Korach- From the teachings of the Or Gedalyahu

In Parshat Korach, as we know, Korach amasses his own kehillah to challange Moshe. Now when the Torah names the bigshots in Korach's party, the pasuk lists him as "Korach ben Yitzhar ben Kehat ben Levi." Now as Rashi brilliantly points outs, its does not say "ben Yaakov" or "ben Yisrael" anywhere. And why would one have assumed that it should? Because in Divrei HaYamim, when it lists the families for the duchen-ing, Korach's lineage is listed with "ben Yisrael"! Rashi writes that Yaakov Avinu had davened that his name not be mentioned by machloket, as is the case in the parshah. But why? And what is the difference between Parshat Korach & Divrei HaYamim?

The answer given in Or Gedalyahu is essentially that Yaakov Avinu davened that his named not be mentioned by machloket because he didn't want the middah which he handed down to his children to be cursed and distorted. Yaakov Avinu represented the middah of Emet. Just as talmidim take on middot of their rebbe, so too children would naturaly take on good middot of their parents. The Chiddushei HaRim explains that the middah of Emet is everlasting without change, as truth remains constant and cannot be distorted. Therefore Yaakov really davened that his middah of Emet not be mentioned near machloket, which is just the opposite of what Emet represents. However, by the duchening, Yaakov's name is mentioned because Emet lasts forever, and certainly Yaakov's middot and strength would join with the Leviim in later generations when they do the great mitzvah of duchening.

Another explanation is based on that which the Torah says, "תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב". Yaakov Avinu passed on to future generations the sense kehillah. This is why Yaakov davened not to be mentioned by Korach's kehillah; because that kehillah was in itself against the Kehillat Yaakov as he was actually breaking away from the main chunk of Am Yisrael. Korach mistakenly thought that he was promoting the middah of Achdut. So Yaakov did not want his strength of achdut connected to Korach, as achdut is itself a base of Emet. That is why Korach could not truly unite people together, because he was lacking achdut. His group was united against Moshe, but in truth they were not united amongst themeselves.

Always Think About Hashem!

In Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh (Chelek 1, maamar 53), the author writes something very profound. The chapter discusses Emunah that there is a Creator to the world (אמונה שיש בורא לעולם). Obviously, there are different levels of this emunah. The author writes of the 3 ways to have an understadning of that belief; chochma, bina, v'da'at. Chochma & Bina are the basic understanding and recognition that there is a Creator and a deeper understanding of what that means and entails as well. But Da'at is when it goes beyond the simple sense of understanding and realizing. To have Da'at that there is a Borai Olam is to have that knowledge everpresent in the mind, infused with everything we do. It's not possible to express how wonderous it is to have this knowledge, to think about Hashem, the Borei Olam. No amount of gold and silver can match its worth; there is no comparison to it. It is through this, the author writes, that a person can reach reach the Shleimut of Kirvat Hashem & Dveikut Hashem. This way of thinking will bring a person to the proper way of kiyum Torah u'Mitzvot. If a person would realize the value of trying to constantly think about the Borai Olam and the state of being which it helps bring about, certainly anyone would chase after it and leave behind any vanities of this world for it. However, it is the ratzon Hashem that we must work for this first through our emunah, and only after that can we truly taste that greatness and be able to cleave to it. "'טעמו וראו כי טוב ה"

The Gra writes that the greatest anguish there is for the nefesh is when a person is niftar and can look back at what he could have accomplished had he still been alive; but he can no longer do any of it. This, he writes, greatly distresses the nefesh. When a person reaches Gan Eden, whether he lived with this Da'at or not makes a world of difference. One's chelek in G"E can change completely based on this. But a person who always lives with the is knowledge of the Borai Olam constantly in his mind has a greater part in G"E as he is truly closer to Hashem. After all, that is what the essence of G"E is; to be close to Hashem.

All these idea are very simple and straightforward. However, the Yetzer HaRa tries to make people live based on externals; and to stop them from understanding the greatness, and depth, and unimaginable pricelessness of this advice; to constantly live with the thought of HaKadosh Boruch Hu. The more this knowledge penetrates the depths of the soul, the closer one becomes to Hashem. The opposite, chas v'shalom, is true as well. If a person only focuses on simply doing mitzvot and being mekayem things, but neglects his inner connection to Hashem, he will get rewarded for the miztvot he deos, but he will be missing the most important reward of all, "L'hitaneg al Hashem." The entire point in life is to connect and cleave to Hashem through Torah u'Mitzvot.

This what it says in Mesilat Yesharim (perek 19). That we find among the truly pious that they exert themselves to attain that which should be the true kavanah behind all our actions; to serve Hashem solely for His glory and without ulterior motives. Obviously someone who serves Hashem and looks toward the reward he will receieve in Olam HaBa is not regraded as having negative intentions, rather it is not ideal. And in the end, it is a bit ulterior.

As Ramchal writes, when one strengthens his love for Hashem and desires to expand His greatness, then he will be motivated to serve Him for this great and true purpose. How is one to do this? Why, it is written in Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh! To delve and contemplate on Hashem as much as possible brings one closer to Him, strengthening the connection, thereby deepening the ahavah which brings one to serve Hashem for His own kavod. Also, as it says in Bilvavi, being filled with that Da'at of Hashem, one will come to leave behind the vanities of this world. It says in Mesilat Yesharim that highest kavanah is that of detaching oneself from worldly personal wants and desires and focusing only on Hashem and making a Kidush Hashem by fulfilling his ratzon. As the Zohar says "איזהו חסיד? המתחסד עם קונו".

Tfillah- More Than Just Words

(True, this is a dvar torah on the parshah which already passed, but it's never too late:)

There is just so much hectic stuff going on in Parshat Shlach, it's unbelievable. You've got the Meraglim, Bnei Yisrael almost form a lynch mob against Calev & Yehoshua, a bunch of Jews who seem to do tshuva and say they want to do what Hashem tells them right away defy Him and Moshe and try to force their way into Eretz Yisrael. Not to mention the chilul Shabbos at the end. What the heck was going through their minds? Well my goal at the moment is not to discuss that question, rather to focus on that which Moshe did right after the Meraglim gave their reports and Bnei Yisrael started to get all upset.

The Torah says that at that moment, as Moshe and Aharon were on their faces and B"Y were going against Calev & Yehoshua, the Schinah came down in the Ohel Moed to all of B"Y. Hashem then speaks to Moshe. And what does Moshe do? He begs of Hashem to not destroy Bnei Yisrael and he davens for them. Now let's take a look at a main component of Moshe's tfillah:

יְדֹוָד אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפָשַׁע וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים

This looks a lot like the י"ג מדות that Moshe recieved from Hashem after Chet HaEgel. Yet, there seem to be a few words missing! The Ramban comments on this is gives a pretty good explanation of why each phrase was omitted.

והזכיר במדות "ארך אפים ורב חסד" ולא הזכיר "אמת", כי במדת אמת יהיו חייבים. ולא הזכיר "נוצר חסד לאלפים", כי לא בזכות אבות נתפלל משה עכשיו ולא הזכיר בתפילה הזאת לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב כלל. והטעם בעבור שהארץ ניתנה לאבות ומהם ירשוה, והם מורדים באבותם ולא היו חפצים במתנה שלהם אשר האבות היו בוחרים בה מאד, והיאך יאמר "אשר נשבעת להם בך וגו' וכל הארץ הזאת אתן לזרעכם" (שמות לב יג) והם אומרים אי אפשנו במתנה זו:

ולא הזכיר "וחטאה", בעבור שאלו מזידים ופושעים. ולא ידעתי למה לא הזכיר "רחום וחנון", אולי ידע משה כי הדין מתוח עליהם ולא ימחול לעולם, לכן לא ביקש רק אריכות אפים שלא ימיתם כאיש אחד ולא ישחטם כצאן במדבר שימותו במגפה, ובעבור שלא בקש עתה אלא אריכות אפים אמר לו "סלחתי כדבריך" שאהיה להם ארך אפים ורב חסד. והזכיר "פוקד עון אבות", לאמר שאם יראה שלא למחות עונם יפקוד עון אבות על בניהם ולארך אפים יקחם, ומזה היתה הגזרה לקבוע להם בכיה לדורות בלילה הזה כי פקד עונם על זרעם:

First of all, one that Ramban doesn't discuss (unless I'm just really bad at reading and missed it) is that normally the 13 Middot usually start "Hashem, Hashem"; here there is only one Shem Hashem. This Shem Hashem (Yud-Key-Vav-Key) represents rachamim. One is before the sin and the other is for after the sin. Here the sin already occured, so Moshe only used the Name which represents rachamim after the sin.

Next, there is no mention of the midda of Emet (אמת). The reason the Ramban says as to Why Moshe didn't say this was because the emet of the matter was that the people had sinned, and were guilty.

Nor did he say the midda of Notzer Chesed L'Alafim (נוצר חסד לאלפים). This is because this is talking about Zchut Avot. Eretz Yisrael was given to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov for their children to inherit. B"Y had just rebelled against there ancestral inheritence. They didn't want it. So how could Moshe say that Hashem should forgive them in the zchut of their Avot?

Lastly, the Ramban writes that V'Chata'a (וחטאה) was skipped because B"Y were "Mezidim u'Poshim," and this midda refers to sin that is unintentional. Also, he writes that he doesn't know why Moshe didn't say Rachum v'Chanun, perhaps because he knew that really the case against them was stronger and he was davening that Hashem should not kill them all at once. And that is what Hashem meant when He said "I have forgiven because of your words," that He will not wipe them out all at once, but will have them die out over the course of 40 years.

I read in Rav Neventzal's sichot that he writes a very fundamental concept about tfillah based on this. Moshe basically "customized" his own tfillah from the 13 Middot. Why didn't he say the whole version as given to him by Hashem? Why did he only apply certain phrases? Tfillah is not something where you say some words and then a miracle happens. Hashem didn't teach Moshe the 13 Middot so that when in distress he could simply cry them out and then all would be forgiven! Davening is something which comes from the heart! Every word has meaning and they all individually matter, (especially and more specifically the 13 Middot). Moshe looked at the situation and saw what he needed to daven for and that is what he did. It came from his heart, b'kavana! He didn't just say a bunch of words without meaning. This is how our tfillot should be as well. When we daven, it should not be reading absentmindedly from a siddur. We need to focus on what we are really saying and make sure it comes from the heart, b'kavana.

Why "bin" and not "ben"?

Ever since 2nd grade when most of us began learning Chumash, just about everybody has asked why Yehoshua is called Yehoshua bin Nun, and not Yehoshua ben Nun. Of course I have never heard an answer to this.....until now. My brother informed me that the Chatam Sofer gives the following explanation.

Where did Yehoshua get the "י" that was added to "הושע"? It came from Sara's former name; Sarai. However, what vowalization was under that yud in Sarai's name? None. When Yehoshua recieved that yud, it needed the shva to go under it. So where did that shva come from? It was taken from the segol under the "ב" in "בן"! Therefore, the word ben was left with a vowalization of chirik instead of segol. That is why it is pronounced "bin" instead of ben. So there you go, the answer to that timeless question.

Ameilus BaTorah

Just a quick idea from parshat Nasso:

Parshat Nasso at one point talks about the erection of the Mishkan. Parek 7 pasuk 1 says:

ויהי ביום כלות משה להקים את המשכן וימשח אותו ויקדש אותו ואת כל כליו ואת המזבח ואת כל כליו וימשחם ויקדש אותם

Rav Henoch Leibowitz tz"l teaches an important concept on this. The Medrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 12) says that there were 3 things Moshe Rabbeinu really put his soul into and therefore they were credited to his name. Dinim, Torah, & the Mishkan. Dinim we learn from when Moshe sat judging and giving over Dinim. "Vayeshev Moshe lishpot et haAm." Torah we know from Moshe being on Har Sinai 40 days and nights. It says in Malachi: "Zichru Torat Moshe avdi." So we do we learn that the Mishkan is attributed to Moshe's name from? From the fact that Moshe would constantly go back and forth with the Mishkan workers about how to do all the work so that they should not make any mistakes. So since Moshe was moser nefesh for the building of the Mishkan, it was attributed to his name. And he was moser nefesh in the fact that he put all his efforts into constantly showing the workers how to do all the work.

But what does this mean? Just becasue Moshe kept reviewing with the workers, why does that mean he really put his soul effort into it? R' Leibowitz writes that we learn from here, that since Moshe Rabbeinu was prepared to be moser nefesh over the Mishkan, it is considered as if he was. We further learn from here an important concept. Someone who puts all his effort into Torah, & teaching it to others, is considered to be moser nefesh over Torah, just as Moshe was for the Mishkan according to the Medrash. Which as we know is the ultimate way to acheive the understanding of Torah (but that's a whole different topic).