NITZAVIM-VAYELECH, DEVARIM 29:9-31:30

                                   NITZAVIM-VAYELECH, DEVARIM 29:9-31:30

In this week's double parsha we hear among other things:

 When we stand before Hashem, we stand as one people, the Klal Yisrael, together in unity.

We will be exiled, but Hashem will gather us in and return us to our Land. 

 Fast forward : We have already returned; Redemption has begun.  

Torah knowledge is not remote or distant, but is close at hand.

We have free choice, either to reap the benefits of keeping Hashem's commandments or to not walk in His ways and be subject to the curses. 

 It is your call: choose life or choose death.

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In the Torah reading at 29:9-14:  Moses gathered all the Israelites—men, women, and children—to enter them into a covenant with Hashem. This covenant established us as Hashem’s exclusive nation.

 The covenant, Moses explained, was not limited to those who were physically present on that day; rather, it included all future generations of Jews as well.  That means you and me.

The question arises as to what is the right of Hashem to commit future generations, let alone children, to the obligations of His covenant?

Answer: All of us were standing at Sinai.

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In the Parshaot at 30:11-14,  Moshe enjoins us to follow the mitzvot, informing us that “it is not beyond you, nor is it remote from you. It is not in heaven . . . It is not across the sea . . . Rather, it is very close to you, in your mouth, in your heart, that you may do it.”

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In the double Parshah there is a curious phenomenon that occurs at 29:28, and all in all in about ten places in the Chumash.  These are the dots or nekudot that appear over a letter or word or words.  In in our case it is the nekudot that appear over the words "for us and for our children until...".

הַנִּ֨סְתָּרֹ֔ת לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹ֞ת ֹלָֹ֤נוֹּ ֹוֹּלְֹבָֹנֵֹ֨יֹנֹוּ֨ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם לַֽעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת

“The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things are for us and to our children forever: to do all the words of this Torah”.

What do we make of these nekudot? Is it Hashem's way of calling our attention to a particular passage? 

Perhaps as some believe  they were put there by a personage in authority such as Ezra the Scribe, who is likened to Moshe Rabbeinu.

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 In the double Parsha at 30:19 we are told to choose life:

וּבָחַרְתָּ, בַּחַיִּים--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה, אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ

“…choose life, that you may live, you and your seed;”

This statement is very timely in light of the War and the approaching High Holydays.

Look at the word “חַיִּים”.  The letters חַם meaning warmth surround the double yud that stands for Hashem.  When you are alive with warmth, you have Hashem within you.

Whether you hold by the Ramban who says that the Mitzvah referred to is doing T’sheuvah or you agree with Rashi that the Mitzvah is to abide by the entire Torah, it is well within our grasp.

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The Hebrew verb haqhêl הַקְהֵ֣ל, "assemble" comes the Mitzvah Hakhel in Deuteronomy 31:10–12:

"At the end of every seven years, at an appointed time, in the Festival of Sukkot the year of Shemitah. When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord, your G‑d, in the place He will choose, you shall read this Torah before all Israel, in their ears.

Assemble the people: the men, the women, the children, and your stranger in your cities..."

The Hakhel ceremony was conducted on the first day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot, Trumpets would sound and a large wooden platform was erected. The king would sit on this platform and all in attendance would gather around him.

 The High Priest, who would present a Torah scroll to the king  The king began the reading with the same blessings over the Torah that are recited before every Aliyah in synagogues today.

 The reading consisted of the following sections from the Book of Deuteronomy: 

From the beginning of the book through Shema Yisrael (6:4);

The second paragraph of the Shema (11:13-21);

"You shall surely tithe" (14:22-27);

"When you have finish tithing" (26:12-15);

The section about appointing a king (17:14-20);

The blessings and curses (28:1-69).

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At 31:6, Moshe says to Joshua:

חִזְק֣וּ וְאִמְצ֔וּ  , Be strong and resolute.

Moshe repeats at 31:23

In the Book of Joshua at 1:6,7 and 9, Hashem tells Joshua to be strong and resolute.

The Tribes of Reuven, Gad and ½ of Manasseh also repeat to Joshua at 1:18.

And finally, Joshua tells us at 10:25 to be strong and resolute.

The verse – “Be strong and courageous” חֲזַ֣ק וֶֽאֱמָץ occurs nine times in Devarim and the Book of Joshua.

 

“Courageous” ֽאֱמָץ has nuanced meanings: stubborn, obstinate, hardened, determined, steadfast and patient.

