Why Is the Torah Portion Called
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@LKQBKQP STRINGENT OBSERVANCE ENSURES PEACE IN THE HOME The Rebbe’s Letter DELAYS IN THE JOURNEY D’var Malchus YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T ASKED FOR A BRACHA FROM A TZADDIK? Miracle Story | Nosson Avrohom CHASSIDISHE MELAMED Chassid USA 744 Eastern Parkway MY SHLICHUS IN MUSIC Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 Profile | Nosson Avrohom Tel: (718) 778-8000 Fax: (718) 778-0800 [email protected] www.beismoshiach.org MIVTZA T’FILLIN BY BALABATIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Feature | Nosson Avrohom M.M. Hendel ENGLISH EDITOR: Boruch Merkur [email protected] UP FROM THE DEPTHS HEBREW EDITOR: Shlichus | Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan [email protected] Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082- 0272 is published weekly, except Jewish REB MENDEL: I HAVE NO CHOICE, holidays (only once in April and October) for I HAVE TO TELL IT $140.00 in the USA and in all other places for $150.00 per year (45 issues), by Beis Chassid | R’ Hillel Zaltzman Moshiach, 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional offices. IF ALL THE OCEANS WERE INK… Postmaster: send address changes to Beis 5 Av Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Copyright 2008 by Beis Moshiach, Inc. Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the A CHABAD RAV, NO ‘ORDINARY’ RAV content of the advertisements. [CONT.] Insight | Interview by Nosson Avrohom QEBOOB??B¤PIIBQQBOP STRINGENT OBSERVANCE ENSURES PEACE IN THE HOME #'1 +-1&'!& 'PPRB From the t’shura printed in honor of the wedding of Shmuel Simpson and Golda Chasdan sh’y 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&'!& A¤S>OJJ>I@ERP This week’s Torah reading, the last in the book of BaMidbar (Numbers), begins with the verse: “These are the journeys of the DELAYS IN children of Israel when they left the land of Egypt.” The Torah then enumerates all the encampments of the Jewish people throughout their travels in the wilderness. THE JOURNEY This raises an important question about the Torah’s choice of words. Translated and adapted by Dovid Yisroel Ber Kaufmann Since it enumerates the encampments, it should have said, “These are the encampments of Why is the Torah portion called the children of Israel.” Why does it say, “These are the journeys”? “journeys” when most of the time in the We are given a list of the Jewish people’s campsites, not told about desert they didn’t move? We learn that their travels. even “encampments,” interruptions or The question is more than semantics. The narrative of the obstacles, are part of the journey. The 42 Torah is the paradigm for all Jewish history. What happened to “journeys” in the wilderness parallel that generation – the Exodus, the giving of the Torah, the forty years those of the Jewish people. One can in the desert, and the entrance to Israel – happens in all ages and to advance, reach a higher level, without every individual. Especially in our going forth. To journey, or go forth, own day, as we stand on the threshold of the final Redemption, means to travel to a completely new the events of that time will be relived. state of existence. Similarly, the So, a more logical phrasing would have been, “These are the encampments – the sojourns of the encampments of the children of Israel,” especially since most of children of Israel among the various the time they weren’t traveling nations – are a descent into greater anyway. So when the Torah tells us, “These are the journeys,” it exile. Delays, even in friendly countries, indicates something about the whole process. What was the impede the fulfillment of our true goal, purpose of both the travels and encampments in the wilderness? transforming the world into a dwelling What was the entire process intended to accomplish? Clearly place for G-dliness. Nevertheless, the the intent was to reach the land of “encampments” are also part of the Israel. But an encampment is a resting place, the end of a journey, journey. Our descent into exile will lead or a particular phase of a journey. We might think that when the to an ascent into Redemption. Jewish people stopped, they had reached their goal, or if they Moshiach’s delay is an “encampment” traveled again afterwards, at least that should not discourage or depress us. one of their goals. When the Torah #'1 +-1&'!& 'PPRB says, “These are the journeys,” it tells us that each In general, we can distinguish between “going” – stage – the encampments and the traveling – are part the journeys – and “standing” – the encampments. of a greater whole. In and of itself, coming to a “Standing” means remaining in the same place. Even particular resting place accomplishes nothing, and when there is advancement, if we are still connected might even be a hindrance. Only as part of the to where we were, we haven’t really moved forward. ultimate goal, reaching the land of Israel, does a For example, one may be a beginning, intermediate particular encampment or journey have significance. or advanced student. Clearly, an “advanced” student But if this is the case, the Torah should have said, is at a higher level than a “beginning” student. But he “This is the journey,” not “These are the journeys.” is still a student; going from “beginner” to If it’s all one process, why does the Torah talk about “advanced” isn’t really moving forward. But when “journeys,” in the plural? the student becomes a rabbi or teacher, he is in a The Baal Shem Tov explains that the forty-two completely new state. He has “journeyed forth,” “journeys” of the Jewish people correspond to stages going into a status unrelated to his previous in the life of the individual Jew. The names of the situation. This is why the Torah says, “these are the stages indicate aspects or levels of personal growth. journeys,” plural, because a Jew must constantly be For example, for a while the Jewish people encamped moving forward. A Jew must always be going higher, and not just from one level to another in the same place; a Jew The encampments – our accomplish- must always be on a journey to a ments in Torah, mitzvos and Divine totally new stage, one without resemblance or comparison to the service – are only temporary resting previous position. Of course, there is a deeper places, way stations on the journey. We implication, one relevant for our current situation and efforts to must leave them behind and journey bring Moshiach. The statement “These are the journeys” means forth, go forward. We camp, as the Jewish both going forth and leaving people did, not to “stand still,” but to behind. That is, the journey to a new stage of existence, a gather strength and prepare for the next transformed state, a more elevated level, requires that we uproot journey – the next transformation on the ourselves from where we were. We must leave behind completely our way to Moshiach, Redemption and the former circumstances and situation. land of Israel. The Torah says, “These are the journeys of the children of Israel at “kivros ha’ta’avah,” literally, the burial of desire. when they left Egypt.” As the Alter Rebbe, founder of True wisdom leads to a great attachment to G-d. Chabad, points out, the Jewish people left Egypt as When wisdom overrules the emotions, the individual soon as they stepped foot outside the country. How deeply and fully attaches himself to G-d. As a result, many “journeys” does it take to leave? However, he has in effect buried his desire for material gain or since the word for “Egypt” in Hebrew also means pleasure. For this reason, the Jewish people camped boundaries and limitations, the Torah is telling us at “kivros ha’ta’avah.” something about our individual spiritual growth: in Of course, at the actual encampment of “kivros order to leave behind our limitations, the obstacles to ha’ta’avah,” the Jewish people angered G-d with our spirituality, we must take many steps, make their demand for meat. Before they buried their many journeys. Each phase, each ascent, is a leave- desire, it pushed them to challenge Moses and test taking, an uprooting and consequent elevation. And G-d. From this we see that even negative things, acts the encampments – our accomplishments in Torah, that violate G-d’s Will, are still part of the journey. mitzvos and Divine service – are only temporary They, too, contain holiness and lead to the ultimate resting places, way stations on the journey. We must goal, entrance to the land of Israel. leave them behind and journey forth, go forward. We 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&'!& camp, as the Jewish people did, not to “stand still,” nations – we are still on the journey, still traveling but to gather strength and prepare for the next toward the land of Israel. journey – the next transformation on the way to The descent into exile is part of the process of Moshiach, Redemption and the land of Israel. Redemption. Through the descent – and only What relevance does this examination of the through the descent – the Jewish people ascend to a opening verse of the Torah reading have for us level higher than otherwise possible. The journeys today? It is well known that the forty-two journeys of through the desert – each of the forty-two the Jewish people in the wilderness allude not just to encampments – were a descent leading to the ascent an individual’s life, but also to the life of the Jewish into the land of Israel. Our descent into exile will people in exile.