We find the incredible report of Bil'am's donkey talking to him! Although we know that animals can communicate, the power of speech is unique to humankind. This is not a privilege or side benefit granted to the homo-sapien, but specifically the direct expression of the different, not just better, mind and soul that humans possess.
We do not find in chazal that G-D bestowed a mind or soul upon the donkey of Bil'am, rather, in pirkei avos, it states that the mouth of Bil'am's donkey was created on erev shabbos. This would seem that the words of the donkey were not a product of its mind at all, but solely from its mouth. How then can the Torah say that the donkey spoke if the words just eminated from its mouth?
Similarly we may ask regarding Bil'am himself. What was the point of G-D placing the words of brachah into Bil'am's mouth if he surely had no intention of blessing the Jews? Wouldn't those words then be quite meaningless? Yet, we see that Balak was greatly upset by the blessings; obviously, he understood the words would be quite effective!
It seems very clear that the spoken word is powerful, regardless of the mindset or complete lack thereof of the speaker!
This is strongly illustrated once more by the fact that G-D did not merely de-activate Bil'am's power to curse the Jews. This indicates that de-activating the power of one's words would be a greater miracle and change of world order than placing different words into Bil'am's mouth!
We often read and hear about the tremendous importance of having proper concentration during tefilah. Without doubt, that is definitely true! However, we must also recognize the great power of every word emanating from our mouths even when spoken absentmindedly!
This applies not only in Torah and prayer but with words used in social settings as well.
Rabbi Avigdor Miller z"tzl had the beautiful custom to quietly bless pedestrians who passed him by on his daily walk. He would also pause in front of the Mirrer Yeshivah daily and bless all of its students and faculty. In accordance with the passuk, "Va'avarchah mivarachekah" - "And I (Hashem says to Avraham) will bless those who bless you", Rabbi Miller said, he would look forward to blessing others so he would be blessed himself.
There can be no better appliction of the above lesson than to actively start blessing others, without concern as to how much we really mean it. If words can do harm, they most certainly can do tremendous good!
T'hiyu Bruchim!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
BALAK
Anyone familiar with this week's parshah and its midrashim about Bilam, would be quite mystified by a related mishnah in Pirkei Avos (5.19).
"One who has these three attributes is amongst the students of Avraham avinu, whereas having their opposite traits would render him a student of Bilam the rashah. Ayin tovah, Ruach n'muchah, & Nefesh sh'failah........ What is the difference between their students? Avraham's students reap reward in this world and inherit the world to come...."
The questions abound.
Are there only three opposing approaches in the schools of thought of our great patriarch and the evil Bilam?! Secondly, how can the mishnah ask what is the difference between them - one would assume they are quite distinguishable from each other! Thirdly, from the mishnah's response, it seems as if their difference lies only in their reward & punishment, which is blatantly self understood. The question and answer seem to be completely uninformative! Lastly, (and classically, the question leading into the answer) why does the mishnah refer to those possessing these traits as talmidim - students? There are many Tanaim suggesting good practices throughout pirkei avos, yet seldom are the followers of these middos called talmidim of their originators!
I would like to share my simple understanding of this remarkable mishnah.
The Medrash Rabbah (parshas toldos) states, that so long as Yakov and Eisav were under bar mitzvah, they both studied in yeshivah and one could not notice any difference in their spirituality. It was only after they turned thirteen, when Eisav left for the fields and Yakov remained to learn, that their differences were exposed. It is not necessarily one's actions that will shape his future, but his underlying middos.
R' Chaim Vital writes (Sharei Hakdushah; qouted in many sifrei mussar) that middos are the foundations upon which all of torah rests. Our character traits and moods are what largely push us either to perform mitzvos or do aveiros.
When a person is accustomed to specific traits, they will usually end up leading his life, and controlling most of his decisions in the future. It is in this training ground that the mishnah refers to us as being talmidim - students. Some traits have a more all-encompassing control over our lives than others. As one trains himself specifically in the above three middos, our mishnah informs us that REGARDLESS of what our actions are at the time, we are students being indoctrinated into the path of either Avraham or Bilam. Our actions at the time may show us to be great tzadikim or vice versa, but we are sure to end up in the manner of our training in these three middos.
This is why the mishnah does not notice any obvious difference between the two "students". It is not discussing someone who has already matured into being an Avraham avinu or a Bilam harashah. Rather it is referring to two people who are quite the same, yet they are practicing and training in the 'schools' of these 'headmasters'.
As the summer rolls in let us check which school we're registered in for the coming semester!
"One who has these three attributes is amongst the students of Avraham avinu, whereas having their opposite traits would render him a student of Bilam the rashah. Ayin tovah, Ruach n'muchah, & Nefesh sh'failah........ What is the difference between their students? Avraham's students reap reward in this world and inherit the world to come...."
The questions abound.