Be strong and Courageous is also found at the conclusion of Psalm 27, verse 14.

In many synagogues from the start of the month of Elul until the very end of Sukkot we read Psalm 27, sometimes twice daily.

Take it to heart; חֲזַ֣ק וֶֽאֱמָץ is a message for us right now.

That message for the Jewish people 3,000 years ago persists until today:

 חִזְק֣וּ וְאִמְצ֔וּ , Be strong and resolute.

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 At 31:14-19 Hashem commands Moses and Joshua to enter the Tent of Meeting. Hashem appears and informs them that a time will come when the Jews will abandon Him.

 At that time, Hashem will hide His face, and we will be subjected to evils and troubles.

Hashem says to them: "Write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness..." This 'song' is narrated in next week's Torah reading.

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In the Haftarah portion from Isaiah 62:1 - A message for Iran -

For the sake of Zion I will not be silent,

For the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still,
Till her victory emerge resplendent
And her triumph like a flaming torch.

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In a Haftarah passages from Isaiah 63:2-6  we see Hashem’s anger and punishment of the nations that have oppressed Israel. The trampling of grapes, the grapes of wrath, is a metaphor for their punishment.

Here, the crushed grapes symbolizes the blood that will come from His wrath. Essentially, we learn about Hashem bestowing vengeance and justice upon peoples who deserve punishment.

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In the Haftarah portion at Isaiah 63:9, the Prophet says that because of Hashem’s love and pity He will redeem us.

בְּאַֽהֲבָת֥וֹ וּבְחֶמְלָת֖וֹ ה֣וּא גְאָלָ֑ם וַֽיְנַטְּלֵ֥ם וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֖ם כָּל־יְמֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם

“with His love and with His pity He redeemed them, and He will bear them, and He will carry them for all the days of the world”.

 What exactly is redemption?

In today's vernacular: To redeem something, is to get something out of hock.

For the Jew, the Land of Israel is his native country.  For the Jew, Exile is having been barred, sent out from or dispersed from his native country.  For the Jew, his Exile results from religious, political and punitive reasons.  

The Jew in the Diaspora is a Jew in Exile, and he awaits a return to his Land.  HE AWAITS REDEMPTION.

Redemption is an essential concept in Judaism.  In Judaism, redemption (ge'ulah, גְאוּלָה) refers to God redeeming or freeing us from our exiles, starting from the first exile, our slavery in Egypt (BT, Tractate Rosh Hashanah 11b).  This form of redemption is called “Exilic Redemption”. There is a concept of a Final Redemption in the belief system of mainstream Orthodoxy that considers us to be currently in a state of exile.  When we are redeemed or freed by God from the current Exile, we will return to our Land and as a consequence owe Him a debt of gratitude. 

Redemption also applies to individuals or groups: an Israelite slave, Jewish captives, and the firstborn son.   It is from these three cases that the concept of exilic redemption is derived because Jews are considered God's 'firstborn' derived from Jacob, and Jews are God's slaves forever.

 Theologically, I am currently considered held captive by mainstream Orthodoxy even though I reside in the modern state of Israel..  Mainstream Orthodoxy aside, for me Redemption is well underway.

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This week, the 23rd of Elul is the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Sholomo  Carlebach, Z'L.  Have a taste of this spiritual genius:                              

 

                         https://youtu.be/n44fcxDt6DI

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This is a take-away from one of Reb Yitz’s shiurim:

From Rav Kook’s final shiur – During the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashanah we blow the shofar.

In terms of acceptability there are three available sources for this shofar :

1, A shofar made from a sheep’s horn is the most acceptable.

2. A shofar made from a kosher animal other than a sheep is also acceptable but is not as favorable as that made from a sheep.

3. Where there is no horn from a sheep or other kosher animal available, it is permissible for us to use the horn of a cow.

The gist of the hierarchy of sources for making a shofar is that not all Jews do a Mitzvah or lead a Jewish life, and all of its implications, in the same way or to the same degree of acceptability.

But the important thing is to reach out to Hashem as best we can and in doing so show the unity our Jewish nation and people.

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KI TAVO, DEVARIM 26:1-29:8

   KI TAVO, DEVARIM  26:1-29:8

 

Parshat Ki Tavo, at 26:1 -

 Ki Tavo26:1-2 -

וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־תָב֣וֹא אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַֽחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ

“And it will be, when you come into the land which the Lord, your God, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it,

וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֞ מֵֽרֵאשִׁ֣ית | כָּל־פְּרִ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תָּבִ֧יא מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָ֖ךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ בַטֶּ֑נֶא וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֙ אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם

 that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring from your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you. And you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to have His Name dwell there”.

