Miller's Musings Parshas Vayelech: For Your Ears Only

בס''ד  

The handing over of the mantle from master to apprentice is a moment of tremendous pride but also poignancy.  Moshe entrusting the reins to Yehoshua his student, upon Hashem’s instruction, must have evoked feelings of regret for Moshe, having lost his chance to lead the people into Canaan.  Adding further to his pain, after Yehoshua received a prophecy, Moshe asked to hear what had been transmitted to him.  Yehoshua replied that just as Moshe had not told him his prophecies, he too could not reveal his prophecy to Moshe.  The Medrash tells us that Moshe’s heartfelt response to this was “It is better to die one hundred times rather than suffer this one pang of jealousy.” There are many that ask how someone of Moshe’s stature could be jealous, but I would like to tackle the question of why Yehoshua was unable to reveal to Moshe his prophecy.

                                                                                                                                                           

Although prophecy was often used as a tool by which to transmit Hashem’s word to the masses, there were also occasions when the communication was meant solely for the prophet.  This must have been one such an instance for Moshe to have needed to request to hear what was said.  A prophecy was a deeply personal experience that was dependent on a person’s own character.  Only Moshe, the greatest of all prophets, the humblest of all men, underwent a prophecy completely devoid of any reflection of his own personality.  This was because he so entirely subjugated himself to G-d, so that his own disposition had no bearing on the vision he received.  For others, like Yehoshua, however, each prophecy was seen by them in their own unique way, through a prism of their individuality.  This meant that, unless they were instructed to transmit it to others, it would be improper and perhaps impossible to disclose the details to anyone else.  It was geared towards and meant for them only and the way that they would see it.  Others would simply not have the wherewithal to perceive it correctly, even those as great as Moshe Rabbeinu. 

We are all born with our own set of characteristics and traits.  This is something we in general accept and, to one extent or another, deal with accordingly.  What we sometimes find more difficult to accept is the differing set of circumstances that we begin life with and the situations that arise during our life.  We often ask why it is we that must suffer and not others, leading to despondency or indignation.  Yet we must learn to appreciate that just as every prophecy was given specifically according to that person’s distinctiveness, so too the messages we are given by Hashem, through the events and situations that occur in our lives, are exclusively purposeful for us and only us.  Understanding this is the first step to acceptance.  The next step is to make the most of what we are given and learn from the messages we receive.

*May Shabbos help us see how our life is exactly as it must be*

  

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

לרפואת אברהם יעקב בן שרה טשארנה

Miller's Musings Parshas Netzovim: The Oath For Others

בס''ד  

One can only imagine the atmosphere as Moshe stood there before the entire nation beseeching them to follow the ways of Hashem, entreating them to choose the path of the righteous.  The air must have been thick with purpose, resonating with the feeling of the magnitude of the occasion.   A plea from a leader who so deeply loved his people and who in turn was so beloved by his flock. It is worth noting that the Parsha seems incredibly keen to emphasise the fact that everyone was present.  It tells us a number of times that all were there and goes further to list individual categories of people, women, children, the wood choppers.  Our question therefore is why the Torah accentuates this and in answering this we can thereby gain a more profound understanding of the purpose of this momentous gathering. 

                                                                                                                                                                                      

A covenant between man and G-d is something that can certainly not be taken likely.   It is an individual’s oath to forever bind oneself to His will, an undertaking that compels one to live a life according to His commands.   This is an internal, intensely personal undertaking to be the person we were created to be.  But the Torah requires more of us than just looking inwards.  It requires us to extend our gaze to those around us and ensure they too are following the dictates of the Creator.  This, says the Ohr Hachaim, was the raison d'être for the assembly of the nation as a whole and why each group is mentioned distinctly.  It was to charge the people, not just with the responsibility for their own spiritual welfare, but also with an obligation to those around them, to do whatever they could to enable and encourage others to do as the Torah instructs.   This is the unique oath that our Parsha records, an oath made by individuals with all others as the prime focus.  

More than any other, at this time of year our minds are full of thoughts of repentance and renewal.  We are very much focused on ourselves, performing self-analysis and internal scrutiny of our lives and our acts.  This is exactly as it should be and is crucial to our success in judgement.   Yet perhaps this Parsha occurs specifically at this time to remind us of this additional oath, not just to steer ourselves back in the right direction but to ensure others are coming along with us. The mechanism and method by which we achieve this requires thought and consideration so that all those we endeavour to help receive the individualised approach that they need. For some it may only need gentle encouragement, for others more serious persuasion.  Others still may need some sort of rude awakening and alarm bells rung in their ears.  But whatever it is that we need to do, if we are not looking out for others, we are not truly looking out for ourselves either. 

*May this Shabbos help us focus both inwards and outwards*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

 

 

Miller's Musings Parshas Ki Setze-No Way-Ward Son

דבס''

Everyone likes a good myth.  Does it truly exist? Is it a figment of someone’s imagination?  Throughout history there have been legends, fables and folklore that have described fantastic creatures that may or may not have actually been factual or real.  The Torah however is very frank and candid in telling us that a case of a Ben Soreh U’Moreh, the wayward and rebellious child, never actually occurred. In fact the Gemoro tells us that the concept is described in the Torah solely so that it can give us the reward for learning, discussing and delving into the matter. However, this only leads to a further question, as surely the Torah is infinite and endless without any need for additional non-existent phenomena for study. 

I’m not sure there is a more difficult task in life than raising children.  Every book on the subject contains different advice and even Torah guides are never all-inclusive since each child must be educated according to their particular ways.  The case of a Ben Soreh U’Moreh was an extreme one, where a child has strayed so far from the path that there is no way back.  But what we clearly see is the need for consequences for a child’s actions.  No child can be allowed to do whatever their heart desires and no child can be left to their whims.  There must be rules for them to abide by and repercussions if they do not do so.  This, says Reb Moshe Mordechai Epstein zt’l, is the reward that we gain from learning this enigmatic portion of the Torah.  Not the reward for the learning, but a reward for our positive and effective child rearing which will result from the lessons learnt here.

Where once children were to be seen and not heard and punishments for not adhering to rules barbaric and cruel, we seem now to have swung to the other extreme, allowing for any chosen behavior under the guise of empathy and inclusivity.  As with all the greatest battles, it is fought on a tightrope and maintaining one’s balance is everything.  Too much rigidity can be disastrous but too much permissiveness may be even more calamitous.  We must find the balance that allows for a child’s self-expression and unique personality to shine, whilst maintaining a base level of behavior and morality that lies strictly within the parameters of the Torah and its eternal wisdom.  To this end there must at times be consequences for negative actions, but the context in which they are received is paramount.  It must be one in which the child is already secure in the knowledge of the love they have experienced and felt time and time again, throughout their lives, so that they know that however it may appear, even this is an expression of love. 

*May Shabbos help us with the balance of our lives*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Shoftim: A Sorry Excuse For A Man

''דבס

The death penalty is, by its very definition, something final and entirely irrevocable.  The Torah sanctions the use of this punishment, but only once the sin committed has been verified to have indeed been committed through painstaking examination of the evidence.  Our Parsha speaks of this with regard to idol worship, for which the sentence is death.  It states “And it will be told to you…then you shall investigate well and…the testimony is correct”, followed by a seemingly unnecessary ending that “…this abomination was done in Israel”. This all clarifies the need for high levels of due diligence to determine the guilt of the accused, so what is added by the final part?  What does “this abomination was done in Israel” append to what we already know?

Whether we like it or not, we are one nation and are responsible for each other.  Every action, and even every thought, has the potential to create or destroy, but not just for us, it effects all of creation.  With regard to a transgression as serious as idol worship, the act itself is said to cause a deterioration in the spiritual standing of the entire Jewish people as a whole.  In reality, says Reb Chaim Leib Staviska, the influence of this sin, is far from being restricted to the place of the sin and the sinner himself.  Rather, as the Posuk says, it is an “abomination done in Israel”, something that has a ruinous effect on the sanctity of all the people.  This is also why the Torah commands that the witnesses and indeed all the Jewish people, be involved in the punishment that is brought upon the offender.  A wrongdoing that has caused damage to all the nation must have involved in its atonement all the nation.  Only that way can the damage be truly undone.

Despite the fact that we have spoken previously about only looking inwards when 

judging one’s own level and need for reform, it is quite evident that there are many who do not do so.  The upshot of this is that our behaviour has direct influence on the behaviour of others.  Not only in the esoteric way that we have mentioned above, but in the very mundane, pragmatic perspective, that if we do something wrong, there will always be others that use it as an excuse for their own misbehaviour.  They may point to us and justify their acts for, if we do it, why can’t they! Or it may simply become more excusable and less harmful in their minds because they have seen us do it, automatically lowering the severity of the sin.  We may claim this is unfair, and they are in the wrong for doing so, but this does not take away from the fact that it is true and quite likely to occur.  We can try to ignore this reality, but being blind to something does not make it go away.

*May Shabbos open our eyes to how we impact all around us*

לעילוי נשמת                      לאה בת אברהם         לעילוי נשמת     שרה יעל בת גרשון    לרפואת               אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Voeschanon: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

To come so close and yet not quite make it in to the Promised Land, must have been a heartbreaking and tragic blow for Moshe Rabbeinu.  Moshe implored Hashem to reverse this decision to not allow him to bring the Jewish people into Eretz Yisroel, but to no avail.  In recounting his supplication to Hashem, Moshe mentions his plea to “Please let me cross and see the good land”.  The Ohel Torah questions why it was necessary for Moshe to ask both that he cross over and that he see the good land?  Surely once he has entered the land he will by necessity inevitably see it!   

It is oft said that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, but in fact all vision is in the eye of the beholder.  That which is beautiful to one may be repulsive to another.  But equally an experience that is cherished by one individual could be felt to be something extremely unpleasant by another.  Ultimately how something is viewed is defined by the stance from which one views it.  Are we looking for the positives within it or are we already predisposed to seeing the negatives because of a pessimistic attitude that colours all we see.  These are decisions that we can actively make ourselves, but, says the Ohel Torah, we can also ask for Divine assistance in always seeing the good in everything.  This was what Moshe was asking from Hashem.  Not only that he should arrive in the land of our forefathers, but that he should only see the good of the land, and only notice its merits.  For this as well Moshe recognized he could not solely rely on his own efforts, but must also seek the help of Hashem.  

There are so many things that we ask from Hashem for ourselves and others.  Good health, prosperity, success.  Yet in truth all these are for nothing if we do not appreciate them when we have them.  Good health is indeed a blessing, but will not make us happy unless we focus on our ‘good fortune’ to have it.  Prosperity can be of great value, but only if we are cognizant of the great potential for good that it carries.  And success is only treasured when we pause to recognize the worth of our achievements.  This is tremendously important, for without the correct perspective we can have everything, and yet have nothing.  If we do not focus on the good, we will be squandering the gifts we are given.  So in addition to all we pray for, whether it be those things we have mentioned, or anything we request from Hashem, let us also add in an entreaty to Him to give us the correct sight with which to view His blessings.  The sight that sees all the good in our lives and filters out any bad.  This may in fact be the most important prayer of all. 

*May Shabbos help us see the good in all we are given* 

לעילוי נשמת                      לאה בת אברהם         לעילוי נשמת     שרה יעל בת גרשון    לרפואת               אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Mattos Masei - Knowledge is Power

If a message is important, you would surely think that you would want as many people as possible to hear it.  This certainly seems to be the case with the Torah which was transmitted through Moshe to all the Jewish people.  Yet our Parsha begins with a seeming exclusivity in the recipients of the instruction with regard to making vows.  We are told that Moshe told it to the heads of the tribes alone, which of course makes us question why it would be that only they were worthy of receiving this commandment, as opposed to all the others that were imparted to each and every Jew alike?

The laws that make up the litany of principles that govern the making of vows are numerous and complex.  One area of particular intricacy is that of nullifying and dismissing of vows.  Under certain circumstances the father or husband of one who had made a promise, was sanctioned by the Torah to be able to annul what their child or wife had pledged to do.  This was deemed necessary by Hashem in His infinite wisdom, but carried with it an inherent risk, that of creating a potential of degrading the seriousness of a vow and the absolute requirement to fulfil it.  Allowing the possibility of rescinding the vow, could lead to some not treating it with the required caution, knowing that there could be a nullification at a later stage.  This, says the Ramban, was why the laws were communicated only to the wisest of the people, the heads of the tribes, those who would never allow the tremendous power of a vow to become belittled or demeaned.

There are those that say that knowledge is power, and it would be hard to argue against it.  But power in the wrong hands can perhaps be more dangerous than a lack of power for those who deserve it.  To define all knowledge as by definition good can be a very dangerous thing to do, as surely we all believe that there are some things that are best left hidden.  Children, for example, surely do not need to be aware of everything that is out there.  No matter how ‘open-minded’ one may be, surely there are some things that one would want to protect our youth from!  Once we concede to this, the only question is where we draw the line and which information our sensibilities and values consider inappropriate, harmful and detrimental to the recipients of it.  The risk is in thinking that we have to know everything and need those we are responsible for to have access to all that the world contains.  To view this as some form of eternal truth does a tremendous disservice to ourselves and those we care for, when in truth the greatest good we can do is to block out that which will distance us from our purpose and keep us away from the pleasure of Hashem’s divine embrace.

*May Shabbos inspire us to change and change for the better*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Pinchos: Spearheading the Attack

  בס''ד  

A zealot is an epithet for a person that can certainly evoke negative connotations.  Zeal used incorrectly can have devastating effects, a fact we have witnessed only too clearly in recent history.  Yet in our Parsha, Pinchos is handsomely rewarded for his feat of derring-do, slaying the Jewish leader, Zimri, found with a Midianite. The accolades show us that Pinchos’s act was indeed a correct one.  But could he have not chosen a more gentle approach?  Perhaps waiting until the time was right to set Zimri back on the path?  Surely there was a chance of the sinner seeing the error of his ways once the passion had subsided and he could properly consider his terrible indiscretion?    

Context is incredibly important when judging any situation.  Without it, it is entirely impossible to understand a person’s actions or to in any way appraise their deeds.  When Zimri, the Jewish prince, committed his sin it was not at a point when he may not have realised the evil in his actions.  It was whilst witnessing the death by supernatural plague of twenty four thousand people!  So many lives extinguished so suddenly, the direct consequence of their involvement with the Midianite women and participation in their idol worship.  If despite this, a leader amongst the nation was unable to extricate himself from such behaviour, then there was no way back and no other option but to put an end to this atrocity in the most ferocious and forthright manner possible.  If, as the Michtav M’Eliyohu understands it, Zimri was so entrenched in this immorality that he could overlook all that was going on around him, his obstinacy and intractability would persist no matter how much anyone would try to show him his grave error of judgement. 

There is no question that the example of Zimri is an extreme one.  To persist in this way after so clear a sign of it being manifestly wrong, indicates just how stiff-necked and obdurate Zimri must have been once fixated on this sin.  Yet to simply look down with disdain upon Zimri, would be to neglect to admit to our own failings in this very area.  There are surely beliefs embedded within us that we cling to no matter how clear the arguments against them may be.  Are there not behaviours that we exhibit that we find any justification to continue, despite them blatantly being improper?  We all have this obstinacy at times, an unwillingness to change in the face of irrefutable evidence for needing to do so and it requires profound introspection to be aware of our own self-deception.  We must always allow our eyes to be opened by the truth and our views to be changed by our search for integrity in all we do and believe. 

*May Shabbos inspire us to change and change for the better*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה