them not,for the L-rd your G-d, He shall fight for you.”

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These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel onthe other side of the Jordan, in the desert, in the Arava,opposite Suf, between Paran, and Tofel, and Lavan, andHazerot, and Di-Zahav.

It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb (Sinai) by the wayof Mount Se’ir to Kadesh-Barnea.

And it carne to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventhmonth, on the fìrst day of the month, that Moses spoke tothe children of Israel, according to all that G-d had givenhim in commandment to them

— after he had slain Sichon the king of the Emori, whodwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dweltat Ashtarot in Edre’i —

Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began toexplain this Torah, saying:

The L-rd our G-d spoke to us in Horeb, saying: “You havelong enough surrounded this mountain.

“Turn away, and take your journey, and go to the moun-tain of the Emori, and to all the places near it, in the plain,in the hills, and in the lowland, and in the Negev, and bythe sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and theLebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and possessthe land which G-d swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob, to give to them and to their seed after them.”

Moses Delegates the Leadership of Israel

And I spoke to you at that time, saying: “I am not able tobear you myself alone.

“G-d your G-d has multiplied you, and, behold, you arethis day like the stars of heaven for multitude. (May G-d,the G-d of your fathers make you a thousand times somany more as you are, and bless you, as he has promisedyou!) —

“How can I myself alone bear your care, and your burden,and your strife?

“Bring wise and understanding men, known among yourtribes, and I will place them at your head.”

DevarimDeuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Torah Reading for Week of July 27-August 2, 2003

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These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on the other sideof the Jordan, in the desert, in the Arava, opposite Suf, between Paran,and Tofel, and Lavan, and Hazerot, and Di-Zahav (Deuteronomy 1:1)According to the Sifri, the numerous place names listed here are notlandmarks indicating where Moses spoke these words — indeed, someof these places do not even exist as geographical locations. Rather,these are words of rebuke by Moses to the people of Israel. Instead ofmentioning their sins outright, he alluded to them with these placenames:“In the desert” — the time they complained “if only we would havedied in the desert” (Exodus 17:3)“In the Arava (Plain)” — their worship of Baal Peor in the Plains ofMoab (Numbers 25)“Opposite Suf” — the trouble they made at the shores of Yam Suf, theRed Sea (see Exodus 14:11 and Rashi on Exodus 15:22)“Paran” — the sin of the Spies, who were dispatched from Paran (asrecounted in Numbers 13 and later in our own Parshah)“Tofel” and “Lavan” (meaning “libel” and “white”) — their libeling thewhite manna (Numbers 21:5)“Hazerot” — where Korach’s mutiny against Moses took place. “Di Zahav” (literally “too much gold”) — the sin of the Golden Calf.

(Sifri; Rashi; et al)

It would have been fitting that the rebukes (in the Book of Deuteronomy) bepronounced by Balaam, and that the blessings (in the Parshah of Balak) besaid by Moses... But G-d said: Let Moses, who loves them, rebuke them; andlet Balaam, who hates them, bless them.

(Yalkut Shimoni)

THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH MOSES SPOKE TO ALL ISRAEL (1:1)It was only to the people of Israel that Moses spoke of their iniquitiesand failings. To G-d, Moses spoke only of the virtues of Israel, and jus-tified them no matter what they did.

(Chassidic saying)

IT IS ELEVEN DAYS’ JOURNEY FROM HOREB BY THE WAY OF MOUNT

SE’IR TO KADESH-BARNEA (1:2)

Moses said to them: see what you have caused! There is no shorter way fromHoreb (Mount Sinai) to Kadesh-Barnea than by the way of Mount Se’ir, andeven that is a journey of eleven days; nevertheless, you traversed it in threedays — for on the 20th of Iyar they set forward from Horeb (as per Numbers10:11) ... and on the 29th of Sivan they sent the Spies from Kadesh-Barnea(as per Talmud, Taanit 29); deduct from this period the 30 days they spend atthe “Graves of Lust” where they ate meat for a “month of days” (Numbers

Commentary


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And you answered me, and said: “It is good, this thingwhich you have spoken, to do.”

So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known,and made them heads over you, captains over thousands,and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, andcaptains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

And I charged your judges at that time, saying: “Hear thecauses between your brethren, and judge righteouslybetween every man and his brother, and the stranger thatis with him. Do not give anyone special recognition whenrendering judgment; hear the small as well as the great;fear no man; for the judgment is G-d’s. And the thing thatis too hard for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it.”

And I commanded you at that time all the things whichyou should do.

