5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Masai, Matot, Numbers, Parsha

Levels of Control (Matot-Masai)

Leave a comment

Levels of Control (Matot-Masai)

Nothing is more dangerous than a friend without discretion; even a prudent enemy is preferable. -Jean de La Fontaine

Moses addresses the leaders of the tribes of Israel. He instructs them as to the laws of vows. He instructs them about literally, “what comes out of your mouths.” The Bat Ayin on Numbers 30:2 connects the fact that Moses is addressing the leaders of the tribes to a person’s ability to control their mouth.

It seems that Israel’s judicial, military, and most likely political leadership during their years of wandering in the desert was organized in a hierarchical system, as initially proposed by Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro. Back in the Book of Exodus, shortly after the nation of Israel is miraculously freed from Egypt, crosses the Reed Sea and camps out at the foot of Mount Sinai, Jethro gives Moses much needed advice. He saw Moses attending individually to every single person in Israel, tells him it’s unsustainable and recommends a hierarchical meritocracy. Moses implements Jethro’s plan and establishes the roles of Captains of Ten, Captains of Fifty, Captains of One Hundred and Captains of One Thousand.

The Bat Ayin suggests that a person achieved a higher rank based on their ability to control their mouth. Those who exhibited the greatest control over what they said, how they said it, when they said it, to whom they said it, and perhaps most importantly, what they didn’t say – those people merited the highest rank within the leadership of Israel. The less prudent, less sensitive, less cautious and less circumspect a person was in their dialogue, the lower their rank, and ostensibly, those with little control of their speech were not given any positions of responsibility.

However, the control of their tongue was a product of their awe and reverence of God. The stronger a person understood their divine responsibilities and obligations, the more a person sought sanctity and transcendence. The more they used their powers of speech for noble and holy purposes, the more they were elevated.

May we always use caution and deliberation in what we say and achieve greater levels of divine connection.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the surprising discovery of a large, 50km wide, cooled magma patch on the far side of the moon, which may have been generated by volcanic eruptions from radioactive elements billions of years ago. Scientists are still trying to figure it out.

5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Numbers, Parsha, Pinchas

Counter-productive Ambition (Pinchas)

Leave a comment

Counter-productive Ambition (Pinchas)

The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream. -William Shakespeare

Men of Israel, while camped in the desert, are seduced by Midianite and Moabite women into both adultery and idolatry. The moral breakdown is so pervasive that a prince of the Israelite tribe of Simeon, Zimri, publicly couples with a Midianite princess, Kozbi, in front of Moses and the leadership of Israel. While this is happening, and as a direct result of the mass-lewdness, a divinely ordained plague is rapidly killing off thousands of Israelites. While the rest of the leadership seems paralyzed, Pinchas, grandson of Aaron the High Priest, proceeds to kill the indiscreetly romantic prince and princess. Thereafter, the plague comes to a sudden halt, after killing 24,000 Israelites.

God is then effusive in his praise of Pinchas and his actions and elevates him and all his descendants to Kohanic status. The Bat Ayin on Numbers 25:10 states that Pinchas’ courage in taking upon himself the killing of Zimri and Kozbi and his subsequent divine reward are both tied to his innate humility. He explains that Pinchas’ underlying trait was one of humility, which enabled him to clearly see what his obligation was. His subsequent humility after God’s praise further cemented the eternal nature of his reward.

The Bat Ayin takes the opportunity to expound on the power of humility and the dangers of what he sees as the opposite of humility – undue ambition. Pinchas was happy with his lot. He wanted only what God wanted for him. He only wanted to do God’s will. Therefore, when he was confronted with the challenging situation of Zimri and Kozbi, his deep humility, his singular desire to do God’s will, gave him the distinct clarity as to what God wanted of him. Pinchas proceeds, still retaining his humility, to follow God’s desire. Even after his subsequent elevation, Pinchas retains his humility as he understands that his new status is likewise God’s desire.

The Bat Ayin continues that when God intends for a person to have something, there is nothing that person can do to change that eventuality. Likewise, if God doesn’t intend for a person to receive something, there is nothing that person can do, there is no agency in the universe that will bring them one iota closer to receiving what God will not allow. If a person has ambitions beyond what God has decreed, they will be disappointed and struggle in vain. If anything, undue ambition, to desire what God doesn’t desire for us is an arrogance that can have detrimental and counter-productive effects. A classic example is the Midrash about the first days of Creation when the moon complained to God that there can’t be two rulers of the sky, both the moon and the sun – the moon implying that it should be the unrivaled ruler. However, the moon’s ambition backfired; God decreed that the moon should be diminished while the sun would be the prime ruler of the sky.

