VA’ETCHANAN, DEVARIM 3:23-7:11, Tisha B'Av, Shabbat Nachamu

 VA’ETCHANAN, DEVARIM 3:23-7:11,

 Tisha B'Av, Shabbat Nachamu,

In PARSHAT VA'ETCHANAN we delve into the mitzvot. These are:

The commandment of the unification of God.

The commandment of loving God.

The commandment of Torah study.

The law of the recitation of Shema morning and evening.

The commandment of the tefillin of the arm.

The commandment of the tefillin of the head.

To affix a mezuzah on entrances.

Not to test a true prophet more than is necessary.

The commandment of killing the seven nations

Not to grace and to have mercy on an idolaters.

Not to intermarry.

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In Parshat Va'etchanan, Moshe contends with Hashem; Moshe pleads one more time to be able to enter Land of Israel.

But Hashem shuts him down (3:26):

וַיִּתְעַבֵּר יְהוָה בִּי לְמַעַנְכֶם, וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלָי; וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי, רַב-לָךְ--אַל-תּוֹסֶף דַּבֵּר אֵלַי עוֹד, בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה.

“But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and He did not listen to me, and the Lord said to me, "It is enough for you; speak to Me no more regarding this matter””.

Hashem’s response to Moshe is not easy to understand.  It seems that Hashem in a certain sense has limits (as we do) beyond which He will not go.

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I think there is a connection between Moshe’s attempt to resist Hashem’s decree and the finality of Hashem’s response in a Kinah that we recite this week on Tisha B’Av.

Once a year we also contend with Hashem (as per Rabbi Solovoichek).  

On Tisha B’Av in Kinah 7 we make this challenge to Hashem:

“How did you rush in your anger to eradicate your faithful ones at the hand of the Edomites…”?

I don't know the answer to either challenge, but sooner or later going to shiurim either I'll figure out or some Rabbi will teach me (B'ezrat Hashem).

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n Va’etchanan, Rabbi Riskin comments on the Laws and Statutes that we are required to learn, not just for ourselves, but for how the nations of the world will view and judge us. Rabbi Riskin’s comments are presented in a 8 minute video that is well worth viewing:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ji-YeBsS3FQ

In Chapter 4, verse 6, Hashem says as follows:

“And you shall observe and do, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations, who will hear all these statutes and say, "Only this great nation is a wise and understanding people. "”

In his commentary, Rabbi Riskin is right on target.

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British Library, miniature illuminated manuscript, c. 1322.

At Chapter 5  Moshe repeats the Ten Commandments, reminding us that the Sinai covenant was not limited to those who were physically present at Mount Sinai.  You and I and all of us were there.

We are instructed to tell our children as to why we observe all the commandments: “We were slaves in Egypt, and G‑d took us out in order that we serve Him, so that we could reap the rewards for doing so.”

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At 6:4-9  we are presented with “Shema Yisrael”, a central prayer in our liturgy.  In contrast to the Ten Commandments, it is a commandment to recite Shema Yisrael twice a day.  At its basic root, Shema Yisrael is about monotheism, but on the same token the Ten Commandments expresses the oneness of God:

“לֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֛ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים עַל־פָּנָֽי”

“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me”.

But yet there is no Mitzvah to recite the Ten Commandments.

Any thoughts?

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At 7:3

"You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son".

Perhaps a thousand years later in the Book of Ezra, Chapters 9 and 10, intermarriage becomes an issue, and we cast out our foreign wives along with their children.

Intermarriage was  also frowned upon during the reign of the Maccabees. They looked back at Queen Esther's marriage to Achashverosh and her to be in disrepute. That is one reason why the Fast of Esther was not celebrated.

Today we look to the findings of the Pew Center survey as it relates to intermarriage in the USA:

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/marriage-families-and-children/

" Fully 42% of all currently married Jewish respondents indicate they have a non-Jewish spouse. Among those who have gotten married since 2010, 61% are intermarried".