The Sending of the Spies

We departed from Horeb, and we went through all thatgreat and terrible wilderness, which you saw, by the way

of the mountain of the Emori, as G-d our G-d command-ed us; and we came to Kadesh-Barnea.

And I said to you: “You are come to the mountain of theEmori, which G-d our G-d gives to us. Behold, G-d your G-d has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as G-d, the G-d of your fathers has said to you; fear not, norbe discouraged.”

And you all approached me, and said: “We will send menbefore us, and they shall search us out the land, and bringus back word by what way we must go up, and into whatcities we shall come.”

And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men ofyou, one for a tribe. And they turned and went up to themountain, and came to the wadi of Eshkol, and searchedit out.

And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, andbrought it down to us, and brought us back word, andsaid: It is a good land which G-d our G-d gives us.

Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the com-mandment of G-d your G-d.

And you murmured in your tents, and said: “Because G-dhates us, He has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt,to deliver us into the hand of the Emori, to destroy us.Whither shall we go up? Our brethren have made ourheart faint, saying: The people are greater and taller thanwe; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; andmoreover we have seen the sons of the giants there.”

11:20) and the seven days they spend at Hazerot for the seclusion of Miriamthere (ibid.12:15-16); consequently, they traveled that entire way in threedays —

So much did the Divine Presence trouble itself for your sake to hasten yourentry into the Land! And because you acted corruptly [in the incident of theSpies], you were kept going round Mount Se’ir for forty years.

(Rashi)

BEYOND THE JORDAN, IN THE LAND OF MOAB, MOSES BEGAN TO

EXPLAIN THIS TORAH (1:5)

He translated it for them into seventy languages.

(Rashi)

G-D SPOKE TO US IN HOREB, SAYING: “YOU HAVE LONG ENOUGH SUR-ROUNDED THIS MOUNTAIN. TURN AWAY, AND TAKE YOUR JOURNEY...”(1:6-7)

The mountain we’re talking about is Mount Sinai, scene of the most monu-mental event in human history: G-d’s revelation of His wisdom and will toman. Still G-d says: “You’ve been hanging around this mountain longenough. Move on!”

In our lives, we also have moments, days or years of revelation, times whenwe learn and grow and are enriched. But the purpose most always be to moveon, move away, and carry the enlightenment and enrichment to someplaceelse — some corner of creation that awaits redemption.

(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

BRING FORTH WISE AND UNDERSTANDING MEN, KNOWN AMONG YOUR

TRIBES, AND I WILL PLACE THEM AT YOUR HEAD (1:13)

The word va’asimaim (“and I will place them”) is written in the Torah lack-ing the letter Yud, so that the word can also be read as va’ashamam, “and theirguilt.” This comes to teach us that the faults of a generation rest with its headsand leaders.

Commentary



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Then I said to you: “Dread not, neither be afraid of them.G-d your G-d who goes before you, He shall fight for you,according to all that He did for you in Egypt before youreyes; and in the wilderness, where you have seen howthat G-d your G-d carried you, as a man carries his son, inall the way that you went, until you came to this place!”

Yet in this thing you did not believe G-d your G-d, Whowent in the way before you, to search you out a place topitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by whatway you should go, and in a cloud by day.

G-d Decrees that Moses’ Generation Shall NotEnter the Land

And G-d heard the voice of your words, and was angry,and swore, saying: “Surely not one of these men of thisevil generation shall see that good land, which I swore togive to your fathers. Save Caleb the son of Yefunne; heshall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hastrodden upon, and to his children, because he has whollyfollowed G-d.”

Also with me was G-d angry for your sakes, saying: “You,too, shall not enter there.

“Rather, Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you,he shall go in there: encourage him: for he shall causeIsrael to inherit it.

“And your little ones, concerning whom you said theyshould be a prey, and your children who in that day hadno knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there, andto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

“But as for you, turn, and take your journey into thewilderness by the way of the Sea of Suf.”

The Attempt to Storm the Land

Then you answered and said to me: “We have sinnedagainst G-d; we will go up and fight, according to all thatG-d our G-d commanded us.” And you girded on everyman his weapons of war, and ventured to go up into thehill.

And G-d said to me: “Say to them: Neither go up, norfight; for I am not among you; lest you be smitten beforeyour enemies.”

So I spoke to you; and you would not hear, but rebelledagainst the commandment of G-d, and went presumptu-ously up into the hill.

(Talmud; Rashi)

When someone comes to a Rebbe and seeks his counsel and assistance indealing with a spiritual malady, the Rebbe must first find the same blemish,if only in the most subtle of forms, in his own soul; only then can the Rebbehelp him to refine and perfect his self and character. This is the deeper sig-nificance of that which our sages have said, “the faults of a generation restwith its heads and leaders”.

(Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch)

DO NOT GIVE ANYONE SPECIAL RECOGNITION WHEN RENDERINGJUDGMENT (1:17)

An impoverished widow once came to the bet-din (court-house) of the greatsage Rabbi Yehoshua Kutner. Weeping bitter tears, she begged him to sum-mon to the court a man she accused of having wronged her.

Rabbi Yehoshua summoned the man to appear before the court, but referredthe case to another rabbi, refusing to preside over it himself. “The Torah for-bids the taking of bribes,” he explained. “Do you think that a bribe is only a

gift of money? Tears can also be a bribe that ‘blinds the clear-sighted’ —especially the tears of a poor widow.”

(Maayanah Shel Torah)

AND YOU ALL APPROACHED ME, AND SAID: “WE WILL SEND MENBEFORE US, AND THEY SHALL SEARCH US OUT THE LAND... “ AND THETHING PLEASED ME WELL (1:22-23)

Moses consulted with G-d, and G-d said: “Send you” (Numbers 13:2) — asyour mind dictates. I am not instructing you; if you so desire, send... By yourlife, I shall now give you the option to err.

(Rashi; Talmud)

AND MOREOVER WE HAVE SEEN THE SONS OF THE GIANTS THERE

(1:28)

The descendents of Shamchazi and Azael, who fell from heaven in the gen-eration of Enosh.

(Rashi)

Commentary



And the Emori, who dwelt in that mountain, came outagainst you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat youdown in Se’ir, as far as Horma.

And you returned and wept before G-d; but G-d would nothearken to your voice, nor give ear to you. So you dwelledin Kadesh many days, according to the days that youabode there. Then we turned, and took our journey intothe wilderness by the way of the Sea of Suf, as G-d spoketo me; and we went about mount Se’ir many days.

After Forty Years in the Desert

G-d spoke to me, saying: “You have compassed thismountain long enough. Turn northwards.

“And command the people, saying: You are to passthrough the border of your brethren the children of Esau,who dwell in Se’ir; and they shall be afraid of you: takegood heed to yourselves. Do not provoke them; for I willnot give you of their land, no, not so much as a footbreadth; because I have given mount Se’ir to Esau for apossession.

“You shall buy food of them for money, that you may eat;

and you shall also buy water of them for money, that youmay drink.

“For G-d your G-d has blessed you in all the work of yourhand; He knows your walking through this great wilder-ness: these forty years G-d your G-d has been with you,you have lacked nothing.”

And when we passed by from our brethren the children ofEsau, who dwelt in Se’ir, through the way of the Aravafrom Elat and from Etzyon-Gever, we turned and passedby the way of the wilderness of Moab.

Bypassing Moab

And G-d said to me: “Do not harass Moab, nor contendwith them in battle, for I will not give you of their land fora possession; because I have given Ar to the children ofLot for a possession.

(The Emim dwelt there in times past, a people great, andmany, and tall, like the Anaqim; who also were consideredRefa’im as the Anaqim; but the Moabim call them Emim.The Horim also dwelt in Se’ir beforetime; but the childrenof Esau succeeded them, and they destroyed them frombefore them, and dwelt in their place; as Israel did to theland of his possession, which G-d gave to them.)

“Now rise up, and get you over the wadi Zered.” And wewent over the wadi Zered.

And the days in which we came from Kadesh-Barnea, until

The Chassidic masters explain that the generation of the Spies wasloath to enter the Land because they feared the transition from the spir-itual life they led in the desert (where they were sustained by “breadfrom heaven” and all their physical needs were provided by miraculousmeans, and their sole occupation was the study of Torah and the serv-ice of G-d) to a life on the land and all the material entanglements thisbrings.

This explains the Spies’ mention of the “sons of the giants” theyencountered in the Land. The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishit 44)relates the story of these “fallen angels”: In the years before the Flood,when violence and promiscuity pervaded the earth, two angels,Shamchazi and Azael, pleaded before the Almighty: Allow us to dwellamong the humans, and we shall sanctify your name! But no sooner hadthe two heavenly beings come in contact with the material world, they,too, were corrupted.

If these heavenly beings — the Spies were saying — could not survive

the plunge to materiality, what could be expected of us, mortal and frag-ile men?

(From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)

ALSO WITH ME WAS G-D ANGRY FOR YOUR SAKES, SAYING: “YOU, TOO,SHALL NOT ENTER [THE LAND] (1:37)

G-d said to Moses: “With what face do you request to enter the Land?”This may be illustrated by a parable. It is like the case of a shepherdwho went out to feed the king’s flock, and the flock was abducted.When the shepherd sought to enter the royal palace, the king said tohim: “If you come in now, what will people say? That it was you whohave caused the flock to be carried off!”