The Mishnah Bikkurim asks another question (1:3): What are the specific “fruits” that fall into the category of fruits of the ground?

One only brings Bikkurim from the seven species; special to the Land of Israel,

These are the seven fruits or species for which Israel was renowned, namely wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, oil olives and date-honey (Devarim 8:8).  And they must be of high quality.  

Raisins can substitute for grapes, but wine may not. 

Any thoughts, why?

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At 26:5, there are two accepted translations regarding the אֲרַמִּי "Aramean" in the verse below:

 וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי, וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה, וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט; וַיְהִי-שָׁם, לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל עָצוּם וָרָב

1. "And you shall call out and say before the Lord, your God, "An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people, and there, he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation".

This is the translation-interpretation found in the Passover Hagaddah. Jacob's father in law, Lavan, is the villain seeking to destroy the Jews.

But there is another version:

2. "And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous".

In this instance the Aramean is Jacob himself, depicted as a wanderer, perhaps a person  lost.

Whichever translation-interpretation you choose will turn on the translation of the verb אֹבֵד, which commonly means "lost" or "wandering", but in a stretch could mean "perish".

Pays your money and takes your choice.

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At 26:11 - Then, you shall rejoice with all the good that the Lord, your God, has granted you and your household you, 

 וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל-הַטּוֹב, אֲשֶׁר נָתַן-לְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--וּלְבֵיתֶךָ:

From here, [our Rabbis] said that the first fruits declaration is recited only at the time of “rejoicing,” namely, from Shavuoth until Sukkoth, for [then] a person gathers in his grain, fruit, wine and oil [over which he rejoices]. However, from Sukkoth and onwards, he must bring [his first fruits to the Temple], but he does not recite the declaration. - [Pes. 36b]

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https://youtu.be/ZpNRaOg0ldg

 Rabbi Riskin speaks about the Parsha, quoting 26:13 as it applies to Bikkurim:

"Then you shall say before the Lord, your God, "I have removed the holy from the house, and I have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, according to all Your commandment that You commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten".

Rabbi Riskin asks us to focus on "nor have I forgotten".

He takes us back to the Commandment not to forget Amalek, to destroy Amalek, the Amalek with out and the Amalek within. 

Watch the video.  There is much to learn.

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Olive Trees by Van Gough, 1889

In Ki Tavo a farmer who owns his land brings ripened first fruits, including olives from the seven species to the Kohen.  

He makes a two-part declaration, the first part of which is in Hebrew.  Since some of the farmers were Hebrew-language challenged (Is there anyone out there who can relate?), the Chazal had a Hebrew speaker make the declaration so that the farmer would not be embarrassed. 

The rationale being that if the farmer was to be embarrassed he may be hesitant to bring the first fruits.  This custom is employed today when a person is called up to the Torah, again not to cause embarrassment.

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At 26:17-19 we learn that we have entered into a contract with Hashem: We have chosen Him as our God.  In turn He has chosen us as His לְעַ֣ם סְגֻלָּ֔ה, “treasured nation”.

And if you have any doubts what this means:

וּלְתִתְּךָ֣ עֶלְי֗וֹן עַ֤ל כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם֙

“to establish you above all the peoples.”

It may seem hardly politically correct, perhaps even racist.  

And whatever you may think, it is an enormous burden.

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In the Parshah at 27:9 Moshe and the Priests say to us: 

וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה וְהַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם, אֶל כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר:  הַסְכֵּת וּשְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ  

"And Moses and the Priests the Levites spoke to all Israel, saying: 'Silence! Hear, O Israel; today you have become a people for the LORD your God."  

I am curious about the word "הַסְכֵּת" , translated here as "Silence!".  It occurs nowhere else in the entire Torah.  

To me הַסְכֵּת looks and sounds sort of like and sounds very much like השקיט and means: calm down,  

The ":s" sound samekh instead of a shin,  and the "kh" sound caf instead of a kof.

הַסְכֵּת is also translated as "listen" and "pay attention".

