torahnet in french torahnet in english torahnet in hebrew about torahnet ask the rabbi whats new at torahnet other jewish related links members at torahnet the torahnet forum halachic times kids corner the weekly parsha contact torahnet the torahnet site the torahnet site
Home

About

HaRav

News

Links

Sites

Forum

Calendar

Children

Parsha

Mail

THE WEEKLY PARSHA

SHOFTIM

[ Dvar Torah ] [ Passages on Prayer ]
[ Stories of the Sages ] [ Education ]

(Taken from a weekly publication of Hammaayan Institutes.
Translated by Rabbi Shabtai Teicher)

THE WEEKLY PARSHA
In the beginning of this week's parsha there are three contiguous sections which apppear, at first sight, to have nothing to do with each other.

The first opens the parsha: "Judges and police you shall place in all your gates.... Do not incline justice, do not recognize faces..." (Deuteronomy 16:18-19).

The second section states the prohibition of planting an ashairah. An ashairah is a grove of trees that was planted by the ancients for the purposes of idolatry. "Do not plant for yourselves an ashairah of any tree..." (ibid. 21).

Immediately following this prohibition is the third: "Do not sacrifice to the L-rd your G-d a bull or sheep that there is upon it a blemish or anything bad..." (ibid. 17:2).

What is the connection between these three prohibitions? Despite initial apppearances it seems, according to the commentators, that there is a connection. We will try to explain it here.

Concerning the third of these prohibitions, "Do not sacrifice... anything bad," it has been explained that wherever the Hebrew word for "thing - davar" appears, Chazal tend to understand that it is an intimation to the word "dibur" which means "speech". Relative to action, speech is a spiritual concept, and therefore it includes thought.

When a cohen (priest) prepares to slaughter an animal for sacrifice in the Holy Temple, he must have the right thoughts, and one of the types of thought which can invalidate a sacrifice is if he thinks that this sacrifice will be eaten in the wrong place or in the wrong time. This prohibition is called "pigul" (see commentary of Rashi, ibid.). Parts of some sacrifices, depending on the type of sacrifice, were eaten by the cohen or by the person who brought the sacrifice. Wherever part of the sacrifice must be eaten, there is a specific time and place where and when it is to be done. If the cohen, at the time of slaughtering, does not have the right time and place of eating the sacrifice in his mind, then his improper thought invalidates the sacrifice, and this is the case no matter what is actually done with it.

Concerning the second prohibition, "Do not plant... an ashairah," Rashi explains that this warning makes the prohibition obligatory from the time of planting. If the person who planted the ashairah never worships the tree, and no one else does either, he nevertheless transgresses this particular prohibition of idolatry from the moment that he planted it with the idea that it would be used as an ashairah.

Chazal explained that the prohibition, "Do not incline justice...," concerns the appointment of judges. Since we have already been commanded previously to maintain strict justice in court cases and to seek righteous justice, Chazal understood that this verse comes to include the appointment of judges. Those who are appointed to be judges should be, in the first place, people who will maintain strict justice in their deliberations. Judges should not be appointed because they are relatives or because they are superficially pleasant or attractive. Even if such people judge honestly and truthfully when they are actually in office, those who appointed them, nevertheless, have already transgressed this prohibition since their intention and thought was not proper in the first place.

Thus, there is a common denominator to these three prohibitions. In all of them the prohibition focuses upon thought and intention! The thought and intention at the time of appointing the judges, the thought and intention at the time of planting the tree, the thought and intention at the moment of slaughtering the sacrifice -- these are the decisive factors.

In general, people do not relate sufficient importance to the power of the mind, thought and intention. The Ramchal, author of Messilat Yesharim (The Path of the Just), has already warned us that people do not take seriously transgressions committed through speech because it is a subtle action and its destructive potential is not easily observable. How much more so can such a thing be said for transgressions committed in thought. It is not perceived by the senses and its powerful consequences on every aspect of life is not observable at all.

The mind has the power to define a thing and fix its reality. The same sacrifice which has the power to atone for sins that were done in the past, and without seeming to change anything in objective reality, if it is done with a thought of "pigul" (literally, something disgusting), then it becomes totally transformed. It not only fails to atone, but it is a transgression to offer it upon the altar.

It is the same with the planting of an ashairah. The tree is planted like any other tree. It is the thought that transforms it into a forbidden object.

The first moment, the beginning of the thing, is decisive. It decides the form and definition of what will come afterwards.

Also, we have found the same concept at the moment of formation when a human being is conceived. The thought at the moment of formation is decisive, as it is when the sacrifice is slaughtered, when the tree is planted, when the judge is appointed.

Consequently, how important it is that our intentions should always be directed to G-d, that for His sake we do what needs to be done.

THE PRAYERS OF OUR MOUTH

SELICHOT

"This is the moment for supplications, because the time has come...." The days of selichot are included in the Days of Awe. The eyes of the people are towards Him.

It is proper for everyone to take hold of his heart and emotions during the days of selichot to go to pray in the synagogue and to say Psalms more than is his custom.

Also, a person should mortify himself with several fasts, and everyone should give charity according to his ability. Talmedai Chachamim and students of Torah, especially, should hold back sleep from their eyes, and old men and youths must arouse their purified hearts to increase their diligence in the study of Torah. They should come to the synagogue while it is still dark; they should study Torah through the night; they should arise at midnight to praise G-d and mourn over the destruction of the Holy Temple.

