PARASHAT SHELACH

Parashat Shelach

By Dan Cohen

(May 28, 2024) Parshat Shelach 2024 - Should punishments last forever?

How long should discipline last when you make a mistake? In childhood, your “time-outs” required counting to ten or sitting on the stairs for a long time.

Even now, bad behavior often means being sent to your room. Though, at your age, I’m not entirely sure that’s a punishment. But the MacGuffin is, once punishment is done, it's done for good.

The parsha, my bar mitzvah portion, relates the story of the spies who went to scout the land of Israel but returned with a negative report.  By the story's conclusion, the spies have turned the nation against Moshe and Hashem.

Moshe begs forgiveness, and Hashem agrees, though He announces that the nation will wander for 40 years in the desert. God clarifies that everyone over 20 will die in the desert.

That wasn’t the only punishment.

In Chapter 14, Verse 37, a line at the end of this episode says, “So the men who produced a bad report about the Land died (straightaway) in the plague, before Gd.”

Gd kills the spies quickly. This leads to a discussion among the sages about their eternal destiny.

They argue how long Gd will punish the spies and whether they will have eternal life in Olam Habah, The World to Come. Does their tragic error mean they are doomed in that moment or forever?

This is not just a question for the spies; it's one facing the entire nation and, by extension, us.

The Rebbe’s Chumash lays out competing arguments in the Mishnah in Sanhedrin 108a and disassembles the verse.

The Mishnah says that the bad report caused the spies' death AND exclusion from the afterlife.

The verse says they “died,” referring to their removal from this world. Then, the verse adds a second reference, “in a plague, before Gd.”  Rabbi Akiva says this means they were denied a share in the world to come.

Rabbi Akiva takes this two-part approach further. He analyzes a similar verse just prior (verse 35) to say the nation dies in the desert AND that Olam Habah will be denied to ALL of them as well.

Rabbi Eliezer disagrees. He says that since the generation stood at Mt. Sinai and made a covenant with Hashem, they would merit to live in the World to Come.

R. Eliezer adds that since the spies were also at Mt. Sinai and joined the covenant, they also merited Olam Habah regardless of their sin. Their covenant could never be dissolved.

So, in summary, R. Akiva says no one gets into Olam Habah, especially the spies. R. Eliezer says the whole generation does, even the spies.

Why is this relevant for us? In the Torah, Gd provides a model for relationships. Parental discipline and accountability between fellow men are among the more complex areas of human relations. Getting it right takes practice, and I can attest that I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes.

Here are three lessons I take away from Rabbi Eliezer's hopeful analysis that punishment is not eternal.

First, he teaches that our Emunah goes a long way in our relationship with Hashem (our parent). We can stipulate the generation was doomed to die in the desert, and Gd killed the spies immediately. However, R. Eliezer would say that Gd hit a reset button and didn't punish them for eternity because they made a covenant with Him at Mt. Sinai. There is always room for mercy if we show commitment and our ability to change.

Second, the verses describe a two-step process for punishment: one that is immediate and one that is delayed. Gd is modeling how time can provide us with added perspective when we are angry.

Gd could have immediately decreed that He would punish the spies and the nation forever, but he didn't. Accordingly, making each of you sit and count on the steps wasn’t just for your benefit but also mine. Putting a pause between anger and punishment is a step worth considering.

Third, the sages who choose to judge the spies favorably say they were motivated to remain in the desert where they could serve Hashem without the distractions of everyday life. The spies issued a lousy report to avoid the mundane life of war and farming in the Holy Land.  They wished to bask in the Holiness of living the desert life under Hashem’s protection.

Allowing them to enjoy Olam Habah might be one small (or gigantic) accommodation to their religious fervor. From this, perhaps we learn to make accommodations for others when they err but act with our best interests at heart

These ideas from Rabbi Eliezer in the Mishnah are lovely alternatives to endless grudges, anger-driven decisions, or imposing harsh discipline on others.

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DEGEL MENASHE TEAM MEETS WITH MINISTRY OF ALIYA &ABSORPTION

From the left, Yitzhak Thangjom, Director Chen Dor, Jessica Thangjom, Rivka Lunkhel and Shmuel Boitlung.

(May 25, 2024) Degel Menashe was invited by the Ministry of Aliya & Absorption yesterday for a discussion on matters pertaining to the B'nei Menashe at their office in Jerusalem. In attendance was the Community Wing Director, Chen Dor. As per the discussion, it was determined that aliya was only the beginning, with the process of KLITA or absorption taking a much more an important role which warrants a serious look. It can be more successful than it currently is. Several points were raised, discussed in the almost two-hour meeting and possible solutions suggested. The team was told that special programs can be initiated as need arises. An emphasis on education for the youths as well as suitable training for olim and their eventual integration into the Israeli job markets are important factors to be pursued. It was agreed that it was important for the B'nei Menashe to fulfill their spiritual aspirations as well as being gainfully employed and contribute to the society at large. The meeting was led by executive director/project manager, Yitzhak Thangjom with board member, Shmuel Boitlung, Advisor, Rivka Lunkhel, community rabbi Yonatan Gangte as well as Jessica Thangjom, volunteer.

Jeremy Smith and Colin Ross, second and third from the left with Halkin, Yitzhak and Jessica.

In another similar development, Degel Menashe chairman, Hillel Halkin met with Operation Exodus's executives, Colin Ross and Jeremy Smith on Sunday evening to discuss impending B'nei Menashe aliya in the near future and the role that they can play in it. It may be noted that Operation Exodus has been assisting the community in this important endeavor in the last couple of decades. Talk were positive and given assurances that it would continue to do so in capacity and resources available. Our readers will remember that Pastor Abe Oooman of Indian chapter of Operation Exodus has been instrumental in delivering relief material to the B'nei Menashe though the covid crisis and now, with the civil strife that has engulfed the region. Halkin was accompanied by, executive director, Yitzhak Thangjom and his wife, Jessica.

PARASHAT BEHALOTCHA

Parashat Behalotcha

By Dan Cohen

Parshat Baalotcha 2024 - G’ds Free Will

(June 26, 2024)Gd has free will. Gd puts it to use to bring light and goodness into the world. Even right here, right now, as you read this. 

Let that sink in a moment. Maybe it's obvious to you, but it stopped me when I read Rav Hirsch saying it. No matter what I thought I wanted to write about, this idea stayed with me and pushed its way to the front of the line to ensure it's what I spoke with you about.

At the start of Chapter 9, Verses 1 and 2, we read about Pesach and its sacrifice, saying, “The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the second year of their exodus from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying: The children of Israel shall make the Passover sacrifice in its appointed time.”

Rashi reads in its “appointed time” by saying, “Even [if it were to fall] on Sabbath; “in its appointed time” [also implies,] even [if the majority of the people were] in a state of ritual uncleanness.” 

Rav Hirsch reminds us that we are one year after the Exodus chronologically. Thus, it's an ideal time to teach these laws. He also points out that Pesach fell on Shabbat that year. The Torah and its commentators examine the relationships between the prohibitions of Shabbat and our requirements to bring the Pesach offering. 

Rav Hirsch brings various explanations from the Talmud on the debate about bringing the sacrifice at its “appointed time” and what that means. He shows how Pesachim 77 builds on this Rashi, that no matter what, even if the appointed time is on Shabbat and even if the majority of the community is “unclean,” we must offer sacrifices. Hirsch adds that our sages say this applies to all community sacrifices, including our three main holidays—Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.

Consider the profound significance of these holidays. They are not mere dates on a calendar, but times specifically designated by Gd for us to connect with Him. Each of these moments is infused with a unique act of Gd’s providence, imbuing them with a special significance for our spiritual growth. Long after he created the world, He set these dates aside for us.

Here’s what got me. Hirsch says:

“Each one of these holidays, then, reveals Gd as a free, personal, and omnipotent Gd. Who not only created the world but also rules it after the creation, shaping it by free rule.  … all holidays…are connected to the revelatory acts of the period of Israel’s founding.  They attest to the fundamental fact of Gd’s creation AND GUIDANCE (my emphasis) of the world and attest to it based on the historical experience of our own development.”

I took this understanding from his quote. It is a mitzvah to honor Hashem and even prioritize him with a sacrifice on the holidays. These three special days mark not only his creation of the world but also honor his real-time actions in our existence. Hirsch reminds us that ours is a living Gd who cares, acts, intervenes, and believes in us. 

In this Torah example, Gd takes regular time and makes it holy. This is the special act of a free Gd affirming himself as active in this world. 

Hirsch adds that when Gd affirms himself as a free and personal Gd, this is the indispensable precondition for man's free personality. His actions validate us and demand that we utilize our free will.

When Gd calls to us on these holidays, His freedom serves as the basis of our freedom. In doing so, He guarantees us our moral freedom, which we exercise when we make an offering to Him. Gd’s free act, to designate these days, summons us to a free human act, whose natural and appropriate expression is the Korban, the sacrifice. 

Here, Rav Hirsch underscores the communal aspect of our religious practices. Only the community, not individuals, can offer these sacrifices year after year at the designated time. Our individual times may pass, but the community endures. 

Our collective spirituality and Gdliness, not our individual roles, define us as a divine community. An individual who dedicates himself to the community lives and endures through the community's actions long after his time. The individual’s work endures forever.

A concept I’ve learned in my growth journey is to stand in choice. A song lyric from the band Rush says, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”

We can make decisions in one of two ways. We can just let stuff happen, and in doing so, we’ve decided not to act. Hirsch might say we’ve surrendered our Gdliness in these moments.

Another option is intentionally choosing a path forward with full awareness of the natural and imagined consequences and long-term repercussions. Gd is asking us to actively engage with the divine tools that He has given us, such as our wisdom, intellect, and emotions. 

Gd is also modeling the behavior for us. He could have stopped with the creation of the world. Instead, He demonstrated that He can and will continue to be an active participant in our lives, in this case, by designating these holidays. 

So here’s our choice. At any moment, we can be friendly, engage in service to another, take particular time to acknowledge Hashem, or mark a moment with a specific action. These acts, especially if they inspire others, will endure long after we depart from this stage.  

Gd gave us free will. We know this because He exercised His in creating the world and guiding us through our calendar and His holidays. He is not only asking us but urging us to use our free will to its highest purpose and has given us the tools, and even the times, to do so.

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