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We receive a blessing at 28:4

בָּר֧וּךְ פְּרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֛ וּפְרִ֥י אַדְמָֽתְךָ֖ וּפְרִ֣י בְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ שְׁגַ֥ר אֲלָפֶ֖יךָ וְעַשְׁתְּר֥וֹת צֹאנֶֽךָ-

 "Blessed will be the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your soil, the fruit of your livestock, the offspring of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep".

A similar blessing was received at 7:13 -

"And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your soil, your grain, your wine, and your oil, the offspring of your cattle and the choicest of your flocks, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you".

Focus on עשתרות, עַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת:

 Devarim 7:13 – וְעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת צֹאנֶ֔ךָ - He will bless “the choice of your flocks”

From Rashi: Because they enrich (מַעֲשִׁירוֹת) their owners (Chul. 84b).

This word to enrich is too much like Astarte, goddess of the flocks.

Astarte is the Greek form of the name Ashtart, who, along with Asherah and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. Astarte is well known as a goddess of sexual love and fertility but also has associations with war.

I'm guessing that in any blessing there may be hidden some danger to be made aware of.

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In the Parsha at 28:6, Hashem says if you obey him:

“You are blessed when you arrive, and you are blessed when you go out”.

בָּר֥וּךְ אַתָּ֖ה בְּבֹאֶ֑ךָ וּבָר֥וּךְ אַתָּ֖ה בְּצֵאתֶֽךָ

Homiletically (pushing the envelope at six syllables), this verse can be taken to mean when you enter the world and when you depart.

Rashi on Bava Metzia 107a: Blessed will you be when you come, and blessed will you be when you depart: May your departure from the world be as free of sin as was your entry into the world.

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At 28:12 – “The Lord will open up for you His good treasury, the heaven, to give your land its rain in its [right] time,”

  יִפְתַּח יְהוָה לְךָ אֶת-אוֹצָרוֹ הַטּוֹב אֶת-הַשָּׁמַיִם, לָתֵת מְטַר-אַרְצְךָ בְּעִתּוֹ,

In the Talmud, Ta’anith טעa - . The fact that this verse is written in the second person singular demonstrates that rain can fall even for the sake of an individual.

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This is an adaptation of Rav Kook’s take on the Bikkurim:

The Mishnah in describing the Bikkurim offerings speaks of two groups of people: those who lived near to Jerusalem and could bring fresh fruits; and those who lived further away and had to be content with bringing an offering of dried fruit that could withstand the long journey. These two situations correspond to two spiritual paths the Jewish people have taken throughout history: the path of Prophecy and the path of Torah, each with its own advantages and benefits.

The path of Prophecy deals with Divine wisdom and lofty matters. It is closely connected to meditative prayer and the Torah’s mystical teachings.

The path of Torah concerns the development of the Oral Law, applying Halachah to all aspects of life. The fruit of these legalistic efforts may seem dry and uninspiring.

When we lived in the Land of Israel and the Shechinah dwelled in our midst, our spiritual world centered primarily on prophetic enlightenment.  When we were banished from the Land it became necessary to take the second path - a path capable of retaining our special character, despite exile and dispersion. 

This is the path of Torah,

Now we are back in our land, close to God’s Presence; it is not unreasonable to expect the gift of prophecy to return once more.

However we still must rely on the gift of Torah, which may appear dry, but has retained its flavor despite the long journey.

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The Haftarah portion for Parshah Ki Tavo emphasizes the concept of a "chosen people".  It is taken from the Prophet Isaiah, 60:1-22.  It is one of the seven weekly consolation messages that we receive prior to Rosh Hashannah.  And it is indeed beautiful.  Consider verses 1 and 3:

קוּמִי אוֹרִי, כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ; וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה, עָלַיִךְ זָרָח

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shone upon you”.

וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם, לְאוֹרֵךְ; וּמְלָכִים, לְנֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ  

“And nations shall walk by your light and kings by the brilliance of your shine”.

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Continuing with the Haftorah portion for Parshat KI TAVO, at 60:10 it reads:

“And foreigners shall build your walls, and their kings shall serve you, for in My wrath I struck you, and in My grace have I had mercy on you.”

וּבָנוּ בְנֵי-נֵכָר חֹמֹתַיִךְ, וּמַלְכֵיהֶם יְשָׁרְתוּנֶךְ:  כִּי בְקִצְפִּי הִכִּיתִיךְ, וּבִרְצוֹנִי רִחַמְתִּיךְ

And at  verse 18  there is a message for today:

Hamas (Violence) shall no longer be heard in your land

לֹֽא־יִשָּׁמַ֨ע ע֚וֹד חָמָס֙ בְּאַרְצֵ֔ךְ

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KI TEITZEI, DEVRAIM 21:10–25:19

 KI TEITZEI,  DEVRAIM 21:10–25:19

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74 of the Torah’s 613 commandments are in the Parshah of Ki Teitzei. 

