July 29, 2011
by Digital Maggid
על־פי־רוב טרעפת, ווען א איד פאָרט ארויס אונטערוועגענס, ענדערט ער זיין התנהגות,אז ער ניט אזא זהיר און מדקדק במיצוות ווי ער איז אין דער העיים. ווען ער קומט צוריק פון אונטערוועגענס, פיהרט הער זיך צוריק אויף ווי פאר דער נסיעה. האָט דאָס מעש פארשריבען: אז די „מוצאיהעם“ די התנהגות און אויפפירהרונג אין דאס צוריק אהיים קומען דארף איין גלייך על־פי־ה’. (ר’ אשר הורוויץ)
For the most part, we find that when Jew goes abroad, he changes his conduct, and he is not as carful or punctilious about his mitzvas as he is at home. But when he comes back from his travels, he is guided back as before they journey. This is what Moshe wrote about: That “In their goings out” and ‘in their journeys” their behavior and conduct along the way, as well as in the home, must be equally “el pi Hashem” — before Sashem.
There is a convention of language at work here. The passage begins with a Hebrew phrase: El pi rov , which is translated as an expression: “For the most part.” However, this literally means: “By the mouths of many.”(Near to the many.) The teaching ends “before Hashem” but this literally means “by the mouth of Hashem.” So the Master is saying in a subtle way: We may get lax in the presence of many — when we are travelling and we have some measure of anonymity. But when we are at home, we behave ourselves because we are in the presence of Gd. The master urges us, however, to remain on our good behavior even while traveling because the reality is that we are always in the presence of Gd.
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Posted in Massei, Master of the Week, R' Asher Hurvitz, Right Action |
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July 26, 2011
by Digital Maggid
וַיִּסְעוּ, מִמִּדְבַּר סִינָי; וַיַּחֲנוּ, בְּקִבְרֹת הַתַּאֲוָה
vayas’u mimidbar sinai, vayachanu b’kivrot hata’avah
and they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai
and pitched in Kivrot Hata’avah (Numbers 33:16)
נאָך דעם ווי די אידען האָבען פארלאָזען דעם מדבאר סיני, זיי אויפ’ן וועג זיך אָפּגעשטעלט מקבר צו זיין זייער תאוות. (ר’ אשר הורוויץ)
After that, as the Jews left the wilderness of Sinai behind, they paused along the way to bury their passions. (R’ Asher Hurvitz)
The place name Kivrot Hata’avah literally means “buried passions” in Hebrew.
What were the passions they buried there, and why? Is passion a klippah (obstacle state)? It appears these particular passions were, or else why bury them?
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July 26, 2011
by Digital Maggid
If you’re following along in the text, this teaching is listed under Numbers 33:16, but it should be under 33:9
וַיִּסְעוּ, מִמָּרָה, וַיָּבֹאוּ, אֵילִמָה;
וּבְאֵילִם שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה עֵינֹת מַיִם, וְשִׁבְעִים תְּמָרִים — וַיַּחֲנוּ-שָׁם
vayis’u mimarah vayavo’u eilimah;
uveilim shteim esreh einot mayim, v’shiv’im t’marim — vayachnu sham
They journeyed from Marah and came toward Elim;
and at Elim there were 12 wellsprings and 70 palms — they pitched there.
פאראן זיסע און ביטערע קוואלען וואסער אין דער תורה. מים מתוקים איז דער האמת, „מים מרים“ איז דער דרך־השקר. אלע אונזערע תנאים ואוראים, צדיקים פון משה רבינו’ס צייטען ביז משיח וועט קומען, האָבען געטרונקען און וועלען טריקען פון די מים מתוקים אין דער תורה. זיינען געגאנגען און וועלען גיין בדרך האמת. און אלע אָפּיקורסים, כופרים האָבען געטרונקען און וועלען טרינקען פון די „מים המרים“ זיינען געאנאגען און וועלען גיין בדרך השקר.
There are sweet and bitter wellsprings in the Torah. Mayim metukim (sweet waters) are the Truth; “Mayim mara’im” (bitter waters) are the Path of Falsehood. All our Tana’im and Amora’im [lit. "teachers and interpreters," two classes of Rabbinic scholars of the Mishnaic period — used here in a figurative sense], sages from the time of Moshe Rabbeinu to the coming of Moshiach (the messiah) drank or will drink from the mayim metukim in the Torah; they went or will go on the the Path of Truth. And all of the Opikursim, heretics, drank or will drink from the “mayim hamara’im” and went or will go on the Path of Falsehood.
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Posted in Degel Machaneh Efraim, Massei, Path of Falsehood, Path of Truth |
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July 25, 2011
by Digital Maggid
OK, here comes a tough one from the Rizhiner. With the indispensable help of Melamed Garry and Rabbi Avram, here’s my rendition:
אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וגו’. וְאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵיהֶם, לְמוֹצָאֵיהֶם.
Eileh massei b’nei yisroel, etc., v’eileh masseihem l’motsa’eihem
These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, etc. ; and these are their goings forth
(Numbers 33:1 and 2)
It is obviously well known that when it says “eileh,” the early deeds are invalidated, and when it says “v’eileh,” the early deeds are added to. So the p’shat (simple interpretation) of these verses is thus:
“Eileh”(“These”) — Those who conduct themselves like “eileh” (“these”) invalidate their earlier deeds. They invalidate and find fault with their earlier deeds, deciding that, from now on, they will mend their ways, tearing up their past and adopting a new Jewish way. “Massei b’nei Yisroel” (the journeys of the Children of Israel) this they must draw from and according to this, every Jew must practice.
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Posted in Klippos (Obstacle states, neg. attributes), Massei, R' Yisroel Rizhiner, Right Action |
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July 24, 2011
by Digital Maggid
This is an intriguing little teitsh (teaching) from our would-be Master-of-the-Week, R’ Asher Hurvitz.
אֵלֶה מַסְעֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׁרָאֵל
eileh massei b’nei yisroel
these are the journeys of the Children of Israel
(Numbers 33:1)
„אלה מסעי בני ישראל“ — דערפאר וואס די אידען האבען בעת דעם עגל געיובלט און געשריען „אלה אלקיך ישראל“ זײַנען זיי דערפאר געשטראָפט געוואָרען מיט „אלה מסיע בני ישראל.“ (ר’ אשר הורוויץ)
“These are the journeys of the Children of Yisroel” — on account of the Jews having celebrated the calf, as it is written “eileh elokeicha Yisroel” (“This is your Gd, O Israel” — Exodus 32:4), they were sentenced with “eileh massei b’nei yisroel” (“these are the journeys of the Children of Israel”). (R’ Asher Hurvitz)
So far this makes no sense, does it. Well, as we have seen before, the masters often taught from the remez level — the level of hints and clues (winks, more literally) — and based many of their teachings on word associations and puns. But in this case, he is being so subtle he doesn’t even bother to state it, he only points in the general direction of it. (But don’t worry, I’m not subtle. I will state it for him.)
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July 24, 2011
by Digital Maggid
Shavuah Tov! This week we will be working with Massei – the journeys. The parsha goes from Numbers 33:1 to 36:13.
The full Hebrew and English text can be found at Mechon-Mamre.
Or check out Parshah in a Nutshell for a synopsis.
The Master of the Week post is taking a break this week. The master I wanted to feature is R’ Asher Hurvitz (or some variation thereof, possibly Horowitz); however, I was unable to find any biographical information on him. If anybody has anything on him, please let me know. Meanwhile, we’ll get on with the teachings.
May Hashem bless all our work this week. מיט זײַן ברכה
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Digital Maggid
