Rav Eli J. Mansour: Parashat Debarim — Building the "Bridge" to Redemption

7 Menahem Av 5784 | ז' מנחם אב ה'תשפ"ד

 

 

The original d'var Torah by Rav Mansour was posted in time prior to SHABBAT DEBARIM 5784.
Take the Temple Institute Illustrated Tour of the Holy Temple HERE.

(Holy Temple = Bet Ha'mikdash)

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On Tisha B'Ab, as we know, we observe a fast and mourn the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash.  Although this calamity occurred many generations after the Torah was given, nevertheless, the day of Tisha B'Ab – like everything else – has a source in the Torah.

 This source is revealed to us by the Zohar, in Parashat Vayishlach, where it teaches that the 365 days of the solar year correspond to the 365 Misvot Lo Ta'aseh – prohibitions introduced by the Torah.  Each day of the solar calendar is associated with a different Biblical prohibition.  And the day of Tisha B'Ab, the Zohar writes, corresponds to the prohibition of "Gid Ha'nasheh," which forbids partaking of a certain sinew of animals.  This prohibition commemorates the incident that occurred when Yaakob Abinu was on his way back to Eretz Yisrael after having spent twenty years with his uncle.  On the night before he crossed the river into the Land of Israel, he was attacked by a mysterious assailant, identified by the Sages as the Satan, the angel of Esav.  Yaakob ultimately prevailed, but suffered an injury in his Gid Ha'nasheh.  In commemoration of this struggle, we refrain from eating the Gid Ha'nasheh of animals.  The Zohar teaches us that this prohibition corresponds with Tisha B'Ab.  Just as this command requires us to refrain from eating something to commemorate a foreigner's attack that caused Yaakob a painful injury, on Tisha B'Ab we refrain from eating to commemorate the pain and suffering caused by our enemies on this day.

 The Hatam Sofer (Rav Moshe Sofer, Pressburg, 1762-1839) develops the Zohar's teaching further, establishing that this fight between Yaakob and Esav's angel actually took place on the night of Tisha B'Ab.  That night set the precedent for what would happen many centuries later, when, like then, our enemy would come and deal a painful blow.

 If so, then we can perhaps understand an otherwise peculiar aspect of the Torah's description of the events of that night when the angel attacked Yaakob.

 The Torah relates that on this night, Yaakob brought all his belongings across the river, to the other side ("Va'ya'aber Et Asher Lo" – Bereshit 32:24).  Afterward, he was left alone on his side, and he came under attack.  Rashi explains this verse to mean, "He made himself like a bridge, taking from here and placing it here."  We must wonder, why is this important?  Why did the Torah find it necessary to inform us that Yaakob formed a "bridge" over the river, bringing his possessions from one side to the next?

The answer is that this "bridge" is the secret for how we defeat "Esav" and recover from the destruction and exile that he brings upon us.  In Yaakob's famous dream, he saw a ladder extending from the ground – from the site of the Bet Ha'mikdash – to the heavens.  This is what the Bet Ha'mikdash represents – connecting the earth to the heavens, infusing our physical world and our physical reality with sanctity, with spiritual meaning.  Offering an animal as a sacrifice means taking a physical entity and making it sacred, which is precisely the way we are supposed to live.  This is what the Bet Ha'mikdash represented, and this is the symbolic meaning of Yaakob forming a "bridge" for his material possessions.  When he brought his assets across the river to Eretz Yisrael, he was showing us what religious life means – infusing our physical, worldly existence with holiness.  This is the significance of Yaakob's "bridge" – bridging the gap between heaven and earth, between the sacred and the mundane, between the spiritual and the physical.

 On that night of Tisha B'Ab, which established this occasion as a time of exile, suffering and calamity, Yaakob showed us how we can bring an end to our troubles and earn redemption.  In order to be worthy of the Bet Ha'mikdash, we need to work to make this connection between heaven and earth, between our physical reality and Kedusha.  We need to infuse our mundane activities with spiritual meaning, by directing everything we do toward Torah and Misvot.  We do this by going about all our activities in strict adherence to Halacha, and by devoting time and resources for sacred purposes.  By elevating our worldly existence, and injecting it with holiness, we form the "bridge" that will lead us to the rebuilding of the Bet Ha'mikdash, speedily and in our times, Amen.

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May haShem bring this about with all due speed; may the upcoming Tisha b'Av become a feast day before our very eyes! 

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More reading/viewing:

Viewing:

Mashiach, We Are Ready |  עלי חמינאי, יום הדין הגיע (Ali Khamenei, the day of judgment has arrived! Message from Moshe Feiglin) VIDEO (subtitles in English and Farsi) | BBC interviews Moshe Feiglin in English (כתוביות בעברית) | H/t for both of the above videos: an anonymous commenter HERE | Antisemite Francesca Albanese under UN investigation (Hebrew with English subtitles) | Article with video: International controversy: Jews recite Tisha b'Av prayers on Temple Mount (ooooh! Commemoration of the destruction of the Temple at its site is forbidden?!). | At the end of the day: Unbelievable changes on the holiest site | Biden's Blood Libel | Caroline Glick: The revolution happening in Israel that you didn't know about |

Reading:

 

Birth of the Mashiach | In less than an hour: 800 [JEWISH] worshipers ascend Temple Mount | Dozens "break the rules" on Har haBayit by prostrating to HaShem there | Cornell student who threatened Jews sent to prison | Israeli shot by Hamas terrorist released in November hostage deal | Unconfirmed: Hamas claims to have killed a hostage, harmed others | My son died on Oct. 7. This Tisha b'Av, I'm thinking about how our greatest threat comes from within. | Einat Wilf: UK funding of UNRWA makes Gaza peace less likely | JNS: For Israel's progressive elites, the real war is against the enemy within. Brilliant analysis! | Forest Rain: Iran 101: Into the mind of the enemy |

Parashat Vayikra — The Triple Sin of Dishonesty by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

the light of 14 Nisan 5783 |  אור י"ד ניסן ה'תשפ"ג

 

Parashat Vayikra — The Triple Sin of Dishonesty by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

 

Parashat Vayikra addresses the situation of somebody who falsely denied on oath owing money to another person. The Torah (5:21) gives several examples, such as a situation where a person entrusted his fellow with his object, or lent him money, and the recipient later denied receiving the object or money. Another example mentioned by the Torah is "Ashak Et Amito" – where somebody hired a person to work for him, and then denied owing him wages. If the person falsely swore that he did not owe the object or money, and then confessed his wrongdoing, he must bring a special atonement sacrifice in addition to paying what he owes as well as a fine.

The Or Ha’haim Ha’kadosh (Rav Haim Ben-Attar, 1696-1743) notes that the Torah uses three different expressions in reference to this offense. First, it says, "Nefesh Ki Teheta" – "If a soul committed a sin." Thereafter, the Torah says, "U’ma’ala Ma’al B’Hashem" – "and transgressed against G-d." Finally, the Torah describes "Ve’kihesh Ba’amito" – that the person "denies his fellow."

The Or Ha’haim explains that these three phrases refer to the three different aspects of this sin, falsely denying a debt that one owes to his fellow.

Firstly, and most obviously, "Ki Teheta" – such a person commits the sin of theft, keeping for himself that which belongs to his fellow. Such conduct constitutes theft, plain and simple, no different from forcibly seizing someone else’s possession.

Secondly, "U’ma’ala Ma’al B’Hashem" – this denial amounts to a direct offense against G-d Himself. If a person rightfully owns something, then we must believe that G-d, in His impeccable justness, determined that this person should own that money or that piece of property. If a person keeps for himself that which belongs to his fellow, then he in essence casts aspersions on G-d’s justice, challenging G-d’s decision to give the object or money in question to the other individual. The Or Ha’haim suggests that the Torah uses a double expression – "U’ma’ala Ma’al" – to allude to the two injustices that the liar is attributing to G-d: he challenges G-d’s decision that his fellow should have this property, and he also challenges G-d’s decision that he himself should not have it. This challenge against G-d’s justice is the second aspect of this offense.

Finally, the Torah speaks of this person as "Kihesh Ba’amito" – literally, "denying his fellow." He does not just deny owing his fellow the object or money that he owes; he denies his fellow’s uprightness. He essentially accuses the rightful owner of what he himself is guilty of – dishonesty, charging that he is trying to steal by falsely claiming that he is owed money or an object. The person thus not only casts aspersions on G-d – he casts aspersions on his fellow, turning him into the criminal.

Seeking to profit through dishonesty is thus a triple crime – theft, a challenge against G-d’s justice, and falsely accusing one’s fellow of wrongdoing. Each one in its own right suffices for us to avoid such misconduct; the combination of all three makes dishonesty especially egregious, and requires us to exercise extreme care to conduct all our financial affairs with strict honesty.