There are 27 positive and 47 negative commandments in the Parashah.  

In Ki Teitzei we learn among other things:

The Law of the Beautiful Captive.

The prohibition against charging interest on a loan.

Ki Teitzei concludes with the obligation to remember “what Amalek did to you on the road, on your way out of Egypt.”

I hope that the few which are mentioned below will whet your Neshama's appetite.

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We are now in the month of Elul, the New Year and Day of Atonement rapidly approaching.  We are obligated to review what we did or did not do during this past year. We have to recognize and regret past mistakes, and then commit to improve, to do better, not an easy task.

We begin reading Psalm 27 twice a day until Hoshanah Rabbah for 51 days...Why?  Is there a connection to the up and coming Holy Days?

"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice.

Do not hide Your face from me…

Hope in the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage,

Hope in the Lord".

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The 1st Aliyah of Parshat Ki Teitzei, beginning at 21:10, is very difficult, but gives us plenty to talk about.  It discusses the incident of raping a non-Jewish woman who is captured in battle. 

The commentators seem to agree that a one-time-only assault is permissible.  They disagree as to the timing: whether it is permissible directly after the heat of battle or only after a 30 day cool down period.

 Even a Kohen is given a pass despite the fact that Kohen will not be permitted to marry the captive even if he likes her and even if she undergoes conversion.  And for what it is worth, the captive does not have much of a say in what goes on.

Hashem knows what He is doing.  But what is going on here?

As to the Sages, they say no good will come from it: In the case of David when he went into battle he desired Ma'aca the daughter of Talmi, king of Geshur.  Their union produced Abshalom, who rose up to kill him.  Abshalom slept with David’s wives in the presence of all Israel and in broad daylight. And do not overlook the fact that Abshalom was responsible for the killing of some tens of thousands Israelites.

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In the discussion regarding the Captive Woman at verse 12, the following commandment is given:

וְעָֽשְׂתָ֖ה אֶת־צִפָּֽרְנֶֽיהָ:

This verse is often translated either “let her cut her nails” or “let her nails grow”.  However take a look at the verb  ְעָֽשְׂתָ֖ה: which everyone would translate as  “she does”.  And of course the verse then reads: “she does her nails”.

And as we know, every woman has fingernails, and every woman likes to see them trimmed and painted to her taste. 

How about that for your Shabbos table?

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In the 4th Aliyah of Parshat Ki Teitzei, beginning 23:20, there is a commandment  of not lending money on interest.  I was taught about lending money on interest from Rabbi Butman of blessed memory.  

It happened this way: It was not unusual for Chabad to have cash flow problems: a bill was due this week, but money to pay the bill was not available until the following week. One day while in his office, the Rabbi said to me: “Mick, Chabad has a bill that is due today, but I will not have enough money to pay the bill until next week.  Is it possible for you to advance me some money to pay the bill, and in return I’ll give you a post-dated check”?

 It wasn’t a large sum; I had enough shekels in my account to cover the amount.  So I agreed; gave him what he asked for, and the Rabbi gave me a check in return. 

He said to me in a serious tone: “Mick, I’m not going to say thank you”.

I looked at him quizzically;  what was going on? 

Then Rabbi Butman said: “A Jew is not permitted to charge another Jew interest on a loan.  Moreover, a Jew who has borrowed money from another Jew is not permitted to pay interest on the borrowed money.  If I was to say Thank you, it would be as if I extended a benefit to you, and that benefit would be regarded as if I was paying you interest…something not permitted.

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The 3rd and 4th Aliyahs of Parshat Ki Teitzei speak to gratitude:

 In the 3rd and 4th Aliyahs of Parshat Ki Teitzei, beginning at 23:4 we are commanded not to detest the nations of Edom and Egypt because:

Edom is descended from Esau, so they are our brothers. Family is important. 

As to Egypt, despite being enslaved by them for 100’s of years, evidently we owe a debt of gratitude to Egypt because we lived in their land.  Perhaps the score was evened out somewhat with the slaying of their first born and the gifts that our Egyptian neighbors bestowed upon us

 Edom and Egypt are not permanently banned from freely marrying with us.  Any restriction against them is lifted in the third generation, provided that the Edomite or Egyptian converts to Judaism. 