So, too, did G-d say to Moses: “Your greatness is that you have takenthe 600,000 out of bondage. But you have buried them in the desert andwill bring into the land a different generation! This being so, people willthink that the generation of the desert have no share in the World toCome! No, better be beside them, and you shall in the time to come

Commentary

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we were come over the wadi Zered, were thirty eightyears; until all the generation of the men of war werewasted out from among the host, as G-d swore to them.For indeed the hand of G-d was against them, to destroythem from among the host, until they were consumed. Soit came to pass, when all the men of war were consumedand dead from among the people.

Bypassing Ammon

And, that G-d spoke to me, saying: “You are to pass overthrough Ar, the border of Moab, this day.

“And when you come near, opposite the children ofAmmon, harass them not, nor contend with them; for Iwill not give you of the land of the children of Ammon anypossession, because I have given it to the children of Lotfor a possession.

(That also was considered a land of Refa’im: Refa’im dwelttherein in old time; and the Ammonim call themZamzumim. A people great, and many, and tall, like theAnaqim; but G-d destroyed them before them; and theysucceeded them, and dwelt in their place; as He did to thechildren of Esau, who dwelt in Se’ir, when he destroyedthe Horim from before them; and they succeeded them,and dwelt in their stead until this very day. And the Avvimwho dwelt in Hazerim, as far as ‘Azza; Kaftorirn who camefrom Kaftor, destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.)

War with the Emori

“Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the wadiArnon; behold, I have given into your hand Sichon theEmorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possessit, and contend with him in battle.

“This day will I begin to put the dread of you and the fearof you upon the nations that are under the whole heaven,who shall hear report of you, and shall tremble, and quakebecause of you.”

And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemotto Sichon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying:

“Let me pass through your land: I will go along by thehigh way, I will neither turn to the right hand nor to theleft. You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat; andgive me water for money, that I may drink: only I will passthrough with those who follow me (as the children of Esauwho dwell in Se’ir, and the Moabim who dwell in Ar, did tome) until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land whichG-d Our G-d gives us.”

But Sichon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him;for G-d your G-d hardened his spirit, and made his heartobstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as isapparent this day.

And G-d said to me: “Behold, I have begun to give Sichonand his land before you; begin to possess, that you mayinherit his land.”

Then Sichon came out against us, he and all his people,to fight at Yahaz.

And G-d our G-d delivered him before us; and we smotehim, and his sons, and all his people. And we took all hiscities at that time, and devoted to destruction every city,the men, and the women, and the little ones; we left noneremaining; only the cattle we took for a prey to ourselves,

enter with them.”

(Midrash Rabbah)

AND THEY CHASED YOU, AS BEES DO, AND BEAT YOU DOWN IN SE’IR(1:44)

Just as a bee, as soon as it stings a person, it dies, so, too, these[Emorites] — no sooner did they touch you, that they died.

(Rashi)

AND G-D SAID TO ME: “BEHOLD, I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE SICHON ANDHIS LAND BEFORE YOU (2:31)

G-d bound the supernal minister of the Emorites under Moses’ feet andmade Moses tread on his neck.

(Rashi)

AND G-D SAID TO ME: “FEAR HIM NOT...” (3:2)

In the case of Sichon, it was not necessary for G-d to reassure Moses inthis way. Why did Moses have more cause to fear Og than Sichon?Because he was afraid lest it stand by Og the merit that he servedAbraham, as it is written (Genesis 14:13), “And the refugee came andinformed Abraham [of the capture of Lot]” — and this was Og.

(Rashi)

Commentary



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and the spoil of the cities which we took.

From Aro’er, which is by the edge of the wadi of Arnon,and from the city that is by the wadi, as far as Gilaad,there was not one city too strong for us: G-d our G-ddelivered all to us:

Only to the land of the children of Ammon you did notcome, nor to any place of the torrent of Yabbok, nor to thecities in the mountains, nor to whatever place G-d our G-d forbade us.

The Battle at Bashan

Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan; and Ogthe king of Bashan came out against us, he and all hispeople, to battle at Edre’i.

And G-d said to me: “Fear him not; for I will deliver him,and all his people, and his land, into your hand; and youshall do to him as you did to Sichon king of the Emori,who dwelt at Heshbon.”

