THE WEEKLY PARSHA
"When you go to war-camp against your enemies, then take care against
every evil thing.... Because the L-rd your G-d goes in the midst of your
camp to save you, to deliver your enemies before you -- (therefore), your
camp shall be holy; any immoral thing shall not be seen among you, lest
you will fly backwards" (Duet. 23:10-15).
The Abarbanel writes: "The custom among the gentiles is to eat
abominable things and to practice all kinds of immorality. Violence and
theft are widespread among them, and they behave with fierce cruelty.
Their strength and power derive from human powers. In contrast, the
war-camp of Israel is supposed to be characterized by holiness, in order
to cling to the power of Divine Providence. They do not make war with
their human potential, but with the power of G-d. His Spirit saves them
from evil occurrences and delivers their enemies before them."
The uniqueness of the war-making power of Israel is exemplified by that
which took place in the war with Amalek, the first war where Israel
defended itself against attack. That is the paradigm of Israeli victory
over an enemy, when Moshe stood on a mountain and raised his hands. "And
when Moshe raised his hands, Israel was victorious; and when he let down
his hands, Amalek was victorious" (Exodus 17:11). Concerning this Chazal
says, "Do the hands of Moshe make wars or lose wars? But the verse
teaches us that all the time that Israel looks towards Heaven and
subjugates its heart to their Father in Heaven, then they are
victorious; and if not, then they fall."
Moshe repeats this lesson after the calamity of the spies when Israel is
on the verge of entering into the Land: "Do not quail before them and do
not fear them. The L-rd your G-d who goes before you will fight for you,
just as He did all those things for you in Egypt.... (Duet. 1:29-30).
Actually, when Israel is not worthy G-d says to them: "Do not go up, and
do not fight, because I am not in your midst; lest you be routed before
your enemies" (Duet. 1:42). G-d is the soul of Israel and the secret of
their victory. When His Divine Presence is removed from them, then the
direct consequence is "...they will chase you like the bees do, and they
will smite you ...until Desolation" (Duet. 1:43).
Furthermore, the selection of Israel from all the nations to be a Chosen
People and "Children of G-d" is only if they behave accordingly, when
they are in a state that they can be called "Children of G-d." Only then
does G-d go in the midst of the camp to save His children and deliver
their enemies before them. However, if G-d forbid there appears
immorality among them, then the uniqueness of Israel is neutralized and
they are left to the wiles of nature. In a natural state, a sheep among
seventy wolves cannot endure for very long, and they will necessarily
fall into the hands of their enemies.
Additionally, we must learn that victory over an enemy entails a very
serious danger. It is precisely the strength of the victory which is
liable to make us forget G-d, to feel that "My strength and the power of
my hand has made for me all this valor." This is the root of pride and
the start of all evil character traits. That is why the Torah warns us
in this place about the particulars of the mitzvot, even the behavior of
a person in his toilet. Even in total privacy a person must remember
that there is One who is watching unceasingly.
PASSAGES ON PRAYER
"HEAL US, G-D, AND WE WILL BE HEALED...."
We ask that G-d Himself send us healing for our pains. His ability is
unlimited, whereas the ability of the greatest doctor is nevertheless
limited. Therefore, the doctor must repeatedly try to heal the sick
person until he succeeds in curing him completely. That is why it is
written: "...heal, you shall heal" (Exodus 21:19) -- repeatedly.
However, of G-d we ask, "Heal us, and we will be healed" immediately,
without waiting.
Along these lines we can understand why it is written concerning Avraham
when he was convalescing after the circumcision: "He saw, and behold
there were three men standing there; he saw and he ran to meet them"
(Genesis 18:2). Why is it written "he saw" twice?
The Torah informs us that as soon as Avraham saw the three men, one of
whom was the angel Rafael (the angel of healing), he was immediately
cured and was able to run to meet them without any difficulty.
(Rabbi Chayim Churi; His Life and Works)
HEAL US, G-D, AND WE WILL BE HEALED...."
