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Parshat Naso 2016

Parshat Naso
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

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Cleaving to the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

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“For Your salvation I hope, O HaShem!”

This prayer was first prayed by Yakov our father on his son Dan, and according to our Sages specifically upon Samson the famous descendant of Dan. Last week we discussed the city of Yafo in context of the tribe Dan and the figure Samson, and this week we shall continue to discuss yet another city of the tribe of Dan, the hometown of Samson, Tzorah, as mentioned in this week’s Haftorah.

The famous Amoraic master R. Yohanan teaches that all Scripture is hinted to in the Humash (Pentateuch). Indeed, the exact same letters of Tzorah appear in the Humash in context of the “wasp” (tzirah) that God will send to destroy Israel’s enemies. According to Midrashic literature this “wasp” had a special ability to enter hiding places of the enemy and enact God’s retribution upon them there, as hinted to in the Torah’s words that this “wasp” will destroy “those that hide from you”. This ability of this “wasp” fascinatingly fits exactly the warring methods of Samson who emerged from the city Tzorah. Unlike all the great warriors of Israel, who battled the enemy externally, Samson is unique in the sense that he literally entered within the “hidden” and internal fabric of the Philistine community through association with their women, and then battled this enemy from within.  Actually, not only Samson but also his entire tribe at large, Dan which means ‘judgment’, has special potential in enacting retribution and judgment upon Israel’s enemies, as Yakov blesses this tribe to be similar to a snake which bites its foes.

In a similar way we find that according to the Midrash it was Hushim the son of Dan who severed the head Esau when he tried to oppose Yakov’s right of being buried at Maaras HaMachpela. Not only in protecting the true rights towards Maaras HaMachpela does Dan (Hushim) have a special connection to Hebron, but also in regard to the origins of Dan, even before he was born. According to numbers of sources the first time a word is mentioned in the Torah carries special significance. The first time “Dan” is mentioned in the Torah is in Avraham’s famous battle to save Lot, this battle originating in no other than Hebron. Indeed, it is through the courageous spirit, the “different wind” imbued unto Kaleb in Hebron, that Dan receives his courageous fighting spirit to fight for Israel.  

 

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #174

“As I was writing the line here about Hushim’s severing the head of Esau, suddenly a friend of mine who sat next to me and no idea what I was writing about proclaimed in a totally different context: ‘take off his head...” (M.G)

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Parshat Bamidbar 2016

Parshat Bamidbar
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Cleaving to the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

תפקדו אותם לצבאותם

 

"HaShem the Lord of Hosts is with us, a Stronghold unto us, the God of Jacob, Selah!"

In the past we have shown how the term "The Lord of Hosts" pertains especially to God's Presence among large populations of the People of Israel. After our study throughout the book of Vayikra on the ten gradations of sanctity of the Temple and their relationship to Hebron, we will now resume, at the beginning of the book of Bamidbar, our study on various cities in the general Land of Israel and their relationship to Hebron. This week we will discuss some of the deeper meanings of the most greatly populated city in the Land of Israel today, Tel-Aviv-Yafo (Jappa).

Yafo is mentioned in the book of Joshua as one of the cities of the tribe of Dan. Later, in the book of Yona it is mentioned as the port-city from which Yona the prophet departed for the Diaspora. The last source for this city is in the book of Chronicles which also mentions this city in context of the Mediterranean, even calling the Mediterranean Sea the "Sea of Yafo". The two last sources we mentioned point at Yafo's identity as being a port-city, a place that closely connects between the Divinely inspired culture originating from the Land of Israel and the foreign culture of the Diaspora.

