Miller's Musings Parshas Behaaloscho: To Cut and Run

בס''ד

        
An inverted נ flanking both sides of a section within a sefer Torah would surely be cause for some consternation were it not for the explanation of Chazal.  The Gemoro in Shabbos explains that this highly unusual marker is there to indicate that these Pesukim are actually out of place.  The reason for them appearing here is in order to make a demarcation between two episodes of punishment within the Torah.  The first is a reference to the fact that when the Jewish people left Har Sinai, they did so in an inappropriate manner that suggested they were fleeing from there with all haste.  The event post these Pesukim is the incident where the Jewish people complained about the lack of meat.  The difficulty that requires resolving here is that albeit the second infraction of the Jews resulted in a punishment, their speedy exit away from Sinai seemingly did not lead to any negative ramifications! 

To understand fully the methods and system of Hashem’s retributions is far beyond our limited understanding.  What we are told however, is that there a number of possibilities of how we could receive them. The first, like that related as a consequence of the Jews moaning, is when the punishment comes after the crime as a response to the sin. The second, explains Reb Shimon Schwab zt’l, is when the offence itself contains within it a negative outcome for the wrongdoer.  Returning to our question, the very act of leaving Sinai in such an expeditious manner resulted in a severance from the inestimable good of having that connection with Hashem.  This then was the punishment they received.

If the fear of transgression is entirely predicated on what will occur in the Next World, or even in possible consequences later on in life, it may be difficult to maintain one’s focus on these to deter one from sinning.   The potentiality somewhere in the future for even eternal damage to ourselves, may not be enough when at the brink of erring.  But if we can persistently remind ourselves of the harm inherent in every sin that we do, in that it casts us further and further away from our loving Father and the incredibly rewarding relationship we can enjoy with Him, perhaps then this may be able to discourage us from doing that which we know is wrong and encourage us to battle with our evil inclination no matter how often and how fiercely it attacks.  To lose this connection with Hashem is surely the most terrible consequence of all.

*May our special relationship with Shabbos help connect us to Hashem*

                                                                                                                    

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Naso: Protection from Defection

בס''ד

                            

It’s a common misconception that it is only the Rabbis that apply additional restrictions in order to safeguard us from prohibitions.  In fact precautions of this nature are not exclusively the realm of the Rabbis.  There are two occasions where the Torah itself imposes limitations to our behaviour so as to ensure we do not transgress a commandment.  One is found in our Parsha with regard to a Nazir, someone who vows not to partake of wine, along with other self-imposed constraints.  The Torah further limits this person by disallowing any grape products.  The second instance is with the Kohen Godol who is limited in his involvement with the burial of a close relative out of the Torah’s concern that he may come to be defiled by coming in contact with a dead body.  The question that is posed here is why it is specifically these two areas that the Torah feels requires these extra deterrents?

 

If one were to examine these two sections of Torah law, one might notice that the common denominator between them, is that they are both cases where the rest of the world are not restricted in this way.  It is only the Kohen Godol that can not participate in the funeral of so close a relative and only the Nozir that is not permitted to imbibe wine.  The fact that for everyone else there is no regulation of such acts, necessitates there being greater boundaries in place to prevent those individuals from conducting themselves like the rest of the population.  This, explains Reb Aharon Kotler zt’l, is the reason that these two rulings are singled out for such measures to safeguard them.

Many find it difficult to understand why there seems to be such an influx of stringencies advocated by the Rabbis of our generation.  In truth, if we are aware of the moral decline of the world around us, and the degradation of society, our Sages are in fact mirroring the precepts of the Torah to enforce blockades to shield us when those around us are so lax in their observance of even the most basic ethical principles.  This of course requires tremendous sensitivity to know where and when such restrictions should be applied and to what degree one need in fact distance oneself from outside influences. For this we must trust and rely on the understanding of our Rabbis whose decisions are governed by the Torah. In doing so we are ensuring we live within the parameters the Torah proscribes allowing for the most meaningful and beautiful life that there is.

*May the observance of Shabbos help us appreciate its true value*

                                                                                                 

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

 

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings for Shavuos: Just Accept It!

בס''ד

                                                                      

We are all well aware that the Jewish people’s proclamation “we will do and we will listen” is not in fact the whole picture and in truth a mountain was held threateningly above our heads as a means to ensure our acceptance of the Torah.  Without even trying to understand how an intimidation of this kind could lead to any legal obligation on our part, the first question must be why it was necessary?  From the very start of creation, Odom was given no choice about agreeing to a commandment not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge.  The other nations of the world had no say in their requirement to abide by the seven Noachide Laws.   So why was Hashem so adamant that the Jewish people should accept upon themselves the Torah, even to the point of seemingly forcing them to do so? Why not just command that it be so?

