Bamidbar

Showering Us With Blessing

1) The Mishna teaches us in Pirkei Avos (4:2) “The reward for a mitzva is a mitzva.” Although the Almighty does not allocate reward for mitzvos in this world, He does provide the individual with the ability to perform additional mitzvos. The promise for earthly blessing is not to be understood as a reward but rather, an assurance that we will have the wherewithal and ability to comfortably perform the mitzvos. The Rambam echoes the very same thought in the ninth perek of Hilchos Teshuva. “All those benedictions and maledictions promised in the Torah are to be explained as follows: If you have served Hashem with joy and observed His way, He will bestow upon you those blessings and avert from you those curses, so that you will have leisure to become wise in the Torah and occupy yourselves with it, and thus attain the world-to-come, and then it will be well with you in the world which is entirely blissful and you will enjoy length of days in an existence which is everlasting.” The Mezericher Maggid zt”l finds an allusion to this concept in the very words of the blessing, “And I will provide ‘gishmeichem’ (i.e. your rain) in their proper time.” The word ‘gishmeichem” not only means rain but is a general reference to all “gashmius” (i.e. physicality). Hashem promises that if we adhere to the Torah, He will relieve us of the constant and consuming desire for “gashmius” and relegate our need for physical fulfillment only to their necessary times. Through setting times for Torah, Hashem will provide “set times” for the physical, freeing us from our hedonistic desires and thus, creating a receptive environment for increased dedication to Hashem.

2) The Alter of Slobodka, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l, suggests that Man and the Cosmos are inextricably bound in a dynamic interface. Just as it is a natural cause and effect, when “The rains are provided in their time” for “The land to give its produce”, similarly, it is a natural cause and effect, when “We follow the decrees of the Torah,” “The rains are provided in their time.” The Ramchal mirrors the same concept in the first perek of the Mesillas Yesharim, “If man follows earthly pursuits and is drawn away from his Creator, he is impaired, and the rest of the world is impaired along with him. If he becomes master over himself and unites himself with his Creator, using the world only to help him in the service of his Creator, he is elevated and the world is elevated along with him.” The Ramban, commenting on the verse, “I will cause wild beasts to withdraw from the land (Bechukosai 26:6),” explains that this is actually a promise for the animals to return back to their primary nature, which existed in Gan Eden before Adam’s sin. Originally, the entire animal kingdom was satisfied with the grass of the earth. It was only through Adam’s sin, that the animals were detrimentally affected and developed a carnivorous nature. By adhering to the “Chukos of the Torah,” we support and strengthen the “Chukos (i.e. laws of nature) of the heavens and the earth (Yirmiyahu 33:25).”

HaRav Yonasan Eibeshitz zt”l, in his sefer, Yaaros Devash, explains why the blessings of the Torah are always expressed in terms of providing rain. The rain originates here on earth and subsequently, ascends to the heavens, as it says in the pasuk: “A mist ascended from the earth and watered the whole surface of the soil (Breishis 2:6).” So too, all blessing originates from our initiative and good deeds, equating heavenly blessing with rain. HaRav Chiam Volozhiner explains the mishna in Pirkei Avos the same way. “Know what is above you (2:1).” Realize and be cognizant, that everything that comes from above, originates from you. On the Shabbos that we call out “Chazak, chazak, venischazeik,” may we strengthen ourselves with the realization that all the blessings of the world are within our reach. All we must do to begin the spiritual domino effect is to commit ourselves to passionate Torah living.

This week's Parsha, Nasso, features the laws of both the Nazir and the Sotah. The Nazir is one who, for purposes of self- improvement, voluntarily places specific restrictions upon himself, for example, abstinence from wine. The Sotah is a woman who is suspect of infidelity and the Torah delineates ways to determine her guilt or innocence.
The Gemarah in Sotah 2a asks "Why are the laws of the Nazir juxtaposed to the laws of Sotah? To teach us that one who sees a Sotah in her state of degradation should abstain from wine by taking the Nazirite vow." The Gemarah is teaching us two lessons. The Mishnah in Nigaim 2,5 says "One can see other's blemishes but not his own." Similarly, Shlomo HaMelech tells us in Mishlei 21,2 "A man's every way is upright in his eyes."

It is natural to be in denial when it comes to our own shortcomings. The way to become cognizant of our own blemishes is to observe them in others. The Baal Shem Tov taught "Whatever one sees is a mirror image Providence shows us in order to reveal our own reality." In order for the Nazir to realize that he must take preventative measures to cure himself of promiscuity, he must first see it in the Sotah. The second lesson is how to react when we observe faults in others. The classical tendency is to condemn and criticize. Herein the Torah teaches us that although there is room for positive criticism (Tochacho), our first reaction must be to internalize and improve ourselves. In the words of the Gemarah "Yazir Atzmo" correct yourself. The story is told of the Baal Shem Tov who witnessed chillul Shabbos. The Baal Shem immediately understood that he too must have desecrated Shabbos. After much soul searching he could not come up with even one instance of personal chillul Shabbos. He finally concluded that he once witnessed the degradation of the honor of a Talmid Chacham, which the holy Zohar equates with the sanctity of Shabbos, and did not come to his defense. Dr. Abraham Twerski put it this way (Not Just Stories pg. 60) "Just think what a wonderful world it would be if every time we saw some defect in another person, we would do some soul-searching and take corrective actions for self-improvement, rather than being critical of others and denouncing them. Observing and practicing this single teaching of the Baal Shem Tov could convert the entire world to utopia."

