Emuna: Irreversible - The Certainty of Redemption Part 4

 by Rav Sh. Yosef Veitzen yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Response to the third challenge: When is it OK to Calculate the End?

We continue with our series "The Certainty of Redemption", which notes three different approaches towards the national-historic process the Jewish Nation is currently experiencing. One holds that the Ingathering of Jews in the Holy Land is not a significant Redemption development, given that the State of Israel is not run by a Torah government. Another view holds the opposite: The State of Israel is most definitely the fulfillment of many Biblical prophecies, and we are on a one-way journey of undetermined length towards Redemption. The third approach is that the current situation is certainly an opportunity for Redemption, but it can go either way, depending on our national and personal behavior.

Many challenges have been presented to the second approach, and Rabbi Veitzen, the Rabbi of Psagot, responds to two of them here and here. A third challenge and his response are presented herein.

Challenge #3: 

"Taking the position that the Redemption is a certainty brings people to do dangerous and irresponsible things. For instance, some members of the Jewish Underground in the mid-1980's sought to blow up the Dome of the Rock, in the belief that this would lead to a world war between us and Islam, and that this would force the Messiah's coming."

Response:

1. The Potions of Life and Death

The dangers of the Messianic approach are clear. Whoever wishes to disseminate this idea must be quite aware of precedents in our history when those who did so failed miserably and led many of our ancestors terribly astray.

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook and his son Rav Tzvi Yehuda, very aware of this sensitive and likely-dangerous point, made sure to explain their approach very clearly, so that their students would not misunderstand them and come to desecrate G-d's name. However, the nature of Torah teachings is that they can be either an elixir of life – or one of death. As is written: "The ways of G-d are straight: the righteous will walk in them, but the sinners will trip over them." Even the sweetest potion of life can, in one moment, become a potion for death. Especially when we are dealing with a concept of unique, deep-rooted strength, it can be both a "root of faith" and a "root of insurgence" at one and the same time. As a nation, the Torah compares us to the stars – but also to the dust of the earth. When we act "normally" and understand our mission correctly, we reach the stars, but when we do not, we fall to the ground. 

2. The calculators

The Talmud teaches: 

R. Shmuel bar Naḥmani says in the name of R. Yonatan: "May those who calculate the end of days be cursed - because they would say that if the Messiah had not come by the time of the End that they calculated, he would no longer come at all. Rather, continue to wait for his coming, as is written, "Though he tarry, wait for him.” 

However, there are many other Rabbinic teachings that give clear signs for the Redemption enabling us to identify the time of Redemption. For instance: 

R. Abba said, "You have no more clear sign for the End than [the blossoming of the Land of Israel], as is written, "And you, o mountains of Israel, you will give your branches, and your fruits you will bear, for My nation Israel, for they are soon coming."

How do we relate to this seeming contradiction? Why would the Sages provide us with signs of the End, if they themselves taught that we should not calculate it?

It would seem that it depends on whether we are discussing the calculation of a hidden End or a revealed End. If the End has not yet clearly appeared and no tangible change in this world has been noted - here the Sages warn the calculators not to publicize their conclusions, lest nothing should actually happen by the time of their calculated End; this could lead to a lack of faith and confidence in Israel's ultimate Redemption. 

That is, the reason the Sages censure the calculators is not because they are or might be mistaken. Rather, they might actually have made the correct calculation, and yet still the Redemption might not arrive, for various Divine reasons. There are many different Ends that are potential times for Redemption, but our Sages did not want us to engage too much in such "chances for Redemption," because "a prolonged hope sickens the heart" (Mishlei 13,12). The human soul can only act from a state of certainty.

On the other hand, the Sages did give us the tools by which to identify when the "revealed End" is coming. When the Redemption begins to materialize according to that which we see and hear, our Sages help us understand what G-d is doing, so that we can know what G-d wants us to do at that point.

3. Doubts & Inaction

There is a big difference between one who knows that he is in a Redemption process, and one who takes action only because it "might" be that. For instance, how should we relate to the parts of the Land of Israel to which we were privileged to return in the Six Day War (Judea, Samaria and Gaza)? The more certain we are that it is G-d's desire to restore us to the full width and breadth of our Land, the more importance we will attribute to our settling of these areas. We will also more clearly see the great miracles that G-d wrought for us as a G-dly call to us: "Look, My people, I am opening yet another opening for you in this Redemption process." 

But one who is unsure about what he is seeing will start entertaining all sorts of doubts: "Maybe we are not yet worthy? Why should we expend so much energy on a questionable venture? Perhaps we should leave it for future generations? …" And since they sit on the fence and don't trust in Divine Providence, there is no Divine Providence!

4. True Messianism vs. False Messianism

As we are not dealing with Messianic mysticism, but rather with what see clearly before our eyes, we will not be dragged into actions that have no foothold in our real lives. We are certainly engaged with a generation that is deserving of Redemption – a Redemption in a "This World" form, in terms that we can understand and relate to. This is the strength of Torah, that even when it speaks of exalted ideas, it finds the way to dress them in human garb. "The Torah spoke in human terms," the Sages often teach. The source of our current Redemption is hidden in the deepest layers of reality, but it takes on concrete and understandable form in what appear to be man-made movements such as Zionism.

With such an approach, we are most careful to stay away from any action that is not natural-human-normal. We are totally engaged in bringing the Messiah, but we stay away from false Messianism that inclines to shadowy areas outside the borders of This World. Rather, we are busy with true Messianism, which means acting in purity and holiness within nature. We are quite busy working to rectify our world in whatever way we can, and all via our great faith in G-d. 

