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Table of contents
1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour
2) Halakhat Hashavoua (Halakhot related to day to day life) By Hazzan David Azerad -
Laws of Torah Study
3) Holy Jokes!
4) For KIDS
This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour
Parashat Hukat- Seeing the Inner Goodness
The story of Meh Meriba, when Moshe and Aharon were punished for striking a rock in the desert to produce water for Beneh Yisrael, has baffled commentators for centuries. It seems that Hashem told Moshe and Aharon to produce water by speaking to the rock, but Moshe struck the rock, instead, and for this he and Aharon were severely punished, as G-d decreed that they would die before Beneh Yisrael entered the Land of Israel. Many questions arise regarding this incident, and many different interpretations have been offered.
One explanation could be suggested in light of an insight of the Hafetz Haim (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) into a mysterious remark in the Gemara. In Masechet Sanhedrin, the Gemara teaches that those who ridicule the Rabbis, asking, "What do they do for us?" have no share in the next world. The Hafetz Haim explained that if one denies the benefit provided by Rabbis through their learning and good deeds, then they forfeit these benefits. If we appreciate the great merit yielded by righteous figures, then we access that merit, which helps us earn a large share in the next world despite our shortcomings. But if somebody does not appreciate this merit, and thinks that the Sadikim are just wasting their time, Heaven forbid, then he cannot access it, and so he risks losing his share of the next world.
Hashem instructed Moshe and Aharon to produce water through their words of prayer. Moshe realized, however, that only those who placed their trust in the religious leaders could benefit from these prayers. Those who denied the power of Moshe and Aharon would, naturally, be denied the benefits yielded through their merits. Moshe and Aharon therefore exclaimed, "Shim’u Na Ha’morim, Ha’min Ha’sela Ha’zeh Nosi Lachem Mayim" – "Listen, O rebellious ones, will we produce water for you from this rock?!" (20:10). They turned to the "Morim," those who denied the value of Moshe and Aharon’s pious actions, and said, "You don’t believe in us – so do you think we can produce water for you?!" If they did not believe that Moshe and Aharon provided them with any benefit, then they forfeited all such benefit, and so they could not drink the water which Moshe and Aharon would produce.
G-d was angry at Moshe and Aharon, however, because they failed to see the inner spark of goodness within even the "Morim." True, there were those among the nation who were "rebellious," who did not trust them, who fought with them and disrespected them. But this was only the exterior. Inside, they were pure and righteous. Moshe and Aharon were wrong for assuming that these "Morim" could not benefit from the water they would produce – because even the "Morim" had a sacred spark within them which was capable of being ignited.
We must never give up on anyone. Every Jew, even if we do not see it, has a spark of greatness within him or her. We must believe and try to appreciate the inner goodness within every person, and do what we can to help bring that inner goodness out into the open.
Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad
Laws of Torah study, according to the rulings of the late Maran Rabbi Obadiah Yosef Z”TL
What is the value of studying Torah?
The commandment of Studying Torah is weighed against all the commandments, as it is mentioned in the Tractate Pe’aa "And Talmud Torah against all."
(מסכת פאה פ"א מ"א): "ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם".
And King Solomon said (Proverbs 11:11): "For wisdom is better than pearls, and all things are not equal in it", "all things" - including even objects of heaven. And the sages said: "All the commandments of the Torah are not equal to one word of the Torah" (Yerushalmi Pe’aa)
"Those who engage in the Torah, their virtue is greater than the prophets" (The Holy Zohar Parshat Tzav Daf 35 Amud A).
Mitzvah and Torah study - which comes first?
If you are given an opportunity to study Torah and do another mitzvah at the same time and you have the choice, how should you proceed? If it is possible for the Mitzvah to be done by others, you should not stop from studying Torah, however if it is not possible for it to be done by others, then you should do the mitzvah and then return to your study of Torah. Because the purpose of studying the Torah is to keep it, as we say "learn and teach to keep and do and keep".
"ללמוד וללמד לשמור ולעשות ולקיים".
Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach
David Azerad
3) HOLY JoKeS!!
Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah or current events, to brighten your day
4) FOR KIDS
Click on the image to open the youtube video