May we channel our ambitions to things we’re certain God would want.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To our son, Yehoshua, on completing his Masa Kumta (end of training, capped by overnight trek and receipt of his unit’s beret).  

5783, Balak, Bat Ayin, Numbers, Parsha

Communal Israeli Embassies (Balak)

Leave a comment

Communal Israeli Embassies (Balak)

Embassies, as strongholds of home, carry its spirit across borders, offering a haven where nationals find support, guidance, and belonging. -ChatGPT

The nation of Israel is on the border of Canaan, getting ready to conquer the Promised Land. They had sought free passage through the kingdom of Sichon. Sichon in response attacked Israel, only to be soundly defeated, even though Israel had no designs on his land. The kingdom of Og is likewise conquered by Israel. King Balak of Moab is petrified by the prospect of Israel conquering his land also, though not only did Israel have no such interest, but God had also commanded Moses that they shouldn’t fight with Moab, their distant cousins, descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot.

Being on the border between what would become the Land of Israel and the Diaspora, the Bat Ayin on Numbers 22:2 explores some of the differences between being inside the land and outside of it. He states that the characteristic of falsehood will take hold and be stronger outside of Israel. He also discusses the distinction and great merit of speaking words of truth, in Hebrew, the holy language, in Israel, the holy land. Prayer in particular is most effective in that combination of being in Hebrew and being in Israel.

However, he adds an important caveat to this principle, based on the Talmud (Tractate Berachot 6a) that a person’s prayers are primarily heard when they are made in the synagogue. There is a power and an urgency that is harder for God to ignore when heartfelt prayers are prayed in the synagogue. The Bat Ayin connects this power of the synagogue to another Talmudic statement (Tractate Megillah 29a) which predicts that all synagogues of the diaspora will somehow be transported at some future date to the land of Israel. That somehow, a synagogue is an extension of the land of Israel, a divine embassy available in every community in the world.

That is why synagogues are exceptions to the rule. That is why prayers outside of Israel are heard with great power and efficacy in the synagogue, because the synagogue is an extension of Israel. That is why, in the future, the synagogues will return to their origins, to their physical roots – the land of Israel, together with our diaspora.

May we take advantage of our local Jewish embassies to make sure our prayers are more forcefully transmitted.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the first cohort of incredibly talented Sacks Scholars. Good luck with the program!

5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Chukat, Numbers, Parsha

Mouth Shut Open (Chukat)

Leave a comment

Mouth Shut Open (Chukat)

Remember, every time you open your mouth to talk, your mind walks out and parades up and down the words. -Edwin H. Stuart

Mouth Shut Open

The Torah reading of Chukat deals with the concept of purification. God prescribes the procedure of the Red Heifer to cleanse us from ritual impurity. The Bat Ayin on Numbers 19:1 expands the concept of purity to the organ of the mouth. He explains that we should be careful to be pure with what we let into our mouths, namely the food that we consume, as well as what comes out of our mouths, the words we speak.

He cites the Talmud (Tractate Shabbat 104a) which talks about “a closed mouth, an open mouth.” He interprets it as meaning there are times when we need to keep our mouths closed. Whether it’s to avoid eating any food of questionable kosher status, or whether it’s to avoid saying anything that contravenes God’s desires. We should only open our mouths to permitted foods. We should only open our mouths to speak positive, helpful, kind words.

The Bat Ayin details that there is a further correlation between “closed mouth” and “open mouth.” If we succeed in keeping our mouths shut from prohibited foods, if we succeed in keeping our mouths shut from talking inanities, of using foul, hurtful language, or of gossiping, then God, as recompense, will “open” His mouth. He will “open” the mouth of Heaven to rain upon us a bounty of prosperity. If we demonstrate that we can keep our mouths closed when appropriate, God will demonstrate that He can open the mouth of plenty, the mouth of ample sustenance as an appropriate reward for our self-control.

He further elaborates that there is an innate sanctity in the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. When we use Hebrew letters to speak words that are holy, words that are sacred, in the right place, time and context, it has a power that resonates in the heavens. It further opens up the divine gates of blessing. However, if we abuse our gift, our power of speech, then it shuts that conduit, it turns off the faucet of munificence and blocks God’s blessings from reaching us.

May we recall the dictum that life and death are in the power of our mouths.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the memory of those killed in the terrorist attack at Eli and to the full and rapid recovery of those injured.