 This is not so for Moabite or Ammonite men who are permanently banned from marriage and conversion.  That’s what happens when someone is mean to us.

Questions:  

How do you square that Ruth the Moabite is King David's ancestor?

Did Boaz marry of non-Jew?

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The 7th Aliyah of Parshat Ki Teitzei speaks to remembering Amalek -

25:17-19. “You shall remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you went out of Egypt. how he happened upon you on the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God… you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget”.

Amalek is characterized as irrational and totally unresponsive to reason.  I do not think this is true. 

Amalek was a mugger, thug.   Amalek saw an easy target, tired and weak unprotected stragglers.  Moshe was low on the learning curve; he lacked experience and wisdom when it came to matters military.  But he learned, and when we moved our encampment from Har Sinai, it was the tribe of Dan, the lion cub, who formed the rear guard and the incident was not repeated

However, Hashem tells us not to forget, and whether it falls to the us as individuals or the Jewish Defense League or the IDF we always must be prepared to protect ourselves. 

After eating a meal when we say the Birkat Hamazon, some of say:

הרחמן הוא יברך את חיילי צבא ההגנה לישראל העומדים על משמר ארצנו

“May the Merciful bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces who stand guard over our Land”.

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My friend Elliot Katz passed away some time ago.. Elliot had a specific passage in the Torah that he would obsess about. Inasmuch that we will be reading that passage this Shabbat I thought it would be of interest to you.

At Deuteronomy  23:14 -

וְיָתֵ֛ד תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֖ עַל־אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָ וְהָיָה֙ בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ ח֔וּץ וְחָֽפַרְתָּ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְשַׁבְתָּ֖ וְכִסִּ֥יתָ אֶת־צֵֽאָתֶֽךָ:

“And you shall keep a spike in addition to your weapons; and it shall be, when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it, and you shall return and cover your excrement”.

All of this activity takes place outside of the camp, the reason being that God is in the camp. The camp is holy, and nothing unseemly is to be within the confines of it.

Among other things we would argue about what a ְיָתֵ֛ד was. He said it was a spike; I said it was a shovel. It did not really matter; we were learning Torah.

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In Parshat Ki Teitzei we learn about what is reputed to be the easiest Mitzvah in the Torah, the Mitzvah at 22:6, the sending away of the mother bird:

"If a bird's nest chances before you on the road, on any tree, or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, if the mother is sitting upon the fledglings or upon the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young.

You shall send away the mother, and you may take the young for yourself, in order that it should be good for you, and you should lengthen your days".

That's quite a reward for what is reputed to be the easiest Mitzvah. If this is the easiest Mitzvah, then what is the most difficult?

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The Haftarah portion is from Isaiah, 54:1-10

His message rings true for us today:

2. Widen the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.

3. For right and left shall you prevail, and your seed shall inherit nations and repeople desolate cities

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Rav Kook's Yahrtzeit is celebrated this week on the 3^rd of Elul.

 Rabbi Pinchas Landes has posted about Rav Kook on FB and is quoted below:

 3 Elul - R’ Avraham Yitzchok HaKohen Kook - 1935

On this day in 1935, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchok HaKohen Kook passed away.  R’ Kook is considered until this day the intellectual forefather of the Religious Zionist movement. 

A student of the great Volozhin Yeshiva in Lithuania, R’ Kook married the daughter of one of his teachers from the Yeshiva R’ Eliyahu Dovid Rabinowitz-Teomim better known as the Aderes.  One year later, his wife died.  He took her first cousin as his second wife.

In 1904, R’ Kook moved to Israel, then part of the Ottoman Empire.  His first position in the country was in the city of Jaffa.  During this time, he wrote many of the writings that would later be published posthumously.  He would find himself stranded in Switzerland and London during WWI.  He would even take a position in 1916 in London. 

After the war, in 1919 he was able to return to Israel.  He was appointed Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, and shortly after in 1921 the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine, making him the first Chief Rabbi of the land in 1,850 years.

 In 1924, he opened his Yeshiva called Mercaz Ha Rav. R’ Kook was not only a great thinker, halakhist, and writer, but he worked tirelessly to bridge the gaps of different types of Jews; right, left, and center in Israel. He saw the rebuilding of Israel as the beginning of the Messianic redemption, and every Jew played a role in that.