A contemporary leader in Chabad publicizes the call to return to the Holy Land. * We are destined to inherit three more lands, representing graduating from character refinement to the expansion of mind.
The Rogatchover Ga’on was known for his unique sharpness. He never followed the accepted customs of protocol and honor typically observed in the world-at-large. The story goes that once an author of scholarly Torah books came to see the Ga’on in request of a “haskama,” an approbation, to a new sefer he had just written.
Two of the main themes of this week’s parsha are the striking of the rock by Moses to produce water and the passing of Aaron.
“B’hesech ha’daas” cannot mean “unexpectedly,” its literal meaning, for one of the 13 Pillars of Jewish Faith is that “I await his arrival [the coming of Moshiach] every day.” Clearly, anticipating the redemption is something that is encouraged by our Sages, contrary to the literal interpretation of this saying… * The time of the redemption is something that necessarily transcends daas, a quantum leap over all rational calculation
The most enigmatic commandment in the Torah concerns the Red Heifer. This commandment involves taking a totally red cow, slaughtering it, burning its flesh, mixing its ashes with spring water and then sprinkling the mixture on a person who had become ritually impure by contact with a dead body. This procedure had to be done twice; on the third day and the seventh day after becoming defiled.
The Torah is replete with enigmas, paradoxes and mysteries. But the enigma of all enigmas is the subject of the Red Heifer, discussed at length in this week’s parsha.
One of the challenging aspects of Bitachon is that our devotion to Hashem should be complete, constant and unchanging. How can this be accomplished when our lives are subject to constant change? Especially upon taking into consideration the fact that we operate with intellect and reason, which can easily change from day to day, or more often. What may seem logical one hour can be eclipsed by a more compelling argument an hour later.
It is indeed within the power and capacity of each and every person to purify the Jews he encounters. Thus, it is also each person’s responsibility to do so. It follows then that one’s influence upon another is on account of the power of Moshe.
The Rebbe said that the Rebbe Rayatz’s sichos just prior to Yud Shvat 5710 were meant to provide us with a message as to how to understand the events that were to follow. * In the most recent sichos of 5751- 5752, the Rebbe reiterates in an unprecedented way that there will be eternal life as a soul in a body without any interruption (i.e., the Rebbe will live on forever without the need to experience histalkus).
At the end of the Jewish people’s journey in the desert we read that Moses and Aaron were not destined to take the Jewish nation into the Promised Land with their people. The reason for this denial is stated in this week’s parsha, Chukas, in a rather ambiguous fashion. Despite the Torah’s devoting a large section to this story, the real cause of G-d’s “anger” with the two greatest leaders is not really clear. Indeed, Or HaChayim cites 10 different explanations for this matter! If one single explanation were obvious there would be no need to search for other reasons. One may suggest that the Torah was deliberately vague about the “sin” so that we should never impute any real transgression to these holy people. Otherwise, it would be difficult to resist the “temptation” to diminish these spiritual titans by viewing them as ordinary humans.
If Abraham had shown his visitors how distasteful their presumed idolatry was to him and how he would personally exert himself to cleanse them of it, it might have had a powerful impact on them. They would have been left with the impression that any trace of idolatry—even the residual dust on one’s feet—is not welcome in a person’s home. Even the smallest vestige of idolatry is lethal.
“B’hesech ha’daas” cannot mean “unexpectedly,” its literal meaning, for one of the 13 Pillars of Jewish Faith is that “I await his arrival [the coming of Moshiach] every day.” Clearly, anticipating the redemption is something that is encouraged by our Sages, contrary to the literal interpretation of this saying… * The time of the redemption is something that necessarily transcends daas, a quantum leap over all rational calculation.
Why is the mitzva of the Red Heifer characterized as the ultimate enigma when it conveys a very reasonable symbolic message?
June 15, 2021