5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Korach, Numbers, Parsha

The Shortcut Fallacy (Korach)

Leave a comment

The Shortcut Fallacy (Korach)

The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not obtained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

No Shortcuts

Korach is a Levite. He is a cousin of Moses and Aaron. He is as close to nobility as one could get in the fledgling nation of Israel. According to the Midrash he was brilliant, insanely wealthy and was married to an ambitious wife. However, all these blessings and distinctions were not enough for Korach. Still dissatisfied with his lot and envious of Moses and Aaron, Korach proceeds to launch a rebellion against their leadership.

Korach’s rebellion is short-lived and proves fatal to Korach and his followers. A heavenly fire consumes 250 of Korach’s followers, while the rest of the rebels who are part of the sub-group of brothers Datan and Aviram die when the earth miraculously opens to swallow them.

The Bat Ayin on Numbers 16:1 recalls some of the theological arguments that Korach used in his rebellion. One of them was that Korach understood that the ultimate purpose of creation and of human existence is to develop our awe of God, to become wholehearted servants of the Master of the World, the Creator of the Universe. Korach argued that if that is the point, why do we need to bother with the Torah and its commandments. Let’s just meditate and focus on the ultimate awe of God. Let’s get straight to the point without going through the long, challenging, arduous process of learning an endless number of laws and having to be particular about an infinite number of details and nuances.

The Bat Ayin explains that such “direct” thinking was Korach’s fatal mistake. There are no shortcuts to lofty goals. Developing the right connection with God is the loftiest of all goals. It requires study, practice, training, and work. Any accomplishment requires these elements. Even people who are gifted with great talent in any area, still need to hone it, still need preparation and a massive investment of time, energy and resources to achieve their goals.

The Torah and the commandments are the path to connect to God. It is the practice, the investment, the work, the devotion, the focus, the sacrifice. All these things and more are what build the foundation, the conduit and the steps for us to reach God.

Let’s not be afraid to do the work.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To Ira the Starman of Astronomy Israel. For a magical tour of the night sky in Machtesh Ramon.

5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Numbers, Parsha, Shelach

Choosing Yokes (Shelach)

Leave a comment

Choosing Yokes (Shelach)

The more you depend on forces outside yourself, the more you are dominated by them. -Harold Sherman

Yoke

Moses sends twelve princes of Israel to spy out the land of Canaan, the land God promised to the nation of Israel. Ten of the twelve spies come back with a frightening, negative report that sows panic amongst the people. God is furious with this development and tells Moses he will destroy the nation and start anew with just Moses and his descendants. Moses successfully intercedes and God diminishes the decree from outright destruction to instead have the cowardly, faithless population wander in the desert for forty years. The next generation will be the ones to conquer Canaan.

The Bat Ayin on Numbers 14:17 explains that part of the failure of the generation of the desert was their lack of faith in God. They believed in the superficial strength of their enemies and did not believe in the supernatural powers that God had already demonstrated with the ten plagues of Egypt, the splitting of the sea and the numerous other miracles they experienced in the desert. By accepting and fearing the mundane reality of the physical strength of their enemies, they in a sense neutralized God’s possible intervention.

The Bat Ayin explains that the converse is also true. By accepting God’s strength, God’s power, God’s desire and ability to intervene in our lives, by accepting what the Sages call “the Yoke of Heaven,” we neutralize and overcome our mundane, physical adversaries. By becoming full-fledged subjects of God’s monarchy, we throw off the yoke of earthly monarchies and overlords. Not only are political rulers nullified, but somehow even the chains and burdens of a livelihood are lifted. The dictum of the Sages states: “Whoever accepts upon themselves the yoke of Heaven, they have lifted from them the yoke of rulers and the yoke of livelihood.”

The Bat Ayin adds that a particularly strong expression of accepting the Yoke of Heaven is by keeping the Sabbath, based on the liturgy: “They will be joyous in Your Kingship, the keepers of the Sabbath.”

Keeping the Sabbath is a clear and obvious demonstration of one’s fealty to God and His directives. By choosing God as our ultimate and only ruler we may free ourselves from the clutches of political rulers and economic control.

May we remember who is the One that is really in charge.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

In memory of Ori Yitzhak Iluz, Ohad Dahan and Lia Ben Nun who were killed on the Egyptian border. May God comfort their families among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Behaalotcha, Numbers, Parsha

Humbly Eternal (Behaalotcha)

Leave a comment

Humbly Eternal (Behaalotcha)

Death is a commingling of eternity with time; in the death of a good man, eternity is seen looking through time. -Johann von Goethe

Old Ghost

Moses appears to go through an existential crisis, however we can understand such a thing of a man who spoke “face to face” with God. The burden of leading the complaining nation of Israel proves to be too much for Moses at one point and he cries out to God. As a solution, God gifts other leaders of Israel with the power of prophecy. However, as a side-effect of this sharing of prophecy, there are two men who start to offer unsanctioned prophesies in the Israelite camp.

