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Friday, August 26

The Weekly Shtikle - Re'eih

    This week's parsha contains a number of sections related to various types of avodah zarah. Nowadays, it is very difficult for us to comprehend the strong inclination towards idol worship that existed in those times. This is because, as the gemara (Sanhedrin 64a) explains, the yeitzer hara for avodah zarah was destroyed during the early years of the second Beis HaMikdash through some supernatural process. However, certain nuances in the pesukim offer us an insight into avodah zarah which perhaps may help us combat the pseudo-avodos zaros of our day.

 

    First, the Torah warns us (12:30) "lest you inquire after their gods, saying: 'How do these nations serve their gods? I do likewise.' " The Torah is clearly warning against the dangers of what might be disguised as "intellectual curiosity." One is only permitted to study the ways of the nations if it is clearly done in order to know how to answer their challenges or the challenges of another who is arguing their point of view. To simply explore their gods and their worship out of curiosity is unfortunately where it all begins.

 

    The Torah then proceeds to discuss three different examples of how idolatry might come to infiltrate the community. First, there is the false prophet. Then there is the meisis, the friend or family member who privately attempts to lure another towards idolatry. Last, we have the city which turns as a whole towards other gods. In each case we find a common term used by the seducer:  "Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them." Again we find that the idolater is always looking to appeal to the curious side of his victim. He is not attempting to lure you into worshiping a deity with whom you are somewhat familiar. He uses the mystery of the unknown to pique your interest. Throughout these sections, the Torah is repeatedly reminding us to keep our intellectual curiosity in check.


Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
AstroTorah: Homeward Bound by R' Ari Storch

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The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

Friday, August 19

The Weekly Shtikle - Eikev

Toward the beginning of the parsha, B'nei Yisroel are reminded (8:4) that their garments did not tatter and their feet did not swell for the duration of their forty-year sojourn. Then, they are told that they should know in their hearts that just as a father chastises his son, so too HaShem chastises B'nei Yisroel. The juxtaposition of these two pesukim is puzzling. Why would the great miracles in the desert be associated with chastising and punishment?
 
The obvious suggestion is that the latter pasuk is referring to the pesukim before the former. Those pesukim recount how HaShem inflicted suffering and starvation upon B'nei Yisroel, testing them to see if they will keep His mitzvos. Many commentaries understand this to be what is referred to as HaShem's chastising of B'nei Yisroel. However, this leaves two difficulties unaddressed. First, the comparison to the father is troublesome. The chastising and discipline of a father are usually not for the purpose of testing the son. How then can the pasuk compare HaShem's chastising to that of a father? Second, based on our initial question, the interruption of the pasuk dealing with the miracles is unexplained.

Indeed, it is not the norm for a parent to harshly discipline his son as a test. But perhaps that is not the point. HaShem tested B'nei Yisroel in ways that could be mistakenly perceived, on the surface, as nasty and cruel. But the next pasuk immediately reminds us of our miraculous provisions in the desert. Therein lies the comparison to the father. The true sign of a loving father is one who despite his apparent harsh treatment of his son, still happily provides his son with all he needs. When these two contrasting behaviours exist in harmony, it is clear that it is all done out of love. In order to fully understand HaShem's role as the Father, we must contrast the harsh punishments with the constant miracles that were lovingly performed for us.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
AstroTorah: The Navi's Sky by R' Ari Storch

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The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

Friday, August 12

The Weekly Shtikle - Va'eschanan / Nachamu

This Monday, the 15th of Av, marks the second yahrtzeit of my Opa, Mr. George Jakobovits. This week's shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Tovia Yehudah ben Yoel, a'h.

Although the yearly Torah reading cycle has not always followed its current pattern, it has a tendency to have the parshah of the week correspond quite neatly with the calendar. For example, we read Moshe Rabbeinu's exclamation of "Eichah!" in Parshas Devarim (1:12) which always falls on the Shabbos before Tish'ah B'Av. We always read Parshas Nitzavim, which speaks of teshuvah, as we approach Rosh HaShanah and the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah. This week is known as Shabbas Nachamu, after the beginning of this week's haftarah which begins with the words "Nachamu, nachamu ami..." be comforted, be comforted My nation. The haftarah is specifically directed at the theme of somfort and consolation, but where do we see this theme in the parshah? If anything, Va'eschanan deals with more grim circumstances as it is the source for the reading on Tish'ah B'Av, discussing the various repercussions of straying from the path. There seems to be no mention of the week's theme whatsoever.

 

Perhaps, the theme is hinted to in the very passage that is read on Tish'ah B'Av. After reading of all the terrible consequences of our evil deeds, we are assured (4:29-31)

"And from there, you will beseech HaShem, your God, and you shall find, if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. Amidst your tribulations when these things have been visited upon you, in the end of days, when you shall return to HaShem, your God, and listen to His voice. For Hashem, your God, is a merciful God, He will not forsake you and He will not destroy you, nor will He forget the covenant of your fathers which He has sworn to them."

These words remind us, after we have mourned the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash which came about as a result of our awful sins, that no matter how deep we sink, no matter how much it seems that HaShem has distanced Himself from us, we may always return at a moment's notice and HaShem will answer us. This passage encourages us never to lose hope amidst our exile, as HaShem will never forsake us, a veritable paradigm of the theme of "Nachamu."

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
Al Pi Cheshbon: Who's running the Markets?
Al Pi Cheshbon: Gematrias off by 1
Al Pi Cheshbon: Moshe's Pleas
AstroTorah: Heavenly Consolation by R' Ari Storch
AstroTorah: Dog Days of Summer by R' Ari Storch

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The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

Friday, August 5

The Weekly Shtikle - Devarim

As sefer Devarim begins, and with it a recounting of the events that befell B'nei Yisroel in the midbar, we seem to bounce around quite a bit chronologically. While we begin somewhere towards the beginning, this week's parsha eventually discusses the wars with Sichon and Og which took place towards the end. There is an interesting discrepancy in the account of those wars. In 2:36 regarding the war with Sichon, the pasuk recounts "lo haysa kirya asher sagva mimenu," there was no city that overpowered us. Only a few psukim later (3:4) with regards to the war with Og, we find a very similar, yet slightly different phrase: "lo haysa kirya asher lo lakachnu me'itam." There was no city that we did not take from them. 

I suggest that perhaps the explanation behind the different choice of words is that Sichon was stronger than Og - or at least his kingdom was stronger. After all, the Midrashim do go out of their way to mention how powerful and fortified his kingdom was. Therefore, the pasuk establishes only that there was no city that was able to overpower us. In other words, there were no defeats. That still leaves it to be interpreted whether or not B'nei Yisroel wiped them out on every front. Perhaps there were cities which were unable to defeat our army but we were unable to completely defeat them.
 
Regarding Og, however, the pasuk need not mention that there was no front on which Og won the battle. Rather, there wasn't even one city which B'nei Yisroel didn't take cleanly. It would seem that the Torah describes a more complete and decisive victory against Og than Sichon.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
AstroTorah: Leo and Av by R' Ari Storch

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com
The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com