What is the difference between a cure which G-d sends a person, and the
cure which he might receive from a doctor? The healing of a doctor takes
time: he must make an examination, arrive at a diagnosis, test which
medication is proper, etc. Sometimes he makes a mistake in the
diagnosis, sometimes the prescription is not exactly correct. Then the
sick person must start the entire process over again from the beginning.
However, G-d cures a person with one word, as it is written, "He sends
His word and they are cured..." (Psalms 107:20). One.word is enough.
Therefore, we ask G-d to heal us Himself, and then we are immediately
cured completely.
(Rabbi Chayim Churi; His Life and Works)
STORIES OF THE SAGES
"We will cry out to G-d, the G-d of our fathers, and G-d will hear our voices..." (Duet. 26:7).
The power of prayer in a minyan is very great, and especially favored by
G-d. We will relate two stories about the will-power of our sages to
always pray with a minyan.
In the Introduction to Lev Eliyahu the following is told. R. Eliyahu
Lopian never came late to a minyan. Once I inquired of him how can a
person attain long life? He answered that if a person is among the
first ten people arriving for a minyan, then he merits to long life.
Once, in the beginning of Elul, he was very sick and could not come to
the yeshivah for two weeks. During his illness we held a regular minyan
in his home for all the prayers. Although he was very weak, with high
fever, and sometimes had to be held in order not to fall, he always
strengthened himself to get out of bed, to dress and to pray with the
fervor and devotion with which he was always accustomed in the yeshivah.
In Mofait Hador it is told about the tremendous will-power of R.
Yechezkel Levenstein. He was very careful about the times that he had
set for study and prayer. It is said that he came late to prayer, when
the minyan had already begun pesukai dezimra, only twice in his life.
Once was when his daughter was born in his home. (At the time, there
were no maternity hospitals.) The second time was during World War Two
when the yeshivah was exiled to Kaidan. Then, for halachic reasons, he
was forced to remain a while in the hostel, and he arrived for the
minyan after they had begun pesukai dezimra.
EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN
ON THE OBLIGATION OF TALMUD TORAH AND EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN TO TORAH
In earlier generations there were those who did not spend their
childhood and youth over the study of Torah because they already had to
go to earn a living. Even so, they generally believed in the Faith and
kept the Torah and mitzvot. The environment encouraged them to be like
all the kosher Jews. Nevertheless, the obligation to study Torah was
awesome, as we will see from some teachings of Chazal which I will
quote.
In our times, all the more so is the obligation great, when the
atheists, and those who would throw off the yoke of Torah, and those who
behave outright like gentiles are to be found everywhere, even in
positions of leadership. Our sons and daughters see evil examples all
around them. Furthermore, snares are purposely laid to entrap the
children and push them away from Torah.
If parents are not diligent to give their children a true Jewish
education in the lap of Torah and yirat shamayim when they are young,
then certainly in their youth they will become alienated, G-d forbid,
from the Torah. This is especially true in these times when all of
Judaism and faith depend upon the diligent study of Torah in depth and
the education of our children to the ways of pure holiness.
These matters are well-known and it is not necessary to enlarge
upon them. Now I will quote some Chazal about the great obligation to
study Torah and educate our children in its ways, that all our existence
depends upon it.
1. "These are the things whose interest a person consumes in this world,
and the principle is kept for the world-to-come: honoring father and
mother... and the study of Torah outweighs them all" (Pe'ah 1:1).
2. "Great is Torah; were it not for the Torah heaven and earth could not
endure, as it is written, 'If it were not for My covenant day and night,
I would not have put heaven and earth in place...'(Jeremiah 33:25)"
(Nedarim 32).
3. "Resh Lakish says in the name of R.Yehudah Nessiah: 'The world exists
only for the sake of the breath which comes out of the mouth of
schoolchildren when they are studying Torah" (Shabbat 119).
4. "Resh Lakish said in the name of R. Yehudah Nessiah: 'We do not cease
the study of children, even to build the Temple'" (ibid.).
5. "Any city which does not have children studying Torah
is to be destroyed. Ravina said it should be excommunicated" (ibid.).
6. "Rav Kahana said that the only reason for the destruction of
Jerusalem was the cessation of the children's study of Torah" (ibid.).