The human mind is incredibly sensitive to even the most subtle of nuances in the manner in which we do things and the decisions that we take.  Seemingly with this in mind, the Birchas Avrohom points out, that there is a tremendous difference to something being done simply as a directive of a king, to something done after an acceptance of that command, even when the person was left with little choice but to agree to it.  Once a person has taken it upon themselves to do something, there is an added layer of obligation and compulsion to fulfil one’s commitment, despite being forced to consent initially.  This degree of devotion to the Torah was what Hashem desired from His people.

Whatever level of religiosity we are currently practicing there will be some requirements of the Torah that we find challenging.  This is the nature of our existence in this world and it is the way that it is meant to be.  Were there not a struggle for us to overcome, there would in fact be no point in our creation.  Shavuos is the time when each year the potential for acceptance of the Torah for each of us individually is there waiting to be actualised.  We can just sit passively by and let it wash over us and the Torah will once again be granted to the Jewish people.  But instead if we can take time to consider the power, beauty and infinite value of what Hashem chose to confer upon us, then perhaps we can wholeheartedly accept anew the responsibility it contains, giving us greater reserves of energy to fulfil all it requires of us, no matter what the test, to the best of our ability, with everything that we are.   

*May our acceptance on Shavuos fortify, invigorate and inspire us*

                                                                                                                            

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Bamidbar: Earth, Water and Fire

בס''ד

            

Fire, water and desert.  These are the elements in which the Torah was given according to the Medrash on this week’s Parsha.  The only thing left is to know what this actually means and, as always, what message and significance this carries with it for our own lives.

The nature of the Jewish people, right from their inception, was as a people who survived and persevered through acts and situations of extreme danger and threat to their existence.  Reb Meir Shapiro of Lublin zt’l explains that each of these three components brought in the Medrash, actually refer to a formative moment in the Jewish people’s formation. The first of these, fire, occurred when Avrohom was cast into the towering inferno due to his unfaltering belief in one G-d. This imbued his descendants with this potential for acts of self-sacrifice, manifested as an entire nation at the splitting of the Red Sea; the water.  Lest one think that this was a momentary act of greatness that could not be sustained for any longer period of time, the Jewish people’s willingness to brave the desert and all its perils, demonstrated our ability to keep faith in the most challenging of conditions. These demonstrations of our ability to respond with faith and strength in the most trying of times was what entitled us to receive the most precious and important gift ever given to humankind; the Torah.  

We live in uncertain times when there are moments and situations that can present threats to our survival both as individuals and as a nation.  Many of them are instigated by factors that are beyond our control and due in no part to choices we make.  What is within our control, however, is how we respond to these times.  When there are those who are bent on destruction, we must be committed to creation.  When some are inspired only by hate, we must challenge ourselves to act towards others with even undeserving love.  If there are people whose every act is to take and take and take, we must give and give and give.  What happens in the world around us is often not our choice and sometimes heartbreaking in the tragedy it brings.  How we react and the manner in which we choose to confront those challenges, are some of the most important decisions that we make.   

*May the serenity of Shabbos extend its peace throughout the world*

                                                                                                                          

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Behar-Bechukosai: Forewarned and Forefathers

בס''ד

       
It is abundantly clear from many times in the Torah that words are viewed as incredibly powerful.  This is particularly so with regard to the curses that are portended in our Parsha.  Every word and every nuance of the details outlined by the Torah are incredibly precise in their depiction of the consequences of the Jewish people’s going astray.  So in the midst of the rebuke, when Hashem proclaims that He has “remembered my covenant with Yaakov…Yitzchok and….Avrohom”, we may wonder what relevance this has here?  The fact that we are descendants of such luminaries should seemingly be advantageous to us, having their merits to act as a counterbalance to our failings.  It should surely not be brought as an element of the factors that result in the terrible devastation depicted in this castigation.

The judgement that a person will have to face at the end of their days will take into account every possible conceivable factor that would have influenced a person’s life and effected the choices that they made.  Fundamental to that is the parentage to which they were born to, as this would have had a major impact on the level at which they are placed.  The mention of our forefathers in the Parsha is explained by the Sheloh Hakodosh to be a rationale for why the Jewish people would be punished so brutally for their mistakes.  For any other nation to err in this way would of course be wrong, but for the Jewish people, descendants of those who were the ones to begin to give light to the world, a descent of this manner is tantamount to a complete rejection of Hashem and results in catastrophic repercussions.