Are there only three opposing approaches in the schools of thought of our great patriarch and the evil Bilam?! Secondly, how can the mishnah ask what is the difference between them - one would assume they are quite distinguishable from each other! Thirdly, from the mishnah's response, it seems as if their difference lies only in their reward & punishment, which is blatantly self understood. The question and answer seem to be completely uninformative! Lastly, (and classically, the question leading into the answer) why does the mishnah refer to those possessing these traits as talmidim - students? There are many Tanaim suggesting good practices throughout pirkei avos, yet seldom are the followers of these middos called talmidim of their originators!
I would like to share my simple understanding of this remarkable mishnah.
The Medrash Rabbah (parshas toldos) states, that so long as Yakov and Eisav were under bar mitzvah, they both studied in yeshivah and one could not notice any difference in their spirituality. It was only after they turned thirteen, when Eisav left for the fields and Yakov remained to learn, that their differences were exposed. It is not necessarily one's actions that will shape his future, but his underlying middos.
R' Chaim Vital writes (Sharei Hakdushah; qouted in many sifrei mussar) that middos are the foundations upon which all of torah rests. Our character traits and moods are what largely push us either to perform mitzvos or do aveiros.
When a person is accustomed to specific traits, they will usually end up leading his life, and controlling most of his decisions in the future. It is in this training ground that the mishnah refers to us as being talmidim - students. Some traits have a more all-encompassing control over our lives than others. As one trains himself specifically in the above three middos, our mishnah informs us that REGARDLESS of what our actions are at the time, we are students being indoctrinated into the path of either Avraham or Bilam. Our actions at the time may show us to be great tzadikim or vice versa, but we are sure to end up in the manner of our training in these three middos.
This is why the mishnah does not notice any obvious difference between the two "students". It is not discussing someone who has already matured into being an Avraham avinu or a Bilam harashah. Rather it is referring to two people who are quite the same, yet they are practicing and training in the 'schools' of these 'headmasters'.
As the summer rolls in let us check which school we're registered in for the coming semester!
- Ayin tovah - 'a good eye' - a general feeling of good will for others. As opposed to being stingy and unhappy about the success of others.
- Ruach n'muchah - a humble spirit. As opposed to looking for honor and recognition.
- Nefesh sh'failah - a simple 'apetite' - being satisfied with one's lot. As opposed to desiring more and wanting what others may have.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Shlach
The beginning and end of this week’s parshah, Shlach, share a similar but not very common term; תור . In the instruction to spy the land ‘v’yasuru’ is used, and in the parshah of tzitzis the well known ‘lo sasuru’ is applied. Interestingly enough, the meaning is quite accurately defined in the english word ‘tour’.
Harav Ezriel Erlanger shlitah (mashgiach of mirrer yeshivah Brooklyn) gleaned a wonderful insight from this connection. We often think that our tendency to follow our heart and eyes comes from the powerful force of our desire, which is hard to avoid, and even more difficult conquer. However the Torah chose this terminology to inform us of a very different cause for our challenge. CURIOSITY.
Our mind and soul have an inquenchable thirst to learn, explore, and grow beyond our previous limits and boundaries. This creates a tremendous draw to constantly seek new information and original experiences. The Torah is teaching us that this nature is indeniable and unavoidable. The choice remains ours how to satiate this hunger which is part and parcle of the human fibre.
I was present one time when Rav Shmuel Berenbaum z”tzl questioned a talmid who had just returned from a two week “winter break” on the west coast. The young man explained his absence, as he was going through a hard time with shidduchim, and he felt a need for a change of scenery. The Rosh Yeshivah laughingly chided the bachur “New Yorkers go to Florida for winter vacation and yet the Floridians come to New York! You see, the point is not the destination but just a change from what you’re used to. A different sugyah or another mesechtah would have offered the same ‘break’ and ‘change of scenery’”.
The Jews felt the need to explore and learn about the new land they were about to enter. “Tour the land!” was Hashem’s response. But as we know, although Hakodosh Baruch Hu was not in favour of this plan, He allows people to make their own choices. This form of exploration was not the recommended approach to our curiosity. Our thirst for ‘news’ does not have to lead us to the green grass on the other side. There is so much to explore and learn within the infinite wisdom of the Torah!
The parshah of tzitzis is the ultimate תור guide. “Lo sasuru achrei l’vavchem v’achrei eyneichem” don’t explore beyond your physical boundaries! Rather let the tzitzis with all that they represent, be a guide in stretching your mind and soul to go tour areas of thought you never before experienced! Let the number of strings, the knots, the spiral wrapping, and the aquamarine colour lead you to thoughts of all taryag mitzvos and even to a recognition of the כיסא הכבוד!
For a Jew to be broadminded he does not need to learn from other ideologies. He does not need to follow his eyes to learn about the world outside of him. Nor does he need to open his heart to the materialistic cultures that surround him. The mind is not bound to the physical four borders of our garment. We can learn from our ‘fringes’ that we can explore and extend beyond what we are used to, and yet still be firmly and permanently knotted to the guidelines of the Torah. We can learn to ‘grow’ from our ‘גדילים’. Lastly, we can see from the single string of heavenly תכלת, that one dose of the ‘other worldly’ experience is enough for our curiosity, to allow us to refocus on growing through the everyday Torah, mitzvos, and nisyonos represented in the majority of white strings.
Good Shabbos!
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