Similarly, we find that our Sages (see their interpretation of Dan's offering in parshat Naso in Bamidbar Raba) tie the tribe of Dan in general with the figure of Samson of the tribe of Dan, who was strongly involved with the foreign culture of the Philistines. According to our Sages the "Philistine" women Samson was involved with were actually converts to Judaism (for an explanation on the difference between a Jewish convert and a "Noahide convert" given permission to reside in the Land of Israel see Yitro 5765). The identity of the tribe of Dan with the figure of Samson by our Sages points to the ability and/or tendency of this tribe to deal with foreign influences and "import/convert" these influences into main-stream Judaism. Of course, such an endeavor requires much caution and usage of the attribute of "judgment" - "din", as in the name "Dan", to ascertain detrimental motives, falsehood, etc. on the part of such foreign influences that may cause spiritual harm unto Israel, God forbid. Indeed, we find at times that the tribe of Dan was not successful in fully "converting" these influences, such as we see in Samson's downfall with Delilah and the tribe of Dan's downfall with the idols of Micah in the book of Judges. Nevertheless, there is potential  in this work of Dan, for when these foreign influences are properly "converted" they enhance the beauty of Israel, by showing how even the spiritual "sparks" found in the farthest reaches and cultures of the world are found in Israel, the People of God, Creator of All.

Thus, we may understand why this port-city of the tribe of Dan is called "Yafo", which means "beauty". It is also not surprising why Tel-Aviv-Yafo is the largest populated city in the Land of Israel today, since our People were in the Diaspora for many years and also much of our People still reside in the Diaspora, a matter that requires the great spiritual "adjustment", from the spirit of the Diaspora to the spirit of the Holy Land, so potent to this city. The name Tel-Aviv also conveys the same concept by describing this place as the crossroads between the old (Tel - old mound) with the new (Aviv - "new spring"). 

In the past we have discovered some of the beauty inherent in Hebron, the City of Patriarchal Unity, Harmony and Beauty. Yet still, Hebron is very different from Yafo in the sense that is the first Jewish City from antiquity, delivering forth the very original Divinely inspired culture springing from the Holy Land. Therefore, we may say that it is Hebron which gives Yafo its original beauty which may be then enhanced by the "raising of spiritual sparks" brought from the world-over to the "spiritual ports" of Yafo.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #173

"For a long time I had a cut in my hand that was bothering me, and inexplicably never cured. One day I decided to thank God for this minor wound with belief that it is truly God's Will. The next day the cut simply disappeared entirely, totally cured" (S.A)

 

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Parshat Behar 2016

Parshat Behar
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Cleaving to the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

והיתה שבת הארץ לכם לאכלה

 

“Blessed are You HaShem our God King of the Universe Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us on the eating of the sacrifice.”

This blessing will be said, God-willing soon, on the eating of sacrifices in the vicinity of sanctified Jerusalem, the 9th gradation of sanctity after the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Similarly, upon eating truma the Kohen recites a similar blessing, except for the conclusion which ends "upon eating truma". In the past we have discussed the relationship between truma and sacrifices may also reflect, in some way, the relationship between Hebron, called "Zion" according to the Arizal, the holy city of the Land of Israel in general, subject to the laws of truma, versus Jerusalem the Holy City of the Temple aloof from the rest of the Holy Land in regard to its sacrifices and its many other laws. We may also say that these two levels represent the natural level of holiness in the number 7 (Zion, Hebron, truma, etc.) versus the supernatural level apparent in the number 50 (Jerusalem, sacrifices, etc..) we have discussed before.

In a somewhat similar way, this week's parsha points at the "sanctified" produce of the Shmita as meant "to be eaten". That said, in this instance the our Sages interpret the Torah’s stipulation that this Shmita produce should "be eaten" not as a positive mitzvah qualifying it for a blessing like sacrifices or truma, but rather as an indication on the proper usage of Shmita produce. They learn that "to be eaten" means that Shmita produce may not be used in a derogatory inedible way such as spoilage or the like. However, productive benefit of Shmita produce, even as fuel to light a lamp, for example, is permissible. In other ways, however, Shmita produce functions just like sanctified objects, as it "sanctifies" the money used to buy it (a prohibited act - the way Shmita is permitted to be transferred is only for free. However, numbers of poskim maintain that a charge for the work of harvest conducted by the Beit Din (Otzar Beit Din) may be charged, for it is not payment for the fruit itself).

The common factor in all the cases above is the consumption of "sanctified" food into one's internal body. In this way one becomes fully united with the sanctity emanating from the Temple (in sacrifices) or the Land of Israel (in truma or Shmita produce) on an internal level. With this contemplation we can gain greater understanding into the meaning of the consumption of sacrifices being limited to sanctified Jerusalem. Our Sages teach that the 1st till the 7th gradations of the Temple correspond to the "Holy Presence Encampment" when Israel were in the Wilderness, meant only for the Kohanic family (including Moshe Rabeinu who had a semi-Kohanic status for a time). The Temple Mount corresponds to the "Levite Encampment" which surrounded the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. In turn, "sanctified Jerusalem" corresponds to the "Israelite Encampment". In the past we have shown how the Kohanic family took on the attributes of Avraham, the Levites the attributes of Yitzhak, and the Israelites the attributes of Yakov.

In the past we have also explained how Yakov also represents the unifying character among the Patriarchs. Therefore, it is not surprising that the most unifying concept of the sanctity of the Temple, i.e the internalization of sanctified foods into one's own being, is represented specifically by the Israelite Encampment, i.e Sanctified Jerusalem. Of course, here again we see the "sparks of Hebron" in regard to the Temple, for Hebron's very name suggest this very unity, where Israel and their Patriarchs become one essence with the sanctity of the Holy Land.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #171

"Once I had an oral rabbinical exam. On the way to the exam I met a Torah scholar who had recently taken a similar exam (by a different examiner), and I asked him: “what question did they ask you?” He told me the question, which ‘turned out’ to be the exact same question I was asked just a bit later by my (different) examiner.” (Y.S)

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Parshat Bechukotai 2016

Parshat Bechukotai
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Cleaving to the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

ונתתי משכני בתוככם

 

"May it be Your Will our Father, our King... remember our love and endearment, return the Holy Presence to our Holy Temple and return to have delight in us as in yore, for Your separation from us is difficult to us like the separation of our souls from our bodies; our innards long, and our souls yearn for the redemption of Your Holy Presence, for Your Holy Abode, and for Your Will HaShem we long..." (Prayer of the Holy Or HaHaim)

Our title quote teaches us that indeed HaShem promises us to place His Abode of Presence, the "Mishkan", the same verb root of the Holy Presence - Shechina, among us when we do His Will. The interesting term here “Mishkan”, instead of “Mikdash” - “Temple”, brought some commentaries to interpret this verse more generally than referring to the Temple alone. For example, the Sforno interprets this verse to refer to the resting of the Holy Presence in every place where “God’s Name is called”. Indeed, numbers of sources show that even  in the absence of the Temple there are places which still contain the glow of the Temple to a certain extent. There are the “mini-sanctuaries” (Ezekiel 11, 16), i.e synogogues, where HaShem rests His Presence, albeit in a more limited way, even in the farthest reaches of the Diaspora. There is also an intermediate level of the Temple's glow of sanctity that is connected to the Land of Israel and is explicitly mentioned as being the tenth, and lowest level of gradations stemming from the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

This tenth  level is present, according to the Mishna of Kelim (ch. 1), in the walled cities of the Land of Israel. In such cities the law is that no leper may enter their vicinity, similar to sanctified Jerusalem (9th gradation of Temple sanctity discussed last week), City of the Temple. Joshua sanctified these walled cities of the Land of Israel conquered in his time to take on the same status as of the “Israelite Encampment” from which lepers were excluded in the wilderness, and which parallels “Sanctified Jerusalem”. Therefore, it seems that Hebron too was sanctified, since at Joshua’s conquest it was a walled city, even though later on its wall was demolished in order that Hebron conduct as a Refuge City (we discussed this in numbers of issues in the past especially in regard to Purim).

We may explain the sanctity of specifically “walled” cities as being due to the Arizal’s teaching that there is a spiritual energy connected to a surrounding wall that parallels the same type of spiritual energy attributed to Jerusalem. We may also gain meaning into the exclusion of specifically lepers from such cities as expressing the high importance of peace and unity in such holy cities. Our Sages teach that one of the more dominant Divine reasons an individual becomes a Torah-ordained leper (to be distinguished from medical ‘leprosy’ of today) is due to the sin of slander. So our Sages teach, that “since he (the leper) separated between husband and wife and between man and his fellowman (through his slander), therefore he shall be himself be separated (from the community to lay solitary outside the (walled) city)” (Erchin 15b).

This crucial factor in the wholesomeness of the holy cities of the Land of Israel highlights how they essentially stem from the two holiest cities of the Holy Land, Jerusalem, the City of Peace (Salem means wholeness/peace), and also Hebron, the City of Unity (Hebron means unity - ‘hibur’).

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #172

"One time I was late on coming to guard (as a soldier in the IDF). I was supposed to be taken to trial when a Lubavitcher Hasid advised me to say chapter 91 of Tehilim ten times. When I did so, suddenly my lieutenant was given orders to let me go with no trial..." (A.K)

 

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Parshat Emor 2016

Parshat Emor
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Cleaving to the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"זב בקדשים לא יאכל"

 

"And You, with Your kindness, may You have compassion upon us and make us merit to honor the Torah and those who study it." (Sefardic Prayer for fifth hakafa of Simchas Torah)

According to the Reshit Hochma, the famous righteous figure of Hebron, the attributes of honor and awe are closely connected, as the verse says "to revere the honorable and awesome Name, HaShem Your God". In a similar way one is obligated to both honor and have awe before one's parents, compared to God in the sense that they have a cause and effect relationship towards their children, just as God has a cause and effect relationship towards all creation. Therefore, the honor given to the Torah and its scholars is an act of reverence towards the Giver of the Torah, HaShem.

In a similar way, the Torah commands to "have awe of the Temple", upon which are Sages explain that one is not meant to have awe of the Temple itself but rather awe and reverence towards God Who rests His Presence within the Temple. This obligation of reverence begins at the Temple Mount, the eighth level of holiness of the ten sections of holiness stemming from the Holy of Holies we have discussed in the book of Vayikra. This obligation of awe and reverence entails that one may not enter the Temple Mount with leather shoes or with the dust on his feet, or with a walking stick, or a visible money pouch/wallet. This law also entails that one may not spit there, except through a kerchief or the sort.

It seems that, just as we just explained, this attribute of awe on the Temple Mount also has connection to the types of people excluded from this location. These people are those who have impurity that departs from their very bodies, such as the zav/a, a baal keri, and a nida. Interestingly, our Sages learn that even a corpse itself, the highest level of impurity, may enter the Temple Mount, but yet the fore-mentioned individuals may not. The reason provided for this is that these individuals are explicitly mentioned in the pertaining verses, and that a fortiori (kal vehomer) may not be learned in this case from a corpse since there is a stringent aspect among these individuals more than a corpse, i.e that impurity emerges from their very bodies, unlike other impurities. Based on our previous understanding that the Temple Mount section (8th level of holiness) emphasizes the aspect of reverence and honor due to the Temple, we can explain that the inclusion of these individuals who have impurity emitting from their very bodies may be considered less honorable towards the sanctity of this site, even though their essential level of impurity is lesser than other impurities which are allowed within these boundaries.

In the past we have shown how the Torah's commandment to honor our parents also entails honoring our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, which also means honoring their place of rest, Hebron. Here too we see how the sparks of honor towards high spiritual presence in the Temple are essentially embedded in Hebron, the City of Patriarchal Honor. 

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #170

"I was waiting to hitch on a ride in Herziliya in order to reach Zefat (through a number of hitchhikes for such a long distance).. I waited for more than an hour, and now it was already past midnight... I decided then to pray intensively for a ride for 45 minutes... Just as I finished praying a car stopped and offered me a ride straight to Zefat..." N.A

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