An honest examination of one’s own life is fundamental to achieving what is intended for us in this world.  Without a true appraisal of where we are and where we should be, we cannot become who we are meant to be.  One of the keys to this is by looking at all the chances we have been given and all the opportunities that have come our way, that we have squandered.  This candid assessment can be humbling when we consider how much Hashem has given to us and how much we have let Him down.  The objective however is of course never to leave ourselves dejected, but rather to try by other means to reach those levels we should have attained previously and to strengthen our resolve to never let this happen again.  If we are sincere in our reflections we will see so many open doors that we have closed or walked by, when passing through them would have brought us so much reward.  Let us ensure we never miss those pathways to a better life both here and ever after. 

 

*May the we grasp the opportunity Shabbos brings with both hands*

                                                                                                                             

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Emor: A Risky Inheritance

בס''ד

                        
If something is worth saying once, it is worth saying again.  That being said, in the case of Moshe’s mandate to the sons of Aharon, with regard to the laws of priesthood, there was seemingly only one time at this point that it was given over.  Why then does Hashem command Moshe to “Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and you shall say to them”?  Wherein lies the need for a repetition of the decree to “say” it to them?

The righteous of this world fall into two categories, as laid out by the Noam Elimelech.  One group comprises of those born into a family of saintly individuals and who inherit much of their elevated status from the atmosphere and upbringing of such a home.  The second consists of those from humble spiritual beginnings who raise themselves to the heights of purity through their own efforts and striving.  The advantage of the second group, is that due to a lack of familial support, they are ever conscious of a need to be resolute in maintaining their level, with nothing and no one else to rely on but their own resolve.  Those whose piety is to an extent a product of their nurture, can become complacent about the level at which they live, and can more easily fall if they are not conscious of this danger.  The sons of Aharon fell into the first category and therefore required not only to be told what their responsibilities were as Kohanim (the first ‘saying’), but also necessitated a warning of the risk of complacency inherent in being the sons of such noble ancestry.  This was the second ‘saying’ that Moshe was compelled to issue to try to safeguard them from this vulnerability that they possessed.

Whatever our background and whatever our lineage, we are sure to have inherited some positive traits from our parents.  Whether it be a high level of religious practice or innate principles of honesty and integrity, these may be no more due to our own choices than our physical appearance or intellectual aptitude.  The important point here however is to realise what these are and to be alert to the possibility of them falling by the wayside if we do not ensure that they become truly ours by making conscious choices about continuing their practice.  If we are not choosing to do that which is right, because we in our heart of hearts truly believe in its goodness, then we are always open to spiritual decline.  But if we make the choice to continue down this path because we know it is one of truth and virtue, the foundations will be built for a structure of unfaltering strength that can never be torn down.

 

*May the power of Shabbos help create the fortitude in us*

 

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Achrei Mos-Kedoshim: Holier Than Thou? No, Holier Than Now!

בס''ד

                  

The transmission of the Torah from Moshe to the Jewish people was performed in a very particular manner, leaving nothing to chance in ensuring its legitimacy and integrity.  Moshe was to teach all of it to all the Jewish people himself, which may lead us to question why we are told by Chazal that due to the fundamental Torah principals contained within Kedoshim, this particular Parsha was said in an assembly of all the Jewish people?  If what we have said is accurate, then this Parsha is surely no different to any of the others?

As its name suggests, the theme of this Parsha, is one of holiness.  The Zohar states that when the Jewish people reached this section of the Torah, they rejoiced.  But why particularly here?  You see, explains the Darchei Mussar, before the Jewish people were gathered together and instructed with the words “you shall be holy”, they assumed that holiness would be the domain of the few.  Those who could live a life far from physicality, cut off from the needs of the flesh, would be able to attain holiness.  But for the average person it would be simply inaccessible.  So when Moshe turned to all the Jewish people and enjoined them all to be holy, the people exulted in the knowledge that holiness must be within the reach of each and every one of them.  This is the reason for the emphasis of this Parsha being related before all the Jewish people.  To teach us this very message, of the universal potential for holiness. 

There are those religions that see holiness as the purview of only the most lofty of individuals, who entirely shun a life of bodily pleasure, choosing to live one of asceticism.  This, however, is not a Jewish belief.  Our Parsha begins with a directive to be holy and then continues with an array of diverse commandments, each one of which carries within it the power to divest greater holiness on the one who performs it.   Whether it be honouring parents and the elderly, ethical conduct in business or providing for the impoverished, each one of these mitzvos are means to achieving holiness and each one of them lifts us beyond our previous state.  Every mitzvah that we do, every tiny good deed or act of kindness, every chance we take to be better, imbues us with godliness and brings us closer to our purpose.  These sparks of holiness are all around us, in every moment of our lives.  We must only reach out to grab them to embrace the holiness they bring.

*May the holiness of Shabbos cultivate the holiness in us*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר