Category: Teaching on Vayikra (Leviticus)
Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Parshat Bechukotay May 20, 2011
Leah Goldsmith
Most of the counting of the omer takes place in Iyar (May). This is also the month that Shlomo Hamelech began to build the Beit HaMikdash, our Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Iyar is the month that succeeds Nissan, the time of our coming out of narrow-mindedness, as we left the physical prison of Egypt where also the spiritual potential of our minds was controlled by Pharoh. It is in this second month of Iyar that we become refined and are able to form an appropriate vessel for receiving revelation- which comes in the third month, Sivan at Har Sinai. This is accomplished by counting the omer and the spiritual contents begin to fill us up the vessel of the soul as we look forward to Shavuot. We start this counting on the 16th of Nissan, the day that the first grains are gathered in the fields of Eretz Yisrael. This grain was collected and called the omer. It was barley, an animal food fit for sanctifying the animal soul. The omer was sifted thirteen times hand in hand with a unique purification process going on in the mind of the person doing omer. This “refinement” actually brought one from the physical (animal) state in his/her being to a higher form of existence. Indeed the fifteenth day of Nissan is the time we celebrate our exodus. It took 49 days to reach the level of being able to receive the torah on Shavuoth, the seventh of Sivan. The Mishnah states:” There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge (one who absorbs the learning), a funnel (one who absorbs and can pass it over), a strainer (one who can differentiate the ikkar from the tafel), and the sieve.” A sieve lets out the course flour but retains the fine flour. This, Rashi says, is the highest level and from this flour the bread was consecrated as an offering in the Temple by the Priests who had reached the “fine flour” level in their souls. The sieve, the torah reiterates in the Mishnah in Masechet Avot 1:17 that sums up the entire torah and states: “Study is not the main thing but ACTION.” Hashem gave us the torah on Har Sinai on Shavuoth, the third month. It was a climax for the Jewish people as they became one man with one heart. BUT it took forty more years of sifting and internalizing to absolutely leave the physical “animal state” and reach a righteous receptiveness to finally grasp the ultimate purpose of creation and the ultimate task of being a light unto the nations in a land separate, a land so fine it is consecrated It was only in Israel that the pinnacle was reached where the spiritual could be applied- where the dwelling place below connected with the dwelling place above. All the Torahs go back to same point. How we read and understand them is up to how we have left the prison of Egypt and how we have made ourselves a vessel for G-d’s purpose – We have reached the time and place of clarification. Shabbat Shalom Leah Goldsmith
Leah Goldsmith
When someone gets an idea in an instant flash, with the twinkle of an eye he envisions how it will look in its completed form. When the knowledge of the idea is applied and finally implemented you have the finished product – the brainchild of that idea. Knowledge is called knowledge only when one “knows” Hashem, as it says in Likutey Moharan. This is the first stage of something developing, like an embryo before it becomes an infant, before it becomes a child, before it becomes an adolescent, before it becomes an adult. Before we reach the highest levels of our souls and our goals, before they are actualized – we have to have an idea.
When the Bnei Yisrael were slaves in Egypt their minds were wiped blank. They couldn’t think for themselves. So, when it was time to leave and they witnessed great miracles upon the exodus and they amassed great wealth too, there was something else that they took with them when they marched away from Egypt toward a new frontier. They took with them the freedom to think. Now they were able to experience the potential and soon the actual when they would enter their Land.
As we count the enumerations (sephirot) during the time period of leaving Egypt and then receiving the torah, we begin with the first stages of Chochmah and Binah – wisdom and understanding culminating in knowing – Da’at- the signals of a free mind. As the knowledge is processed and we proceed to count the days through the sephirot as we did then, new ideas come to mind about how to bring the next stages of history to full potential. (Note: These are the three highest sephirot and therefore they are not mentioned as we recite the daily counting but they must precede the other 7 lower ones in every instance.) The next rung of the sephirot- Chesed and Gevurah, a mix of loving kindness and restraint bring a level of harmony and beauty in Tiferet. The proper application of Netazch and Hod, overcoming obstacles but knowing that Hashem is right there pushing from behind leads us to Yesod- where thoughts are turned into actions, as represented by Yosef Hatzaddik (Josef the Righteous One) who turned all of his ideas into practical solutions on a pragmatic level.
