Moses now reviews the religious (chukim) and civil (mishpotim) laws
that the people are to follow in the new land. First is the principle
of centralized worship. This was directed against the practice of
idolatry prevalent in Canaan at that time. All sacrifices were to
be brought only to places designated by G-d. Portions permitted to
the people must be eaten there. Consumption of meat for ordinary reasons
could be eaten anywhere, provided that none of its blood was consumed.
The people were warned not to imitate the practices of the inhabitants
of Canaan. There were to be no self-inflicted wounds in the body or
head as a sign of mourning. Tatoos were likewise prohibited. As a
holy people, the Children of Israel were forbidden to eat anything
abominable such as a creeping thing, a vulture, shell-fish, as well
as the other restrictions in the general laws of kashrus.
A second tenth of one’s annual produce (ma’aser sheni)
of the soil, including grain, oil, and wine, were to be brought by
every Jewish male to the sanctuary, and dedicate it to G-d. It must
also be consumed there as well. If the material could not be easily
transported, it could be redeemed for money, which then became holy.
The money must then be spent, in the vicinity of the Sanctuary (later
in Jerusalem), for the purchase of similar goods, which would then
be consumed. At the end of every third, and sixth year of the seven
year Shemittah cycle, this tenth was to be given to the poor as a
ma’aser oni.
At the end of the Shemittah year, during which the land was to remain
fallow, a creditor had to release his fellow Jews from any loans,
which may be due. This should not discourage people from giving money
to the poor, as acts of kindness would be repaid by G-d. Also, Hebrew
slaves were to be freed at the beginning of the seventh year and assisted
with the means to sustain themselves. If the slave chose to remain
in his master’s service, his ear was to be pierced as a sign
that he elected to remain in service.
The parsha ends with Moses reviewing the laws of Pesach, Sukkos, and
Shavuos.
Every male was to make a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary, three times
a year (shalosh
regalim) bringing a sacrifice with them on these festivals.
The parsha’s opening words have a profound lesson for us: “Behold
(R’eih), I have placed before you this day (ha’yom) a
blessing and a curse…” The word “ha’yom”
also means “today”. The sages interpret this to mean that
this choice is given to us, even in our times. Everyday, when we recite
the Shema, we affirm the yoke of the covenant and the Torah. Each
of us makes choices based on their own life experiences. It would
seem that with the prospect of a blessing and a curse, the way to
choose should be obvious. It is not that simple. Sometimes, what we
consider to be a blessing, is actually a curse (and vice versa). It
is not in our power to foresee the future. When our bodies feel pain,
we may consider this a curse, but it is actually a warning sign telling
us that something is wrong. Some of the most dangerous diseases occur
without warning, and without pain or symptoms (until it’s too
late).
The sages discuss this concept in a parable. A man sits at the crossroads
between two roads. One of them starts smooth and open, but ends in
thorns and narrow windings. The other road, starts off rough and difficult,
but ends up smooth and open. This, the sages say, applies to our verse
in the parsha. While evil may seem to succeed today, in this world,
their punishment will occur later, in the World to come. On the other
hand, the suffering endured by some in this world, will be rewarded
richly in the next. This may seem to be an attempt to explain why
bad things happen to good people. It is a rational way to try and
explain the unexplainable. We don’t know why some people die
young. We don’t know why some cheaters prosper and live richly
until old age. Without all of the facts, life is journey filled with
mysteries. The sages tried to make sense of it all within the framework
of the Torah.
One of the things we have control over is how we personally deal with
adversity. How we deal with death is sometimes just as important as
how we deal with life. We also have control over how we act toward
one another. There are many mitzvos in this parsha dealing with kindness
toward the widow, the orphan, the blind, and the poor. The Torah says:
“If there be among you a needy man, one of your brethren within any of your gates, in your land which the Lord your G-d gives you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your needy brother. You shall surely open your hand unto him and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need which he lacks.”
The Talmud, in tractate Taanis 21a, tells the story about Nochum Ish
Gam Zu. The phrase “gam zu l’tova” means, “this
too, is for the best”. Nochum was totally blind. He was missing
both of his hands and feet and his body was completely covered with
sores and boils. His house was in danger of collapsing and his disciples
wanted to remove his bed first and then remove the rest of his furniture.
Nochum told them, “First remove the furniture and then remove
my bed, because it is assured that as long as I am in this house,
it will not collapse.” The students removed the furniture and
then removed Nochum on his bed. The house then collapsed.
His disciples asked him, “Our master, since you are such a righteous
man, why is it your lot to suffer so much?” Nochum relpied,
“My sons, I brought this on upon myself. I was once traveling
on the road going to my father-in-law’s house with three donkeys;
one laden with food, one laden with drink, and the other laden with
delicacies. A poor man approached me and asked for food. I told him
to wait until I unloaded the donkey. Before I had a chance to finish,
the man died. I fell near his face and cried, ‘My eyes that
did not have compassion on your eyes, should go blind. My hands and
feet that did not have compassion on your hands and feet, should be
severed.’ I wasn’t satisfied until I said that my body
should also be covered with sores and boils.” “Woe to
us that we see you in this condition”, said the disciples. Nochum
replied, “Woe to me if you would not have seen me in this condition.”
The story may be far fetched, but it serves as an important lesson.
Unlike Job, who wondered why, as a righteous person, he was destined
to suffer, Nochum understands that his suffering is a direct consequence
of his inaction to help someone in need. Recall the story of Beauty
and The Beast, in which the Prince is punished for turning away an
ugly beggar woman who turned out to be an enchantress. She casts a
spell on him, turning him into the hideous beast until he can find
true love.
Unfortunately, the consequences of our choices today are not always apparent. Clearly, if you drink and then drive, there will be a consequence as we tragically hear about all the time. If you make a wrong choice in an investment, it may take years to find out if you reap a reward. Smoking is a habit that may take decades to rear its deadly effects. The main point is that there are consequences for our actions. How we conduct ourselves in private and public is a part of Torah Law.
The word for charity is “tzedakah”. This word also means
“righteous”. It should not be surprising that aiding the
poor is an act of righteousness. However, we must be careful not to
embarrass someone. There is an old saying, “Give a man a fish
and you feed him once. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a
lifetime.” We can never be sure what the impact will be on our
actions. The study of Torah is not an isolated act. It must be accompanied
by action or it will not endure. This is what Judaism demands from
us. In a Talmudic debate between the sages, the question was raised.
Which is more important, study or action. The gemara answers that
study is more important, since it leads to action. Action and good
deeds must never be left out the equation. The trick is to find the
balance.
The Torah will teach us what we must do and how must act. Then, we
must go out into the real world. There is a story about a young prodigy
of learning who became world famous because of his erudite insights
into the Torah. A Rabbi made a journey to witness this phenomenon
for himself. He traveled to the boy’s yeshiva and asked his
teacher if it was true that the boy knows so much. “To tell
you the truth”, said the teacher, “the boy studies so
much, I don’t know where he finds the time to know anything!”
In the same way, we can learn a lot by observing the actions of righteous
people. They are themselves, the embodiment of a living Sefer Torah.
This is why the sages tell us to rise in the presence of the aged.
The story is told about a poor man who once came to the home of Rabbi
Boruch ber Leibowitz to ask for a handout. Rabbi Leibowitz, who was
very poor himself, did not have any money to give. As the poor man
left his home, Rabbi Leibowitz accompanied him and they walked together
for quite a distance. When the rabbi’s disciples came, they
saw their teacher walking with the man. It was quite obvious that
the man was enjoying the attention given to him by such a great sage.
Afterward, Rabbi Leibowitz explained his behavior to his students.
“A beggar humiliates himself because of the charity he asks
for. If I am unable to give him any money, the least I can do is give
him back his honor”.
One of the heads of the House of Rothschild was once asked how much
his great fortune totaled. He reached into a drawer and took out a
book that bore his careful entries about all of the charitable contributions.
Patiently, he added up all the figures and presented them as the sum
total of his wealth. Thinking that he took the wrong book, his secretary
then fetched the ledger with all of his business assets. “No”,
Mr. Rothschild replied gently, “I have the right book. I know
I own large amounts of properties, mines, and investments. But the
mines may flood, the market may go down, and my properties may lose
value. No, what I am worth can be demonstrated by what it shows in
this book of charitable contributions. These are really mine, this
is what I am worth, and nobody can take that away from me.”
We have a chance “today” to follow what the Torah says
so let’s make the most of it. Beware the haughtiness success
brings because you might be on the other end one day!
