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PARSHAS KI SAVO | 16 ELUL 5769 | 5 SEPTEMBER2009

"When the day comes that you cross the Jordan to the land that Hashem, your G-d, isgiving you, erect large stones and coat themwith whitewash. You are to write on them all statements of this Torah while crossing; inorder that you come to the land that Hashem,your G-d, is giving you, a land flowing milk and honey, as Hashem, the G-d of yourforefathers, promised."

It would be quite understandable if Moses toldthem to write the Torah on special stonesimmediately after crossing into Israel, or even

just before, but the wording indicates that heinstructed them to write the Torah on stoneswhile in the middle of the Jordan River!

(Malbim, Deut. 27:3)

Furthermore, the Talmud tells us that a greatmiracle occurred while the Jews crossed theJordan. The water stopped flowing, as thoughthere was a dam, to allow the Jews passage ondry land. Normally, when there is a dam theriver water backs up creating a lake, but herethe water stacked up higher and higher, until itreached towering heights! (Talmud, Sotah,35A) This surely did not create a serene writingenvironment, where scribes could sit quietly,etching the Torah into stone. The Jews were ina stressful and frightful environment, which

would make it quite difficult for the people todo their task. What could be behind thisunusual set of instructions given to the Jews?

Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rubin, author of The TalileiOros, explains that this was exactly the type ofenvironment that Moses wanted, so they couldlearn an important lesson. The Jews had livedin the desert for forty years, existing in aprotected environment with all their needsmiraculously met. They had fresh fooddelivered to them daily in the form of manna,they had a miracle well that would emitstreams of water which would pass by eachtribe, and they had the Clouds of Glory protectthem from their enemies. Once they entered

Israel, their life would be radically different.They would have to toil diligently to draw foodfrom the ground, draw water each day, and goto war to protect themselves. The idyllic lifethey had in the desert would be a thing of thepast.

Despite the dramatic change in lifestyle, theywere determined to continue studying theTorah. Torah study had to become a centralaspect of their life even with a hectic andstressful schedule. This was the message thatMoses gave to them on their way to Israel: thatthey must continue to engage in Torah study

even in their new, taxing environment. What

better way to obtain that skill than by etchingthe Torah into stone while thousands of feet ofwater tower above you!

Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1864-1953, Russia Israel) was renowned for the diligence heapplied to his Torah study, and would make asiyum (a celebration upon finishing a book orsection of Torah or Talmud) every time hefinished the entire Talmud, a commonoccurrence for him. Once, only two weeks afterone of these siyums, he called his familytogether for yet another one. Even thoughRabbi Bengis could study at such a rapid pace,no one could possibly finish the entire Talmudin two weeks. They asked him how it was

possible that he was completing it again sosoon.

He explained to them that this was for aseparate learning cycle. Wherever Rabbi Bengiswent, he would carry with him a small Talmud.Whenever he had an extra few minutes,whether it was a delay in a wedding, funeral, orbris where he was officiating, a long line at thegrocery store, or if he arrived early to a meeting,he would take out that Talmud and study. Ittook him fifteen years, but eventually hefinished the entire Talmud simply by usingthose moments that one can steal out of ourhectic day, before they get stolen from us!

While few could match Rabbi Bengis regimen,

the message is clear. Despite his many otherobligations, he managed to find free time thatwould have been otherwise unproductive. Thismessage is more relevant today than ever.Despite all the technological marvels that saveus so much time, we seem to be busier thanever. Pausing to discover ways to make theraging river of modern life come to a stop sothat we can have some dry land, will afford usthe opportunity to etch Torah knowledge intoour hearts.

Rabbi Burnham can be reached at:rabbiburnham@partnersintorah.org

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When you cross, you shall write upon them all the words of this Torah, inorder that you may come to the land which Hashem, your G-d, is giving you, a

land flowing with milk and honey, as Hashem, G-d of your forefathers, hasspoken to you. (Deuteronomy 27:3)

In this week's parsha, Moses gives the Jews instructions to be carried out uponentering Israel. One of them is difficult to understand. Moses tells the people:

Parsha Perspectives RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

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K I S A V O Talking Points RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS1. AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCEWhen you finish tithing all the tithes of your producein the third yearand you have given to the Levi

