Chassidut on the Torah

Chassidut Archives

Overview Behar (Leviticus 25:1-26:2) begins with laws concerning the sabbatical and jubilee years. These include redemption of fields and houses. Next is the law to help fellow Jews and forbidding charging interest to them. Behar ends with laws regarding Jewish and gentile slaves. B'chukosai (Leviticus 26:3-27:34) opens with the physical rewards that the Jews reap for fulfilling G-d's commandments. This is followed by the consequences resulting from disobeying G-d, and the eventual repentance and forgiveness that will come in the future. The last sections concern endow-ment valuations of people, animals, real estate, and crops to G-d (consecrating their monetary value to the sanctuary). With the conclusion of B'chukosai, we also complete the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) - "Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek!" Insights As Jews, each of us has a responsibility to be an example to our fellow Jews and the entire world on how to maximize our spiritual strengths in this physical plane. We are lamplighters. I met a family in Miami who realized this mission by having a big family. No way was Hitler, Y"S, going to succeed in wiping out the Jewish people. Some other people I know always wear ties (yes, ties like from Oleg Cassini…) because they want to demonstrate that they are always in an important meeting between themselves and G-d. How does the Torah describe how Moshe met the challenge of being a lamplighter? The Torah describes his specialty, "And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any person on the face of the earth" (Bamidbar 12/3). There was no prophet greater than Moshe. He spoke face to face to G-d. Yet of all of his special qualities, the Torah chooses humility as the single outstanding attribute that caused him to merit receiving the Torah from G-d and pass it on to the Jewish people. Couldn't Moshe see how elevated and privileged he was. Why did he see himself as less compared to other people, 'more than any person...'? What do these 'extra' words add? Also, how can it be that our greatest leader was able to be so humble and simultaneously be the archetype of strength and leadership? The Rebbe explains that Moshe did very much recognize his exceptional qualities. What Moshe did not do was to take credit for his superiority. He perceived that everything he had was a gift from G-d and believed that had the same qualities been given to another, that person would have achieved even more - "more than any person on the face of the earth". For this reason Moshe's humility was not a contradiction to his leadership. The opposite, because he negated his own identity and saw only G-d's will as his measure in everything; he used all of his potential to completely fulfill G-d's wishes. He saw himself as a tool to fulfill G-d's command. Who can stand up before G-d? The Rebbe consistently reminded us that these two characteristics, humility and strength are prerequisites for every Jew to approach Jewish life and Torah study. Related to this are the opening words of the Torah portion: "Behar-on the mountain", referring to Mt. Sinai. The Midrash says that Mt. Sinai was chosen because it was the lowest of all of the mountains, emphasizing the importance of true Jewish humility. But wait! If G-d wanted to emphasis humility, why did He choose a mountain at all? He should have chosen a plain or valley, and it would have made more sense. The point is that G-d DID choose a mountain, a symbol of strength. A tall mountain would represent arrogance, so G-d chose a small one. But a valley would denote inferiority, so specifically a mountain was appropriate. It is exactly this counterpoint between humility and strength that we are supposed to intertwine. We need both qualities to succeed. Humility and uncompromising strength to push ahead with our purpose, to fulfill G-d's will. And which one is first? You guessed it. A Jew has to be a mountain. The Code of Jewish Law, written in Safed 500 years ago by the greatest legalist, Yosef Caro, begins with the expression, "Do not be embarrassed by the scoffers". G-dly service cannot begin from a position of meekness. It is only with this holy pride that we can overcome obstacles. Still, it has to be colored by a person's total cognizance that a person's abilities come from the Holy One Blessed Be He. Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

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