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The Haftarah portion is from the Book of Isaiah  (40:1-26), 

It begins: "Console, console My people," says your God

נַֽחֲמ֥וּ נַֽחֲמ֖וּ עַמִּ֑י יֹאמַ֖ר אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם


This Sabbath is called Shabbat Nachamu, the "Sabbath of comforting that takes its name from the haftarah from Isaiah in the Book of Isaiah 40:1-26 that speaks "comforting" the Jewish people for their suffering. It is the first of seven haftarot of consolation leading up to the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach,ז''ל , sings "Nachamu, Nachamu Ami".  It is beautiful..

• https://youtu.be/5dptj7zzIig

DEVARIM 1:1–3:22

  DEVARIM 1:1–3:22

                                     

  We begin the 5th Book of the Chumash, Sefer Devarim.

 The Greeks and other "Progressives" call it Deuteronomy, "second law".  This name is from a Greek mis-translation of the Hebrew phrase Mishneh Torah, "a repeat of the Law".  Shows you how much the Greeks and other "Progressives" know.  Mishneh Torah is what what we commonly called Devarim way back when.

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Devarim, is a concluding monologue by Moshe Rabbeinu.

This week's Parshah recounts how Moshe appointed chiefs, the episode of the Twelve Spies, encounters with the Edomites and Ammonites, the conquest of Sihon and Og, and the assignment of land for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Tribe of Manasseh.

Moses reminds the Israelites regarding Hashem's instruction that Edom, Moab and Amon were off-limits because these nations were the inheritance of Esau and Lot.

The Children of Israel are enjoined to keep the Torah and observe its commandments that Hashem has given them as an eternal heritage.

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DEVARIM begins:

 "These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel..."

"אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר משֶׁה אֶל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל"

All Israel means just that: Young, Old; Rich, Poor; Men, Women; Ashkenazi, Sephardi; Chassidim, Misnagedim; Religious, Secular. 

 Everyone is counted. Everyone counts.

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At  a class with Reb Yitz’s shiur he quoted the opening words of the Parsha and Sefer Devarim:

 "These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel..."

"אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר משֶׁה אֶל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל"

The Hebrew is specific: אֵלֶּה, these,; הַדְּבָרִים the words of Moshe.

The entire Sefer is composed with Moshe’s words.

Compare this circumstance where Moshe is a man of many words to the time when he first spoke to Hashem at the Burning Bush:

Exodus 4:10 “Moses said to the Lord, "I beseech You, O Lord. I am not a man of words,…”

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֣ה אֶל־יְהֹוָה֘ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָי֒ לֹא֩ אִ֨ישׁ דְּבָרִ֜ים

Moshe has grown.  He has reached his potential, a lesson for us all.

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In the Parsha at 1:12 we read where Moshe says:

אֵיכָ֥ה אֶשָּׂ֖א לְבַדִּ֑י טָרְחֲכֶ֥ם וּמַשַּֽׂאֲכֶ֖ם וְרִֽיבְכֶֽם

“How (איכה)  can I bear your trouble, your burden, and your strife all by myself?”

On Tish B’Av we read from the Book of Lamentations. The Book of Lamentations is traditionally called "Eichah", איכה, translated as "How".   The first words read:

ֵיכָ֣ה  יָֽשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִיא

How does the city sit solitary, that was populous,,,! 

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In the Parshah at 1:24, the activity of the 12 men who were sent out is not called “scouting” as in the Book of Numbers, but here in Devarim it is called “spying”.

יִּפְנוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֣וּ הָהָ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ עַד־נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכֹּ֑ל וַיְרַגְּל֖וּ אֹתָֽהּ

 "And they turned and went up the mountain, and they came to the valley of Eshkol and they spied it out".

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At 1:25 despite Moses' protests, the Israelites adopted the scouts' attitude and decided not to enter Canaan. This caused Hashem to bar that entire generation from entering the Promised Land.

 וְלֹא אֲבִיתֶם, לַעֲלֹת; וַתַּמְרוּ, אֶת-פִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

At 1:26 - But you did not want to go up, and you rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, your God.

 וּבַדָּבָר, הַזֶּה--אֵינְכֶם, מַאֲמִינִם, בַּיהוָה, אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

At 1:32 - But regarding this matter, you do not believe the Lord, your God,

 וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה, אֶת-קוֹל דִּבְרֵיכֶם; וַיִּקְצֹף

At 1:34 - And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth,

There may be a lesson here for all of us to learn:

Hashem is long suffering, but -

Whether you like it or not, Hashem has a plan for you. 

Going against Hashem’s plan is done at your own peril.

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Moshe’s message of encouragement at 3:21-22 to his successor, Yehoshua regarding the Canaanites:

21 - "And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord, your God, has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you will pass".

“Fear them not, for Hashem your God, He is fighting for you.”

לֹ֖א תִּֽירָא֑וּם כִּ֚י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם ה֖וּא הַנִּלְחָ֥ם לָכֶֽם

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The Haftarah opens with first verse of the Book of Isaiah.  Isaiah relates that he prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Since Uzziah's reign was 52 years in the middle of the 8th century BCE, Isaiah probably began his ministry a few years before Uzziah's death, maybe in the 740’s BCE.

Isaiah would have known about the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BCE, and much of its population deported. For him it was a foreshadowing of what was instore for the Kingdom of Judah.

He is said to have been murdered by Hezekiah’s son and successor, the very much wicked Manasseh, who after a co-regency, took the throne in 687 BCE.  Manasseh ruled for 55 years.  He re-instituted polytheistic worship, reversed the religious changes made by his father Hezekiah and sucked up to the Assyrian overlords.

In the Book of Isaiah at chapter 45, Isaiah speaks favorably of the Persian king Cyrus the Great.  His rule began in 559 BCE, causing many of us to consider that there may be more than one Isaiah credited with the Book of Isaiah  

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Way back in the Book of Genesis (18:19), Abraham is told that he and his descendants are to:

“…keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice…”

וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה, לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט

But unfortunately we do not:

In the Haftorah portion from the Book of Isaiah, a 100 years or so before the destruction of the first Temple, the Prophet foresees the Destruction because we did not do righteous and justice, and Our eventual redemption (1:27) will occur when:

“Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness.”

צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה; וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָ

 

  

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MATOT-MASSEI, NUMBERS 30:2–36:13

                                     

 MATOT-MASSEI, NUMBERS 30:2–36:13

 

Moses is commanded by Hashem to exact revenge from the Midianites for their part in seducing all those Jewish men, a precursor to Jewish assimilation.  A 12,000-strong, hand-picked army is led by Pinchas.  This is Hashem’s war, waged against Midian (but not Moab). All adult Midianite males are killed, along with Balaam and Midian’s five kings. We do not suffer loss of life.

Moses at the age of 120 is ordered to fight a war against Midian, a war for Hashem, just before he is to be gathered to his ancestors…Why him?…Why then?  Could it be that he had to clear the slate because of his Midianite wife or father-in-law or is it because he did not speak out and come forward at the incident of Zimri and Cozbi?

 How many of the Midianite casualties were kinsmen of Yisro, Moses’ father-in-law?

Zipporah, Moshe's wife had six sisters, perhaps their families were involved.  What do you think?

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                The Women of Midian Led Captive by the Hebrews, watercolor by James Tissot, 1896-1900.

At 31:14-18 we experience some strong words said by Moses to the officers of the returning army:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם משֶׁ֑ה הַֽחִיִּיתֶ֖ם כָּל־נְקֵבָֽה

“Moses said to them, "Did you allow all the females to live?”

“They were the same ones who were involved with the children of Israel on Balaam's advice to betray the Lord over the incident of Peor, resulting in a plague among the congregation of the Lord”.

“So now kill every male child, and every woman who can lie intimately with a man you shall kill”.

“And all the young girls who have no experience of intimate relations with a man, you may keep alive for yourselves”.

It is difficult to relate to these words and resultant actions, but about 500 years later it will happen again when King Saul is commanded to kill without exception all of the Amelekites…wow.

As an aside, the word for female is נְקֵבָֽה.

The root comes from the word orifice or hole, and is hardly politically correct.

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The Haftarah portion comes from the Prophet Jeremiah (2:4-28, 4:1-2), and is in regard to our continuing intransigence:

​ At 2:25 it reads: “but you said, "I despair. No, for I love strangers, and I will follow them."

This verse is reminiscent of Rabbi Meir Kahane:

“For so long as the Jew has even one ally, he will be convinced - in his smallness of mind - that his salvation came from that ally. It is only when he is alone - against all of his own efforts and frantic attempts - that he will, through no choice, be compelled to turn to G-d.

October 7 may have just done that.

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There is more than one way to view the Parshah.  In 1898 Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Schneersohn published an authoritative text referred to as a “maimar”.  It is entitled Heichaltzu”.  In it the Rabbi tries to understand what and why did Midian have anything against the Israelites.  He concluded that Midian harbored a baseless hatred, sinas chinam, שנאת חינם, against the Israelites.

The text for Heichaltzu can be found at https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/83659/jewish/Heichaltzu-Chapter-I.htm

Among many other things the Rabbi found that he name Midian (מדין) is etymologically related to the word  מדון meaning strife and contention. 

Baseless Hatred against Israelites is so apparent today as evidenced by October 7th.

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We conclude Sefer Bamidbar:

חזק, חזק, ונתחזק

Be strong; Be strong, and let us strengthen one another.

Chazak Chazak Ve-Nit’Chazek

PINCHAS, NUMBERS 25:10–30:1

 

PINCHAS, NUMBERS  25:10–30:1

 

 EXTRA-JUDICIAL EXECUTIONS

 The Parsha begins with Pinchas stepping  forward and doing in Cozbi and Zimri.

Pinchas' action is called an extra-judicial execution. There is no Court of Law; On his own, Pinchas assumes the role of Judge, Jury and Executioner.

I have a hypothetical question for you to consider:

If there had been a Beth Din, a Court of Law, and you were appointed to defend Zimri, what would you put forward as a defense? One answer is found in the following song:

https://youtu.be/p6svH5Qavzs?si=BVDleQQfWgtNDZsv

In some years (not 2024) the Haftorah portion is also connected to extra-judicial executions:

It comes from the First Book of Kings, 18:46, 19:1-21.  The Prophet Elijah is running for his life.  Ahab and Jezebel are after him because on his own volition, in a manner similar to Pinchas,  Elijah summarily had 950 Prophets of Baal put to death.

Whatever concern you may have with the lack of due process, sometimes the only way to deal with evil is to exterminate it.

PASSING THE TORCH

There is another connection between the Parshah and the Haftarah portion.  Elijah is physically exhausted.  He has been running for his life and is utterly spent.  Hashem recognizes that it is time for Elijah to pass the torch on to a successor.  At 19:18 Elijah throws his cloak over Elisha; the torch has been passed. In the Parshah at 27:18 Hashem commands Moshe to take Joshua and lay his hands upon him which Moshe does, and this torch too is passed on.

OPEN REBELLION

The Baal Peor incident was a religious political event that nearly cost the B’nai Yisrael their very existence. It was not just that someone from the tribe of Shimon wanted to have sex with a Midianite woman. Consider these facts:

1. One does not have sex in front of the Ohel Moed, in the eyes of Moshe and in front of the whole congregation unless one is making a political point.

2.The perpetrators were a prince from a substantial Shimonite family and a princess of the Midianite kingdom. (This also calls into question Moshe’s father in law who was a priest of Midian.)