You shall declare before Hashem, your G-d, I haveremoved all the sacred portions from my house. I havegiven the appropriate ones to the Levite and to theorphan and widow, following all the commandments

You prescribed to us. I have not violated yourcommandment, nor did I forget. 26:13

Nor did I forget I did not forget to bless you for thesetting aside of tithes. Rashi

To bless you for the setting aside of tithes Thiscannot refer to the blessing recited over the mitzvah for that is only of rabbinical origin. Rather, it meansthat he did not forget to bless and praise the Almightyfor the mitzvah to give these tithes. Instead, they weregiven with the greatest joy and love. Maharal (RabbiJudah Loew, 1525-1609)

Although the obligation to recite a blessing beforethe performance of amitzvah is only of rabbinicalorigin, in truth, it has its roots in Scripture. This isbecause we are scripturally obligated to perform amitzvah with joy and love for the Almighty. It isthis overwhelming excitement that our sages

asked us to express verbally through the recital ofthe blessing beforehand. The blessing reflects oureager anticipation to performing His mitzvos, andthe more intensely we feel this excitement, thegreater effect the mitzvah will have upon us. The

Sfas Emes (Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter),explains that the words, Nor did I forget, shouldbe understood to refer to the excitementexperienced prior to the mitzvah andsubsequently as well. Since it was done with joy, itbecame a truly unforgettable experience.

2. HOLY BASKETSAnd you shall take from the choicest fruits of thegroundand you shall place it in a basket 26:1

Place it in a basket Ideally, one would not combineall the fruit in one basket, but bring each one up in aseparate basket. Even if he did use only one basket forall, he would not mix them together, but layered themone species on top of the other and separated themwith twigs or some other material. Maimonides,Hilchos Bikkurim, 3:7

Place it in a basket Rava said to Rabbah bar Mari,From where can we see the truth of the popularsaying, Poverty begets poverty? He answered, For it is written, [When bringing the Bikkurim ], the wealthy folks would bring it in a basket made of gold and silver. Less affluent folks would bring it in a latticebasket and give the fruits and the basket to the Kohen [in contrast to the wealthy folks who only gave the fruits, but not the basket]. Talmud, Tractate Bava

Kamma 92a

Why did the poor have to surrender their baskets whilethe wealthy folk were allowed to keep theirs?

1. It was done to spare the feelings of the poorbecause the wealthy folks brought the most beautiful fruits, which were removed from the basket by the Kohanim. The fruits offered up by the poor were ofsignificantly lesser quality and not fit to be displayed.Therefore, the Kohanim took the fruit along with the

basket so that no one should have the inferior qualityof his fruit visible to the masses. Rabbi Aharon Baksht

2. The wealthy person believed that his beautiful basket and fruit were signs of his prominence and grew haughty as a result. By refusing to take hisbasket, he was reminded that G-d detests haughtinessand was disinterested in his wealth. The poor person,on the other hand, who struggled mightily just toafford a simple lattice basket, showed up with a humble heart wishing he could do even more. Todemonstrate the great love that the Almighty has forthose who serve him with humility, the simple baskettoo, was taken as part of his offering. DarcheiMussar

Mei HaShiloach by Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner(1804-1854) points out that a lattice basket has

holes in it and is a symbol of the need for one tobehave consistently both inwards and outwards. Ifone performs a mitzvah unhappily, but gives offan outer appearance of being thrilled at theopportunity, the mitzvah loses much of its value.This is especially true with regards to the mitzvahof Bikkurim (first fruits), which is an openacknowledgment of our thanks and appreciationto the Almighty for the gift of the Land. Insincereexpressions of gratitude are hypocritical andunappreciated by the Almighty.

3. GROPE FOR HOPEYou will grope about in broad daylight just like a blindman gropes in the darkness, and you will have nosuccess in any of your ways. You will be constantly

cheated and robbed, and no one will help you. 28:29Robbed and cheated Whatever you do will besubject to altercation. Rashi

No success - The verse uses terms which imply thatour lack of success will be unlike that of any othernation. No nation will suffer the degradation that theJewish people will suffer. Conversely, when the verse promises us success, it too, will be abnormal in thedegree to which we will enjoy, even more so than anyother nation. Rabbeinu Bachya (Rabbi Bachya IbnPakudah, 1263-1340)