G-d’s bounty extends from above and is channeled through the spheres through Yesod into the final sphere – Malchut. While no-one can ever know what one is thinking- a person’s thoughts are revealed through his speech in Malchut. “Malchut thus represents the culmination of the entire process of thought as well as the trigger for new thoughts, which could not have been called to mind had other thoughts not been expressed and heard.”– Rabbi Chaim Kramer. This is Emor- This is saying it- out loud- the pinnacle of all of the spheres. This is why your voice needs to be heard. It is not enough to have an idea anymore. In order to reestablish the Davidic Kingdom in Israel today it is a call of duty to speak out- EMOR for the Land of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
Parshat Tazriah – Mezorah March 16, 2010
Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
This week we merit in a double portion of the week Parshiot Tazriah and Mezorah. Interestingly, most of these parshiot are involved with the laws of leprosy which are amongst the most complicated laws in the Torah. Besides the 14 chapters of the Mishna dealing with leprosy, there are thousands of other references to it throughout the Mishnah, Talmud, and oral law. In this essay I will not go into the details of this huge topic of Jewish law but rather focus on a general understanding of an insight that came to me while studying this week’s portion:
The Torah speaks of three areas where leprosy can strike -a person’s home, his clothes, or his body. The Torah teaches us that leprosy comes about as a result of speaking evil about others. ( Lashon Harah) Metzorah – An abbreviation for – Motzi Shem Rah- using slander.
This is clearly understood through the incident of Miriam speaking badly about her brother, Moshe. “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moshe because of the Cushite woman whom he had married… But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous… So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.” (Numbers 12:1-16) “Be careful against an infection of leprosy that you diligently observe and do according to all that the Levitical priests teach you; as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 24:8-9)
Although Miriam was like a mother to Moshe and was a righteous prophetess and only meant well, and Moshe wasn’t the type of person to be insulted as the Torah says that he was the most humble person on earth – “Now the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) This did not take away from Moshe’s honor in any way. Nevertheless, she was punished by becoming a leper. The sin of the spies that spoke badly about the Land of Israel caused the entire generation to perish in the desert because of their evil report. The entire nation was held in solitary confinement and not allowed to enter the Land just as the leper is separated from the camp and must remain outside until healed.
The leprosy of the Torah was not an infectious disease. It only affected Jews living in the Land of Israel. It was a miraculous kind of disease and would work in an orderly fashion from an external attack until finally entering one’s body. It would start off by striking at a person’s home. If the person would not repent from his evil ways it would move on to his garments and finally to his body. An amazing lesson we can learn from this is that our ethical behavior has a direct affect on our physical well being. If the act of speaking evil had such a detrimental result there is no doubt that any serious violation of the Torah can incur severe consequences on our physical state as well. In other words, we are being taught by Hashem to be sensitive to all kinds of things that are happening around us. If things in our home are falling apart, or we are not feeling so well, G-D is hinting to us that maybe we have things to improve in our Torah observance. Maybe we are not acting the way we should be. If someone were to develop this sensitivity he will find that this was no doubt a tremendous gift from Hashem! Paying attention to the walls of our house, health, and mood are all ways of tapping in to the spiritual realms that rectify our lives.
Although the laws of leprosy don’t apply today with all of its aspects, since our temple lies in ruins, the mussar we receive from the laws connected still apply today. Therefore one needs to apply midat hazihirut (carefulness in the way one conducts his life). We have to pay close attention to the signs that Hashem sends us from above. Although we may see many people that speak Loshon Horah and appear to be healthy, this doesn’t mean they are – in reality the Zohar teaches us that there is a spiritual Leper which exists today as well. Those who have tainted their souls by speaking evil are separated from the righteous when their soul goes up at night to the upper worlds. In addition his prayers are not accepted until he repents. Although all sins cause spiritual and physical harm to a person, the sin of Loshon Horhah is singled out by the Torah because the mouth is the vessel of kingship. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” Proverbs 18:21. This is why the media has such a powerful grip over people and nations. Today it is not presidents that are true kings it is the media! It is the most powerful vessel because it has the greatest affect on a person’s surroundings as well as himself. If the media was using this vessel in a proper fashion and not abusing it by spreading lies and falsities (Loshon Harah) it would have a tremendous positive influence on the word and would even hasten the redemption
Let us all take upon ourselves to rectify our mouths and actions and be constantly focused on our behavior and we will find ourselves in a much better physical and spiritual state of existence.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith