Dearest Friends it has been a while since I wrote to you. It is hard to believe that we are celebrating Purim already. Wow! The year is flying by so quickly. I wanted to give you all a small Itamar update with a Torah thought and of course wish you all a happy Purim.

Unfortunately, we have all been witness to some very tragic days here in Israel beginning with the terrible rocket fire on Sederot and culminating with the massacre of the boys in Mercaz Harav Yeshiva. Here on Itamar we had our share of security problems over the last few months as well. We have been suffering a lot of rock throwing at cars driving up our road and some infiltrations to our hilltops where sheep were stolen. In one incident, a rock hit a driver and caused a car accident where a guest visiting our community was hospitalized with moderate to serious injuries. Last Shabbat our security fence was cut and we were all put into high alert. There were also four shooting incidents at buses going through the nearby village; one took place last night. Thank G-d nobody was hurt but the busses were shot up.

The struggle for building our nation in the holy land goes on. Many people are asking themselves - when is this going to stop? If it is any way consoling, let us remind ourselves that this madness has been going on with ups and downs when the students of the Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov started to make Aliya 200 years ago. Our sages didn't hide from us their teaching that the land of Israel is acquired through suffering. Ok, so we can't say that we didn't know that building the land would not be easy. Nevertheless, why does it have to be this way? One simple answer is that nothing that is of any value comes easy. The greater the gift the more we have to work hard to attain it. Eretz Yisrael is the most precious thing in the world. Therefore, in order to acquire it we have to work very hard. The harder we work the greater reward we will eventually see. Many evil forces are hovering over the land of Israel that are trying to prevent us from reaching our goals. Every person that believes in Hashem, His Torah, and His people must act. We can't remain indifferent at such a special time. Life is too short and there is just so much that we have to do.

As we read today in the Megillah - Mordechai says to Queen Esther - "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will be lost. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" Mordechai is telling Esther that she must realize that G-d placed her in a special position for a reason of furthering the redemption of her people. When someone reaches the heights of royalty it is very easy to fall into the trap of wealth, honor and pleasure and forget about the priorities of life. Mordechai's message was not only to Esther but it is for every one of us as well.

Although G-d has blessed us greatly with a comfortable life, we can not sit back while our nation needs help! Every day, we must spend a few minutes thinking about how we can help build our land. Those who have the strength should consider making Aliyah there is nothing greater than returning home. Those that are not ready to make Aliyah at this time must get involved in some Chesed activity for helping build the land. Any small action adds up. We have all been witness to the fluctuations of the stock market and the dollar around the world over the last few months. People are panicking about loosing their fortunes. Let's put things into proportion, we have to thank G-d that we have food on the table and are not starving. After 120 years, a person is not going to take his dollar bills to the world to come. What he will take with him is the good deeds he did in this world.

I want to wish you all a happy Purim! Looking forward in seeing you here on Itamar.

Lehitraot,

Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Mayor of Itamar

Pekudey- Vayikra
March 14, 2008

Dedicated to the Kdoshim meMercaz Harav

The tabernacle was built and dismantled many times on the journey through the desert. Mainly, this is the theme of worship and our relationship with Hashem. Although the structure is taken apart, we- then too are marching forward and never giving up in hope and faith. Our wants and yearnings for faith start with a small step with each step we are adding on to the building of our spiritual world; Hashem is satisfied with each and every move forward because our effort is dear to him. Even today when the Temple is dismantled, just a broken physical remnant hidden with confusion under a golden husk- the main thing is never to give up hope in faith. Although we don't see the building standing, (May it be rebuilt speedily in our days) Our efforts in worshiping Hashem that are a result of our inner will are the foundation that will with pave the way for its restoration. The Divine service that is the springboard for worship is ratzon(will). Ratzon is an extreme force. It is our spirit, soul and life force because nothing stands in the way of will. All of wants and yearnings we feel should all eventually stream to Hashems's will. This means being be'shalom (at peace) in our hearts in our relationships, to feel goodness, to see the beautiful, to know that the clouds eventually clear away to reveal a blue sky and forward, forward, forward we march and strive to be better, more improved, happier with what we have in every realm of our lives.

After our holy Temple was destroyed 2,000 years ago, the great Rabbis of that time had the ability to pass over the knowledge and reality that we are never alone, even when the house is broken up. Hashem is always with us, whether the house is standing completely erect or not standing at all, and we are always on the way, even if we stop for a while and "dismantle"- it is only temporary. This is how it was in the desert, this is how it is.

Sacrificing was the main avoda (Divine service) in the tabernacle. Nefesh tachat nefesh. (a soul for a soul) When a person brought a sacrifice he would reach the level of deep teshuva (repentance) when he saw the animal being sacrificed instead of himself. This was an animal he bought with his own mamon-money. Since a person's possessions are a major part of his nefesh(soul) and he has to give up a part in order to buy the sacrifice, this is called self sacrifice. When he reaches into his pocket and burns the sacrifice on the altar his yeitzer (evil inclination) is atoned for. The Levites in their holy garb playing the holy music and song would be the backdrop to the very mood of the teshuva transformation. A person has now become better, holier, and just like he cannot sacrifice an animal with a defect; he too cannot have any defect in his middot (character), seychel (intelligence), or nefesh. He deeply reflects into himself in order to achieve this spiritual achievement- it is by no means attained through a simple sacrifice. Now he reaches Tzelem Elokim (image of G-d).

Our prayers replace the sacrifices today. Hashem is was and always will be with us, listening to us, guiding us, helping us and bringing us ever so closer to a geula shlayma. (final redemption)

Shabbat Shalom-
Leah Goldsmith

Dear Readers,
A few years ago, my husband and I and some of our children went to demonstrate against the disengagement from Gaza- what in essence was actualized in the dismantling of Gush Katif and handing over that exquisite place to Chamas. On the way we drove through Ashkelon amazed at the beautiful marina on the sea and the luxury apartment buildings that have sprouted up over the last 2 decades. There were dove shaped, blue signs everywhere – "Ashkelon is for peace". It was the blues of "peace" and the oranges of "no Land for "peace" " in those days. People still wear their symbolic orange strings. They hang in people's cars, on pocketbooks, knapsacks, doorways….but the blue signs in Ashkelon have been replaced with emergency sirens and posters with instructions about what to do in case of bombs falling. What a spring!

The struggle for the Land of Israel continues. It is so painful when you think about how all of this could have been prevented if only there had been enough foresight. The south of Israel is exploding , the north – always an imminent cloud hovering over its communities and their safety, terrorists in the form of "Israeli citizens" born and bred in Jerusalem, exploding in the country's capital in our yeshivas. We say and continue to say that we only console ourselves with those healthy minded individuals like you that love the Land of Israel. We, here in Itamar, in the very heart of the country – the heart that provides life sustenance to the entire body, can't emphasize how important it is to be involved in helping to change the situation. We have to spread the word as much as we can.

Spring with Purim and Passover on the way is a time of birth. A nation is born and has a mission to accomplish. A person is also born into reality with a target destination, much like a person born into a ship at sea. Sometimes the sea is tranquil, sometimes stormy- we don't know why the weather fluctuates or even when we will reach port. So, we can act in three ways- 1) some people decide to jump off the ship and swim away from it, avoiding their reality and destiny and their connection to their crew. 2) some will play chess, drink beer, wherever the ship sways – so be it, go with the flow, but avoid effort or strategic thinking 3) and some people will take "the bull by the horns" and grab the oars to help direct the ship to its destiny.
Grab an oar – let's work together, with Hashem's help, for the future of nation, the Land, and dock at the final redemption!

Purim Sameach

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Tu B'Shvat
January 24, 2008

On Tu B'Shvat the source of potential growth in all spheres of life awakens. The tree in the field stands bare exposed to cold, wind, and rain. The prospect of sprouting buds and flowering blossoms seems far from possible but it is on this wintry and dormant day that a new life force is surging forth. We celebrate Tu B'Shvat for the first day of this process that is under way. Soon the trees will be adorned with leaves and fruit. It a day of blessings on the bounty of the Land and when blessing this abundance, Hashem in return pours down the plenty and blesses us back.

When we sow, till plant and reap (not on a shmita year), we can easily get mixed up and say, "I have worked so hard! This is my doing- my accomplishment!" One must know that man is a vessel through which Hashem brings down and bestows upon the world all of its affluence. Tu B'shvat is also an analogy to the redemptive process that begins at the darkest hour of Jewish History. The trees have shredded their leaves and everything is dormant which creates an atmosphere of hopelessness. Suddenly spring bursts forth with all of its splendor. Our generation has had the amazing merit to witness the Hatchalta Hageula(beginning of redemption) From the ashes of the Holocaust we have returned home and are eating from the fruits of the land. May Hashem open up our eyes to see and focus on the goodness of the Israel and may it continue to grow and prosper!

Shabbat Shalom,

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Beshalach
January 18, 2008

When reaching the pinnacle of the Exodus, the splitting of the Red Sea, we can't help but ask how did Bnei Yisrael continue to complain after witnessing 10 marvelous miracles brought about through the plagues performed just for them. If all of Egypt "knew Hashem" already, what was missing here in the realm of faith for Am Yisrael?

Moshe Rabbeinu turns to his people and says:" Al Tirau!" – Do not fear! The Machilta medrash discusses how it looked on the shores of the Red Sea when Egypt raced on chariots after Bnei Yisrael. The origin of Israeli politics began then when the young Jewish nation decided to break into 4 groups, or political parties. 1) The first group said- " Leepol layam!"- Let's jump into the sea (and commit suicide) 2) the second group said- " Lashuv LeMitzrayim!" – Let's go back to Egypt where at least we had what to eat and where to be buried. 3) The third group said – " La-asot milchama negdam!" Let's fight them 4) the fourth group simply said –"Ve'anachnu nitzak!" we will scream (what else can we do!?!) They didn't see "current events" with a spiritual eye yet. Even after all that was done for them, they lived in a realm of the husk of imagination. Fear came out of it. Yes, they had climbed many steps on the ladder to faith, but they were only on the level of "what you see is what you get." Only after the Egyptians were annihilated on the sea did the culture of "achizat einayim" (creating a false impression) - pass over.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov says that a person cannot really know and believe that Hashem wants only goodness for him until he reaches the level of clarity in faith (behirut be'emunah). This is like saying, "Seeing is believing". We have been taught that what a person sees is open to interpretation. Rav Nachman says no- Even if there are direct miracles, if there is no clarity in faith- you won't see them. This has nothing to do with knowing the Torah and keeping all of its laws. This is only about holding the heavenly yoke of heaven in your heart. When a person roots faith in his emotions and constantly refreshes the feeling of faith, the energy that comes out of this enables him to see miracles. Then when Hashem tests us, we are able to elevate ourselves above the nisayon(test) by serving Him, like a successful worker who never gets used to his job, but loves his work passionately. He accepts every challenge that Hashem brings his way with a clear understanding that everything that Hashem does is for the best!

Dear Readers,
Here in Israel today nothing really makes sense. Sderot and the Western Negev are barely on the agenda of our government. Instead, they prefer to place our precious home land on the negotiating table as if it was their own personal possession. The lessons of throwing thousands of Jews out of their homes in Gaza were not at all learnt. The world remained silent and encouraged this immoral act. Instead of admitting to their terrible folly which brought about the creation of another terror state they prefer to stubbornly continue in a similar path of destruction.

As we again stand on the shores of the sea divided in our ideas about what to do let Hashem open our eyes and hearts and help us to see His salvation.

Shabbat Shalom,

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Bo
Thursday, January 10, 2008

In the tractate of Sanhedrin 111A our Rabbis criticize the behavior of Moshe Rabeynu and praise the actions of our forefathers. The Talmud explains that the fact that Moshe Rabeynu wasn't able to lead the Jewish nation in battle against the 31 kings was his punishment. Instead of Moshe Rabeynu being the one to merit in the Mitzvah of capturing the land of Israel, it was given to his student Joshua. The Talmud explains that Moshe Rabeynu was punished because unlike our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who never complained about their difficult situation, Moshe Rabeynu on the other hand complained. The Talmud is referring to Moshe Rabeynu's response to Hashem after the situation in Egypt worsened for the Jewish nation, "Why have you brought this trouble on your people? Why did you send me?"

The Talmud sites three examples of difficulties that our forefathers had to face. The first example is with Abraham Hashem says "Go! Walk back and forth across the entire land because I will give it to you." Despite Hashem's promise to give Avraham the land, he could not find a place to bury his wife without purchasing the cave of Machpela for a huge sum of money. The second example is of Isaac, "Live here in this land and I will be with you and bless you. I will give all these lands to you and your descendants. I will keep the oath that I swore to your father Abraham." Nevertheless, Isaac's servants couldn't find water to drink and they had to fight with the shepherds of Grarr over the water pits. The third example mentioned is with Jacob. "I will give the land on which you are lying to you and your descendants" Yet Jacob could not find a place to pitch his tent until he purchased a portion of land in Shechem.

Despite these difficulties, our forefathers never complained and quietly paid the price for settling the land of Israel. Obviously, Moshe Rabeynu, the greatest prophet that ever lived, did not complain because of personal difficulty; he was broken because of the tremendous suffering his people were experiencing. On the other hand, our forefathers' difficulties seemed to be on the personal level.

Why then does the Talmud make a comparison between them and criticize Moshe Rabeynu? Apparently, the sages were teaching us that Abraham's search for a grave and Jacob's search for a place to set up his tent, and Isaac's struggle over water weren't in the least personal issues. These were all prototypes of situations that their decedents would have to face when trying to settle the land of Israel. Hashem was preparing them for the great difficulties that would lie ahead in inheriting the land.

The lesson is that we mustn't focus on the difficulties but rather remain steadfast in our faith as we continue to move forward. Today more than ever we can identify with this message. We never seem to be able to sit back and relax. It is amazing how the building of Jerusalem and the communities of Yehuda and Shomron capture the attention of the whole world. It is absolutely mind-boggling.

The words of Moshe Rabeynu to Pharaoh are still echoing today, "Let my people go".