Joshua, Moses’ disciple, is offended on Moses’ behalf and suggests that these rogue prophets be apprehended. Moses is neither offended nor threatened. He has the opposite reaction and wishes that all of Israel would carry the gift of prophecy.

The Bat Ayin on Numbers 11:28 explores some of the characteristics that made Moses so great. He explains that even though Moses reached the pinnacle of human potential he still considered himself lowly. He further states that such a person who is great yet considers himself lowly is at a higher level than the angels. And just as the angels don’t die, so this humbly great person doesn’t die.

He quotes a Talmudic dictum that states that a person “doesn’t die and half of his desires are in his hand,” which conventionally is understood as saying that a person dies before half of his desires are fulfilled. The Bat Ayin explains the dictum as saying that a person doesn’t die if they see themselves as not having reached half of their spiritual desires in serving God. Meaning, a person who is objectively accomplished in their spiritual life and activities yet feels as if they haven’t done half of what they wanted to do, such people don’t die. Such people are higher than the angels, and even when their physical shells are no longer with us, their lives are transformed into eternal lives, into lives that illuminate their families, their communities, and the entire nation for generations to come.

May we understand what true, healthy humility means and work on it.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the memory of Mrs. Yael Shterntal z”l. May her family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Naso, Numbers, Parsha

Degrees of Exile (Naso)

Leave a comment

Degrees of Exile (Naso)

What makes loneliness an anguish is not that I have no one to share my burden, but this: I have only my own burden to bear. -Dag Hammarskjold

Levels of Exile

The Torah reading of Naso, among many other things, touches on exiling people of different status from the encampment of Israel. The verse states:

“Instruct the Israelites to remove from camp anyone with Tzaraat or a discharge (a Zav) and anyone defiled by a corpse. Remove male and female alike; put them outside the camp so that they do not defile the camp of those in whose midst I dwell.”

The Bat Ayin on Numbers 5:2 analyses the various types of statuses and notices that each has a different level of exile in relation to the different levels of the Israelite encampment in the desert. The innermost camp is the Machane Shechina, the camp where God’s presence is most concentrated, namely the Tabernacle that was in the center of the camp. The second level is the Machane Leviya, the Levite camp, which immediately surrounded the Tabernacle. The third level is the Machane Yisrael, the Israelite camp, which is the remainder of the tribes of Israel who were camped outside the perimeter of the Levite camp.

A person who was afflicted with Tzaraat, typically associated with grave interpersonal sins, like gossip-mongering, is exiled from all three camps. They are completely exiled from the tribes of Israel. A person who sins in that fashion, at the time of sinning is as if they are saying “I have no part in Israel.” Hence, their symbolic physical exile from the dwelling place of the nation. That is until they repudiate their sin, repent, and return to the camp of Israel.

A person who has an impure discharge, a Zav, is exiled, or more practically, not allowed in the Levite camp. The Bat Ayin explains the comparison to a person who isn’t necessarily actively sinning but is not engaged with either Torah or good deeds. They are still part of Israel but don’t merit entering the more exalted Levite camp.

A person who has come in touch with a corpse is allowed in the Levite camp, but is not allowed in the Machane Shechina, in the area of the Tabernacle. This person is compared to someone who is not an active sinner and is engaged in Torah and good deeds. However, their mind and their spirit are not in regular communion with God. Only a person who has God constantly on their mind merits to dwell in the innermost camp of God.

That level of communion is hinted at in Psalms 16:8 “I will place God in front of me, always.” It is achieved by understanding the façade of our physical reality and realizing that God is ultimately behind everything. It is achieved by having faith in God and comprehending what our true responsibilities are. It is achieved by remaining focused on what acts have eternal significance and which are of fleeting value.

May we strive to get as close to the inner camp as possible.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Shavuot Sameach,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the memory of Rabbi Seth Mandel, my friend and teacher. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

5783, AI art, Bamidbar, Bat Ayin, Numbers, Parsha

The Trap of Sustenance (Bamidbar)

Leave a comment

The Trap of Sustenance (Bamidbar)

It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living. -Jean Jacques Rousseau

Sustenance Trap

At the opening of the Book of Numbers, we have a noteworthy confluence of space and time. The Torah describes how God spoke to Moses. It tells us that it was in the desert of Sinai, in the Tabernacle, starting from the more general geographic description (desert) and then giving us the very specific location (Tabernacle). The verse continues to tell us that it was on the first day of the second month of the second year of the Exodus, namely the very specific day of the month, followed by the more general month of the year and the even more general year.

