Rabbi
Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi,
Kehillat New Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance
Counselor – ASHAR
Principal
– Ohr Naftoli- New Windsor
STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS BALAK
5776
“FIRST THINGS FIRST”
At the turn of
the twentieth century, two of the wealthiest and most influential personalities
in America
In 1912 the
brothers and their wives were touring Europe when Nathan, the more ardent
Zionist of the two, decided that they should visit (what was then called) Palestine
The brothers had
a strong sense of solidarity with their less fortunate brethren, but after a
week of touring Isidor Straus had had enough. Isidor tried to convince Nathan
that it was time to leave but Nathan refused. He was extremely moved by what he
saw and wanted to be more involved in the settlement and betterment of the Holy Land . He felt a tremendous burden of responsibility
and felt he could not turn and walk away when there was so much more he could accomplish.
Isidor tried to
convince Nathan that they could send money from abroad but Nathan wouldn’t hear
of it. He was adamant that he had to remain longer to personally involve
himself in the welfare of the Land and its people.
Finally, Isidor
decided to return to Europe with his wife Ida,
while Nathan and his wife remained traveling the country, creating programs and
investing tremendous amounts of money to help the needy.
After a few
weeks Isidor sent an urgent telegram to Nathan. He and Ida were preparing to
return to America Palestine
Still Nathan
tarried. He remained involved in his work until the last possible moment,
unable to tear himself away from his feeling of responsibility. By the time he
returned to London on April 12 the Ocean-liner
had already left the port at Southampton with
Isidor and Ida Straus aboard.
Nathan had
indeed missed the boat as his brother had warned. The beautiful ocean-liner
sailed majestically across the Atlantic
without Nathan and his wife… until it hit an iceberg and sunk. Because of his
involvement in helping his people, Nathan Straus had missed the Titanic!
Nathan was
grief-stricken when he was informed of what occurred. But more than ever he
felt a sense of duty and responsibility. The knowledge that he had escaped
death permeated his consciousness for the rest of his life and he renewed his
philanthropy and commitment to his people with incredible intensity. By the end
of his life he had given away most of his fortune to causes in the Holy Land .
The beautiful
city of Netanya
The nation of
Moav watched in absolute fright as the Jewish Nation advanced through the
desert decimating all of their enemies. Not only were they frightened of the
might of the young nation which had just ravaged the two most powerful forces
of the time – those of the mighty giants Sichon and Og – but they were
completely disgusted by the success of the professed ‘Holy People’[2].
Balak, the king
of Moav, was in a state of panic. He knew his forces were miniscule compared to
Sichon and Og and he had no chance of overcoming the Jews with military might.
He contrived a novel plan that would call upon the forces of evil to counter
the source of the Jewish greatness, which lay in their holiness and purity. He
employed the infamous prophet Bila’am to curse the Jewish people. Balak
understood that Bila’am’s word had tremendous potency and therefore he hoped (futilely)
that this would be the solution to his predicament.
“Bila’am went
with Balak… Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and sent to Bila’am and to the
officers who were with him. And it was in the morning: Balak took Bila’am and
brought him up to the heights of Ba’al, and from there he saw the edge of the
people. Bila’am said to Balak, ‘Build for me seven altars and prepare for me
here seven bulls and seven rams’.”
The Aderes
Eliyahu points out that while Balak made sure to send an elegant and elaborate
feast to Bila’am and his entourage, he only slaughtered to G-d the next day
when Bila’am instructed him to. Balak’s approach was contrasted by Yisro. After
Yisro rejoined his son-in-law Moshe and the Jewish people the Torah says[3], “Yisro… took
an elevation-offering and feast-offering for G-d; and Aharon and all the elders
of Israel
Rabbi Chaim
Zaitchik zt’l notes that if one wants to understand the spiritual and moral
level of a person, he should see what the person prioritizes. What comes first
on his personal hierarchy of responsibilities and values? Is his primary
concern his spiritual well-being or his physical comfort?
The gemara[4]
states: “The first hour (of the day is the meal time of) the Ludim[5]. The
second hour is the (meal time of) thieves. The third hour is the (meal time of)
those who inherit (great wealth). The fourth hour is the (meal time of) laborers.
The fifth hour is the (meal time of) all other people… The sixth hour is the (meal
time of) Torah scholars.”
Rabbi Zaitchik
explains that a person who eats an elaborate meal immediately upon awakening on
a regular basis is so self-absorbed that the moment he awakens he can think of
no one other than himself and his own gratification. The Ludim were
narcissistic to an extreme, and therefore they committed the most horrific of
crimes.
Torah scholars on the
other hand, are at the opposite extreme. They don’t live for themselves. They
begin their day with prayer, study, and chesed for others. Only then do they
sit down to eat, in the sixth hour.
My Rebbe, Rabbi Berel
Wein, related that a man who was becoming Torah observant was learning the laws
of a Jew’s daily conduct including reciting Shema in the morning, the time to
recite the morning prayers, and the prohibition of eating before praying. In astonishment
he asked Rabbi Wein, “Does this mean to say that a Torah observant person can
never have breakfast in bed?” Rabbi Wein replied that indeed it does. We have
an ulterior set of priorities, and we must thank and pray to G-d before we
engage in fulfilling our own physical needs.
Rav Mordechai Gifter
zt’l noted that in the first word of the Torah - “Bereishis”[6] –
there is a hidden lesson. We often lose focus of our true priorities in life,
and what is the most valuable in life often is relegated to a secondary focus
at best. Money and material comforts are often prioritized over family, and
physical growth is often idealized over spiritual growth.
The word ‘Bereishis’
can be read ’Bais[7] - Reishis’, i.e. make
what is your bais (secondary) into your raishis (first and foremost). Take what
is often secondary (spiritual obligations) and make that into your priority –
your ‘reishis’.[8]
Balak did not think
to offer anything to G-d until Bila’am told him to do so. His first concern was
to make sure that Bila’am and his cohorts were happy, after-all he needed them
to help him carry out his vile plan. Yisro on the other hand, would not partake
of a meal, even with the greatest leaders of Klal Yisroel, until he had expressed
his gratitude to G-d. Their priorities demonstrate much about their personality
and inner essence.
What does one
prioritize when he is looking to purchase a new home? What criteria does he use
to determine what school/camp to send his children to? What are his primary
concerns when he goes on vacation? The answers to these questions reveal a
great deal about what truly matters to him.
“Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and sent to
Bila’am”
“Yisro took an elevation-offering and
feast-offering for G-d”
[2] The jealousy, disgust, and
revulsion for our successes by our enemies has not changed in four thousand
years
[3] Shemos 18:12
[4] Shabbos 10a
[5] Rashi explains that the Ludim
are a cannibalistic tribe. They were gluttons and would eat at the first
opportunity they had.
[6] Which literally means “In the
beginning”
[7] as in the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet
[8] Heard from Rabbi Pinchos Idstein;
quoted in Pirkei Torah
0 comments:
Post a Comment