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Vaera
January 3, 2008

Redemption from Egypt did not happen overnight as we know, but stage by stage. The curtain is raised as Bnei Yisrael, Moshe Rabbeinu, Pharoh and the Egyptians are about to enter a new scene- Hashem hardening Pharoh's heart. Bnei Yisrael are in a complete state of exile in their bodies, spirits and souls. The form of enslavement that Pharoh inflicted on them did not leave any time or space for them to tap into the life force of their souls. At this point they were hanging onto the second to the lowest rung of the ladder of idolatry and impurity, the 49th level. They were drowning in the fleshpots of Egypt. In this state they were not able to unfasten the shackles of their persecution which directly affected their spirit.

In order to move things along, Hashem decided to harden Pharoh's heart. In turn, He performed miracles through the vehicle of Moshe Rabbeinu. Every time this happened, a link on the slave chain became unfastened and another vertebra in their backs straightened and added life force to their spirits. With every hardening of Pharoh's heart, they experienced the Shechinah and grew closer to Him. They reached the top of the ladder when they discovered their true identity, their great spirit (Nefesh). This new spiritual height gave them the strength needed to slay the Egyptian god and turn it into the Pascal sacrifice. Bnei Yisrael reached internal salvation and were raised to a level of a redemptive spirit. They were ready to leave. Right now!

The Kabbalah describes this as the level where the body and soul function as one unit. The soul perceives the spirit transmits and body acts. Our Rabbis teach us that there are four different descriptive words referring to redemption in the Torah. In essence each of these words represents one of the stages of redemption outlined above. 1) Hotzeyti- He took us out (body) 2) Hitzalti- He saved us (nefesh-spirit) 3) Ga'alti- He redeemed us (neshama-soul) and finally 4) Heveyti- He brought us- referring to the bringing together the above levels.

This shiur was based upon the Torah teachings of Harav Hakadosh, Reb Chaim HaCohen (Hachalban) zechuto Yagen Aleynu

Shabbat Shalom,

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Vayigash
December 14, 2007

Determining leadership for the Jewish people has never been an easy thing for any age in our long history. But when a leader's time comes to reveal himself, he can no longer stand beside and hide. Our first encounter with "hide and seek" is when our first King, Saul, described as good looking and tall, hides amongst the barrels and he can't be found. And they could not find him. ולא מצאו "ואין """והנה הוא נחבא עם הכלים (Samuel one, chapter 10 verse 22)

The search for King David was not done simple either, even for our prophet (Samuel one chapter 16 verse 11) He sifts through all of Yishay's sons and asks, "Hatamu hanearim?" "Is there not another son to be found?" "Oh him!" they are practically rolling their eyes and point to the young David out pasturing the sheep.

Up until now, Yosef displays, on an obvious level, emotional indifference as well as hides his true identity. He has been thrown into the pit 2 times, looses his brothers and suffers at the hands of Eshet Potiphar. Yehudah faces personal tragedy in his own family loosing 2 sons to death, not to mention his ordeal with Tamar and his coming to terms with the his own truth. His tikkun reaches a climax when he is ready to sacrifice himself as a guarantor for his brother, Binyamin. This devotion is what brings Yosef to finally reveal himself.

If passion and desire and overcoming these tests were the theme of the previous parshas, now we are focused on heart and soul emotion. Feelings are brought up afresh by thoughts of home, family standing up for brotherhood. Yosef, who rules half the world but in one second is again taken into the fold of the family, and Yehudah who is almost crowned king of the House of Israel have both "learned on their own skins" what responsibility and accountability mean.

The slander, pits, and dreams zenith as Yosef, the lifesaver emancipates himself as he cries, "ANI YOSEF!"(I am Joseph) This he only does when he sees the brother's sin rectified. כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה"" All of Israel is responsible for one another. This is the key of redemption. May it arrive speedily in our days, Amen.

Shabbat Shalom,

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Vayeshev
November 29, 2007

In these last parshiyot, through the examples of Dina and Yoseph, the substance of Shechem is revealed into 2 separate streams of consciousness. First, in its character of turning the active into the passive. Dina went out TO SEE the Land of Shechem, but what really happened was that Shechem SAW her; Dina was taken and ruined.

When Yoseph goes out to SEEK his brothers in Shechem, a man ( the angel Gabriel) finds Yoseph there and soon afterwards the brothers RECOGNIZE HIM from afar. From that point he is taken and thrown into the pit. From the pit he revolves and revolves until he reaches the lowest point- prison in Egypt.

He reaches the bottom rung of Olam Tachton (the lower worlds) but never asks why. His job is to take out the holy sparks from that place. In an almost full swing of events, despite not being able to turn the clock back, Yoseph is ordained second to the king. He marries Pharoh's adopted daughter, Asnat, who in fact is the daughter of Dina and Shechem who Y'akov sent down to Egypt. Together they raise the future generations of Ephraim and Menashe who eventually inherit the portion of Shechem and her vast environs. The tikkun (rectification) of the positive side of Shechem is when all the tribes unite in position to receive the Torah- renewal of the covenant when they enter the Land after wandering the desert for 40 years. This is done in Shechem echad (one united Shechem). Hashem tells us " SEE, I gave you (lecha- as one unit) the blessings and the curse.." In the act of buying the Land of Shechem way before all of this transpired, Ya'akov made a kinyan for nachalat Yoseph in buying the chelkat hasadeh for 100 k'sita from Shechem ben Chamor, a legacy for Yoseph (who is later laid to rest there) and all of Am Yisrael FOREVER.

Dear Readers, When we ever go up to Har Gerrizim and look down into Shechem we are well aware that we are being watched. Despite the heartbreaking view of a destroyed Kever Yoseph, we can perceive that Yoseph is drawing out the last of the sparks of Edom. Only he can do this.

Shabbat Shalom,

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Chayeh Sarah
November 1, 2007

Abraham and Sarah, the founding "parents" of the Jewish people are the first in the world to sanctify G-d's name. Living a complete life of chesed, loving kindness, doing goodness, their home being the source of happiness and warmth and bounty; they are constantly tested. Many obstacles in faith come up, whether it being told to leave their comfortable and familiar surroundings to a land that they did not know, or negotiating their release from captivity by various rulers, including the hardest trial of all- the offering up of their son as a sacrifice.
Their steadfast belief, however, enables them to overcome all of their obstacles. Wherever they go, they galvanize the masses, and give the service of a five star hotel in their tent. Sarah laughs and Abraham waits upon his guests with a twinkle in his eye. "There is no despair in the world." "ein yeush ba'olam" – as Rabbi Nachman of Breslov stresses.

Sodom and Amora are the illustration of societies that are steeped in wickedness. Not only do they not attend to wayfarers, are wicked to strangers, but they are an antithesis to any norms of the good of Abraham and Sarah. They are punished and nothing remains of them but fire, salt and brimstone, barely no continuity.

Chesed, loving kindness, is the life giving force that finally rewards Abraham and Sarah with a son, an heir and second stepping stone on the family tree of the Jewish people. Sarah passes on and Rivka is then brought to the tent. Again, the smell of bread baking, the sight of the candle burning and the light of G-d is in the world. In pairs, each partner in her/his distinct way transmits their unique heavenly message and purpose. They have a mission. They are taking hold of the Land.