For us specifically, who see in the natural processes the unfolding of the Redemption before our very eyes, it becomes clearer every day that the Redemption comes, as our Sages emphasize, kim'a kim'a, "gradually and step by step." We are not so impatient that we wake up each morning expecting the ultimate miracle to happen today. But neither do we simply wait passively each day. Rather we work in human and natural ways to bring about the great miracle. 

Generally, as our Sages teach, one who benefits from a miracle does not even recognize it. But we, who thank G-d twice each day for "Your miracles of every day," do recognize them; we are not ingrates towards G-d. The Talmud tells us that one who is in the midst of planting a sapling and hears that the Messiah has arrived – what should he do? He should continue planting, and only then go out to welcome him. This is precisely how we are to live, by bringing the Messiah only through natural means.

----- We will continue next week with a response to yet a fourth challenge to the view that we are surely in a one-way historic national Redemptive process. 

Balak: Was Bil'am Jewish?

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel

It is told that Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum (1759-1841), author of Yismach Moshe and the head of a large Hassidic dynasty, was actually a great opponent of Hassidism in his youth. He once visited a friend of his, who similarly did not take to Hassidism. This was around the time when the prayerbook of the Arizal was published according to the Hassidic liturgy. When it was brought before the two friends, Rebbe Moshe took it and hurled it down to the floor. His friend, however, gently chastised him: "It is a prayerbook, after all, and we must not degrade it."

When the great Seer of Lublin heard this story, he said, "R. Moshe will one day be a great Hassid, while his friend will remain an opponent. This is because one who opposes something very strongly, can also be strong in his love for it. But one whose opposition is cool and measured, will remain that way." And indeed that was what happened.

This story illustrates a fundamental idea that can help us resolve a difficulty in the Talmud that is related to our weekly portion of Balak (Numbers 22,2-25,9).

The Mishna in Sanhedrin tells us: "All of Israel have a share in the World to Come… [except for] three Kings…. and four commoners: Bil'am, Doeg, Achitofel, and Gehazi." It appears that these four are exceptions to the principle that "all of Israel have a share." But this then indicates Bil'am was a Jew! How can this be, given that we know he was the one and only Gentile prophet?

On the other hand, if Bil'am was a Gentile, does the fact that he is listed as an exception mean that all other Gentiles have a share in the World to Come? The Talmud there answers this question by saying that R. Yehoshua is of the opinion that this is in fact true: All non-Jews have a share in the World to Come, except for those who are sinners and wicked.

But back to our first question: The wording of the Mishna strongly implies that Bil'am is an exception to the rule regarding "all of Israel." Can this possible mean that he was Jewish?!

It appears that a profound concept is hidden here, one that is alluded to in Kabbalistic works and is the theme of the story with which we opened. Generally, when one strongly opposes a certain matter, this is a sign that it touches him deeply in his heart, and that he actually has some kind of connection with it. For if he were apathetic to it, it would mean that he barely feels it. Only when something truly affects us do we respond strongly to it – for we care about it. This is why often the strongest and most painful disputes take place between people who are close to each other, and even within families – for the participants have strong feelings for each other, rendering their clashes particularly intense.

This was the case with Bil'am, Israel's great enemy, whose desire to curse Israel stemmed from a deep-down sense of belonging to Israel. This explains why he had the powers of the people of Israel, such as the power of speech and powers of the Holy Spirit – but these powers appeared in him in a negative, distorted manner.

What we learn from this is that when one finds himself in a bitter dispute, he must find the way to turn his strengths that are therein expressing themselves, into something positive – and this will then turn the connection he has into something truly constructive. When people were able to resolve their differences in this way, they found that the closeness and even love between them actually grew.

This is what happened – almost – with Bil'am. G-d took his curses against Israel and turned them into blessings. Bil'am thus strengthened Israel's strong points even more than they had been before. However, because this happened against Bil'am's will, he himself did not benefit from it, and was cast off from the World to Come.  

Thus we also find that the descendants of one of Israel's greatest arch-enemies, Haman of Persia, actually converted to Judaism and studied Torah in Bnei Brak. Similarly, one of the emperors of the Roman Empire, Nero, secretly converted, and none other than the great Tannaitic Sage R. Meir descended from him. For precisely within Israel's great enemies is found an inner holy strength that belongs to Israel – and when it is restored and drawn to repent, it produces blessing for Israel. 

We thus pray that certainly among ourselves, we should find the ways to locate and identify the inner forces that connect us, and restore them to their natural state of t'shuvah (repentance), love, and connection, leading to spiritual uplifting! 

Emuna: Irreversible - The Certainty of Redemption Part 3

 by Rav Sh. Yosef Veitzen yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Response to the second challenge: Our task is to serve as Divine emissaries

We began a series two weeks ago entitled "The Certainty of Redemption," noting three different approaches towards the national-historic process that the Jewish Nation is currently experiencing. One holds that the Ingathering of Jews from all over the world in the Holy Land is not significant from the standpoint of Redemption, given that the State of Israel is not run by a Torah government. Another view is that the State of Israel is most definitely the fulfillment of many Biblical prophecies, that G-d is not toying with His people, and that we are on a one-way journey, of undetermined length, towards Redemption. And a third approach is that the current situation is certainly an opportunity for Redemption, but that its fulfillment depends on our national and personal behavior.

