Jewish Heritage Connection

Dvar Torah: Torah Portion: Shlach
Rabbi Dovid Saks

Our portion opens telling us that the Jews sent 12 spies into the land of Israel with instructions to report back about the land and its inhabitants.
The Torah mentions the names of the 12 spies, with each spy representing a tribe. The Torah confers the title of “Nasi” – prince – to each of these 12 men.
The inauguration of the Tabernacle took place a few months before the spies were sent. At that time the Torah elaborates on the identical offerings and gifts that each ‘Nasi’ prince of the tribes donated. The Torah also names each of the ‘Princes’ of the 12 tribes that contributed these sacrifices. Surprisingly, they are not the same names as the 12 ‘Nasi’ princes they sent as spies.
Why weren’t the same ‘Nasi’ princes who inaugurated the Tabernacle sent to spy the land?
Rabbi Dov Weinberger o.b.m. explains that each of the tribes sent a spy because the mission of the spies was that each of the tribes should report on his perspective of the land. Since the Princes who donated the inaugural sacrifices and gifts gave the identical gifts, the tribes felt that those Princes were not a suitable match to give their own perspective of the land. They therefore chose different Princes for this mission.
The original mission statement was that each one should spy with their own perspective and then report on it.
However, once they began their mission, things drastically changed. Ten of the spies changed their mission’s goal, and began collaborating with each other with a negative attitude. G-d orchestrated that the inhabitants of the land be busy so that the spies would go undetected. However, the spies viewed this as a major defect of the land.
There were two good spies, Calev and Yehoshua. The Torah tells us that Moshe gave Yehoshua a blessing before the mission to protect him from the negativity. Calev on the other hand had to work diligently not to be pressured and influenced by the bad spies. In fact, Calev veered off from the group and went into the City of Chevron to pray at the Cave of Machpaila, where our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaacov and the matriarchs are buried. He prayed to G-d that in the merit of the holy ones buried there, he should be spared from the negative influence of the spies.
When the spies reported back, they did not just state their findings and leave it to the leaders to decide. They actually insisted and pushed their negative agenda and used fright tactics to influence the nation to reject the prospect of traveling forth to the land.
This upset G-d, and He punished the nation by delaying their entry into the land for 40 years. Each day of the 40 days they spent spying corresponded with a year delay of entering the land.
The spies were killed by a Heavenly wrath, and the males who were 20 – 60 years old at the time of the Exodus didn’t make it into the land. This was a major blow to the nation.
Nevertheless, G-d does not leave His nation without hope. Immediately after the incident of the spies the Torah gives two laws that pertain to when they would enter the Land of Israel. The first is the laws concerning wine libations that are poured on the Altar of the Temple when sacrifices are offered. The second is the law of giving a portion of one’s dough to a Kohain. This Mitzvah is called separating Challa. Today, the portion of ‘Challa’ that is separated after a blessing is made, is burned rather than given to a Kohain.
At the end of the portion, the Mitzvah of Talis/Tzitzis is given.
Rabbi Weinberger explains the connection between these three laws as follows: During the 40 years of travel through the desert, every last one of their personal needs were provided by G-d. There were clouds protecting them on all sides. The clouds laundered their clothing and their clothing grew with them. A pillar of fire illuminated the night. Their food was provided each day with Manna from Heaven, and their water was provided by a rock from which water emerged.
It was a utopian existence. Perhaps, it was this existence that the spies wished to retain rather than switch to a less elevated level of existence of working for their food and protection once they entered the land.
However, G-d wished that the Jews leave this idyllic spiritual existence that they were treated to in the desert, and wanted them to earn their levels of spirituality by working the land and conducting themselves ‘on their own’. Thus, through their own efforts they would generate their rewards.
Once in Israel, they would receive their sustenance not through the Manna; rather, they would have to plant grain and be involved in all the steps to produce bread. Then, right before they baked the bread they were to do the Mitzvah of separating Challa and giving the gift to a Kohain.
The miraculous water they received from the rock was replaced by having to go through the process of making wine for the Altar’s libations, and other Mitzvos such as Kiddish, Havdalla etc.
The clouds of glory were replaced by the Mitzvah of Talis/Tzitizis which is produced from wool/cotton/linen, which envelopes and protects us.
Thus, G-d’s ultimate goal is for us to utilize this world and transform and elevate it into Mitzvos so that we earn reward in this world and our eternal world as well!

Shavuos!
Rabbi Dovid Saks

The Holiday of Shavuos commemorates the most unique and singular event that ever occurred; it is when G-d revealed Himself by proclaiming the Ten Commandments in the presence of the entire Jewish nation.
The Torah attests that there has never been or will there ever be a nation or religion that witnesses such an undeniable public event of G-d’s Revelation to the Jews.
We live with this reality each day when we follow and adhere to G-d’s laws and identify as G-d’s chosen nation. The festive holiday of Shavuos gives us pause to reflect on our unique relationship with G-d and His relationship with us.
In our Holiday prayers we refer to Shavuos as, “The time when our Torah was given to us.” The Torah portion we read on the first day of the holiday is from the Book of Exodus, where the Torah describes the preparation the Jews were instructed to make prior to G-d giving them the Torah. And we read about G-d’s proclamation of the Ten Commandments. This hallmarks our belief and knowledge of G-d’s existence, and His control over everything, and His instruction to us as to how to abide by His commands.
The Ben Ish Chai was the Rabbi of Baghdad in the early 1900’s. He was a prolific writer and great orator. He raises the following interesting question: Why didn’t G-d give the Torah to our holy forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaacov? In fact, for 15 years they were alive at the same time. Why did G-d wait hundreds of years later to give the Torah to the Jews after they were freed from Egypt?
He explains: If the Torah would have been given to our Patriarchs, the evil inclination would have been armed with ways to convince and sway future descendants to dismiss themselves from following the dictates of the Torah.
The evil inclination would use the following ploy, “Don’t you realize how holy and powerful the Torah is? It's impossible for a regular human being to follow it.”
He would continue, “I’ll prove to you that you are unfit for it. Look at who it was given to and who accepted it; it was Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaacov, the holiest of people who were fit to keep the Torah of G-d.”
The evil inclination would continue, “Even if you think you can do it, are you going to compare yourself as angel-like as your forefathers? Take a look at Avraham. He had a dear son who was born when he was 100 years old, and when this beloved son, Yitzchok, was 37 years old, G-d instructed Avraham to offer his son as a sacrifice and both father and son got up early to do it with joy. He didn’t stop until the last moment when Avraham was instructed from on High to stop!”
The Evil inclination would ask, “Do you think you are up to this task? Torah is too much for the average person; it was only given to extremely holy angel-like people. Do you know that Yaacov was so holy that the prophets, King David in the Psalms, and our Medrash teach us that Yaacov’s image is engraved on G-d’s Throne in the Heavens!”
Says the Ben Ish Chai, G-d specifically waited to give the Torah to the nation after they were freed from Egypt to avoid these excuses that the Evil Inclination could have claimed to convince us to abandon the Holy Torah.
Originally, the Jews were to remain in Egypt for 400 years, however, G-d cut this time almost in half, and they were there for only 210 years. One of the reasons for this is that while the Jews were in Egypt as residents and then as slaves they were extremely influenced by the Egyptian decadence and worship, which almost obliterated any semblance of their spiritual spark. Had G-d not swiftly freed them from Egypt they would have been lost
When the Jews were released, they spent the next 49 days raising their spiritual level until they were fit to receive G-d’s Torah.
So, let’s see who it was that received the Torah. It was approximately 2.5 million people ― infants through adults ― who had just come out of Egypt where they were on the lowest levels of spirituality. Yet, every single one of them, unequivocally, accepted the Torah on their own volition without any coercion. They were aware that Torah was likened to fire and was Holy, and it had many demands, yet, no one had second doubts whether it would be too difficult or unattainable. They all declared with one voice, “We will do and we will listen!”
G-d specifically waited to give the Torah to this raw and ‘un-angel-like’ generation to thwart the Evil Inclination’s claim that Torah could only be given and observed by those who are the likes of our holy patriarchs, for in fact, it was given to and accepted by a nation who had recently been slaves and very much lacking in spirituality.
Shavuos reminds each of us that we are worthy, able, and fortunate to embrace, fulfill and delight in the Divine gift of the Torah!

