Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Pinchas

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand's vort tonight was about the Haftorah of Parshas Pinchas which is only read when Parshios Matos and Maasei are separate. As this year they are read together, we will not read this Haftorah, but R' Frand felt that the message of the Haftorah was worth discussing.

In the Haftorah we read about Eliyahu and his walking 40 days and nights to Har Horev (aka Har Sinai) where he ascends and stands in the cleft of the rock where Moshe stood when he was receiving the Torah. Thereafter Hashem speak with Eliyahu and he renounces the Jews as complainers. Hashem then tells Eliyahu that he should appoint Elisha to take his place.

R' Frand quoted the Mechilta on Parshas Bo which states that there were three prophets - one who stood for Hashem and the Jewish people, one who stood for Hashem and not the Jewish people and one for the Jewish people and not Hashem. Yirmiayahu stood for Hashem and the Jewish people, while Eliyahu stood for Hashem and not the Jewish people - meaning that he defended Hashem's honor and did not defend the Jews. It was for this reason that Hashem told Eliyahu to appoint Elisha to take his place.

R' Frand next quoted the Radvaz who asked - why did Hashem make Eliyahu walk 40 days and nights without food to get to Har Chorev? He answers that it is because Hashem did not want a prosecutor against the Jewish people. For this reason he wanted Eliyahu to replicate Moshe's ways - by going 40 days without food and going to the site where Moshe received the Torah and specifically where Moshe stood when he received the Torah. Yet after retracing Moshe's steps, Eliyahu stayed as a Kana'i and for that reason Hashem needed him to be replaced.

R' Frand closed the vort by stating that now is not the time for us to be critical of our fellow Jews or those running the land of Israel. For only a prophet truly knows what is correct. But if Eliyahu is chastized by Hashem for constantly finding fault in the Jews, how much more so for us. 

R' Frand said that the Medrash states that the reason that Eliyahu comes to every Bris because he complained that the Jews were Mefer their Bris. By coming to each Bris he can testfiy that the Jews are Shomer their Bris.

This is part of the Avodah of the Three Weeks.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Balak

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In discussing Bila'am's discourse with his donkey, the Torah recounts in Bamidbar 22:28 that the donkey said to Bila'am - מֶה־עָשִׂ֣יתִי לְךָ֔ כִּ֣י הִכִּיתָ֔נִי זֶ֖ה שָׁל֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים? Rashi explains the choice of the words  שָׁל֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים, that the donkey was saying to Bila'am how can you curse the Jews who celebrate the  שָׁל֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים?

But why is the Jews' greatest zechus which is being mentioned? He does not talk about Shabbos, or Taharas Hamishpacha, or fasting on Yom Kippur.

R' Frand observed that during the  שָׁל֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים, the Jews are all together as they go up to Yerushalaim together and bring the same sacrifices and daven in the same place.

R' Frand also quoted a Gemara in Chaggigah which states that there are three tradesmen who are exempt from being Oleh Regel - a leather worker, a metal worker and collector of manure. The reason for this exemption is that all three work in trades which have foul odors and no one will want to stand near them.

R' Frand also quoted a Yerushalmi in Chaggigah which states that during the times that the Jews would be Oleh Regel, certain laws would be relaxed. There were certain people who were careful to only eat tahor food all year round. As a result they were not allowed to eat with Amei Ha'aretz so that there was no danger the food would become tamei. But during the  שָׁל֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים, the law was relaxed and they could all eat together.

R' Frand observed that this was why the mitzva of  שָׁל֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים was mentioned as a zechus - because when the Jews are united they are unbeatable.

R' Frand said a second vort related to the Gemara in Berachos which states that Bila'am had a special power that he knew the precise moment when Hashem would be angry. But why does Hashem need to get angry? The answer is that so there would be Yiras Shamayim in the world. However, Hashem did not get angry at that moment while the Jews were in the Midbar.

R' Frand quoted the Belzer Rebbe who explains that Bila'am knew that no matter what, he would succeed. If he was able to provoke Hashem to allow the Jews to be cursed, then he would be successful. And if Hashem did not get angry, then there would be no Yiras Shamayim. And the plan B would kick in as since the Jews had no Yiras Shamayim, they would stray with the Bnos Midyan and then Hashem would punish them.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Chukas

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand noted the juxtaposition of the events at the beginning of the parsha as it begins with Parah Adumah, followed by the death of Miriam and then Moshe's sin at Mei Merivah. He quoted Rashi which explains that reason that Miriam's death follows the Parah Adumah is to teach that just as a Karban atones, so does the death of a Tzaddik. 

After the death of Miriam there is no water as the Be'er of Miriam ceased to give water and after Moshe was told to speak to the rock he hit it and was punished.

R' Frand noted that there are 16 different explanations of what Moshe did wrong. He recalled that when he was in 9th grade each student was given the task to discuss one of the explanations (he was given R' Yosef Albo).

However this year R' Frand said that he saw a sefer from R' Immanuel Bernstein which quoted a Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel which satisfied him in explaining the sin of Mei Merivah.

R' Frand prefaced the explanation by discussing the questions which arise when reading the story. The first is why did he hit the rock instead of speaking to it? The second question is how could Moshe not follow Hashem's instruction? The third question is why did Hashem ask Moshe to take his Mateh if his job was to speak to the rock, Hashem was not out to confuse Moshe? The fourth question is based on Hashem telling Moshe and Aharon in Bamidbar 20:12 -  יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶֽאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל . Why are they told that they are being punished for not believing in Hashem?

R' Frand then delved into the Targum which states on 20:14 that Moshe was told to take the Mateh with Aharon and to go to the rock and make it swear with the Shem Hameforash that it will give water. And if the rock did not give water, then hit it to make the water come out.

R' Frand observed that Hashem had a plan A and a plan B. If the rock would not give water based on the swear, then you should use the stick.

So why did Moshe not listen? R' Frand tracked back to the Rashi and quoted Chazal which explain that the death of a Tzaddik only atones if the death causes introspection and people want to change as a result. But if people don't change, there is no atonement.

R' Frand observed that when Miriam died there is no Hesped and no crying. Instead immediately thereafter the people start arguing with Moshe. As opposed to when Aharon died and all the Jews cried and similarly when Moshe died at the end of the Torah - the Jews cried.

R' Frand opined that Moshe must have thought - you are complaining about water now, right after my sister Miriam died and I am an aveil? These people must not be on a high level as his sister died and they just want to complain about water. Moshe then says to himself, Hashem wanted me to speak to the rock (as observed by Rashi) as they will draw Mussar that if I speak to a rock it will listen, surely we should listen. But this will be lost on them and if I speak to the rock and they are not worthy of having the water come out, there will be a Chillul Hashem when nothing happens. So I am going to go straight to plan B and hit the rock, because you are rebellious people.

Hashem then says to Moshe - you jumped to conclusions. There are two million people who need water and their kids are crying and their animals are braying. They probably did feel bad about Miriam's death, but this is their priority because they need water. They could make the Hesped at the Shloshim.

Hashem then says to Moshe - you are being punished because I have a higher opinion of the Jews than you do and you did not believe Me. 

This explains the connection between Miriam's death and Parah Adumah, why he was told to take the Mateh, how he could make that mistake and why he was told he was being punished for not believing in Hashem.

R' Frand said that R' Bernstein observes that Aharon died as a result of this event, but what did Aharon do wrong? He was a bystander. He explains that Aharon as an Ohev Shalom and Rodef Shalom should have told Moshe - you are judging them too sharply. Had Aharon intervened and said that he should give them a break because they were all thirsty, then Moshe might not have jumped to plan B.

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