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I have a couple of questions for the Rav:

—How does this triple sin of dishonesty apply to the relationship between a government and the people it serves (or rules over)? 

—Does a government have the right to, or is it allowed to, do or seek to do any of the above things the Rav wrote about at the people's expense (taxes, whether paid annually or through a general sales tax)? 

(Readers, please feel free to add your questions in the comments.)

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A kosher and happy Pesah 5783 | פסח ה'תשפ"ג כשר ושמח

 

 

Celebrating the Belief in Providence by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour...and more

 light of 11 Adar 2 5782 | לאור יא אדר ב' ה"תשפ"ב

 

Borrowed from a neighbor...here

 

Ed.: This week, we celebrate the reversal of events in the Book of Esther, which we call Purim...and which we pray will occur in our times as in those. May Mashiah be revealed now!

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Shabbat Zachor: Celebrating the Belief in Providence
by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

 On Shabbat Zachor (the Shabbat preceding Purim), we read a special section in the Torah (Debarim 25:17-19) about the Misva to remember the vicious attack launched by the nation of Amalek against our ancestors in the wilderness. The story of the attack, which appears in the Book of Shemot (17:8-16), is read on the morning of Purim.

Following the war against Amalek, G-d announced to Moshe, "Ki Yad Al Kes Kah, Milhama L’Hashem Ba’Amalek" – "For a hand is raised [on oath] over G-d’s throne, that a war will be waged by G-d against Amalek" (Shemot 17:14). The commentators explain that G-d here is referred to as "Kah" – the letters "Yod" and "Heh" – because His Name is incomplete as long as the nation of Amalek exists. The complete Name, of course, is formed by the four letters "Yod," "Heh," "Vav" and "Heh," but with Amalek in the world, the final two letters – "Vav" and "Heh" – are missing, as it were, from the divine Name.

It has been explained that this teaching is rooted in the verse in Tehillim (96:11), "Yismehu Ha’shamayim Ve’tagel Ha’aretz" – "The heavens shall rejoice, and the earth shall exult," the first letters of which are the letters of the divine Name – "Yod," "Heh," "Vav" and "Heh." This verse expresses the fundamental tenet of providence, that although G-d is in heavens, He is intimately involved in the earth, as He governs, oversees and exerts full control over everything that transpires here in the world. Both the heavens and the earth "rejoice" – because both are under the control of the Almighty. The nation of Amalek battled against this fundamental belief. In the section read on Shabbat Zachor, Amalek is described with the verb "Karecha," which is associated with the word "Mikreh" – which denotes coincidence, or happenstance. Amalek argued that all events are coincidental, unfolding randomly, without any rhyme or reason. They believed in "Yismehu Ha’shamayim" – that G-d is in the heavens, but they denied "Ve’tagel Ha’aretz," that G-d governs the events down here on earth. And thus G-d proclaimed that as long as Amalek exists, His Name consists of only "Yod" and "Heh," representing the words "Yismehu Ha’shamayim," but without "Vav" and "Heh" – the words "Ve’tagel Ha’aretz" – because Amalek denied the belief in G-d’s providence over the events in our world.

Read the rest HERE.

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 Some goings-on in the run-up to our holiday, Purim, where defeat turns to victory...

Zelensky is disappointed by Israel's response | Letter to the editor: search term "not even once" | Nisan this year is their Ramadan..."Palestinians" anticipate more violence | Insights and advice from R' Itamar Schwartz for women on Purim | The Key Question is Why...Israel gets dragged into the middle | Keep your eye on the Covid ball | A Message from [a citizen of] Russia | Biden admin offering $1M for groups delegitimizing Israel | 

Waw...fascinating! (Strengthening Ourselves in Preparation for Redemption by R' Eli J. Mansour)

 light of 15 Elul 5781

Waw...the letter Israelis now pronounce "vav"...a key to redemption...fascinating! - HDG

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Parashat Ki Teseh 5781

Strengthening Ourselves in Preparation for Redemption

by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour (original article here)

In the prophecy read as the Haftara for Parashat Ki-Teseh, the prophet Yeshayahu foresees the return of the Jewish People to its homeland. He turns to the Land of Israel and cries, "Expand the space of your tent, and the curtains of your residences shall be moved… Extend your ropes, and strengthen your pegs" (54:2). Whereas the land lay empty throughout the years of exile, the prophet promises that the time will come when the land will need to expand to accommodate the influx of Jews who will return.