The series continues with challenges to the second approach, that which holds that the State of Israel is unquestionably a critical station on the way to certain Redemption, and responses to these challenges by Rabbi Veitzen, the Rabbi of Psagot. Last week we read the first challenge and response, and the second challenge is presented here: 

"Absolute certainty in interpreting the Redemption brings about negative character traits. Instead of sensing our great responsibility, we remove from ourselves all accountability and feel that we need do nothing to help bring the Redemption; we rather throw it back, so to speak, to G-d. This can lead to apathy, lack of action, and a sense that we have nothing to struggle for."

To this, Rabbi Veitzen responds as follows: 

There is no reason that one who is certain that the current state of affairs leads directly to Redemption should behave as if he need do nothing in and for the Redemptive process. It is true that one who believes that he is in charge in the world, and that everything depends on him, is liable to fall into the trap of arrogance and haughtiness vs-à-vis others. Such can happen to one who believes that he is the only one who knows what must be done, and that everyone else is merely disturbing and blocking the arrival of the Redemption. He is of the opinion that Redemption is for tzaddikim alone, like him, and that it will happen in their merit.

At times, the difficulties along the path to Redemption can lead him to frustration, anger, and despair. He believes that the Redemption is dependent on him and his ilk, but sees that he and his camp alone do not have the necessary strength to tip the entire world's scales towards a favorable Divine verdict. He "knows" that he alone has the right path, but given that he can't do it alone, he sees it as a lost cause, whilst feeling bitterness and anger towards everyone else. And so he gives up.

However, one who attributes the Redemption process to G-d Himself will not fall into this trap. He is filled with joy at the fact that G-d has placed him in the generation privileged to be rescued from Exile and brought to Redemption. Whatever he can rectify along the way, and whatever he can do to help the process along, he will do with might and confidence, in the knowledge that this is what G-d wants him to do at this time. 

He sees himself as an important worker in a giant factory that produces great things – and he has been granted the opportunity to be a partner in this marvelous enterprise. He then attempts to fulfill his role as best he can. If he rises to the role of department head or the like, he will certainly do his job happily – but will never see himself as the ultimate boss. All of us are emissaries of G-d, filled with joy at the assignment and opportunity to take part to the best of our abilities.

And what about that which we cannot do? The answer is that we keep in mind that which the Mishna teaches: "Completing the job is not incumbent upon you – but neither are you free to refrain from working at it." Regarding that which we cannot do, we trust that G-d will find other emissaries, at least as good as us, who will do what is necessary to bring about the next stage. We do not concern ourselves with questions such as, "What will be?" Nor do we fret about that which we cannot change or influence. We engage only with that which we know how to do correctly and effectively. 

And regarding others, we do not feel superior to them – for we know that it can very well be that others are doing things that also bring about the Redemption. Everyone does that which he believes to be right and good, and then, as the Talmud states (Sotah 40a), "From whichever way, G-d will be exalted." 

Of course, if we see someone who is actively blocking the Redemption, according to our beliefs, we will try to prevent him from doing so – but only within the permitted limits that G-d has set for us.

----- We will continue next week with a response to yet a third challenge to the view that we are surely in a one-way historic national Redemptive process. 

Hukat: The Messiah Will Teach us How to Speak

 by Rav Yosef Naveh, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

This week's Torah portion of Chukat (Numbers 19-22,1) recounts the story of Moshe hitting the rock for its water, instead of speaking to it as G-d had commanded. Extracting water from a rock by speaking to it would have made an amazing impression upon the Israelites, and therefore G-d was not happy with what Moshe had done. As we read: "G-d said to Moshe and Aharon, 'Since you did not … sanctify Me before the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this congregation into the Land that I have given them.'"

The Hebrew word for "therefore" is lachen, and the Baal HaTurim points out that the gematriya of this word is 100 – precisely the same as the words for "measure for measure," midah b'midah.

The question is asked by the author of HaLekach V'haLibuv: "What exactly is 'measure for measure' about the punishment of not entering the Land of Israel for the sin of hitting the rock? What is the connection between them? And he answers that in the subsequent verses, we read that Moshe sent emissaries to the King of Edom to ask for permission for Israel to pass through his land on their way to the Promised Land. Moshe explained to the king that G-d had heard Israel's prayers, saved them from the Egyptians, and freed them to go to the Land of Israel. [Which prayers did He hear, and in what merit?] Rashi notes that G-d heard their prayers in the merit of Yitzchak's blessing to Yaakov when the latter came to be blessed, dressed as Esav, and Yitzchak said, 'the voice is the voice of Yaakov.' That is, the "voice of Yaakov" is a special merit, leading G-d to answer Israel's prayers. To this, the King of Edom responded: "You take pride in what your forefather bequeathed you? I will come out against you with what my forefather [Esav] bequeathed me [when Yitzchak later blessed him]: the power of the sword!"

Our Sages taught that, "If Moshe Rabbeinu had entered the Land, Israel would not have had to battle for it, nor would they have needed weapons; instead, the situation would have been as Moshe told the Israelites at the Sea of Reeds: "G-d will fight for you; you just be silent." The Meir Einei Chakhamim explains that Moshe Rabbeinu is the power of Torah for all of Israel, i.e., the complete revelation of 'the voice of Yaakov." And even though he had speech impediments (Sh'mot 4,10; 6,12), this was only physically – but spiritually, he spoke perfectly. As the Medrash says: "Moshe was 'not a man of words' (4,10) before receiving the Torah, but afterwards, his tongue was cured and he began to speak [impressively]."

In this Torah portion, G-d told Moshe to speak to the rock. It was His will that Moshe would rise and connect Israel to his high level of speech, where it would be the dominant force. At the same time, Israel was supposed to rise up themselves and not complain bitterly about the lack of water, but rather be drawn to Moshe's level of spiritual speech perfection. But they did not (Bamidbar 20); they rather detached themselves from Moshe and contended with him. As a result, they could not rely on the "voice of Yaakov," and instead were forced to use weapons and war with the Canaanites.

Soon afterwards in their journey to the Land, Israel met up with the Emorites, whom they defeated in battle. The Emorites' name in Hebrew refers to speech, and they battled against the "saying" - the "message" - of Israel. Yaakov Avinu had blessed his son Yosef: "I will give you an extra portion, which I will take from the Emorites with my sword and bow" (B'reshit 48,22). Rashi explains there that this sword and bow refer to Yaakov's "wisdom and prayer" – teaching us that words of Torah wisdom and prayer are a tremendous force against the Emorite kings. 

The Greatest Mitzvah

The renowned Gaon of Vilna wrote: "It is known that the greatest mitzvah of all is the study of Torah – and speaking words of nonsense and mockery, the opposite of Torah, is the worst thing. This explains why speaking such things gives more joy than other sins – because the spirit of impurity is so great, as it is the opposite of the constantly gushing well of Torah." 

The Kabbalistic works tell us that the Jewish People's task in our generation, and particularly during these months of Tammuz and Av, concerns the holiness of our speech. The recent weekly Torah portions recount specifically sins of speech: Miriam speaking negatively about Moshe, the spies' report, Korach's rebellion, the complaints – all of these remind us of the sanctity of speech. Our work during these months is to make amends for the sins that occurred during these months by both avoiding bad and doing good. The sin of the spies occurred in the month of Tammuz and at the beginning of Av; it is the sin that ultimately led to the destruction of the Temple; thus is the power of evil and wanton speech, when we place no guardrails on our open mouths. 

We must desist from the bad, taking upon ourselves to say nothing bad about any Jew, under all circumstances [unless permitted for the various specific reasons outlined in Jewish Law - HF]. And we must actively do good, by engaging in the beautiful inheritance that G-d bequeathed us, namely, the holy Torah; we must use our time to the best advantage, studying the Torah as often as we can, and especially on the holy Sabbath, when we have the ability to fortify our "voice of Yaakov" in Torah study and recitation of Psalms to bring us closer to G-d. On the Sabbath, too, we should have Sabbath meals with special Sabbath songs and words of Torah. 

And certainly our rectification of our speech habits will help us merit to see the arrival of the Mashiach and our Redemption. Rabbe Nachman of Breslov taught that the Hebrew word for Mashiach stems from the same root as sichah, which means "speech" – for Mashiach will teach us the rectification and perfection of our speech, rendering it pleasing to the Creator.

Emuna: Irreversible - The Certainty of Redemption Part 2

 by Rav Sh. Yosef Veitzen yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Response to the first challenge: Everything is foreseen yet freedom of choice is granted

We began a series last week entitled "The Certainty of Redemption," discussing the three main approaches towards the national-historic process that the Jewish Nation is currently experiencing. One holds that the fact that Jews from all over the worldhave left the Diaspora and gathered in the Holy Land is not significant from the standpoint of Redemption, because the current State of Israel is not run by a Torah regime.

Another approach states the opposite: that the State of Israel is in fact the fulfillment of many Biblical prophecies, that G-d is not toying with His people, and that we are most definitely on a one-way trip, of undetermined length, towards Redemption. 

And a third view is that the current situation is certainly an opportunity for Redemption, but its fulfillment depends on our national and personal behavior.

In this and upcoming articles, Rabbi Veitzen presents challenges to the second approach, that which holds that the State of Israel is unquestionably a critical station on the way to certain Redemption. The first challenge is this: 

"The approach of certainty appears to contradict the fundamental concept of Free Choice. If we say that even if we sin, the Redemption is still on its way and that we cannot thwart the process, how does this jibe with the Rabbinic teaching, 'A man is led along the path he wishes to go' (Tr. Makkot 10b), meaning that his own deeds determine his fate? If we don't believe that we can mess up, then why should we believe that we can improve our ways?"

To this, Rabbi Veitzen responds in three ways. 

• The more general and world-embracing a process is, the lower are the chances that people can change it.

The concept of Free Will does not mean that the entire world is run and determined by humans. It is a core Jewish belief that G-d did not only create the world, but also continued ever since then to supervise it, run it, and make sure that it attains its destiny. Rav Kook explains that the more all-encompassing a network is, the less room there is for man to improve or ruin it.

For instance: Up until the Great Flood during the times of Noah, man's actions determined the future of the world – for they led to the flood. But once G-d forged a covenant with Noah and his sons, the world was guaranteed to continue running, no matter what deeds or misdeeds mankind would perform. 

The same is true for the eternal existence of the Nation of Israel. No matter how we act, our nation will continue to exist. This has been true ever since G-d forged a covenant with Moshe Rabbeinu after the Sin of the Golden Calf, in which G-d guaranteed never to forsake His people. As Maimonides wrote in his Book of Mitzvot (Mitzvah 157): "G-d promised that He would never totally eradicate the signs of the [Jewish] nation."

Our Sages relate to Jewish history as a general event, not an individual one. That is, it does not run according to our deeds, but rather according to a Divine order in which G-d controls the events of the Exile and Redemption. The very first verses of the Torah are understood in this manner: 
"The earth was chaos and nothingness, and darkness on the abyss" – [these four element stand for] the Four Kingdoms, and "the spirit of G-d hovered upon the water" – refers to the spirit of Messiah. 

That is, the very basis of the existence of the world is already imprinted with the message that G-d constantly leads the world steadily to its ultimate purpose. The route to the desired End of Days passes through the history of the Jews, who were exiled by four kingdoms. The Maharal of Prague explains often how Jewish history is not dependent upon a given sin. And certainly the future Redemption will not arrive in a happenstance manner; its process is the most all-encompassing thing that will ever happen to the world.

• There is a stage in the Redemption process from which where there is no return; it cannot be stopped, Free Choice notwithstanding. 

Whoever is familiar with the prophecies of consolation of Isaiah, Jeremiah and others, knows that one of the fundamentals of Redemption is that there will come a final and last stage, totally independent of anything other than G-d's desire to bring it about. At that point, no individual Jew will be able, in any manner whatsoever, to stop the Redemption; it will come! No one will be able to negate the wondrous relationship between Israel and its Father in Heaven, and certainly not to detach the eternal bonds between them. One might be able to detach himself from the process and from Israel by his sins, but he will not be able to derail the national train. 

As an example, here is one of many prophecies from the Prophet Yeshayahu, a passage from our "Uva Letzion" in our daily prayers: "A redeemer shall come to Zion… My spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have placed in your mouth, shall not move from your mouth or from the mouth of your seed and the mouth of your descendants' descendants, said the Lord, from now and to eternity. (Yeshayahu 59,20, and see also Yirmiyahu 31,32)

Do these prophets not believe in Free Choice?! Obviously they do! Of course, the interplay between Free Will and G-d's foreknowledge is one of the profound questions that our greatest Torah thinkers have dealt with. But in the end, there is no contradiction; as R. Akiva formulated it in Pirkei Avot (3,15): "Everything is foreseen and permission is granted."

• The reason for the Redemption is not necessarily connected with our deeds.

We see from the words of the prophets above that there will come a stage in the Redemption process at which the Redemption will be irreversible, and at which point it will be clear that the time for Redemption has truly come! When that happens, no entity in the world will be able to delay, impede, or reverse it. The question is just: When is this point and how do we identify it?  

Let us first emphasize that the Prophet Yechezkel has a message for the "Redemption refuseniks" of his generation (chapter 20): "And that which you considered [to be like the gentiles] will never be… I will rule over you… I will gather you from the lands in which you were dispersed and I will be sanctified through you before the gentiles."

Some have said that only when mankind's nature changes and he no longer has an Evil Inclination that urges him to sin will it be possible to say that from then on, the Redemption is 100% certain. But this does not jibe with the view of the Rambam, who ruled like the Talmudic sage Shmuel that "there is no difference between This World and the Messianic period other than the [abolishment of our] subjugation to the nations."

The same Shmuel also holds that the Redemption will happen naturally and not necessarily miraculously – but even he agrees that there will be a time at which the Redemption will begin regardless of Israel's spiritual state or deeds. The Gemara states that "it is enough for the mourner to stand in mourning" - meaning, as Rashi explains there, that G-d will stand "idly" by for only so long, and that afterwards will come a time when He will take action to redeem us.

The Prophet Yechezkel explains the Redemption process at length – including, notably, the reason why the Redemption will come:

"I [G-d] scattered them among the nations… I punished them in accordance with their ways and their deeds. And when they came to those nations, they thus desecrated My holy name, in that it was said of them, “These are G-d's people, yet/and they left their land.” I had concern for My holy name… [and so,] not for your sake will I act, O House of Israel, but for My holy name… And the nations shall know that I am G-d, when I manifest My holiness before their eyes through you: … I will gather you from all the countries and I will bring you back to your own land."

We thus see that the Redemption will come or be delayed not because of our deeds, but because of a Divine decision regarding the desecration of His name. It would therefore seem quite clear that a return to Exile today, Heaven forbid, after all that the State of Israel has accomplished and undergone – would that not be a renewal of the desecration of His name that He long ago decided was no longer acceptable? This is certainly proof that the current process is a one-way trip to Redemption, with no turning back. 

Next week's article will deal with a second challenge that has been offered to the "certainty of this Redemption" approach.

Korach: Korach, Then and Now

 by Rav Dov Lior, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

What type of people did Korach gather around him for his rebellion against Moshe?

This week's Torah portion of Korach (Numbers 16-18) recounts one of the most painful episodes that ever took place in our national history.

Moshe Rabbeinu had been leading the people through all of its vicissitudes, ever since a year before the Exodus – including the difficult times in Egypt amid slavery and plagues, the rushed and miraculous departure across the Red Sea, the acceptance of the Torah, and the trek through the Sinai – when suddenly, a group of rebels arose and sought to undermine his authority! They even accused him of acting dishonestly with the nation, as if he had appointed people to high authority out of his own self-interest and not because G-d had commanded him to do so. This was a blatant and humiliating attempt to undermine the leader who had done so much to shape the national and spiritual essence of the nation.

