Learn To Speak, Speak With Wisdom Like A Child (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Foolish Heart")

          For the past six weeks,, our twenty-year-old daughter has endured physiotherapy for her July ACL knee surgery. To her credit, she has been incredibly dedicated throughout her knee rehabilitation. So several times a week, I drive her. I bring her there, take a walk, pick her up, and drive her back home. We get to talk a lot about the surgery, the actual rehab, the exercises, her experience, frustration with the healing process, and a host of other things, including Covid 19, when she will head to Maryland for university and politics. After we return home, we take a short walk and practice what she was doing in physio. I show her a technique for a certain motion with her knee or her hip and she watches and listens. Then she follows my instruction and asks, “How did you know to do that? You aren’t a physiotherapist.” No, I am no physiotherapist,  but I have had enough leg injuries and gone through enough physio, that I learned through experience. So, I smiled and explained to my daughter, that I have learned a few things based upon my own experiences.

          This week we read from Parsha Ki Tavo. The Parsha begins with Moshe explaining the laws that are specific to B'nai Yisroel’s entry into the Land.  He reminds them of the laws of first fruits, and tithing.  Moshe reminds them that there is a powerful link between God, B'nai Yisroel, and the Land. Each needs the other.  Moshe then describes the ritual specific to this generation that will symbolize their acceptance of the Torah and the covenant.  As they cross the Jordan River, they would inscribe two stones with Kol Divrei HaTorah HaZot BaEir Heiteiv – You shall inscribe on the stones all the words of this Torah well clarified.” Then the stones would be covered with plaster in order to protect the inscriptions. Moshe then reminds B'nai Yisroel that they are now an Am Yisroel– a Nation and no longer B’nai Yisroel – Children of Yisroel.  With that change of status comes responsibility, and Moshe lists the blessings and the curses that will result depending upon Am Yisroel’s behavior.  Moshe concludes his passionate plea to fulfill the covenant by giving Am Yisroel a brief history lesson. He reminds them that they left Egypt and saw all the signs and wonders (they didn’t, rather their parents and grandparents experience the Exodus and witnessed the plagues). Moshe reminds them that he let them for Forty years, and they didn’t eat bread nor drink wine, rather they experienced the miracle of the Manna. He reminds them of battles they fought and won and finally he reminded them they were ready to begin their new lives in the land. 

          Moshe also reminds them that if they listen, they will be blessed. If they fail to listen and fail to live up the covenant, then they will be cursed and sent into exile. V’Haya Im Shamoah Tishmah B’Kol Adoshem Elokecha - It shall be that if you hearken (surely listen/obey) the voice of Hashem, your God, - Lishmor et Kol Mitzvotav Asher Anochi Mtzavcha Hayom - to observe, to perform all His commandments that I command you this day, Untancha Adoshem Elokecha Elyon Al Kol Goyei Ha’Aretz - then Hashem, your God, will make you supreme over all the nations of the earth. (Deut. 28:1)  Rashi explains that the force of this emphatic doubling of the verb ShaMA-listen. “If you take it upon yourselves, it will become easy for you, since it is only the beginning that is hard.” Rashi, and the Talmud Sages before him,  offers a psychological truth about observance and about anything new for that matter. At first, the action may prove daunting and perhaps even overwhelming. However, as the action is repeated, it becomes easier and easier and almost second nature. Rambam (Maimonides) commented that “the more man is drawn after the paths of wisdom and justice, the more he longs for them and desires them (Code, Teshuva 6:4) However it is not enough to listen, but rather one must listen emphatically, that is, internalize what has been listened to and then used.

Whether it is observing Mitzvot or just listening to "Dear Old Dad", our daughter learned this most valuable lesson. She can whine, and mope, but if she just listens to me, her life will actually be OK,  Of course, like B’nai Yisroel, it is all predicated on listening, observing, and then consciously acknowledging that it actually works.  Sometimes,  learning from another person's experience can be an incredibly useful means of education, and managing life. Well, good luck with that!

Peace,

Rav Yitz 

Believe It If You Need It, If You Don't Just Pass It On (Robert Hunter & Phil Lesh - "Box of Rain")