Like a blind man gropes in darkness This is worsethan the manner in which a blind man gropes in

broad daylight, because then, even if he cannot see,others can and they can assist him. When he gropes in darkness, others are of no help to him either. Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor, Toldos Yitzchak

You will grope about When the persecutor showsup, the escape route will be an easy one, but you willgrope about like a blind man and have no success in finding it. HeEmek Davar (Rabbi Naftali Zvi YehudaBerlin)

Ksav Sofer (Rabbi Abraham Samuel BenjaminSofer) explains this verse to refer to the sorry stateof the Jewish people in exile who always seekmeans of escaping our troubles. Just as a blindman gropes helplessly about and rarely find whathes looking for, so too, the Jewish people willattempt all sorts of means to escape persecutionwithout success. Theyll forgo their unique heritagein an effort to blend in with the populace. Theylldress in the latest styles and fashions so as not tostick out and draw attention to themselves. Theyllrefrain from educating their children Jewishly so asto ensure a top-notch secular education. Theyllrefuse to circumcise their sons so their Jewishlineage should never be discovered. All of theseevasions wont help them one iota, and theyll

eventually have to realize that the only way a Jewwill ever escape the trials of the exile will bethrough a return to Torah, the true source of hisspecial status.

Rabbi Meisels can be reached at:rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

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Dear Moe,

You raised two important issues and Ill tryto respond to each separately.

1. Is there any point to attending serviceson Yom Kippur even if one is not a

practicing Jew?

None other than the sages of the Talmudaddressed this question, and Ill share withyou their opinion on the matter.

The Jewish people, all that they sullythemselves with sins throughout the year,Yom Kippur comes and atones for them.Midrash Rabbah Shir Hashirim 6:26

Elsewhere, our sages wrote, Yom Kippureffects atonement but only if it isaccompanied by repentance. Mishnah,Tractate Yoma 85b

That means that on Yom Kippur, G-d is sointerested in us, that He is willing to forgiveall, and to look past our differences withHim, if we will only reach out to Him. Howdo we reach out to Him? There aremultiple things we can do. Three of themost noted activities during this time ofyear are donating to worthy charities,engaging in active repentance, and ofcourse, prayer.

Prayer, as you know, is best accomplished

with a multitude, in an environment that ismost conducive to heartfelt prayer.Furthermore, when joining with others, theAlmighty looks at the group in its entirety,rather than at each individualindependently. Even if some arent worthy,

the multitude as a group surely are.Therefore, it is certainly best to join with agroup when praying before the Almightyon Yom Kippur even if one is generally notfond of doing so year-round.

2. Is there a site where one can find free,or greatly reduced High Holiday Servicesappropriate for beginners?

The site I wrote about a number of yearsago no longer exists, but thankfully, a newand greatly improved site has taken itsplace and it can be found atwww.highholidayservice.com. If you click

around, you will find hundreds of free orreduced rate High Holiday BeginnerServices throughout the US and Canada.Each venue posts their relevant details andin many cases, reservations can be madedirectly through the site. Information onhow long the services last and whether itsconducted in Hebrew, English, or both, isreadily available.

The best part of all this is that the sitedirectors have invested an inordinateamount of time ensuring that each location

conducts an inspiring and welcomingservice that is suitable for folks at all levelsof observance. Last year, thousands ofpeople used the site to make theirreservations and the feedback receivedwas outstanding.

Additionally, if youre unsure of whichservice youll be most comfortable

attending, email the site editors for apersonal recommendation. Theyll do theirabsolute best to match you with anappropriate setting and service.

Of course, if youre a regular member of asynagogue, you have every reason topurchase an expensive ticket that helps thesynagogue maintain its year-roundservices. After all, if the regulars dontsupport it, who will? Nevertheless, manywill posit that the beginner services aremore inspiring, and a welcome changefrom the old-style, impersonal services that

are sometimes found in some synagogues.Regardless, wherever you choose toattend, the good news is that this year thechoice is truly yours; you can either click-it, or ticket, and either way, your YomKippur will be greatly enhanced.

Wishing you a Healthy and Happy NewYear,Rabbi Elazar Meisels

Rabbi Meisels can be reached at:rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

TICKET OR CLICK IT RABBI ELAZAR MEISELSDear Rabbi,Its that time of year again when our family goes through the motions ofattending High Holiday services. Frankly, were not practicing Jews and itseems a bit hypocritical. My dad was a past president of our small-towncongregation and took it personally if we didnt go to services but the highcost of tickets triggered a family discussion (spelled d-e-b-a-t-e) about thisannual guilt offering. From a Jewish perspective, is there really anysignificance in our attending?

Thanks,Moe (my Hebrew name is Moshe)

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The reprimands outlined in this weeks Torah portion(Devarim 28:15-68) are because you did not listento the kol (sound or voice) of Hashem, your G-d, toobserve His commandments and decrees that Hecommanded you. They will be a sign and a wonder inyou and in your offspring forever. (These tribulationswill be visited upon you) because you did not serveHashem, your G-d with gladness and a good heart,when everything was abundant. (28:45-47)The Torah here seems to offer two explanations forthese terrible tribulations: a) not listening to the G-dskol and b) not serving G-d with joy and a good heart) s the Torah is both precise and concise, andas the consequences described hereapparently apply to not following the word ofG-d (rather than to not listening to Him), why wouldthe Torah describe the offense as not having listenedto the kol (voice or sound) of G-d? There seems to bea kol to which we are expected to pay attention. Whatcould that mean?

( he first explanation is initially presented asthe only reason for these consequences,suggesting that the second reason is similar orhas the same root cause as the first. What do theseseemingly dissimilar causes have in common?) he blessing recited on Rosh Hashanah onblowing the Shofar is lishmoah kol Shofar, tohear the kol (the sound) of the Shofar. Whatinsight can be gleaned from the shared choice of theword kol in this blessing and in the reprimandsdescribed in this weeks Torah portion?

Rabbi Lam can be reached at:parsha@partnersintorah.org

TABLE TALKFOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

RABBI LABEL LAM

Soul TalkOne thing that can easily be done everysingle day toward the goal of bringing moregodliness into the world is simple we maywarmly smile at our fellow man when weencounter him. In doing so, we underscorethe fact that all humans are children of G-d,created in His image, and deserving of ourrespect and honor.

The Talmud (Kesubos 111a) also teachesthe value of a smile, exclaiming: Better towhiten your teeth (smile) at your friend thanto give him milk.

It is said in the name of Rabbi Yisrael Salanterthat the face of a person is a public place (a

reshus harabim), and therefore one shouldalways smile.

Of course, we cannot fully fathom theentirety of why Hashem formed us the wayHe did. There are infinite reasons, forHashems wisdom is endless. But we can geta glimpse of some of the deeper aspects ofsmiling by looking into what our Sages haveto say about teeth.

Yalkut Shimoni (to Shir HaShirim) states:Just as the strength of a person is with histeeth (if one has no teeth or weak teeth, hecannot eat and gain strength), so too, thestrength of the Jewish people lies with itsTorah scholars. Thus, teeth are linked hereto the wisdom of Torah scholars. In a similarvein, theShelah (Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz) saysthat just as there are 32 paths of wisdom, sotoo, there are 32 sources of wisdom within apersons mind, corresponding to the entireset of 32 adult teeth. Of course, 32 is the

gematriah (numerical value) oflev, whichmeans heart. This means that the 32 teethalso represent what is in a persons heart.

We quoted earlier the Chazal(Sages) aboutthe value of a smile that it is better to smileat your friend than to give him milk.Apparently, on a deeper level, the whitenessof the teeth is somehow greater than thewhiteness of milk; the intelligence gainedthrough a smile, then, is more valuable thanthat gained through milk. Rabbi TzadokHaKohen understands the simile as relatingmilk to intelligence [for example, the Talmud(see Berachos 10a) tells us that when ababy nurses from his mother, he receives themilk from the place of, understanding];thus, if Yalkut states that the whiteness ofteeth is greater than that of milk, this meansthat the potential to amass intelligencethrough the connection of the smile isgreater than the potential of gaining throughbeing given milk.

Why is this so? We must explain that thesmile is the building block that creates a

close relationship between people, so thatthey can truly learn from one another. Whena person smiles at another, he is saying: Iwant to get to know you; I want to share mywisdom, my insights, my personalcontribution to this world, with you. I amshowing you my teeth, the window to myworld and my wisdom. And I want you topartake in what I have to offer. Thisconnection is of tremendous importance, asit opens the door to the possibility of growth.

With permission from Artscrolls Daily Dose