So G-d our G-d delivered into our hands Og also, the kingof Bashan, and all his people; and we smote him untilnone was left to him remaining. And we took all his citiesat that time, there was not a city which we took not fromthem, sixty cities, all the region of Argov, the kingdom ofOg in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with highwalls, gates, and bars; besides unwalled towns a greatmany. And we devoted them to destruction, as we did toSichon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men,women, and children, of every city. But all the cattle, andthe spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves.

And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kingsof the Emori the land that was on this side of the Jordan,from the wadi of Arnon to mount Hermon; (which Hermonthe Zidonim call Siryon; and the Emori call it Senir;) all thecities of the plain, and all Gilaad, and all Bashan, as far asSalkha and Edre’i, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant ofthe Refa’im; behold, his bed is a bed of iron; is it not inRabba of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits is the lengthof it, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a

man.

Two and a Half Tribes Receive the Lands East of theJordan

And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aro’er,which is by the wadi Arnon, and half mount Gilaad, and itscities, I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gaddites.

And the rest of Gilaad, and all Bashan, being the kingdomof Og, I gave to the half tribe of Menasseh; all the regionof Argov, with all Bashan, which was called the land ofRefa’im. Ya’ir the son of Menasseh took all the country ofArgov as far as the border of the Geshuri and the Ma’akhati;and called them (that is the Bashan) after his name,Havvot-Ya’ir, to this day. And I gave Gil’ad to Machìr.

And to the the Reubenites and to the Gaddites I gave fromGil’ad to the wadi Arnon, the middle of the wadi as a bor-der, as far as the torrent of Yabbok, which is the border ofthe children of Ammon; the Arava also and the Jordan, asa border, from Kinneret as far as the Sea of the Arava, eventhe Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisga eastward.

And I commanded you at that time, saying: “G-d your G-dhas given you this land to possess it; [but first you must]pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel,all that are fit for the war. Only your wives, and your littleones, and your cattle, (for I know that you have much cat-tle), shall abide in your cities which I have given you. UntilG-d gives rest to your brethren, as well as to you, and untilthey also possess the land which G-d our G-d has giventhem beyond the Jordan; then shall you return every manto his possession, which I have given you.

And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying: “Your eyeshave seen all that G-d your G-d has done to these twokings; so shall G-d do to all the kingdoms into which youwill pass. You shall not fear them: for G-d your G-d, He shallfight for you.”



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DevarimFrom the Chassidic Masters

WORDS

Devarim means “Words”, and is the name of thisweek’s Torah reading — the first weekly reading inthe Book of Devarim, the fifth book of the Torah. Ofcourse, the entire Torah (at least as it was communi-cated to us earthly beings) consists of words; but inthe Book of Devarim, the nature of these words is ofparticular significance.

The Book of Devarim is a 37-day long speech byMoses, beginning on the 1st of Shevat and ending onthe 7th of Adar — the day of Moses’ passing — in theyear 2488 from creation (1273 bce). In his speech,Moses recaps the major events and laws that arerecorded in the Torah’s other four books. Thus, theBook of Devarim is also called Mishneh Torah,“Repetition of the Torah” (and hence its Anglicized-Latin name, Deuteronomy, or “Second Law”).

Technically, Moses wrote all five books. But as ourSages explain, in the first four books Moses tran-scribed everything as he received it from G-d, whilein Devarim he says it “in his own words.” The dis-tinction is clearly seen by the fact that the first fourbooks are written in the third person (“And G-d spoketo Moses, saying”), while in Devarim we hear Moses’voice in first person (“At that time, G-d said to me”,etc.).

Nevertheless, Devarim belongs to what we call the“Written Torah,” meaning that not only the contentbut also the words and letters are considered to be ofDivine origin. Our sages explain that Moses had sototally abnegated his ego to the Divine will that “TheDivine presence spoke from his throat” — Moses’own words are also G-d’s own words.

As such, the Book of Devarim acts as a bridgebetween the Written Torah and the “Oral Torah.” TheOral Torah includes the Talmud and the Midrashim,the commentaries and the codes, the Zohar and theKabbalah, and “everything that a worthy student willexpound before his master” — everything that hasbeen produced by thirty-three centuries of Torahscholars studying and interpreting the Torah in accor-dance with the Sinaic tradition. In the Oral Torah,which is generated by minds and mouths less ego-

free than Moses’, the content is Divine, but the wordsand letters are human — man’s own.

In other words, we have two dimensions to Torah: adimension in which both the content and the “packag-ing” are bestowed from Above, and a dimension inwhich the Divine wisdom and will is packaged in “ourown words”. And then we have the Book of Devarim, inwhich the two converge: a human being, Moses, attainsa level of identification with the Divine wisdom andwill on which his “own words” are completely in har-mony with their Divine content — so much in harmonythat they are no less G-d’s words than those which G-ddictated in the first four books.

Indeed, it is from the Book of Devarim that the entire“Oral Torah” flows. Moses’ utter identification with theDivine wisdom empowers our own lesser souls, each ofwhich possesses “a spark of the soul of Moses”, to dothe same (albeit on a lesser level): to create of “our ownwords” receptacles for the Divine wisdom.

Talking ManThis happens, on one level, every time we open our

mouths.The ancient philosophers refer to the human being as

“the speaker,” and no one has yet come up with a betterappellation for our talkative race. We do love to talk.Witness the endless self-explaining we engage in, theperpetual conversation we feel obliged to “make”, thequadrillions of words unleashed each day in everyimaginable media. Why this insatiable need to puteverything into words, as if nothing truly exists until itis trimmed and stretched to fit a set of humanly emittedsounds?

Because, say the Chassidic masters, there’s nothingthat the human being wants more than to play G-d.

G-d did it: He spoke reality into being. He said, “Letthere be light!” and there was light. He said, “Let thewaters gather and the land be revealed!” and oceans andcontinents were formed. But man looks at G-d’s cre-ation and sees it as something still unformed, still lack-ing definition. So we speak and speak and speak, cate-gorizing, quantifying and qualifying G-d’s world in aneffort to give it meaning and purpose.

Of course, there are differences. G-d is infinite andomnipotent; we are finite and fallible. G-d spoke lightinto being; we have been granted the power to speakthat light into a brighter, more focused luminescence —but we are just as likely to speak it into darkness. Wecan verbalize the continents as countries and provincesof a productive world community — or we can speak


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into them boundaries of animosity and strife.But that’s the “partner in creation” that G-d want-

ed: a partner who is just as likely to run the shop toground as to build it up. A free, independent partner,whose choices are fully his own — and thereforefully his responsibility and fully his achievement.Because G-d wanted true partners to His endeavor,not a bunch of employees and messenger boys (Hehad plenty of those already when He created man—they’re called “angels”).

Taking it to the Next LevelBut G-d did even more. Not only did He subject his

creation to human speechifying, He also put HisTorah — His own thoughts and desires — intohumanly cognizant words, and then invited us intothe process of verbalizing His Torah.

Because if we’re His partners, we have to be in onit all. A true partner doesn’t only do his part in therunning and the development of the business — healso participates in drawing up the mission statement,the modus operandi, the rules and regulations.

So G-d granted the human mind and mouth a man-date not only to shape His world, but also to partici-pate in the formulation of the Torah — the laws, theblueprint, the “source code” of creation.

Thus was born Devarim, the Book of Words.The first to receive this mandate was Moses, who

fulfilled it so perfectly that his “contribution” becameone of the five books that form the crux of Torah, andcontains the empowering seeds for all subsequenthuman partners to the articulation of the Divine wis-dom.

SHABBAT OF VISION

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, but the peoplewith me did not see it; yet a great terror befell them,and they fled into hiding

Daniel 10:7But if they did not see the vision, why were they ter-

rified? Because though they themselves did not see,their souls saw

Talmud, Megillah 3a

On the ninth day of the month of Av (“Tish’ahB’Av”) we fast and mourn the destruction of the HolyTemple in Jerusalem. Both the First Temple (833-423bce) and the Second Temple (349 bce-69 ce) weredestroyed on this date. The Shabbat preceding the fastday is called the “Shabbat of Vision,” for on thisShabbat we read a chapter from the Prophets (Isaiah1:1-27) that begins, “The vision of Isaiah...”

But there is also a deeper significance to the name“Shabbat of Vision,” expressed by Chassidic masterRabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev with the followingmetaphor:

A father once prepared a beautiful suit of clothes forhis son. But the child neglected his father’s gift andsoon the suit was in tatters. The father gave the child asecond suit of clothes; this one, too, was ruined by thechild’s carelessness. So the father made a third suit.This time, however, he withholds it from his son. Everyonce in a while, on special and opportune times, heshows the suit to the child, explaining that when thechild learns to appreciate and properly care for the gift,it will be given to him. This induces the child toimprove his behavior, until it gradually becomes sec-ond nature to him — at which time he will be worthyof his father’s gift.

On the “Shabbat of Vision,” says Rabbi LeviYitzchak, each and every one of us is granted a visionof the third and final Temple — a vision that, to para-phrase the Talmud, “though we do not see ourselves,our souls see.” This vision evokes a profound responsein us, even if we are not consciously aware of the causeof our sudden inspiration.

The Divine DwellingThe Holy Temple in Jerusalem was the seat of G-d’s

manifest presence in the physical world.A basic tenet of our faith is that “The entire earth is

filled with His presence” (Isaiah 6:3) and “There is noplace void of Him” (Tikkunei Zohar 57); but G-d’spresence and involvement in His creation is masked bythe seemingly independent and arbitrary workings ofnature and history. The Holy Temple was a breach inthe mask, a window through which G-d radiated Hislight into the world. Here G-d’s involvement in ourworld was openly displayed by an edifice in which mir-acles were a “natural” part of its daily operation andwhose very space expressed the infinity and all-perva-siveness of the Creator. Here G-d showed himself toman and man presented himself to G-d.

Twice we were given the gift of a divine dwelling inour midst. Twice we failed to measure up to this gift



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and banished the divine presence from our lives.So G-d built us a third temple. Unlike its two pred-

ecessors, which were of human construction andtherefore subject to debasement by man’s misdeeds,the Third Temple is as eternal and invincible as itsomnipotent architect. But G-d has withheld this“third suit of clothes” from us, confining its reality toa higher, heavenly sphere, beyond the sight and expe-rience of earthly man.

Each year, on the “Shabbat of Vision,” G-d showsus the Third Temple. Our souls behold a vision of aworld at peace with itself and its Creator, a world suf-fused with the knowledge and awareness of G-d, aworld that has realized its divine potential for good-ness and perfection. It is a vision of the Third Templein heaven — in its spiritual and elusive state — likethe third set of clothes that the chld’s father has madefor him but is withholding from him. But it is also avision with a promise — a vision of a heavenly tem-ple poised to descend to earth, a vision that inspiresus to correct our behavior and hasten the day whenthe spiritual vision becomes tactual reality. Throughthese repeated visions, living in the divine presencebecomes more and more “second nature” to us, pro-gressively elevating us to the state of worthiness toexperience the divine in our daily lives.

The Wearable HouseThe metaphors of our sages continue to speak to us

long after the gist of their message has been assimi-lated. Beneath the surface of the metaphor’s mostobvious import lies layer upon layer of meaning, inwhich each and every detail of the narrative is signif-icant.

The same applies to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’smetaphor. Its basic meaning is clear, but many subtleinsights lie hidden in its details. For example: Why,we might ask, are the three temples portrayed as threesuits of clothes? Would not the example of a buildingor house have been more appropriate?

The house and the garment both “house” andenvelop the person. But the garment does so in amuch more personal and individualized manner.While it is true that the dimensions and style of a

home reflect the nature of its occupant, they do so in amore generalized way-not as specifically and as inti-mately as a garment suits its wearer.

On the other hand, the individual nature of the gar-ment limits its function to one’s personal use. A homecan house many; a garment can clothe only one. I caninvite you into my home, but I cannot share my garmentwith you: even if I give it to you, it will not clothe youas it clothes me, for it “fits” only myself.

G-d chose to reveal His presence in our world in a“dwelling” — a communal structure that goes beyondthe personal to embrace an entire people and the entirecommunity of man. Yet the Holy Temple in Jerusalemalso had certain garment-like features. It is these fea-tures that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak wishes to emphasize byportraying the Holy Temple as a suit of clothes.

For the Holy Temple was also a highly compartmen-talized structure. There was a Women’s Court and acourtyard reserved for men, an area restricted to thekohanim (priests), a “sanctuary” (heichal) imbued witha greater sanctity than the “courtyards,” and the “Holyof Holies” — a chamber into which only the High Priestmay enter and only on Yom Kippur, the holiest day ofthe year. The Talmud enumerates eight domains ofvarying sanctity within the Temple complex, each withits distinct function and purpose.

In other words, although the Temple expressed a sin-gle truth — the all-pervasive presence of G-d in ourworld — it did so to each individual in a personalizedmanner. Although it was a “house” in the sense that itserved many individuals — indeed the entire world —as their meeting point with the infinite, each and everyindividual found it a tailor-made “garment” for his orher specific spiritual needs, according him or her a per-sonal and intimate relationship with G-d.

Each year, on the Shabbat before Tish’ah B’Av, weare shown a vision of our world as a divine home — aplace where all G-d’s creatures will experience Hispresence. But this is also a vision of a G-dly “garment”— the distinctly personal relationship with G-d, partic-ularly suited to our individual character and aspirations,that we will each enjoy when the third divine Templedescends to earth.

Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbewww.therebbe.org; adapted by Yanki Tauber, [email protected]




M o n d a y Tammuz 28 | July 28On This Date: Passing of R. Moshe Teitelbaum("Yishmach Moshe") (1841)Tammuz 28 is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum(1759-1841) of Uhely, Hungary, author of YismachMoshe and patriarch of the Hungarian Chassidic dynas-ties.

T u e s d a y Tammuz 29 | July 29On This Date: Passing of Rashi (1105)Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as "Rashi", passedaway on the 29th of Tammuz of the year 4865 from cre-ation (1105 CE). Rashi was born in Troyes, France, in 1040. His com-mentaries on the Torah, Prophets and Talmud are uni-versally accepted as the most basic tool for the under-standing of these texts for schoolchild and scholar alike.Numerous commentaries have been authored on hiscommentary. In his famed "Rashi talks", the LubavitcherRebbe repeatedly demonstrated how Rashi's "simplemeaning of the text" style enfolds many layers of mean-ing, often resolving profound difficulties in the text andpresenting new, innovative interpretations with a simpleword choice or rephrasing of a Midrashic passage.Links: Text of Rashi's commentary on this week's Torahreading (English translation)An analysis of a section of Rashi's commentary by theLubavitcher Rebbe

W e d n e s d a y Av 1 | July 30ROSH CHODESH

On This Date: Passing of Aaron (1273 BCE) Aaron the first High Priest, brother of Moses andMiriam, passed away at age 123 on the 1st of Av of theyear 2488 from creation (1273 BCE). This is the onlyyahrzeit (date of passing) explicitly mentioned in theTorah (Numbers 33:38).Links: A Midrashic description of Aaron's passing"Aaron" and "On the Essence of Circumstance" -- a spir-itual profile based on the Lubavitcher Rebbe's talks

Laws & Customs: Rosh Chodesh observances Today is Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") days forthe Jewish month of Av (also called "Menachem Av").Special portions are added to the daily prayers: Hallel(Psalms 113-118) is recited -- in its "partial" form -- fol-lowing the Shacharit morning prayer, and the YaalehV'yavo prayer is added to the Amidah and to Grace AfterMeals; the additional Musaf prayer is said. Tachnun(confession of sins) and similar prayers are omitted.

Many have the custom to mark Rosh Chodesh with a fes-tive meal and reduced work activity. The latter custom isprevalent amongst women, who have a special affinity withRosh Chodesh -- the month being the feminine aspect ofthe Jewish Calendar.Links: The 29th Day; The Lunar Files

"Nine Days" begin"When Av begins, we diminish [our] rejoicing" (Talmud,Taanit 26b).On the 1st of Av, "The Three Weeks" mourning period overthe destruction of the Holy Temple (which began 13 daysealier on Tammuz 17) enters an intensified stage. During"The Nine Days" from Av 1st to the Ninth of Av, a height-ened degree of mourning is observed, including abstentionfrom meat, wine, music, recreational bathing, etc. (consult aHalachic authority for details).Consumption of meat and wine is permitted at a SeudatMitzvah (obligatory festive meal celebrating the fulfillment ofa mitzvah), such as a Bris (circumcision), or a "Siyum" cel-ebrating thecompletion of a course of Torah study (i.e., acomplete Talmudic tractate). The Lubavitcher Rebbe initiat-ed the custom of conducting or participating in a Siyum oneach of the Nine Days (even if one does not avail oneself ofthe dispensation to eat meat).Citing the verse (Isaiah 1:27) "Zion shall be redeemed withmishpat [Torah] and its returnees with Tzedakah," theRebbe urged that we increase in Torah study (particularlythe study of the laws of the Holy Temple) and charity duringthis period.Links: When and (How) to be Sad;

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f r i d a y Av 3 | August 1LIGHT SHABBAT CANDLES BEFORE SUNSET [GO...]

s h a b b a t Tammuz 26 | July 26Torah reading: Devarim (Deut. 1:1-3:22)Haftarah: Chazon Yeshayahu (Isaiah 1 - see below) Ethics of the Fathers: Chapter 2

Laws & customs: "Shabbat of Vision"The Shabbat before the Ninth of Av is called ShabbatChazon ("Shabbat of Vision") after the opening words of theday's reading from the prophets ("haftara"), which is thethird of the series of readings known as "The Three ofRebuke." On this Shabbat, say the Chassidic masters, weare granted a vision of the Third Temple; we may not see itwith our physical eyes, but our souls see it, and are empow-ered to break free of our present state of galut (exile andspiritual displacement) and bring about the Redemption andthe rebuilding of the Temple.Links: The Holy Temple: an Anthology; Shabbat of Vision;

About the "Three of Rebuke";

week at a glance

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comment yearning - chabad.org · estranged, or betrothed. yearning, or satisfied. on the road, or...

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