The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) offers a deeper explanation of the words, "Vi’ytedotayich Hazeki" ("strengthen your pegs"). The plain meaning, of course, is that this refers to the pegs used to bind the ropes of the tent to the ground. As the tent expands, the pegs need to be strengthened to hold down the extended ropes. The Ben Ish Hai, however, adds that a peg is shaped like the letter "Vav," and the prophet here exhorts us to strengthen our commitment to the quality represented by this letter. He explains that if the letter "Vav" is removed from the word "Kadosh" ("sacred"), the result is the word "Kadesh" – referring to a harlot, the diametric opposite of holiness. The letter "Vav," then, signifies the difference between decadence and sanctity, our maintaining proper standards of purity and morality so we attain Kedusha, rather than becoming the opposite, Heaven forbid. For this reason, the Ben Ish Hai notes, Yosef was dressed with "Bigdeh Shesh" (flax garments) when he was appointed vizier over Egypt (Bereshit 41:42). The word "Shesh" (flax) also means "six," alluding to the letter "Vav," which in Gematria equals 6. Yosef embodied the quality of "Yesod," of resisting temptation to maintain purity, and thus he is described as being clothed with "Shesh," the letter "Vav," the attainment of Kedusha.

The Ben Ish Hai explains that this is the meaning of the prophet’s charge, "Vi’ytedotayich Hazeki." He is telling us that in order to earn our final redemption, we must strengthen our "peg" – the letter "Vav," our commitment to maintaining our standards of Kedusha. This is a struggle that must be waged as we prepare for our final redemption.

It is no coincidence that in our times, as we inch closer to the arrival of Mashiah, we face unprecedented challenges particularly in this area, the area of purity and Kedusha. Already the prophet Yeshayahu informed us that as our nation returns to its homeland in preparation for the final redemption, we will need to work very hard to strengthen our "peg," our commitment to the Torah’s standards of purity. This challenge is an especially difficult one, but it is one which we must wage, with devotion and determination, confident that this struggle will bring us closer to our final redemption, may it arrive speedily and in our time, Amen.

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Pesah: Reexperiencing Spiritual Redemption + Video: Highlights of the Hagadah

 9 Nisan 5781

by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour | first published here

The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (9a) notes a seeming contradiction between two verses that mention Yesiat Misrayim (the Exodus from Egypt). On the one hand, the Torah in Sefer Debarim (16:1) says, "Hosi’acha Hashem Elokecha Mi’Misrayim Layla" – "Hashem your G-d took you from Egypt at night" – clearly stating that Beneh Yisrael left Egypt during the nighttime. On the other hand, in Sefer Bamidbar (33:3), the Torah says that Beneh Yisrael left Egypt "Mi’maharat Ha’pesah" – the day after the offering of the Pesah sacrifice, during the day of the 15th of Nissan. To reconcile these verses, the Gemara explains that the redemption unfolded in two stages – it began at night, but was completed the next day.

How might we explain these two stages of redemption?

Our ancestors suffered two forms of subjugation in Egypt – physical and spiritual. Physically, of course, they were persecuted and enslaved, forced to perform backbreaking labor, and having their newborn infants taken from them and killed. But in addition, Beneh Yisrael were submerged in a dismal spiritual exile. Ancient Egypt was an especially decadent society. Idol-worship was rampant, as was immorality. Living in such a culture for over two centuries, Beneh Yisrael experienced a sharp decline. The Zohar famously teaches that Beneh Yisrael had fallen to the "49th level of impurity" – one very small step away from the 50th level, from which they would have been unable to recover. The environment in Egypt had become so contaminated that it had a corrosive impact upon our ancestors’ souls, causing them to be defiled.

On the night of Yesiat Misrayim, Beneh Yisrael experienced spiritual redemption. They partook of the Pesah sacrifice and Masa, and they remained in their homes throughout the night. They were required to remain in their homes not only to protect themselves from the plague of the firstborn which descended upon Egypt that night, but also to shield themselves from the spiritually defiled environment of Egypt. Families stayed at home together, eating their sacrifices, thereby extricating themselves from the impure forces that prevailed in Egypt. The next morning, they experienced physical redemption, leaving Egypt and making their way toward Mount Sinai and then toward the Land of Israel.

In the Haggadah, we read about five great Rabbis – Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya, Rabbi Akiba and Rabbi Tarfon – who once spent the night of the Seder together in Beneh Berak, "and they spoke about the Exodus from Egypt that entire night." Some commentators explain the final phrase – "that entire night" – as referring not to when these Rabbis spoke about Yesiat Misrayim, but rather the content of their discussions. They focused not on the "daytime" redemption, the physical redemption from slavery, but rather on the "nighttime redemption," the spiritual redemption that Beneh Yisrael experienced. They felt that this was the component of Yesiat Misrayim that demanded greater attention.

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Seems to me (HDG) that our long-awaited geulah could come in two parts too.

Pessah Sameah to one and all!

Guest Post: Purim: Reverse Inheritance

 18 Adar 5781

This article has special resonance for me. Even though Purim is now over for everyone, I still smell it in the air. Reversal is always possible for our children, our ancestors and, of course, ourselves...
Thank you, Rabbi Mansour! - HDG

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For my father's yom neshama/yahrzeit, which falls on Shabbat Parashath Ki Thisa, 22 Adar, this year: Lazer Wolf ben Tzvi Hirsh and Lillian (sorry, I don't know what her Hebrew name is). 

And yes, really, Lazer Wolf.  😒

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by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour | I found this here

Tradition teaches that Mordechai was a descendant of King Shaul, who lived centuries earlier and was the first king of Beneh Yisrael. As we read in the Book of Shemuel I (15), King Shaul had the kingship taken from him and his family because he disobeyed G-d’s command with regard to the nation of Amalek. The prophet, Shemuel, conveyed to Shaul G-d’s command that he lead a battle against the evil nation of Amalek, leaving no member of Amalek alive. Shaul mobilized an army and went out to war, but, violating the prophet’s instructions, the soldiers brought back Amalek’s cattle as spoils of war, and they also brought back the king of Amalek, Aggag, as a captive of war. For disobeying G-d’s command, Shaul forfeited the right to the kingship, and it was transferred to David.

Rav Moshe Alshich (1508-1593) comments that Mordechai, Shaul’s descendant, achieved a "Tikkun" ("rectification") of his ancestor’s mistake by leading the Jews to victory over Aggag’s descendant – Haman, and his followers. By waging this battle, and killing the Jews’ foes, Mordechai rectified the mistake made by Shaul. This explains why, as the Megilla emphasizes on several occasions, the Jews did not take any spoils after defeating their enemies – "U’ba’biza Lo Shalehu Et Yadam." As this battle served to correct the mistake made by Shaul, they abstained from the spoils – to atone for Beneh Yisrael’s having taken spoils after their battle against Amalek led by King Shaul. Indeed, the first letters of the words "U’ba’biza Lo Shalehu Et" are the letters that form the name "Shaul," alluding to the fact that it was because of Shaul that the Jews abstained from the spoils.

This is also the reason why Mordechai was appointed second-in-command of the Persian Empire after Haman’s downfall. Shaul forfeited rights to the kingship for failing to eradicate Amalek, and so once Mordechai rectified this mistake, royalty could now return to Shaul’s family.

After the sin of the golden calf, in response to Moshe’s pleas on behalf of Beneh Yisrael, G-d pronounced what is known as the "thirteen attributes of mercy." In this context, G-d said also that He is "Poked Avon Abot Al Banim Ve’al Beneh Banim" – that G-d remembers a person’s sins for future generations, with regard to his descendants. At first glance, this hardly sounds like an attribute of mercy. How is it merciful that G-d punishes people for their ancestors’ sins? The explanation is that G-d allows us the opportunity to have our sins atoned through the good deeds performed by our descendants. When a person leaves this world, it appears as though he no longer has any possibility of atoning for the wrongs he had committed during his lifetime. But this is not true. G-d, in His infinite mercy, allows these sins to be rectified through the Misvot performed by the deceased’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all future generations. This is, indeed, a remarkable attribute of kindness.

We might call this process "reverse inheritance." Normally, we think of a deceased parent as bequeathing assets to his offspring. But in truth, the offspring also "bequeath" to the deceased. The Misvot they perform are "deposited" into the deceased’s heavenly "account," enabling him to avoid punishment and earn reward, even many years after he departed from this world.

By working to raise our children along the path of Torah and Misvot, we prepare them and all their future offspring for a life of religious devotion, and also lay the groundwork for our own "Tikkun," our own atonement, for all eternity.