          Our daughter just turned twenty this week. Because of the Covid 19 Pandemic caused summer camps to close; our daughter celebrated her birthday at home. I think that the last time she was home for her birthday was our first year in Toronto when she attended day camp. That was eleven years ago. Yes, of course, her mother did everything she could to make our daughter’s birthday special. In fact, it began last Shabbos and continued right on into Sunday.  The whole weekend,  I was keenly aware that I was sharing participating in something that I usually don’t get to participate in. The moment first struck me last Erev Shabbos when I blessed her. Every Friday Night, I bless our children. With our University age student home since the Pandemic began in March, I have had the opportunity to bless her along with her younger sister and brother. However this last Friday Night, my blessing seemed different. The words were the same, but because we were both aware that on this particular Shabbat, this time seemed different.  As I blessed her, I thought about her turning twenty. I thought about her making her way through university, directed, and enthusiastic about her studies. I thought about my own mortality and all my children. I thought about what, if anything, they will inherit.
          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Pinchas. The first few psukim (verses) of the Parsha are a direct continuation of the previous Shabbat Parsha Balak. There is no elapse of time in the narrative. Balak concludes with a plague upon B’nai Yisroel for its worship of Moabite/Midianite god, Baal Peor. Aaron’s son Pinchas zealously acts by killing Zimri from the tribe of Shimon and Cozbi the Midianite woman. God tells Moshe to reward Pinchas for his behavior by giving him the Brit Shalom, the Covenant of Peace. This covenant is only for Pinchas and his descendants. Keeping in mind that B’nai Yisroel has now concluded it 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and is poised upon the eastern bank of the Jordan River; a new census is taken. Just like we needed to know how many left Egypt, we now need to know how many will enter into Eretz Canaan. After the census is taken Moshe must judge a legal case concerning the laws of inheritance when a man has only daughters. This brief narrative is about the “Daughters of Tzelophchad”. Following this narrative, God commands Moshe to teach the new generation the laws for time-bound offerings including the Shabbat offering, the Rosh Chodesh offering, the offerings for the Shalosh Regalim (Three Pilgrimage Festivals, etc).
          Following the narrative of Pinchas and the second census taken in the book of Bemidbar; two narratives occur. One narrative involves the daughters of Tzlophchad and one narrative involves Moshe. Both deal with inheritance. In the case of the daughters of Tzlophchad, there were no sons to inherit Tzlophchad’s portion in Eretz Canaan. In the case of Moshe, he had sons whom he had hoped would succeed him as the leader, much like Aaron’s sons and grandsons ultimately succeeded him as the Kohen Gadol. The daughters make it clear that their father did not die during the various plagues. Rather he died in the Wilderness, (commentators explain that he was the person picking up sticks on Shabbat and was punished with death for having violated the Shabbat). The daughters’ argument was that his punishment should not effect his rightful portion, Avinu Meit BaMidbar V’Hu Lo Hayah B’Toch Ha’Eidah HaNoadim Al Adoshem B’Adat Korach Ki v’Cheto Meit U’Vanim Lo Hayu Lo – Our father died in the Wilderness, but he was not among the assembly that was gathering against Hashem in the assembly of Korach, but he died of his own sin; he had no son. Lamah Yigra Shem Avinu MiToch Mishpachto Ki Ein Lo Bein T’nah Lanu Achuzah B’Toch Achei Avinu – Why should the name of our father be omitted from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers. Quite cleverly, the daughters explain that their father did not participate in any rebellion against Moshe’s nor God’s authority. Rather he committed and the individual sin that led to his death. However, that should not preclude him nor his family from receiving land. Clearly, this was entirely new and Moshe had no idea how to solve this precedent-setting legal issue.  VaYakreiv Moshe et Mishpatan Lifnei Hashem – So Moshe brought their claim to Hashem. However, a hint as to decision exists in the word Mishpatan (their claim). The last letter of the word is written in a bold font compared to the rest of the Torah letters. This special letter designating the daughters tells us that the daughters were meritorious and worthy of making the claim. They did so in a respectful manner mindful of the law and willing to work within the system.  Immediately after the narrative, Moshe asks about entering the land and is reminded that he is prohibited. He asks about his successor. He suggests the qualities that the leader should possess “who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall take them out and bring them in; and let the assembly of the Hashem not be like sheep that have no shepherd (Num 27:17) God’s answer is direct and unequivocal. Kach Lecha et Yehoshua ben Nun Take for yourself Joshua son of Nun. According to Rashi, Moshe had hoped that his sons would have been worthy and chosen to succeed him. However, Moshe had to “take for himself” Joshua as though Joshua were his own son.
          Moshe had everything to pass down to his successor. Tzlophchad’s daughters sensed that their father’s name to be  “omitted” from the census and lose out on his portion in Eretz Canaan. Nowhere in the Torah do we hear or read about Moshe’s sons doing anything. We read about Aaron’s sons, we read about Aaron’s grandson, Pinchas. We read about Tzlophchad’s daughters. We read about Joshua and Caleb. We read about those who have Zchut (merit) and those who don’t have Zchut, there is only silence. Tzlophchad never knew had a claim on his portion. Moshe wasn’t aware that he could pass his leadership to Joshua. As I blessed my twenty-year-old, I realize that “inheritance” isn’t necessarily about what the parent or grandparent has to pass down to the younger generation. When I bless our children, I realize now that I am passing to my children that which I inherited from my grandparents and my parents. Our children will inherit any wisdom that we have acquired from our parents, our grandparents, and from our own experiences.

Peace
Rav Yitz