I would like to take this opportunity to wish a warm and hearty Mazel Tov to our good friends and congregants, David & Pearl Landesman upon the Bar-Mitzvah of their pride and joy, Mordechai. May he mature into a great Talmid Chacham and Baal Midos, giving much nachas to his family, Kehilla and all of Klal Yisroel.

This week's Parsha, Nasso, features the diurnal biblical enjoinder to the Kohanim to bless the Jewish People. The blessing of the Kohanim is referred to in the liturgy as a "Bracha Meshuleshes", simply translated as the "Triplicate Blessing". The Abudraham explains that this reflects the division of the text into three separate blessings. The Mishna in Tamid 7:2 teaches, however, that in the Bais Hamikdash, the Bircas Kohanim was said as one long pasuk, with only one amen recited at the end of the bracha. We, therefore, must suggest another interpretation for the term, "Bracha Meshuleshes". Another point to ponder: There is some ambiguity in the pasuk as to who is conferring the actual blessing. On the one hand, the pasuk states, "Speak to Aaron and his sons saying, So shall YOU bless the Children of Israel (Nasso 6:23)". On the other hand, in Pasuk 27, we are told, "Let them place My name on the Children of Israel and I shall bless them", implying that the Almighty is blessing the Jewish People. Lastly, the Sifri comments on the words, "Amor lahem", "Say to them", that the Kohanim may not initiate the bracha on their own but must first be summoned by the People. This is the source of the custom for the chazan to pre-empt the blessing with the loud oral invitation of "Kohanim" before the actual blessing. How do we understand the need for this formal invitation?

The great 13th Century Mekubal, HaRav Yosef Gikatilya, author of the celebrated Kabbalistic work, "Shaarei Orah", explains that the function of the "Bircas Kohanim" is to draw out and extract Hashem's blessing upon the Jewish People. This is how he reconciles the confusion as to who is actually giving the blessing. In actuality, it is a two-tiered process: the blessing of the Kohanim draws out the blessing of Hashem. The halacha teaches (O.C. 128:24) that the priestly extraction of Hashem's blessing is so effective that it even extends to those working in the field, whose professional obligations prevent them from coming to shul. In a letter sent back to his family, when the holy Shalah visited Eretz Yisroel, he writes: "The Kohanim bless the people daily, during which I remember my dear family and draw the blessing upon your heads." In this spirit, the holy seforim point out, that we in the Diaspora, who do not have the institution of a daily Bircas Kohanim are tantamount to the workers of the field and the blessing is drawn overseas from Eretz Yisroel to us. I would like to suggest that the term, "Bracha Meshuleshes", comes from the word "lshalshel", i.e. to lower or bring down. This is so, for as we have highlighted the spiritual dynamic of the "Bircas Kohanim" is to bring down the blessing from Hashem and to extend it as far and wide as possible upon the Jewish People.

The holy Zohar in our Parsha ascribes the ability of the Kohanim to draw out the blessing of Hashem to their attribute of loving-kindness. Commenting on Pasuk 10 in Tehillim 145, "And those endowed with loving-kindness will bless you", he states that this is an allusion to the Kohanim who, by virtue of their chesed and love, draw out and extend the bracha upon Klal Yisroel. The attribute of loving-kindness is the ability to self-effacingly give and extend oneself to others, making this the appropriate tool for the Kohanim to be "meshalshel" the bracha. This is why the text of the bracha that the Kohanim say before they bless the Jewish People is "You have commanded us to bless the Jewish People with love", for it is the love of the Kohanim that enables them to extend the blessing of Hashem upon us. We can now suggest why the Kohanim must be invited to deliver the blessing. Since the Kohanim stand to profit from the material blessing of the Jewish People, via terumos and ma'asros, it must be made perfectly clear that they have no personal agenda and bless the Jewish People only out of love. This is conveyed by not initiating the blessing on their own but by responding to the invitation and behest of the people.

Chassidic Masters teach: "The Shabbos "noch" i.e. after Shavuos, is "noch" i.e. still Shavuos", as the sanctity of Shavuos extends itself to the Shabbos that immediately follows. The blessing of Torah reads, "Ahava Rabba" i.e. with great affection and love did Hashem give us the Torah. In an effort to lovingly share and extend Himself, Hashem encapsulated Himself in the form of the holy Torah and gave of Himself, so to speak, to the Jewish People. May we merit to be receptive to the material blessings of the Kohanim so that we may be able to dedicate ourselves to the study and fulfillment of that great, loving gift - the holy Torah.

Have a "gebentchte" Shabbos,