While Abraham is more associated to movement and motion- "Go up to a Land that I will show you.", "Go up to the Land of Moriah", "and he ran to meet the guests"…while Sarah is linked to permanence, not moving from her place in the tent where she kneads the dough, prepares and laughs. Abraham buys her an "Achuzat Kever"- a permanent place of rest for her (where he later joins her).

The Land of Israel is acquired through two functions, each done by the role models in their line of duty. Abraham, "Koom lehithalech ba'aretz", acquisition by walking the land, making contracts, buying places, while his analogous "co-worker, co-owner", sits, or rather lays down and claims the land in her right, as it says, "Tzaddikim bemitatam nikraim chayim"- the righteous even after passing away are considered alive-. Chayeh Sarah, the LIFE of Sarah is the name of our chapter, She is buried in a permanent place in the Land of Israel, Chevron. But she lives on.

Shabbat Shalom,

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Vayira
Thursday, October 26, 2007

          This week's parasha begins with the verse:  "Now G-d appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day." (Genesis 18:1)  Why doesn't the Torah mention Abraham by name, especially since a new prophecy is generally introduced with the name of the prophet being addressed?  The absence of Abraham's name is also notable, as the sentence appears at the opening of the parasha.  This question is even more pressing if we consider the fact that only six verses earlier, in Genesis 17:22,  the Torah does something very unusual--it describes the termination of    G-d's appearance to a prophet: "And having said these words, G-d went up from Abraham."  I can't recall many other instances when the Torah dedicates a verse to the removal of Hashem's presence, following His  "visit" with a prophet. (With Abraham it is done twice--once in last week's parasha [17:22] and once in this week's parasha [18:33].)  Since the Torah makes a point of doing it in the previous parasha, it would seem to make even more sense that when G-d begins to speak to Abraham again in the opening of Vayeira, the Torah should have mentioned Abraham by name.   

    It seems to me that the use of him, rather than Abraham, is meant to direct our attention to the previous parasha.  There Abraham is introduced to the mitzva of circumcision.  Although the mitzva is connected with G-d's covenant with Abraham and his offspring, with Hashem's earlier promises to make Abraham the father of a great nation, there is now an additional price to be paid as Abraham's part of the deal.  There is no mention of any new benefits that might accrue from the mitzva, nor any reason given for why this painful ritual should be performed.  It simply reiterates Hashem's earlier promises.  Yet this time they come at a painful new cost.  Still, Avraham hastens to perform his part of the covenant without delay.  

    Clearly, the new revelation at the beginning of Vayeira comes in the merit of Abraham's haste in fulfilling the earlier commandment of mila.  We know that this is the beginning of a new manifestation of Hashem's spirit because, as previously mentioned, the Torah has made a point of indicating G-d's termination of the earlier visitation.  Thus the absence of Abraham's name at the beginning of the new parasha serves the purpose of reminding us of the previous portion and instructing us that it is Abraham's devotion to Hashem which brings Him back again so quickly.  The greater our love for Hashem, reflected in what we are willing to sacrifice for an intimate relationship with Him, the deeper is our mutual connection to Him.

    We see this at the end of the parasha, when Hashem again uses the words Lech Lecha and commands Abraham to take Yitzchak to Moriah and to offer him up as a sacrifice on the mountain which will be indicated by Hashem.  Here we have a commandment that flies in the face of everything Abraham has heard from G-d before.  Not only are there no new promises to sweeten the unsavory deal, but Hashem seems to be backtracking on all the earlier promises.  Isaac, through whom G-d has pledged that Abraham will become a great nation, is to be sacrificed.  Unlike the original Lech Lecha command, which was sweetened by the promise of Abraham's becoming father to a great nation; unlike the circumcision demand which repeated the earlier promises, though it came at the expense of great risk and physical pain; this final command to sacrifice Isaac contradicts everything Abraham had been told before.  What about the great nation, the blessings, the eternal convenant?  Hashem is asking for Abraham's long-awaited and "only son" in return for--nothing.  

    It seems that there is nothing to be gained by Abraham's obedience.  Yet for Abraham, there is only one choice; he obeys--not in this instance for any promised reward, or as his side of the covenant G-d has foisted on him, but because G-d asks him to.  Abraham's commitment to his relationship with Hashem has developed to the point where he is ready to do anything that Hashem asks of him, even if it means sacrificing his own future.  Inevitably, however, Abraham's commitment to Hashem is rewarded with Hashem's commitment to Abraham and to the nation that comes from him, in accordance with G-d's promise.  Indeed the very mountain, Mount Moriah, where Abraham has been prepared to sacrifice his only son is destined to be the site of the Beit HaMikdash, the everlasting symbol of Hashem's eternal and mutual connection to his people.

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Lech Lichah
October 19, 2007

Ever since the early days of our forefathers, Hashem established and then maintained a code of conduct that through time became a second nature of propriety for the Jewish people. A first and foremost requisite to being Jewish – constant and loyal faithfulness to the land of Israel, until the end of time.

Hashem addresses Avraham Avinu and days "Go up, make Aliya to a land I will show you." This was Avraham's first Mitzvah. We are taught here something so basic and fundamental about the source of Judaism. Without this keystone connection to the land of Israel there is no value in Mitzvot. Just like a light without a vessel is like a soul without a body. The Jewish people were created to be in their land. We see from the examples of our "shepherds" that this theme refreshes itself throughout the generations. After two thousand years of dreaming about returning to Zion, we realize how fortunate we are today to live in such a special time period where we can reach the heights of Abraham that was – Lech Lichah!

Here is a list of our sacred shepherds and some special lessons we learn from them about our connection to the land of Israel:

Abraham Avinu: Chesed (love and kindness) "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you." Genesis 13:17 The everlasting love for the entire length and width of Eretz Yisrael.

Issac: Givurah (strength) "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. Genesis 26:2 Never leaving the land the power to stay at all costs lobbying for it.

Jacob Avinu: Tiferet (Truth and splendour) Then G-D said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." Genesis 31:3 Great longing and yearning to return to the land of Israel.

Moshe: Netzach (everlastingness). Please let me go over and see the beautiful land on the other side of the Jordan River-those beautiful mountains in Lebanon." Deuteronomy 3:25 Never stop to pray to see the land!–

Joseph Hatzaddik: Yesod (foundation) "For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon." Genesis 40:15 - The strong identification and faithfulness of every Jew to his true identity – Israel. Even if he has to be far away from it. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget [her skill]. Psams 137:5 If you can't be in Israel support her in every way you can.

Shabbat Shalom!

 Leah Goldsmith
Itamar

Holiday Thoughts: Sukkot
October 2, 2007

In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David…" Amos (9:11), On Succot, during the blessing after the meal, we recite the verse from the prophet Amos (9:11), "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David…"   It may conjure the picture of a dilapidated succah being schlepped along by a wandering Jew through the two-thousand years of our miserable exile, as he prays for its resurrection.  What is so special about raising up a decrepit old booth?  Why was it chosen as a symbol for the Jewish people on the holiday of Succot?  The Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Yehudah Livah ben Bizalel, 1515 – 1609) explains in his book, Netzah Yisrael, that to the external eye it is the physical and natural things that seem strong and established, while the spiritual realm of the divine often appears frail and elusive. He goes on to say that when a house is destroyed and rebuilt, it is essentially a new building.  However, a succah which was knocked down and rebuilt is a restoration of the same structure that existed before.  It is not transient like a building which can be rebuilt from scratch, but no longer contains its former essence--rather a spiritual potential which can never be destroyed.  In other words, the great spiritual energy which existed during the time of King David will again be restored to its full capacity.

Adapted from an article by Rabbi Natan Chai

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Ki Tavo
Thursday, August 30, 2007

Last week's parasha, Ki Tetzeh, ends with the mitzvah of remembering what Amalek did to us when we left Egypt. This weeks parasha, Ki Tavo, begins with the mitzvah of bringing bicurim, the first fruits to the temple. The order of the Torah is very precise; therefore it is appropriate to explain the connection between remembering Amalek and the mitzvah of the first fruits. 

We should begin by understanding who Amalek is.  The first reference to Amalek in the Torah appears in Berashit (14, verse 7) in which a connection is made between Amalek and the word sadeh, which is used in an unusual context (in the war of the four kings against the five kings), and rendered in most English translations as "territory."  The word sadeh, associated with Esav, the grandfather of Amalek, and meaning  field or open expanse stands out in this verse.  The Torah describes the character of Esav as "a man of the field." The Torah makes a clear distinction between Jacob, who is a man of the hearth, and Esau, on the other hand, who is a man of the outdoors.  Ideally, there should be harmony between house, representing spiritual development and field, which represents physical existence.  Yitzchak's idea of a perfect world is one in which Esav and Yakov can live in harmony.  Knowing Esav's character, which is drawn to the outdoors, Yitzchak hoped that Esav would contribute positively to the good of society by assuming the role of provider, while Jacob pursued his interest in spreading spirituality in the world.  However, particularly after Eisav's cavalier disregard of his birthright, Rifka foresees that Esav's direction is toward's destruction--Amalek would be among his offspring.  So, she has Yakov don the garments of Esav and receive the blessing of the field as well as the one orginally intended for him. 

Thus,Yakov must combine both the spiritual and the physical realms.  Indeed, the function of the Jewish people, Israel, (another name for Yakov), is to teach, through example, the nations of the world that it is possible to sanctify the physical realm (the field).    

The major obstacle in achieving this goal is Amalek. Instead of allowing the nations of the world to rectify themselves by following the light of the Jewish nation, he shouts, Follow me!   His philosophy is clearly outlined in Esav's words, "Behold, I am about to die; so of what [use] then is the birthright to me(Genesis 25:32)?"  In other words, there's nothing beyond this physical world and therefore it doesn't pay to do anything for anyone else but yourself.   Esav can only think of the benefit of the birthright, not the responsibilities. This egotistic philosophy is the source of world corruption. The birthright represents responsibility, caring for others, and continuing the path laid down by our fathers.

In parashat Balak, Numbers, 24:20,  Balaam recites: "Amalek was first among the nations, but in the end it will be destroyed."  The "first among nations" is the same expression that is used for the Jewish nation. (In Jeremiah 2:3 Israel is "G-d's hallowed portion, His first-fruits...")  Amalek is called first of nations because he wants to lead the world in the opposite direction of the goals of the Jewish people. It is interesting that the mother of Amalek is Timna – meaning to prevent, and his father is Elifaz, meaning, my strength is in gold.  By putting his strength in idols of gold  he wants to prevent the Divine light from shining.  By trying to prevent Am Yisrael from reaching Eretz Yisrael, he hopes to discredit the philosophy that the spiritual and physical realms can be combined. 

It is not a coincidence that this week's Parashat Tavo comes right after the portion of Amalek.  Ki Tavo opens with the mitzvah of bringing the first fruits of the field to the Temple, demonstrating that rather than use the first produce for our own personal benefit, we consecrate it for the use of the priests in the Temple. 

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Eikev
Thursday, August 2, 2007

  In this week's Torah portion, parashat Eikev, we read about how Hashem loves the convert and provides him with bread and raiment.  (See chap.10, verse 18.)  In the next verse (19), we are commanded to love the convert, since we ourselves were strangers in the land of Egypt.  Similarly, Exodus 23, verse 9 commands, "Never oppress converts.  You know what it's like to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt."   There are many other verses in the Torah stressing the special treatment to be afforded to converts.

    The Hebrew word for convert is ger, which also means stranger.  Sometimes ger is misinterpreted to mean stranger when it is meant to be understood as convert.  The Torah has already commanded us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  We are also commanded not to oppress our neighbor.  (Leviticus, 25, verses 14 and 17.)  But the Torah makes a point of singling out the ger, and gives the reason:  because you were strangers in Egypt. 

    Just as we felt out of place in Egypt, a convert feels out of place both in his new environment and in his former one.  He (or she) has possibly endured great suffering by leaving his homeland and people and no doubt is frowned upon by those from whom he has separated himself.  Meanwhile, he must cope with his new situation as a Jew, another trying challenge.  He may feel as if he is in a weak position, insecure and out of place.  It may take many years to adjust to his new situation.  Thus the Torah demands that we be extra sensitive when relating to the Ger.  By emphasizing our former status as strangers in Egypt, the Torah reminds us to identify with those in similar distress. 

    Since Gerim often have old habits to break and are not yet fully versed in Jewish laws and practice, their new co-religionists may not be as supportive as they should be.  Therefore, G-d reminds us that in Egypt we ourselves stooped down to 49 levels of impurity.  That being the case, we have no right to adopt a holier-than-thou attitude.  Hashem took us out of the mud and turned us into a nation of kings.  His is the way we must adopt towards the Ger. 

    According to the kabala, Gerim come from the souls which dispersed from Adam after his sin and became entrapped in husks (klipot).  Gerim come from especially holy souls which had the strength to pull away from the husks.  (See Or HaChaim HaKadosh on Genesis, 49, 9.)  Yitro, for example, was already pulling away from the local practices even before he met Moshe, as evidenced by the nasty behavior of the shepherds towards his daughters. 

    The word ger is mentioned for the first time in Genesis, 15, verse 13, when G-d says to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years."  The Talmud, in tractate Nedarim 32, asks why Avraham was punished with the enslavement of his descendants for so many years.  Rabi Elazar says it's because when the King of Sodom said to Abram , "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself (Genesis, 14:21)," Abraham agreed to transfer his prisoners of war to the King of Sodom.  Apparently, these people wanted to cleave to Avraham.  If he'd held on to them, he might have been able to bring them close to G-d.  

    The Torah is telling us that we must reach out to the Ger and help him cleave to Am Yisrael.  Especially since there is always the danger that he can fall prey to his original klipot if not supported and guided.  We must continue to supply support for the bread (torah, comprising laws, customs, beliefs, and ethical conduct) and raiment (his new public demeanor of modesty and humility) with which Hashem, in his love of the Ger, has supplied him.  This is the deeper meaning of "G-d loves the Ger and provides him with bread and garments." 