In order for us to learn from this and make sure in the future we avoid dangerous discord such as this at all costs, the Torah goes into great detail about this incident. We learn that Korach's gang comprised three elements:

1. Korach himself, the main ideologue of the rebellion. He appeared on the scene as someone who was seeking the best welfare of the people, wishing merely to restore the Tabernacle holy service to the firstborns as before. (We must keep in mind that during that period, the holy sacrificial service stood at the center of national life – just as money and prestige stand at the center of many people's lives today; then, it was closeness to Divine worship that people sought.) Korach slyly tried to trick the people into thinking he simply wanted democracy and equality, and that the priesthood should not be given only to certain parts of the Levite tribe. To accomplish his goals, he needed the other two elements:
2. People who liked to fight and who were handy with their tongues in arousing dissent, spreading rumors, and influencing people with their rhetoric. For this purpose he enlisted Datan and Aviram, the first "journalists" in history.
3. And finally, the third element was the 250 men who were actually sincere in their desire to come close to G-d and His service. True, they knew that this wasn't the right way of doing this, but they could not overcome their spiritual cravings. For this reason their punishment was relatively honorable – as opposed to Datan and Aviram, who were swallowed up by the earth. 

The message for future generations is a profound one, and deserves our careful consideration. When national elections are held, for instance, every candidate declares that if he is elected, he will bring peace, economic prosperity, national welfare, and the like. Of course, those who are serious among the voting public know that they must check to see if the candidate who is so busy selling himself actually has the abilities and qualities necessary for the job. Or could it be that his main interest is not in actually succeeding at the very hard job of being Prime Minister, but merely in bumping out his predecessor – and all his promises were merely fig leaves for his campaign?

Only people who truly worked on behalf of our nation with dedication, loyalty, and self-sacrifice, and not for their own self-aggrandizement, can be trusted to have serious intentions for the public welfare. In such a case, they will also have Divine help – siyata dishmaya – in carrying out their promises and goals.

I hereby bless our nation that we should always merit to be blessed with leadership that speaks truthfully and has only the best motives for wanting to lead us – and in this merit, may we truly see G-d's salvation very soon for His nation and land.

Emuna: Irreversible - The Certainty of Redemption

 by Rav Sh. Yosef Veitzen yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Seven challenges and responses to the presentation of the State of Israel as the start of our redemption.

In our Sabbath prayer for the welfare of the State of Israel, we define the modern-day return of the People of Israel to the Land of Israel, and the establishment of a Jewish sovereignty here, as "the beginning of the sprouting of our redemption."

Is this a correct definition of today's Jewish State?

Many fine Jews who believe in G-d and follow the Torah do not think so, and therefore do not recite this prayer. They feel that the situation today is simply a continuation of our circumstances during the Exile. In their eyes, the Redemption will include the return of the Jewish People not only to the Land of Israel, but also to the Torah of Israel and to the service of G-d, all of which will be topped off with the construction of the Holy Temple. And since in practice they do not detect any signs of an "enhanced" dwelling of the Divine Presence in our midst, nor do they see open miracles transpiring for the "nation that dwells in Zion" – how can this situation be called Redemption, about which is written, "The land will be filled with the knowledge of God"? On the contrary: Most unfortunately, great parts of our people appear to be spiritually further from G-d than ever before.

Their claim is that it is not sufficient that the Jewish People physically reside in the Holy Land. Our presence here without the Torah is nothing special. In fact, they say, the great virtue of our dwelling in the Holy Land is that we are closer here to G-d than elsewhere in the world. As such, as long as there has been no spiritual revolution among the nation, our dwelling in the Land provides no advantage; the situation of Exile is simply continuing here in the Land.

On the other hand, many others do recite the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel, yet differ amongst themselves as to the true significance of today's Jewish State. The crux of the disagreement is whether or not to view the State as the fulfillment of the words of the Prophets. That is, does the establishment of the State mean that we are surely on the path of Redemption and that there is no way back, or does it merely provide an opportunity for Redemption?

Those who take the latter approach feel that while Israel might very well be a part of the Redemption process, the success of this process ultimately depends on our national and personal behavior. If we do not recognize that the State is a Divine gift and do not use it as such, we are liable to derail the entire procedure. As proof, the proponents of this approach cite the famous Sage R. Akiva, who was sure that Bar Kochba was the Messiah, yet was soon proven sadly mistaken. In fact, this failure led to a period of Exile that was even worse than its predecessor. Maimonides explains that this does not mean that R. Akiva was wrong, for he simply defined the situation as an "opportunity for Redemption" – which, because of the sins of the generation, did not pan out. The situation today might very well be the same, according to this approach.

However, there are those who recite the prayer specifically because they are confident that today's national return to Zion is the final, absolute, and no-way-back path to Redemption. "We have left the Exile forever!" they say. How exactly the events will evolve we do not and cannot know; but we are sure that these generations have been witness to, and continue to witness, the fulfillment of many of the Prophecies foreseen for Messianic times. G-d is leading us on a one-way path towards the long-awaited Redemption.

This does not mean that it will be easy or free of tribulations, ups and downs and difficulties and doubts – but we see the overall direction, and it leads straight ahead. The withdrawals from the Yamit-Sinai communities in 1982, and from Gush Katif in 2005, were painful setbacks, but we must keep in mind that the path to Redemption is, by definition, a gradual process that sometimes appears to take one step forward and two steps backwards. The Sages of the Jerusalem Talmud likened it to the moments before the rising of the sun, when it seems to disappear from view for a time even as we know that it is continually rising towards us.

[After presenting these various positions on the national-historic significance of the State of Israel at this point in history, the author has formulated seven challenges to the "certainty" approach, and provided answers as well. We hope to present these in the coming weeks.]

Schlach: Permission to be Proud

by Rav Yosef Naveh, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

This week's Torah portion of Sh'lach recounts the tragic sin of the Twelve Spies. It was their negative report that brought a temporary but calamitous halt to the glorious march of the Jewish People to the Land in which they were to become a Torah-learned people and a light unto the nations.

At the beginning of Parashat Sh'lach, the Torah lists the names of the spies – including the two who did not take part in the demoralizing report: Calev ben Yefuneh and Yehoshua bin Nun. We read that the latter's name was originally Hoshea, but that Moshe added the letter yod, standing for G-d, and called him Yehoshua, as if to say, "May G-d protect you from the counsel of the [other] spies." 

The Targum Yehonatan writes: "When Moshe saw his humbleness, he called him Yehoshua." What about Yehoshua's humbleness bothered Moshe?

The Chatam Sofer explains that Moshe was afraid that Yehoshua's humility might prevent him from standing up to the other spies and their negative inclinations. The Chatam Sofer continues to explain that sometimes, when one is very humble and lowly, his humility is liable to become a negative trait, in that he could feel so unworthy that he loses the motivation to take action and serve G-d with all his potential. In addition, he might feel so "modest" and lowly that he gives in to negative peer pressure and does not fulfill the mitzvot that he knows he should. 

One must therefore have a modicum of pride in himself, as in the verse, "His [King Yehoshafat's] heart was uplifted in the ways of G-d" (Chronicles II 17,6). This "holy arrogance," says the Chatam Sofer, is symbolized by the Divine name Ya-h, spelled with the two letters yod and heh. This is why Moshe blessed Yehoshua with this Divine name, so that his humility should not take the place of his "holy pride" and that he should be able to stand up for the true purpose of the Spies' holy mission.

The Arizal wrote that the gematriya (Hebrew numerology) value of the word gaavah (pride) is 15 – the same as yod-heh. This teaches, he says, that pride must be reserved only for matters of sanctity, and for raising one's heart only for the service of G-d. One must be strong and firm against those forces that would prevent him from fulfilling his holy mission.

One must not be ashamed to do the right thing, and must be wary of the trait of "false humility" that enables him to take the easy way out because of societal or other pressures. "His heart was uplifted in the ways of G-d."

When G-d commanded Moshe to choose the spies, He told him to take one representative from each tribe – specifically, the "prince" of each tribe. The literal translation of this poetic command is this: "One man, one man, to the tribe of his fathers you shall send, every prince among them."  The holy Rebbe Yechiel Yaakov of Koznitz explained as follows:

Two types of Jews are referred to here. There are those who are born to families of righteous people, who might think that their Divine service comes easily to them via heredity, and that they need not work hard to achieve high levels. And there are those whose upbringing was not in an environment of fear of G-d, and whose families and friends discouraged them, or worse, from fulfilling the mitzvot. This latter group might think to themselves that there is no point in trying to improve, for their very roots are bad.

This is why the verse repeats "one man" twice, to direct this message to both types: "to the tribe of his fathers you shall send" – Send away that which your fathers taught you! Pay no attention to your roots if they direct you to be lazy and not work hard on your spiritual development! Rather, "every prince among them!" – All your prince-like behavior in your spiritual service and character development is dependent only upon yourselves, and not others!

So writes Rav Natan, the prime student of Rav Nachman of Breslov:

"His heart was uplifted in the ways of G-d:" We must raise our hearts and thoughts in the ways of G-d and realize that it is not appropriate for us to act negatively, like animals - for our souls are very high, like princes, and we must act accordingly, as is written, "You [Israel] are sons to Hashem your G-d" (Deut. 14,1)…

"And every person can [work hard and] be like the truly righteous, for everyone has Free Will and the ability to attain [great heights]."

Every person, even the most "humble," has within him the essence and ability to reach the highest levels. The difference is only that the tzaddik is truly connected to this knowledge, while the simple people do not yet believe in themselves and in their strengths.

As Rabbe Nachman said: "This is what you are missing! You imagine that the achievements of the great tzaddikim belong only to them, when in fact, every person can attain [that] level!"

Beha'alotkha: Like the Levites, Teachers Must be Raised Up!

 by Rav Yosef Carmel, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

If the High Priest is the Minister of Education in the Jewish State, the Levites are the teachers.

This week's Torah portion of Behaalot'cha (Numbers, chapters 8-12) is laden with a fascinating array of topics. Let us look at the two opening passages, dealing with the lighting of the lamps in the Tabernacle and the lifting of the Levites – both of which use words meaning "raising up." 

G-d told Moses: Speak to Aaron and say to him: "When you raise up [light] the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate toward the face of the Menorah." … G-d told Moses: "Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and purify them... Bring the Levites before G-d… Then Aaron shall lift up the Levites as a waving before G-d on behalf  of the children of Israel, that they may serve in G-d's service…"

We see that the Torah, more than once in this passage, prefers to use the word "raise up" instead of "light" regarding the lighting of the lamps. The Levites, too, must be physically "raised up" in order to prepare them for the Temple service. What is the connection between them?

Rabbeinu Bahye (Bechaye) (1255-1340, Spain), a foremost Biblical commentator, wrote that the lifting up of the Levites by Aaron was effected in one or both of two ways: "Either Aaron would take each one of them and lift him slightly off the ground and wave him, thus showing that Aaron was tremendously strong in being able to do so with 22,000 Levites himself in one day, or it was done by way of miracle."

Let us discuss the significance of the lifting and waving, and how is connected with the "raising" of the lights.