3. Compare the two census’. In the first census, Shimon’s numbers totaled 59,300 people. In the aftermath of the incident Shimon totaled 22,200 souls, a reduction of 37,000 people lost, or about 60 per cent. 

This was a full blown rebellion. Consider the timing just before the death of Moshe, and its effect on Joshua, our soon to be leader.

As for the Tribe of Shimon, land-wise they were subsumed into the Tribe of Judah.

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 Pinchas is inexorably linked to the wiping out of assimilation and an attempt to destroy Judaism.  When we were exiled to Babylonia, we Jews were again faced with the prospect of assimilation, a vestige of which is the pagan names that we have assigned to the months of the years.  Today we are in the month of Tammuz.

Tammuz is the god of the harvest; he was loved by the goddess Ishtar.  She was known as the goddess of prostitutes, and her alternate names of Har and Hora gave rise to the terms “harlot” and “whore”. 

Tammuz was killed by a boar. Ishtar was devastated by his death.

When Tammuz died, all vegetation died.  Humans animals would no longer mate, and the Earth, herself, was dying.  Ishtar journeys to the netherworld and revives Tammuz  saying: "Great Tammuz is reborn, the fruits of the Earth are ours once more. Bring them forth, let us enjoy them!"

 Tammuz should be a reminder for us of the shame of assimilation.

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You can see the inroads of assimilation in our texts as far back as the prophet Ezekiel, 6^th century BCE.  In the Book of Ezekiel at 8:14 consider this verse:

וַיָּבֵא אֹתִי, אֶל-פֶּתַח שַׁעַר בֵּית-יְהוָה, אֲשֶׁר, אֶל-הַצָּפוֹנָה; וְהִנֵּה-שָׁם הַנָּשִׁים יֹשְׁבוֹת, מְבַכּוֹת אֶת-הַתַּמּוּז

“Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz."

At that time, probably before the destruction of the Temple,  Jewish women were ceremoniously mourning for a pagan god, Tammuz.  Today, on the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz we are still mourning, but now for the Temple’s destruction.

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                                                   The Daughters of Zelophehad (Dalziels’ Bible Gallery), 1865–81 

At 27:4-5, the four daughters of צְלָפְחָד ask to inherit land from their deceased father’s estate, saying:

“Why should our father's name be eliminated from his family because he had no son? Give us a portion along with our father's brothers. "

לָמָּה יִגָּרַע שֵׁם-אָבִינוּ מִתּוֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, כִּי אֵין לוֹ בֵּן; תְּנָה-לָּנוּ אֲחֻזָּה, בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אָבִינוּ 

Moses does not know the answer since traditionally only sons inherit.

“So Moses brought their case before the Lord”.

    ן וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת-מִשְׁפָּטָ

לִפְנֵי יְהוָה                                    

What is remarkable here is Moses is not fearful of saying that he doesn’t know. 

Even more remarkable is that Hashem is not fearful of setting aside an established tradition and doing justice with kindness.

KORACH, NUMBERS 16:1-18:32

 KORACH, NUMBERS 16:1-18:32 

REBELLION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION

According to the Ramban this Torah portion follows on the heels of the previous Torah portion, Shelach. In Shelach Mosses sends out 12 chieftains or clan leaders to reconnoiter the land Except for Joshua and Caleb, 10 of the 12 give a negative report which is believed by the Israelites. 

These 10 are killed outright by Hashem because they were afraid to conquer the land.  Israelites above the age of 20 are condemned to wander until their entire generation will die out. In essence they are given a life sentence with no chance of parole. Against this background the Parsha begins.

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Botticcelli, Sandro - The Punishment of Korah and the Stoning of Moses and Aaron - 1481-82.

In our Parshah there is a two-pronged attack against the appointment of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, and against Moses as the leader of Israelite nation.  This ultimately comes down as a rebellion against God.

Aaron and his sons’ appointment to the priesthood begins in the Book of Exodus at 28:1, when Hashem makes a declaration to Moses:

וְאַתָּה הַקְרֵב אֵלֶיךָ אֶת-אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאֶת-בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ, מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--לְכַהֲנוֹ-לִי:  אַהֲרֹן--נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אֶלְעָזָר וְאִיתָמָר, בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן.

“And you shall bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office,  Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons”.

Contrary to Hashem’s declaration, Korach, Aaron’s cousin wants to open or maybe reopen the Priest’s office to everyone or at least to the First Born.  It was the First Born who at Mt. Sinai offered up the sacrifices to Hashem:

Exodus 24.5 - 

 וַיִּשְׁלַח, אֶת-נַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיַּעֲלוּ, עֹלֹת; וַיִּזְבְּחוּ זְבָחִים שְׁלָמִים, לַיהוָה--פָּרִים.

 "And he sent the young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the LORD".

נַעֲרֵי, young men or youths is interpreted as the First Born (Talmud Bavli, Zevachim 112b).

Although the First Born had a taste of offering sacrifices, they lost that privilege at the Sin of the Golden Calf.

The Priesthood was, is and will be an exclusionary office.   Korach is assisted by 250 First Born tribal leaders, including possibly some Levites.  They too wanted the privilege to offer sacrifices on the Altar, the Mizbeach (מזבח).  They maintained that offering sacrifices, i.e.. being Priests, should not rest exclusively with Aaron and his family.

Secondly, Dathan and Abiram are causing a problem for Moses.  They are leaders from the Tribe of Reuben.  They do not want to wander and die in the dessert for the next 39 years.  For better or worse they want to return to Egypt, the home that they had known.  After all, they will not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.  

However there is no turning back.  In comparison to the ten spies who were killed outright, the generation of the dessert were given a life sentence without any hope of parole.

Moses needs and has the full support of Hashem.  The ground opens up, as if it is a living being and swallows up Korach, Dathan and Abiram.  The 250 co-conspirators who are carrying their fire pans bring down a heavenly fire that consumes them all. It is similar to what happened to Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu.  

You play with fire and you get burned.

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A PRACTICAL WOMAN SAVES HER HUSBAND'S LIFE

In the Parshah, Korach is assisted by three co-conspirators: Dathan, Abiram and On son of Peleth.  Korach, Dathan and Abiram perish, but On’s situation is in clouded in mystery. 

 The Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 18:20) comes out and says that On’s wife saves the day: On’s wife was wise and practical.  She sums up for her husband that he is in a lose-lose situation.  Then she gets him so drunk that he falls asleep.  

When the boys come by to fetch her husband, she stands at the entrance to her tent and loosens her hair.  This unseemly act causes the boys to turn tail and run off to their doom.

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I heard a shiur by Rabbi Riskin in which Moses’ punishment not to enter Israel (Parshat Chukat next week) is directly attributed to his encounter with Korach in this week’s Parshah.  No one sticks up for Moshe.  Not one of shows gratitude for all that he has done.  And Moshe is angry. Then next week when Moshe encounters the rock, his misplaced anger comes out.  The rock becomes the Jewish people, stiff-necked, hard and implacable.  And he strikes it.  

Rabbi Riskin concludes that to be a leader of the Jewish people, one must not lose patience, must be forgiving and love us passionately despite our failings.  

Korach failed in his rebellion, but in doing so he may have condemned Moshe not to enter Israel.

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The Punishment of Korah (detail from the fresco Punishment of the Rebels by Sandro Botticelli (1480–1482) in the Sistine Chapel)

 In a previous Parshah, Behaalotecha, Eldad and Medad were prophesying.  Joshua becomes outraged. Moses calms him down, gracefully saying, “If only all of G-d’s people would be prophets!”  Yet in Parshat Korach, when Korach challenges Moses’ authority saying, “The whole community is holy, and the Lord is with them, why then do you exalt yourself over the community of G-d?”

And in this instance Moses uses his power to call upon a miracle to eliminate his opposition. 

What’s going on here?  How are the two instances reconciled?

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An opinion of Rav Kook:

This is the argument that Korach put forth — “All of the congregation is holy, and God is in their midst” (Num. 16:3) — does not seem silly at all. Is not Korach simply restating what God told the entire nation, “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:2)? What was so wrong with his claim? Why did Moses insist that only Aaron and his descendants could serve as Priests?

In the test of Korach and the 250 followers, Moses suggested that they offer incense and not burnt offerings.. This is a hint that Korach’s vision reflected an underlying truth, but one for the distant future, when sin-offerings will no longer be needed to atone for our wrongdoing.

Looking ahead: The Jewish people will always exist, the distinction of Aaron’s descendants as Kohanim is not permanent. In the future, all of Israel will be elevated to the level of Priests. God’s declaration to Israel, “You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to Me” (Ex. 19:6), refers to this future era.

 

Adapted from Chanan Morrison’s “Gold from the Land of Israel”, pp. 252-255;

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MOTHER EARTH
The Land of Israel is held to be a special place within the
world, within the planet Earth. The Land of Israel may be viewed as being
part of a living organism (the Earth) with self-regulatory functions. This view
seems similar to those who adhere to the Gaia-Mother Earth theory where
the Earth itself is deemed to be organic and alive. 


Is the Earth and/or the Land of Israel alive and do they exhibit self-
regulatory functions?
Consider the Torah reading at 18:25 and18:27-28:

וַתִּטְמָא הָאָרֶץ, וָאֶפְקֹד עֲוֺנָהּ עָלֶיהָ; וַתָּקִא הָאָרֶץ, אֶת-יֹשְׁבֶיהָ.

“And the land became defiled, and I visited its sin upon it, and the
land vomited out its inhabitants”

 כִּי אֶת-כָּל-הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵל, עָשׂוּ אַנְשֵׁי-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵיכֶם;

וַתִּטְמָא, הָאָרֶץ

וְלֹא-תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם, בְּטַמַּאֲכֶם אֹתָהּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר קָאָה אֶת-הַגּוֹי,

אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵיכֶם.

“For the people of the land who preceded you, did all of these abominations, and the land became defiled. And let the land not vomit you out for having defiled it. as it vomited out the nation that preceded you”.

Consider the Earth opening up and swallowing Korach and his followers or the Earth crying out regarding the blood of the murdered Abel.

A rhetorical question, an answer is not expected:
If the Earth is an entity that embodies the properties of life, where then
would you place Israel? Zionist that I am, without missing a beat, I would
exclaim: the heart, the seat of wisdom and emotions!

For a better answer, at least to me, consider Israel to be part of a cell, one
of the trillions of cells that you and I have and which together comprise our
body, our universe so to speak. If Israel is a distinct part of a cell, I would
place it within the cell’s nucleus where it has its own special DNA as does
us Jews. For me, Israel is the equivalent of a cell’s mitochondria, where
the energy needed for the cell’s function is produced. What do you think?

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The  Haftarah portion is from Samuel I, 11:14 - 12:22. 

About 400 years before, Joshua, starting out from Gilgal, had conquered the Land.  It had taken him 14 years.  Then for a period of more than 300 years, from time to time when we were beset by enemies, we were led by Prophets and Judges.  Our enemies were the Ammonites or the Moabites or the Philistines and even some remaining Canaanites.

Now we requested a different kind of leadership; we wanted a King.  Hashem listened and although not entirely pleased, granted the request.  Saul, the Benjaminite was anointed King of Israel.  Samuel, who unselfishly administered to us for 40 years, traveling from village to village on his own dime, begrudgingly went with the program.  Listening to his words I hear some regret and remorse.

"YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT"

 https://youtu.be/krxU5Y9lCS8

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