D'var Torah: Torah Portion: Bamidbar
Rabbi Dovid Saks

This Shabbos, we begin reading Bamidbar, the fourth book of the Torah. It begins with G-d instructing Moshe to take a census of the Jewish people.
This was not the first time G-d instructed him to take a census. Less than a year earlier, another census was taken. Interestingly, both counts were equal, 603,550.
Why was it necessary for another count? Rashi, our great commentator, explains that G-d was conveying His love for the Jewish nation. Just as a person at certain points of time takes stock of his assets which are dear to him, so too, each individual of the Jewish nation is dear to G-d and He wishes to count His precious nation.
This census counted the number of males between the ages of 20 and 60. They did not take a headcount; rather, each person handed over a half Shekel coin and they counted the coins. Additionally, each family needed to prove which patrilineal tribe they belonged to.
In the Parsha we find not only a census of the entire nation but each individual tribe was counted as well. The Torah designates that three tribes encamped together in each of the four directions surrounding the Temple, which was in the center of the encampment. In fact, the number of men in each tribe is repeated a second time when their place was designated.
This mentioning the numbers of each tribe a second time seems to be redundant. But we know that every letter and word of the Torah is sacred. G-d instructed Moshe to scribe each letter, word, verse, dot and crown adorned on top of certain letters and where and how spaces are to be formed. Thus, when a mere letter is missing or formed incorrectly, the Torah scroll is invalid and cannot be used until it is corrected.
I came across something very interesting regarding the tally of the tribe of Benyamin which was 35,400.
After our morning prayers, some have the custom to recite some added verses of the Torah and statements of our belief.
For example, there are Six Zachiros ― remembrances ― that are highlighted in the Torah which we remember each day. 1) We must remember that G-d took us out of Egypt. 2) That G-d appeared to us at Mount Sinai. 3) The sin of the golden calf and its consequences. 4) To remember the wickedness of the nation of Amalek, who were the first to attack us. 5) To remember that Miriam was excommunicated due to her speaking Lashon Hara ― ill ― about her brother Moshe. 6) To remember the Holy day of Shabbos.
Another example of additions that are recited are the 13 principles of faith of Maimonides. These include: our belief in the Omnipotence of G-d; the truth of our Torah and that it will never be retracted or amended; that we only pray to G-d; and our belief in the coming of Moshiach and of the World to Come.
I was surprised to learn that Nachmanides had a custom to recite various verses from the Torah after his prayers and among them was the verse of “The total for the Tribe of Benyamin was Thirty-Five thousand and four hundred.”
Why? The Chasam Sofer o.b.m. explains as follows: During King David’s reign, he conducted a census, and instead of counting each person by having each person give a half Shekel coin, he did it through a head count.
Something strange began to happen after this census. Every day 100 people died! King David realized that this is due to the Ayin Harah ― the evil eye ― that was set on the Jewish people because they were highlighted by having taken a head count. King David, through recognizing a hint in a verse of the Torah, understood that the remedy to the plague was to institute that each person recite 100 blessings a day. The Gematria of Satan's name Samach-Mem is 100. Thus, the 100 blessings that we recite nullify his evil powers. As soon as this was implemented, the plague stopped. We continued reciting 100 blessings each day till today! The majority of the 100 blessings are fulfilled when we recite our three daily prayers.
The lunar calendar that we follow has 354 days in the year. When we calculate 100 blessings each day for the 354 days – the yearly total of blessings comes to 35,400! – The same number as the count of the Tribe of Benyamin!
Why did the Tribe of Benyamin merit having the yearly total of blessings hinted to in its tribal total? When the land of Israel was divided up amongst to the tribes, the area where the Temple stood in Jerusalem was in the territory of the Tribe of Benyamin. The Temple in Jerusalem is the source of all blessing, as King David, in Psalm 133 when referring to Zion and the eventual Temple in Jerusalem, states, “For there G-d has commanded the Blessing - may there be life forever!” Since Benyamin had the source of blessing in his territory it is fitting that the number of blessings we say in the year corresponds to his tribal count.
We see that each number truly counts!