The Bat Ayin on Numbers 1:1 wonders why in describing space, the Torah starts with the general coordinates and narrows to the more specific location, but in describing time, it starts with the specific day and expands outward to the more general markers of month and year.

He answers that it has to do with man’s ongoing challenge of making a livelihood.

He explains that there is a trap laid in front of every person, the trap of having to make a living. We are ensnared by the belief that “the strength of my arm” is what provides sustenance. Believing exclusively in our own efforts, our own intelligence and our own guile, easily leads to the temptation of cutting corners, be it ethical or legal. The constant pressure of having to provide for ourselves and those in our charge makes it very easy to justify immoral behavior. If my income, my livelihood, and my family’s financial security are wholly dependent on my winning in the capitalistic game we find ourselves in, then the ends may justify the means, and we allow ourselves to lie, cheat, steal or otherwise engage in corrupt activities.

The solution, the Bat Ayin suggests, is hinted at in the structure of the verse. The nation of Israel starts off in the desert of Sinai, where they demonstrate the first stages of faith, of believing in God, and a willingness to accept and follow His commandments. They then progress to the next stage of building a Tabernacle for God to dwell amongst them. The order of the dates in the verse makes similar hints. The second month reminds us of the second month of the first year of the Exodus, when Israel receives the heavenly bread, the Maan, on a daily basis. That starts to build Israel’s confidence and reliance on God. The second year is when the Tabernacle is built, and having a tangible sense of God’s presence creates an even greater level of confidence.

Hence the solution to the trap of sustenance is to increase our faith and confidence in God, in stages. When we realize that it is God who ultimately determines our success and part of His desire is for us to be ethical, law-abiding citizens, then we can be more relaxed in our material pursuits. God has brought us to the specific place and circumstances we find ourselves in. We need to make our own responsible efforts, but ultimately, God decides as to the results of those efforts.

May we develop our faith and confidence in God’s sustenance, step by step.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To my friend, Rabbi Alan Haber, on the launch of his new educational initiative, Am Levadad. Highly recommended.

https://rabbihaber.net/am-levadad/

5783, AI art, Bat Ayin, Bechukotai, Behar, Leviticus, Parsha

Divine Israeli Meals (Behar-Bechukotai)

Leave a comment

Divine Israeli Meals (Behar-Bechukotai)

The act of putting into your mouth what the earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the earth. -Frances Moore Lappe

The Seven Species

The reading of the Torah portion of Behar introduces us to the laws of the Sabbatical year, Shmita, when farmers in Israel are biblically mandated not to work the land. The Bat Ayin on Leviticus 25:20 gets philosophical and wonders as to why God would make such a materialistic world in the first place and make us humans so vitally dependent on physical sustenance to survive. If God ostensibly wants us to focus on our spiritual development and connection to the metaphysical, why would He create a system that has us preoccupied with food and material survival throughout the day and which creates the real possibility of us transgressing multiple commandments if we aren’t careful with what and how we consume things?

He answers that it has to do with the land of Israel. There is some intrinsic holiness to the land of Israel. Furthermore, the land of Israel has seven species of produce for which it is praised, namely wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. He explains that when a person consumes from these seven species (including Israeli bread, wine, olive oil and date honey) in purity and purpose, it’s a fast track to a correction of the seven traits of the soul and to somehow connect to God. He further states that it is more challenging to improve these traits and connect to God without the assistance of these seven species and the transcendent thoughts we should ideally have when consuming them.

However, he does provide two other remedies for those who don’t have easy access to Israeli products. The Shabbat meals, when eaten with the proper preparation and intention can have the same power as eating from the produce of Israel. The other remedy is that when eating any other food that is not of Israeli origin, to have in mind the land of Israel. It is no wonder that the Birkat Hamazon, the Grace after Meals that we recite after eating, makes notable mention of the land of Israel.

So, in summary, God purposely made a very material world, but gave us some avenues, through the very physical act of eating, to connect with Him. With the proper intention, just eating from the seven species of Israel can enable that connection. Additionally, a Shabbat meal and thinking of the land of Israel can likewise assist us in bridging Heaven and Earth.

May we remember that even the basic act of eating is something that can be elevated.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To my friend, Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell, on his new Bible Tour Guide initiative. See below for more details.

 

%d bloggers like this: