The Living Parsha

• Parshas Naso - Taking Lessons to Heart

  The Ba'al Shem Tov famously taught: "Every single thing that a person sees or hears, is an instruction to him in his conduct in the service of G‑d."

  Instead of having G-d talk to us directly every time He wants to to teach us something, He allows us to learn it when we observe our surroundings and draw lessons from what we see. It's a subtle way of encouraging us to grow in our service of G-d - without the drawback of being overbearing on us. He wants us to connect to Him, not because He forces us, but because we want to.

  In this week's parsha, we see the very same theme of learning from what we see. Let's take a look (Numbers 5:11-13, 6:1-3):

  The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: Should any man's wife go astray and deal treacherously with him, and a man lie with her carnally, but it was hidden from her husband's eyes, but she was secluded [with the suspected adulterer] and there was no witness against her, and she was not seized...

  The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and you shall say to them: A man or woman who sets himself apart by making a nazirite vow to abstain for the sake of the L-rd. He shall abstain from new wine and aged wine; he shall not drink [even] vinegar made from new wine or aged wine, nor shall he drink anything in which grapes have been steeped, and he shall eat neither fresh grapes nor dried ones...

  This is how the Torah sets it up. First, it discusses the case of an adulterous wife (in Hebrew: "sotah"), and delineates the procedure with which the husband could test her guilt. Then the Torah turns to a different topic - that of the nazir (one who undertook an oath to abstain from grape products and becoming impure through contact with the dead).

  What's the connection? Why talk about the sotah, then about the nazir?

  Rashi eludicates:

  Why is the section dealing with the nazirite juxtaposed to the section of the adulterous woman? To tell us that whoever sees an adulteress in her disgrace should vow to abstain from wine, for it leads to adultery.

  Now you know why. By just observing all the drama that would surround a potentially adulterous woman, a person would (or should!) be inspired to do better. He would want to stay far away from such a situation, and if that meant abstaining from wine, so be it.

  So this is a lesson for us all. By observing what happens around us, we can draw inspiration for ourselves. We don't need to shlep ourselves all the way to the synagogue and sit through a rabbi's sermon to learn how to serve G-d; we can learn by just opening our eyes and looking at what is in front of us!

  All this, of course, depends on one thing: whether you are ready to learn or not.

  So, nu, are you ready?

  Write your thoughts in the comment area below. And watch the video for an example of this concept in our daily lives!

• Parshas Bamidbar - Precious Things

  You are special.

  Let us say it again. You are special.

  That's what we see from the beginning of this week's parsha - Bamidbar. The parsha starts thus (Numbers 1:1-2):

  The L-rd spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying, "Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by families following their fathers' houses..."

  At first, the reader may be puzzled. Wait a minute - why is G-d counting the Jews again? The Torah already records two previous counts, both in the Book of Exodus. So why is G-d counting us again?

  Rashi answers, as always:

  "The L-rd spoke... in the Sinai Desert... on the first of the month": Because they were dear to Him, He counted them often. When they left Egypt, He counted them (Exod. 12:37); when [many] fell because [of the sin] of the golden calf, He counted them to know the number of the survivors (Exod. 32:28); when He came to cause His Divine Presence to rest among them, He counted them. On the first of Nissan, the Tabernacle was erected, and on the first of Iyar, He counted them.

  This is beautiful. The Torah spends so many verses (here in this week's parsha, and in the other places mentioned above) describing the census of the Jewish nation, all for one reason: to show how each and every Jew is special in G-d's eyes.

  Indeed, when something is dear to us, we pay special attention to it. We check on it often to make sure everything is all right, and to see if there is anything that needs to be dealed with. Our children are precious to us, so we are always on our guard, watching them.

  So too it is for G-d. We are His children, and this count was His way of "checking" on us.

  What do you think? Have you taken an accounting of all what is dear to you? Are you paying enough attention to them?

  Most importantly:

  Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was once asked by his followers: "Which is greater: love of G-d, or love of the Jews?"

  The rabbi answered: "Both loves are engraved in the hearts of every Jew. But the Torah declares: 'I loved you, said the L-rd.' Clearly, love of the Jews is greater, for one loves what the beloved loves."

  (A free translation of Hayom Yom, 28 Nissan)

  In the spirit of the story above, we will conclude with a final question: Have you shown enough love and consideration towards your fellow Jew? (Our answer: there's never too much love to go around!)

  Whatcha think? Comment below with your thoughts and insights! We're looking forward to reading them. And watch the video above for an example of our attitude towards precious things.

• Parshiyos Behar-Bechukosai - Emulating the Great

  We are now up to the last two parshahs of the Book of Leviticus, and this week, we read both together. The two parshahs are called Behar and Bechukosai. There is a myriad of topics covered in these two relatively short parshahs, but we will talk about just one (Leviticus 25:2-4):

  "Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Sabbath to the L-rd. 

  You may sow your field for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce.

  But in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest a Sabbath to the L-rd; you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard."

  Rashi, our favorite commentator, explains:

  "A Sabbath to the L-rd": For the sake of the L-rd, just as is stated of the Sabbath of Creation (see Exod. 20:10).

  Rashi is in effect saying that we observe this concept of shemittah (letting the land of Israel lie fallow every seven years) for the same reason why we observe the Day of Rest every seven days, on Shabbat. There is a link between the two mitzvahs of resting on the seventh day/year.

  So why do we observe Shabbat? Tradition teaches us that we do this in order to give testimony that G-d is the Master of the world. Just as He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, so too do we work for six days, and rest on the seventh.

  Isn't that beautiful? In observing Shabbat, we are emulating our Creator. We are looking up to our ultimate Role Model and trying to become as great as He is. 

  Do you have your own role model in your lives? Do you try to be as great as he or she is? Do you think that this, indeed, is the purpose of a role model - to inspire you into action?

  Take the opportunity to write down your thoughts below in the comment area! And watch the video for an example of taking inspiration from role models.

• Parshas Emor - No Special Treatments

  Sure, you're special. But do you think you deserve to be treated specially? Do you think the laws don't apply to you?

  This week's parsha gives us the answer (Leviticus 24:17-22):

  If a man strikes down any human being, he shall be put to death. 

  One who slays an animal shall pay for it [the value of] a life for the life [he took]. 

  A man who inflicts an injury upon his fellow man just as he did, so shall be done to him [namely,] fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he inflicted an injury upon a person, so shall it be inflicted upon him.

  One who injures an animal shall pay for it. And one who strikes a person shall be put to death.

  One law shall be exacted for you, convert and resident alike, for I am the L-rd, your G-d.

  This comes from the very last part of Parshas Emor (this week's parsha). After several laws related to injury and death are listed, the Torah says clearly: "One law shall be exacted for you" - whether you are a Jew from birth, or by choice.

  In other words, we can't say that these laws only apply to Jews who were born Jewish, to the exclusion of those who joined the Jewish faith later on. We could give all sorts of rationalizations, but ultimately, as Rashi puts it:

  "I am the L-rd your G-d": the G-d of all of you. Just as I attach My Name uniquely upon you [native Jewish people], so do I attach it uniquely upon the converts [to Judaism].

  We are all equal in the eyes of G-d. And so the law treats us equally.

  Whatcha think? Though most of us are not professional judges, this concept is still very relevant. For example, when we see someone doing something that is wrong, we are quick to condemn. But what happens if we do the same thing ourselves sometimes? Do we condemn our own behavior as well?

  Hmm. That's a thought.

• Parshiyos Acharei-Kedoshim - Influence From Around

  “The humblest individual exerts some influence, either for good or evil, upon others” - Henry Ward Beecher

  This is indeed true, as we can see from this week's parsha. In the beginning of Chapter 18 of Leviticus, the theme of influence plays a prominent role. Let's look at the text (Leviticus 18:1-4):

  And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: I am the L-rd, your G-d. Like the practice of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelled, you shall not do, and like the practice of the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you, you shall not do, and you shall not follow their statutes. You shall fulfill My ordinances and observe My statutes, to follow them. I am the L-rd, your G-d.

  Traditionally, this commandment has been codified in Jewish law books as the prohibition of "Uv'chukoseihem lo seileichu - You shall not follow their statutes". (See, for example, Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 178:1.)

  But what is so important about being aware of what we are doing, and making sure not to blindly imitate the culture around us? As a small nation, the Jewish people has always been acutely aware of the fact that once we start to absorb too much of the culture around us, we lose our distinct identities as Jewish people. And that would be a tragedy, both on a personal and collective level.

  It is perhaps in this spirit of self-perservation that the Torah advises us along the lines of "Be sure to pay attention to what kind of influences you find yourself up against."

  Obviously, our immediate environment has a great impact on us. The Torah emphasizes this point by mentioning Egypt and the (non-Jewish) people of Canaan - the very nations that the Jews were - and would be, after they arrived in Israel - in close proximity with.

  Nu, what do you think? Do you think your environment has some kind of influence on you? Do you see it in your personal life? 

  Can you do something about it?

  Share your thoughts on the parsha in the comment area below! And watch the video above to get an idea of how influence can be life-changing.