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Vaatchanan
Thursday, July 26, 2007

  This week's parasha opens with Moshe Rabeynu's plea to Hashem to allow him to enter the Promised Land.  Our rabbis teach us that Moshe Rabeynu prayed 515 times in order to nullify Hashem's decree banning his entry to Eretz Yisrael.  Now, Moshe wasn't the type to ask for personal requests. We have already seen that he is exceptionally selfless.  He kills the Egyptian without thinking of the consequences to his own safely; he helps the daughters of Yitro who were chased away by the shepherds, again placing himself in possible jeopardy.  And there are countless times that he prays for the welfare of Am Yisrael, and intervenes on their behalf--even to the point of demanding that G-d erase his name from the Torah, if He can't forgive them for the sin of the golden calf.   So Moshe's insistent praying for something of a personal nature, albeit entry into the Promised Land seems out of character. 

    I can think of one other time when Moshe seems to put in a personal request, and this occurs in Exodus 33, verse 18, when Moshe asks G-d to "show him His glory."  This is after Moshe has descended from Har Sinai with the stone tablets, discovered the nation's sin of the golden calf, and begun working energetically to patch things up again.  After a five-stage-appeasement process, G-d finally agrees to restore His presence among the Jewish nation.  Moshe Rabeynu understands this to mean that He has returned to the original relationship He had with the nation before the sin of the golden calf, and headily pops the biggest question of all to Hashem;  "Please, show me Your glory." 

    Simply, this request can be understood as Moshe's desire for the closest possible intimacy with Hashem.  In kabalistic teaching, Moshe's request is explained as an attempt to connect to the spiritual world of Atzilut.  It is brought down in kabalistic literature that if the first set of tablets had not been broken, the Jewish nation would have returned to the spiritual level of Adam before he sinned. This would have allowed Am Yisrael access to the world of Atzilut.  Moshe Rabeynu assumed that since Hashem had accepted his plea for Am Yisrael, it might now be possible to reach the level of Atzilut.  From where Moshe was coming, his quest seemed attainable.  Yet the degree of closeness that Moshe craved was denied.   The sin of the golden calf required further rectification before such closeness could be achieved.  Of course, Moshe had not participated in the sin of the golden calf, but the leader must share the fate of his people. 

    Why was Moshe Rabeynu seeking to achieve this high spiritual level? Was he, G-d forbid, looking to benefit personally?  If so, how?  It's easy to understand why one might be drawn to worldly pursuits, to the race for money and power, to the numerous physical pleasures that money and power can make possible. We are all too familiar with selfish individuals whose total lack of scruples is the source of much of the crime and evil in this world.

    We are less tuned in, however, to the fact that on the spiritual plane there is an even a greater battle: one can choose to spend his life running after spiritual pleasures, as well, and all for the wrong reasons. The various forms of idol worship and forbidden spiritual experiences are prohibited because they draw their energy from the dark side.  They lead to an unholy spirituality, like the state of unholy ecstasy in which Moshe found the people when he descended from Mt. Sinai.

    But even when one tries to draw his strength from the proper spiritual direction, there are tremendous challenges that must be dealt with.  As a person grows spiritually, he has to cope each time with a new level of Divine energy and must be careful not to abuse it for his own personal benefit.  Moshe Rabeynu's forty days and nights on Mt. Sinai in the most elevated prophetic state possible was not meant for his personal benefit.  As the leader of the Jewish nation Moshe Rabeynu was the vessel for receiving the Torah for all of Am Yisrael.  It wasn't a personal trip, a private high, but a special mission; he was chosen to be the emissary for all of Israel.  His job was to pass on the Word of G-d to Am Yisrael. He had hoped thereby to restore the nation to that state of spiritual elevation that Adam had enjoyed before his eviction from Gan Eden.

     Just as Israel might have attained the ultimate in spirituality by virtue of its leader, so, too, its leader is impacted by the spiritual level of his people. As we discussed, Moshe's craving to "see Hashem's glory" related to his wish to restore the people to their earlier spiritual heights.  Similarly, Moshe's intense desire to enter the land was again in pursuit of spiritual heights for Am Yisrael.  The Medrash says that if Moshe Rabeynu had entered the land and built the Bet Hamikdash it would have been impossible to destroy it. His spiritual greatness coupled with the spirituality of the land would have resulted in a spiritual big bang.  Whatever Moshe built would have been indestructible. Yet there was a problem. Clearly, the nation was not on a par with the spirituality of Moshe, or the land. When the people sinned, G-d's wrath would have to be visited against the Jewish people rather than against His Temple.  True, Moshe's spiritual greatness would be enhanced; yet it would come at the price of his people. Once again, Moshe personifies the role of the  leader, which is to do what's best for his people, not what's best for himself. 

    This lesson is hinted at when, right after Hashem delivers the painful verdict to Moshe that he can't enter the land (only allowing him to see it from afar), the Torah mentions the location of the Jewish people:  "And we sat in the valley across from Baal Pior."  The mention of locations in the Torah is common, but less common is the naming of a location infamous for idol worship as a point of reference.  Perhaps the Torah means to say that Moshe Rabeynu, Israel's great and selfless protector, who represents the spiritual antithesis of idol worship, is buried across from Baal Pior, where the people were seduced into sin, in order to counteract its detrimental effects.

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Devarim
Thursday, July 19, 2007

Since we're approaching Tisha B'av, this week's Torah thought is centered on the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash.  In order to merit its rebuilding, we must examine the causes that led to its fall and try to rectify them.  

The following story is brought down in the Talmud (tractate Gitin, p.56A) about Martha, the daughter of Bytos, one of the wealthiest women of Jerusalem during the time of the destruction:  Martha sends one of her servants to the market to buy fine flour. When he gets there he finds that all the fine flour has been sold out. He comes back and tells her that the fine flour has been sold out, but that there's regular white bread. She sends him for the regular white bread. When he gets to the market, however, the regular white bread is also sold out. He returns and tells her that all the white bread has been sold out, but there's black bread. She sends him for the black bread, but that's sold out too. He returns and tells her that there's no more black bread, but there is barley flour. She tells him to go bring her some. However, by the time he reaches the market that too is sold out. She then takes off her shoes and goes outside to see if she can find anything to eat. In the street she steps on animal dung and subsequently dies.  Some say that she died after eating a cast-off fig of Rabbi Tzadok, who fasted 40 years in order to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem. (He would suck the juice from a dried fig to sustain himself and cast the fig away.)   

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zachkai brings down a verse from the book of Devarim (which describes the calamities that will, G-d forbid, befall the Jewish people if they defy the word of Hashem) and relates Martha to the "tender and delicate women ...who [in better times] would not attempt to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her fastidiousness and fragility." (Chapter 28 verse 56)  Sadly, before Martha's death, she tosses all her gold and silver into the street, declaring that her riches are useless to her.   

A spoiled and self-centered Jewish princess, Martha has been accustomed to getting everything she wants, with no care for anyone around her.  The Talmud ironically calls her "Martha, among the wealthy women of Jerusalem," when she is really so cut off from Jerusalem spiritually. We can assume that her servant suggested the idea of buying whatever bread remained in the market, but was clearly expected to report to her each time.  It must have been terribly difficult for Martha--used to a high standard of living, and having all her wishes answered on demand--having to accept a new reality every time the servant returns with the latest news. When Martha learns that, with all her riches, she cannot even buy barley flour, her entire belief system--that money can buy anything--collapses.  For years insulated from reality, Martha must now leave her incubator or die of starvation. Before she leaves her home she removes her shoes because she's afraid of soiling them while walking the streets of Jerusalem.    

The removal of her shoes has the effect of grounding her for the first time in her life; she finally steps down and makes contact with the real world. Yet walking barefoot, she steps on animal dung.  Could anyone get any lower, she must have felt.  For all her riches she was no better than a soiled and starving beggar!  Perhaps in her last moments she realized how far she had removed herself from Jerusalem and failed to prevent its destruction.  Perhaps she realized that her life had been wasted in self-indulgence and fleeting pleasures.   

Clearly the Talmud wants us to learn--from the negative example of a class of Jews that were well-off, yet isolated themselves from the masses, a class of Jews who chose a comfortable life for themselves, yet didn't want to know about the misfortune of others--how NOT to be.    

Rabbi Tzadok, on the other hand, is entirely devoted to Jerusalem and Am Yisrael. For 40 years he starves himself in order to try and prevent the destruction of Jerusalem. Only one thing interests him--to save the nation of Israel from exile. Martha's meeting with Rabbi Tzadok's dry fig is too overwhelming for her. The holiness of the fig makes her realize that she has been living a life of dung. The realization that true sustenance comes from the sacrifices of great men like Rabbi Tzadok--not from the empty "riches" she has selfishly hoarded and trusted in all her life--is what kills her.   

This is a powerful lesson for everyone. It's too easy to get our priorities all mixed up. Rabbi Tzaddok's struggle is against the Marthian philosophy of self centeredness, which he sees as a major reason for the destruction of the Temple--a reason that can only be rectified by reaching out to our fellows in dire straits and trying to put the goals of the Jewish people before some of our personal needs.

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

Parashat Matot
Thursday, July 12, 2007

This week's parasha, Matot, opens with the laws pertaining to oaths. Why is it important that one keep an oath?  If one pledges an oath to help someone and in the end goes back on his word, this is obviously wrong since someone has been hurt. On the other hand, it's difficult to understand why one is held liable for oaths that have no affect on anyone but himself.  In Judaism one is taught to be careful with his mouth--not only what he puts into it, but what comes out of it as well.  The abuse of speech, in the form of Lashon Hara (gossip), foul language, and failure to keep one's word,--even to ones's self--is a grave transgression. What is so special about speech that requires such a high standard?  

Speech brings us back to the beginning of creation. "And G-d said let there be light".  Our rabbis teach us in the Ethics of our Fathers:  "With ten sayings G-d created the world."  The first act of creation was an act of speech. Obviously, G-d could have created the world in a different way. Since he created the world through speech there must be an important lesson to be learned from it. Shlomo Hamelech, in Proverbs (18, verse 21), teaches us that "Death and life are in the hands of the tongue." With these few words Shlomo summed it all up:  speech is the key to life and death.  

  According to our sacred traditions, there are five spiritual worlds. The highest is called Adam Hakadmon, Primordial Man--referred to as AK. Since the entire universe was created for the sake of man, the very first act of creation was the formation of Primordial Man. The world of AK is the seed that contains within it the blueprint of the entire universe. It is so elevated that it is almost in complete oneness with the Divine light that flows into it.  It is so lofty that we really cannot comprehend it at all. What we do know is that it is the root of all the other worlds and serves as an interface between the Infinite Creator and the finite universe.  In kabalistic literature we're taught that the source of  vessels, the receptors which allow us to receive the divine energy, is the mouth of AK (one of  the anthropomorphisms used to describe its spiritual fabric).  Anything that cannot be contained in a vessel has no meaning for the receiver. If a person has only one empty bottle and chances upon a body of delicious spring water, he can only take back with him what the bottle can hold.  The Divine light can mean nothing to us if we don't have the vessels to contain it.   

The mouth is the first vessel of creation; it functions as the vehicle of G-d's ccommunication with us. If not for this communication, we would be unaware of G-d's existence.  The breath of life, which is taken in through the mouth, originates from the same spiritual source:  AK.  The sage Onkeles translates Hashem's breathing of life into man as instilling in him the power of speech and separating him from the beasts. We begin to see why, in Judaism, speech is regarded as sacrosanct.   

In Isaiah 33, verse 21 it says, "This nation I created to declare my praise."  We celebrate the birth of the Jewish nation on Pesach, which means in Hebrew " the mouth that speaks."  The oral law, transmitted by speech along with the written law, from G-d to Moshe, from Moshe to Joshua, etc., represents G-d's special instructions to us, via His personal communication.  This is why the Ten Commandments in Hebrew are called the Ten Dibrot, from the Hebrew word dibur meaning to speak.  Incidentally, Sefer Ba Midbar, which we complete this week, shares the same root, daber. Two major speech events occur in this sefer.  In addition to the speaking of the ten Dibrot, the speech of Life, there is the abuse of speech in the form of the report of the spies, which results in the death of the Dor HaMidbar.      

  One of the laws regarding prayer is that we must utter the words with our lips. It is not enough to read the words silently; we are required to actually say them.  Unlike the organs for seeing, hearing, and smelling, which take in stimuli from the outside, the mouth has both the ability to take in and to give out. Through speech one has the ability to interact with others.  (In a positive or negative way.) By praying aloud we engage actively and positively with Hashem.   

Distinct from the faculties of hearing, seeing, and smelling, the faculty of speech develops as we mature. Children begin to experiment with the different words they hear, sometimes testing our reaction.  As parents and educators, we must exercise care when speaking to and in the presence of our children and students. The sanctity of oaths teaches us how important it is to be mindful of the things we say aloud, even if no one is around to hear us. Speech is G-d's special gift to man; we must make the most of it and take care not to abuse it.

 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

  Parashat Pinchas*
Thursday, July 05, 2007

As we discussed in our last lesson, the goal of Balak and the Moabites was to prevent the Jewish nation from reaching the land of Israel. They tried to achieve this by having Bilam curse the nation, thus changing the Divine plan, which of course is impossible. Bilam's envy for the Jewish nation was too great for him to go home without some kind of victory. The second best thing in his eyes was to cause suffering and pain to the Jewish nation by slowing down the redemption process.  His plan was to have the Moabite women seduce the men of Israel and draw them into worshiping idolatry. This was partially successful, causing the death of twenty-four thousand Jews, but greater tragedy was averted because of Pinchas' intervention.  Who was Pinchas? What caused him to do what he did? Why couldn't Moshe Rabeynu solve the problem?  After the Jewish nation began to sin with Peor (in a particularly debased form of idol worship), G-d commands Moshe Rabeynu to assemble the Judges of Israel in order to punish the sinners accordingly.  Before the judges can do as they're told, Zimri ben Saluh, head of the tribe of Shimon, comes along, and in front of the entire congregation of Israel, including Moshe Rabeynu, takes a Midyanite woman of royal descent, Cazbi Bat Tzur, into his tent with the obvious intention of lying with her.  Interestingly, there's no mention in the description of these events that Zimri worshiped idols, which would be the only capital offense requiring the death penalty. How, then did Pinchas take the liberty of executing Zimri?  The Talmud teaches us that Zimri justified his relationship with Cazbi on the grounds that Moshe Rabeynu himself was married to the daughter of a gentile priest of Midyan.  Moshe Rabeynu is thrown off balance, as we can see in the verse which describes his weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. This is atypical behavior, as we can see in Moshe Rabeynu's reaction to the sin of the Golden Calf, when he immediately stands up to the entire nation of Israel and burns and grinds the calf into dust (Exodus 32, verse 20).  Moshe has been thrown off balance by Zimri's claim and by the fact that Zimri is not an ordinary person, but head of a tribe. In addition, G-d did not command Moshe to punish Zimri in the same way that He had required Moshe to punish the worshipers of Baal Peor.  Moshe Rabeynu tried to recall the oral teachings that he received from G-d on Mt. Sinai, but, according to the Talmud, Moshe forgot the appropriate punishment for Zimri's crime.  It was Pinchas who reminded him of the law and was told by Moshe to do what he thought proper. According to Jewish law, a priest who has blood on his hands can no longer serve as a priest of Israel.  Ironically, even though only the offspring of a priest could become a priest, Pinchas earns his priesthood and the covenant of peace by doing something which goes against the priesthood--killing. Why then did G-d make this exception?

According to talmudic teachings, one of Pinchas' ancestors was Yitro, a former idol worshiper. The tribe of Shimon was outraged that the descendant of a gentile priest should take it on himself to kill a prince of Israel. Hashem's rewarding Pinchas with the priesthood is a validation of Pinchas' action. Indeed the role of the priest is to perpetuate the Jewish nation--which was Pinchas' motivation for killing Zimri and Cazbi. Pinchas saw the terrible danger to the Jewish people of assimilation into the gentile world of idolatry.  This is exactly what Bilam and the others wanted.  Intermarriage would cause the nation of Israel to disappear and there would be no one left in the world to carry on its special mission.      

    Interestingly, another act of zeal which prevented mass assimilation took place in the "backyard" of the community of Itamar.  Shimon and Levi wiped out the city of Shechem after the rape Jacob's daughter Dina.  As we may recall, Shechem Ben Chamur wanted the children of Jacob to intermarry and assimilate with them. It even involved relatives of Pinchas and Zimri-- Levi, of which Pinchas is a part, and Shimon, whom Zimri is a tribe member.  It can be argued that Zimri was trying to rectify Shimon's violent act by taking a gentile women and uplifting her. Instead of making war against the Midyanites, he thought that he could uplift them spiritually. He could even point to the precedent of Joshua, who married Rachov, a non-Jewish woman who later converted to Judaism.  Unfortunately, however, it was Casbi who influenced Zimri and endangered the Jewish nation.   

  Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

*Pinchas is buried in Givat Pinchas, today know as Awarta, an Arab village right outside Itamar.

Parashat Balak
11 Tamuz 5767 /June 27th 2007

At first glance at the opening of parashat Balak it seems that the fear of the Moabites towards Am Yisrael is a result of the Jewish nation winning the war against the Amorites. (See Numbers, chapter 21, verses 21-35.) This always bothered me because if you read the verses carefully there shouldn't really be any reason for this fear. The Jewish approach from the beginning towards the Amorites was one of tremendous humility; they showed no aggressiveness whatsoever. All they did was request permission to pass over the Amorite territory, and they even declared that they would not enter their fields or vineyards or drink their water. Only when the Moabites attacked, Am Yisrael was forced to take up arms in self defense.

What other nation of the world behaves this way? Why then were the Moabites terrified? If we look in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 2, verse 9, we see that Moshe is commanded not to make war on the Moabites. This strengthens our premise that there was no reason for the Moabites to fear a physical attack from the Jewish nation. Interestingly, there is only one other time in the bible that the Hebrew word "Vayagur," used here for fear, is mentioned in this form. This is in the book of Samuel 1, chapter 18, verse 15, "Vayaar Shaul asher hu maskil meod Vayagur mipanav." When Saul saw that David was so successful, he was afraid of him. Obviously Saul wasn't afraid that David would kill him. David had had quite a few opportunities to harm Saul, and never did so. Nonetheless, after David killed Goliyat the Philistine and earned the praise of the Jewish women, King Saul could not hold back his jealous rage. Deep down he knew that he was going to loose his throne to David and there would be no future royalty for his son Yonatan. This is clearly outlined in that same chapter, verse 10, where it says that "It came to pass the next day and an evil spirit of G-d came upon Saul and he prophesized in his house." Instead of connecting himself with the source of holiness, Saul was drawing upon evil spiritual forces which damaged his prophecy and resulted in a jealous rage. With this in mind let us return to our Torah portion. It must be that the Moabite's fear originated some kind of jealousy. What could this jealousy possibly stem from? Why be jealous of a nation of former slaves that have not yet settled on a piece of land?

This issue can be illuminated by an important concept that is brought down in Talmudic and Medrashic literature - "Af Al Gav Di-eenhu Lo Chaziu Mazalayhu Chazu." This is an Aramaic expression meaning that although they did not see, their Mazal (fate) saw. In other words there are times when a person has an inner feeling that can guide, motivate, or disturb him. This feeling is coming from the upper worlds and is connected to the individual's spiritual world.

A classic example is brought down in the Shla , written by Rabbi Yeshayahu Horowitz (born in Prague 1558 and died in Tzfat in 1628). In parashat Lech Lecha, chapter 14, the Torah tells us about the great war of the four kings against the five kings and the kidnapping of Lot. The Shlah Hakodesh asks , Why was Lot taken captive? Nine nations are busy in battle; how did they find the time to pay attention to Lot! In truth Lot was the real reason that the four kings went to war. Here I have to briefly introduce another important concept in Judaism - "Arba Malchuyot" - the four kingdoms. The goal of the four kingdoms is to turn the world away from G-d. Just as a central point has four basic directions that lead away from it--east, west, north, and south-- the aim of the four nations is to nullify the kingdom of G-d, the central point of the cosmos, thus preventing the redemption from taking place. (See Maharal Mi' Prague in his book Ner Mitzva , Rabbi Yehuda Leva Ben Betzalel, born in 1515 and died in Prague in 1609.) With this in mind we can now understand why it was so important for the four kings to kidnap Lot. The four nations were being led by the evil force of the four kings. Their mission was to prevent the redemption from taking place, the seeds of which were planted in Lot. The Mazal of the kings knew, just as we know now, that king David is a direct descendent of Lot. (See Genesis 19:30-37.) In the same vein, we can now answer the question I began with - what were the Moabites afraid of. The goal of the Jewish nation is to honor G-d by building His throne. "This nation I created for me to declare my praise." (Isaiah 43:21) Building the throne of G-d is a long process that can come about only after the Jewish nation returns to the Promised Land, restores the house of David, and builds the temple. Then prophecy will return to the land and the entire world will know that there is a G-d! The Moabites were also guided by this same evil force that wants to prevent the house of David and the Mashiach from coming about, thus preventing the throne of G-d from being actualized.

This same evil force is still trying to prevent Israel's redemption. In the last decade we have been fighting a growing battle to hold on to our precious holy land. There are evil forces trying their best to prevent the Jewish nation from fulfilling its mission. Those of you who are supporting communities like Itamar are literally a major factor in winning the battle against the four kings.

Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Itamar

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