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This Week’s Torah Reading

Pinhas

God praises PinHAS for having killed Zimri, a Simeonite chieftain who became intimate with Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite chieftain. God establishes with PinHAS a beRIT shaLOM, a pact of friendship that granted him and his descendants the priesthood forever. God commands Moses to count the people, ages 20 and up. The first census was taken in the second year of the Israelite’s wilderness journey; this census takes place in the 40th year. During that time, the Children of Israel diminished slightly from 603,550 to 601,730. The most dramatic decrease is in the tribe of Simeon, and the most dramatic increase is by the half-tribe of Menashe. God tells Moses to divide the land of Israel by lot, giving greater portions to the larger tribes and smaller portions to the smaller tribes. The five daughters of TzelofHAD, who died leaving no sons, approach Moses to request that land be given them (inheritance was generally passed to the sons) in order to perpetuate their father’s name. God declares their argument just. Moses is told to ascend the heights of AvaRIM in order to survey the Promised Land, for he would die without entering it. Moses is concerned about his successor so God chooses Joshua son of Nun. The Torah continues with a review of the sacrificial rites. Lambs, rams, bulls and goats are offered, along with meal offerings and wine libations. Tedious by some standards, this section reveals some fascinating details. Among them: sacrifices were made at least twice a day, everyday; animal slaughter was permitted on Shabbat; over Sukkot, in addition to other sacrifices, a total of 70 bulls were offered, thought to coincide with the mythical 70 nations of the world. The people of Israel would not divorce the world from God’s blessings.

A SHABBAT THOUGHT

Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It’s how true friends talk.

~~ Peggy Noonan ~~

WEB OF THE WEEK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVM6x4BechI

A Great Oseh Shalom—direct fro England!

AURAL TORAH

The Price of Two Dead Israeli Soldiers

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A NEW SET OF TEFILLIN OR ZEIDIE’S ?

Dear CyberRav,

CYBER RAV ANSWERS

Dear Fit to be Tied,

I can’t believe you signed your name “Fit to be Tied.” I am such a sucker for a good pun. I’m actually a sucker for a bad pun, too. Okay “Fit,” let’s see if we can make sense of this before you become unraveled.

First of all, its true that your rabbi can’t possibly know if Grandpa’s tefillin are not kosher having not seen them, but I have to tell you that whenever people bring in “Grandpa’s tefillin” to me, 99% of the time they aren’t kosher. Tefillin don’t last forever. They may be family heirlooms, they may be highly valued, but since they are leather they will deteriorate over time. Imagine wearing a pair of shoes that are 80 years old. Doesn’t sound too appealing—does it?

Secondly, in spite of the sentimental value attached to those tefillin, a feeling that no one should dismiss as unimportant or trivial, rabbis sometimes are concerned that kids not get the impression that when it comes to tradition, all you get are hand-me-downs. Did Grandpa get a new set of tefillin when he was a Bar Mitzvah? Probably. And if so, don’t our children deserve that as well?

Sometimes we think, whether consciously or not, that children are basically not going to use these tefillin after Bar Mitzvah so why go to the expense of purchasing new ones? We go to that expense because it’s one of the ways we teach our kids just how important a mitzvah it is. Tefillin are a powerful symbol of our relationship with Torah, God, and the Jewish people. And although it is a mitzvah that is widely ignored within liberal circles, it is a mitzvah that can transform the way we begin our day, permitting and encouraging us to focus on everything that is truly important in our daily lives.

I’m sorry that you got so upset with your rabbi. He’s probably acting more for the sake of your son than anything else. Keep Grandpa’s tefillin visible in your home as the keepsake and heirloom that it is. But get a brand new shiny pair of tefillin for you son—he deserves his own tefillin as he begins this year of his Bar Mitzvah.

Rabbi Rafi Rank
CyberRav

Shabbat Shalom Everyone!!

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