When the Bible speaks of light, it is often in the context of Torah wisdom. For example: "For a commandment is a candle, and the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6,23), and, "The wisdom of a man will light up his face" (Eccl. 8,1). Light symbolizes the spirituality present also within the material world. As such, when we speak of "adding light," we mean "adding Torah and spirituality." When the Torah tells us that lighting the Menorah in the Tabernacle and Temple is "raising up the lamps," it refers to the addition of spirituality and empowering the dwelling of the Divine Presence there, and from there throughout the world. To the extent that the Presence dwells in our midst, so the power of the light increases in the world – up to the final rectification, as the Prophet Isaiah foresaw:"Nations will walk by your light, and kings by the brightness of your shining" (60,3). As made famous by the singer Avraham Fried, the Medrash explains: "[This verse teaches that] Jerusalem is the light of the world - and who is the light of Jerusalem? It is G-d, as is written,"G-d will be for you an eternal light" (60,19) (B'reshit Rabba 59,5). 

The Tabernacle and Temple are not simply places for the worship of G-d via sacrificial offerings. They are also designed to serve as the spiritual center that disseminates light to the nation of Israel and the entire world – one that intensifies the presence of the Shekhinah upon the children of G-d, the people of Israel, and thereby on all of humanity.

Alongside of the Levites' job to assist the Priests, they are also assigned the task of spreading Torah throughout the nation. If the High Priest is the Minister of Education in the Jewish State, the Levites are those who work and teach in the educational system. For instance, the High Priest R. Yehoshua ben Gamla instituted many important educational regulations for the Jewish People, chief among them the entire idea of schools as opposed to learning only at home.

In order for the educational system to function effectively, we see that the Torah requires that the teachers be "raised up," in order that they be able to raise up their students and thus, the entire public.

The light that we discussed above is disseminated by the raising of the value of the teaching profession and by honoring those who engage in it. Our goal is that those who choose to be part of this "elite unit," and lead the way by carrying out this important mission, will be able to do so not only because they were unable to be accepted to more seemingly prestigious career options. An honorable pay scale for teachers is one of the means by which to encourage quality people to enter this profession. Their salaries must enable them to dedicate the best of their abilities to their students and to the goals they wish them to achieve. Teachers must be accorded the status of "lighters of the torch," those who raise up the light in the national Menorah. We must view them as those who disseminate the light, in every way.

Let us pray that we will merit to raise up the light of the lamps and ignite the souls of the pupils of Israel, and the light will then naturally find its way to every corner, raising up and waving all of us ever upwards. 

Emuna: The Giving of the Torah Keeps on Going and Going!

 by Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira ZT"l, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Last week's Shavuot holiday is relevant today, as it marks the perpetual renewal of the giving of the Torah to Israel – every generation, all the time.

The holiday of the Giving of the Torah to Israel at Mt. Sinai is, paradoxically, the holiday of the Oral Law. This is because it belongs to the Torah Sages of each and every generation. Every generation, the Torah is given to us anew; the day of Shavuot is the day that symbolizes and manifests this most quintessentially. Every year on this day we reenact that great event of the year 2448 (counting from the creation of the world).

Just like the festival of Pesach is the time of freedom each year, so too Shavuot is the time of receiving the Torah anew each year, each generation. When we celebrate Shavuot, we are not merely commemorating something that happened once long ago, but rather the very essence of the day – and it is renewed every year.

The Jerusalem Talmud (Rosh HaShanah 4,8) teaches as follows: "All the sacrifices mention sin, except for Shavuot." The Talmud here is actually asking a question: Why is it that all the festival sacrifices include a sin-offering – except for Shavuot? (See Bamidbar 28,22; 29,5; 29,11; etc., and compare with Bamidbar 28,30.) 

The Talmud answers: "G-d said: Because you accepted upon yourselves the yoke of Torah, I consider it as if you never sinned at all." The Korban HaEdah commentary explains: "Shavuot every year is like the day on which we stood at Mt. Sinai, and on it we receive the Torah anew. As [the Talmudic Sage] Rav Yosef said: 'If it weren't for this very day that made the difference, I would be just like any other Yosef in the market' – and so, there is no sin-offering on that day."

That is, Rav Yosef was saying that the very day of Shavuot made the whole difference in his life: If not for the Torah that was given on Shavuot and that he spent his life studying, his entire essence would have been different. The reality that renews our acceptance of the Torah each and every year is that which leads to the atonement of our sins every year anew.

We know that Israel's acceptance of the Torah is encapsulated in their response when they first heard words of the Torah: "Everything that G-d said, we will do and we will listen" (Sh'mot 24,7). Every year when we hear these words read aloud from the Torah on Shavuot, we accept the Torah yet again. And every individual Jew also has his own individual acceptance of the Torah. 

In this light, let us understand the afore-mentioned teaching of Rav Yosef in the Talmud about the "very day" of Shavuot and its imprint on him. Why does he say that it made him who he was? After all, the entire world would have been lacking if not for the Torah, not just Rav Yosef!

Answer: What Rav Yosef is teaching is that not only was the Torah given to the world and the Jewish People on that day, but also individually to each person! And therefore, just as Israel's acceptance of the Torah is renewed each year on Shavuot, the same is true for each individual. 

[Translator's note: The end of this article is not available, and so we conclude with the words of Rav Chaim Ben-Shushan, a Ra"m (rabbi and teacher) in Yeshivat Beit El:]

Although Shavuot is only one day a year [it is celebrated for two days outside Israel], but it is something that we must remember every day of the year; we must live it every day. Just like the Torah does not say straight out that Rosh HaShanah is the Day of Judgement, because this feeling is something that must be with us all year, every day - so too the Torah does not tell us that Shavuot is the day of the Giving of the Torah – because the Torah must be with us every single day.