During these days there is a tremendous arousal in the supernal, spiritual worlds, as well. A person will be able to determine the truth of this when he follows these practices. And it was taught in the Talmud: "Even if they do not see, their mazal sees.'

Therefore, everyone must arouse their purified hearts beyond the usual measure during these days. Come with crying and supplications. Bring a gift to the One who is to be feared. Arise and sing during the night at the head of the watches. Pour out your heart like water during tikun chatzot over the exile of the Holy Shechinah and the destruction of our glory, the Holy Temple. Pour out your hearts over the exile of the Torah whose secrets were handed over to demons (chitzonim). Crying over this is a wonderful virtue to erase the stains of a person's transgressions.

"A person should pour forth his conversation before G-d...." This means that a person must pray with increased kavannah. Blessings over food and enjoyments, and blessings of praise must also be made with increased kavannah.

A person should also minimize his pleasures of eating and drinking to whatever extent that it is possible for him. Anyways, what is man? Every year he must sanctify himself by minimizing or withdrawing from those things that are legally permitted to him. And that is all that human life is, as it is written, "Sanctify yourselves and be holy...." This obligation is all the more applicable during these holy and awesome days.

(Yesod Veshoresh Ha'avodah, Gate 10)

STORIES OF THE SAGES

"Do not incline justice, do not recognize faces..." (Deuteronomy 18:19). In the home of Rebbe Zev of Zdeboriz something unusual happpened. The Rabbanit, the Rebbe's wife, was quarreling with her maid. The Rabbanit accused the maid of breaking a valuable utensil, and she wanted the maid to pay for it.

"I am not guilty, I didn't break it," the maid protested vehemently, and refused to pay.

"You broke it. You must pay," the Rabbanit insisted.

"I did not break it, and I will not pay for it," the maid retorted.

The argument continued in this way until the Rabbanit decided that she would take the maid to a din Torah in the local rabbinical court.

When she went into the other room to get her coat and change her clothes in order to go to the bet din, she saw that Rebbe Zev was also putting on his shabbat clothes.

"Why are you putting on shabbat clothes," the Rabbanit asked him?

He answered, "I want to go with you to the bet din."

"It is not fitting for you to do it," she said. "You can rest assured that I will know how to present my claims properly before the court."

"I am not worrying about that," Rebbe Zev said. "You will certainly know how to present your claims. But what about the poor maid? Will she know how to present her claim? I want to speak for her because there is no one else to defend her."

Actually, Rebbe Zev was worried that the dayan (judge) would favor his wife, the highly respected Rabbanit, over the poor, humble maidservant. In order that there should not be any miscarriage of justice, even unintentionally, he wanted to go to speak for the maid.

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN

Before the shaliach tzibur who prays in the name of the entire congregation begins the Mussaf (Additional) Prayer, he prays his own private supplication. "Behold, I am poor in deeds...." He does not see himself fit for the important mission that has been placed upon him. Therefore, he prays for G-d to help him, "I have come to stand before You and beseech for Your people, Israel. They have sent me, even though I am not fitting and proper for it. Therefore, I am asking You, G-d of Avraham..., make the way upon which I am going successful...."

He further requests, "Do not embarrass me...." May I be successful in my mission, and may no shame fall upon those who have sent me. Also, "Do not shame them." May those who sent me behave properly in order to merit to G-d's blessing and forgiveness.

We, the people who educate children, are also messengers of the community. In the first place, every father must teach his child Torah. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Gamla then established that teachers will be the intermediaries of the fathers.

Needless to say, as anyone else who must see himself without sufficient power, we must plead with G-d to assist us. See how appropriate to this is another part of the prayer of the shaliach tzibur before Mussaf, "Please, be with the mouths of the messengers of Your people, the House of Israel... that they should not falter, that their recitations should not stutter..., and their mouths should not utter something that is not according to Your Will...." The mouth is the instrument of the educator, and how much we need the help of G-d for this instrument to fulfill its destiny properly.

The month of Elul is the beginning of the school year. All beginnings are difficult until habits are set on the right way, until the teacher knows the students, until the students know the new rebbe. Thus, the month of Elul is full with many difficulties. It is a month when one esppecially feels the accuracy of the sayings, "The time is short, and there is much work," and "Will you put your eyes upon it, but it is already gone..." (Proverbs 23:5).

Besides the regular learning syllabus, special preparation, both educational and psychological, is needed for the Days of Awe: Elul, Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succot. Each of these special days need a lot of time for the study of its laws and its meanings. There is no time for all that is needed, and especially between Yom Kippur and Succot.

Some were accustomed to learn the laws and meanings of Succot in the beginning of Elul. In the middle of Elul they would begin to study about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the Days of Penitence. In any case, this is a matter that requires exact planning in order to fulfill what is required.

The month of Elul, by its very nature, is perfect for the inculcation of yirat shamayim (awe of G-d). These days are called "Days of Will". What is this "will"? During these days there is a special assistance from Heaven for anyone who strives to be successful in the inculcation of yirat shamayim. We must use these days of will to excite the hearts of the students and arouse them to yirat shamayim, to being exact in the performance of mitzvot, diligence in the study of Torah, precision over every word of the prayers.

May this month be a basis for yirat shamayim throughout the year.

(A section of a speech by Rabbi Chaim Friedlander z"l to educators)

[ Home ] [ About ] [ HaRav ] [ News ] [ Links ] [ Sites ] [ Forum ]
[ Calendar ] [ Children ] [ Parsha ] [ Mail ]

Choose a Language:
English  עברית  French