Weekly Reading Insights: Re'eh
5776

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In this week’s Torah portion, Moshe verbally prepares the Jewish people for their entry to the land of Israel…to the resting place and to the inheritance” (12/9). The ‘resting place’ and ‘inheritance’ in this verse refers to the town of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for 369 years, and to Yerushalayim, where the Temples would be built. It has also been used to refer, tongue in cheek, to any desired destination.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe used the expression often referring to his chassidim’s exaggerated involvement in their weekend trips to the “Catskill Mountains” during the summer. (a few hours’ drive from Brooklyn, NY that is referred to as ‘the country’). He would chide them that this was at the expense of their home, work and, more important, their day to day Divine service. While the Rebbe did not suggest this to anyone, it is known he did not take a vacation once in his 44 years of leadership.

At the end of a fabrengen (Chassidic gathering) on 12th of Tamuz 5714 (July 1954) early in the Rebbe’s leadership, he said the following. "Someone came to me and asked, “lamenting”, what can he do? …Such an unfortunate… His wife is insisting they go to the country. He (the chassid) does not say that he wants to go to the ‘country’, although that certainly is the case. He presents it as if his wife wants to go. He tells himself, that for the sake of ‘peace in the home’ you have to make some “sacrifices”. Doesn’t the Torah teach us that in order to make peace between a husband and wife, G-d even says, “I will erase my name in the water” (part of the ceremony involving a Sotah)?

My father in law told a story that once a person came to the Rebbe Maharash for a private audience. He asked for a tikun, soul repair for a person who did an extremely unpleasant and inappropriate thing. He was embarrassed to say that it was actually he who had done this terrible thing. However since he truly felt bad about it and needed to know how to repair the damage he needed to tell the Rebbe what it was. He tried to be clever and said he had a dear friend who trusted him implicitly, and since “the friend” was embarrassed to tell the Rebbe what he had done the friend sent him on his behalf.

The Rebbe looked at him and said, “Why did he have to send you? He could have just come himself and said that he was coming for you…?”

The Rebbe continued, "similar to this situation is the first person we mentioned. He says like this, we are approaching the 4th of July, and the day after is the 5th of July when also everyone is away, and it is already a few weeks that my wife does not stop talking about the absolute necessity to go to ‘the country’, etc etc, what should I do?
What can I answer? Lets accept for the moment that the trip to ‘the country’ is not non-essential for a reasonable quality life, but is something clearly needed. But why", the Rebbe asks, "does it have to be something that a person is drawn into with all of his inner self? Why does a person need to invest all of his enthusiasm and fire into his vacation, which automatically makes him forget about what should be his main focus, his Torah study [and observance of the commandments].

"I bless you , the Rebbe said, "to travel peacefully, those who have not yet left and those who already went but came back for the fabrengen (but who look at their watch every few minutes wondering which train or bus they will be able to catch, will it be the 1pm, or the 1:15pm). Just so long as they have a happy and healthy summer.
But with one caveat; first and foremost, even in the country, on vacation, a person can still fulfill his spiritual mission for the Holy One Blessed Be He: learning Torah, praying and doing the commandments. And when the Yetzer Hara, the personal and collective Evil Inclination. sees that really one is going on vacation with a divine purpose, to fulfill our divine mission for G-d, that will help him ‘free’ a few more of the Jews, and even the married person we spoke of above from going at all, since, really, they did not want to go in the first place!
And for those who are already there and accomplish all that you went there to accomplish physically and even spiritually, think just a bit about why after it all, do you have to be so ‘into’ it? For what reason does the ‘country’ pleasures have to consume you?
True, every day when you wake up you can breathe the fresh air and even bless the Al-mighty that You made Your world in such a wonderful way. Thank you G-d that in the United States there are mountains that are called the Catskills, and (at least for now) Jews, even Jews with beards and payos and even a child wearing tzitzit, they still allow us to travel there. This is truly one of Gd’s wonders!
Yet we know that a Jews real place is in the study hall and yeshiva and involved in doing G-d’s commandments, and not so much in the Catskills and involved exclusively in ‘healthy bodies’. The Al-mighty can still give a Jew all he needs without having to travel to the air of the mountain that are such and such amount of feet high above the sea line, even 500 feet above….
When after it all, it still happens that you are there on vacation, you do not have to get so carried away…
Although this period is called “vacation time” and a time for rest and recreation, etc., clearly in regard to Yiddishkeit there can be no “vacation,” both in regard to one’s self and family, as well as in regard to benefits to others."

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On the contrary, inasmuch as this is a period of time when other pressures and duties are lessened, and one has more free time available, it provides a particularly good opportunity to intensify all activities relating to Torah and mitzvoth [wherever you are]. Since the Torah and mitzvoth “are our life and the length of our days,” there can be no interruption, G-d forbid, in life and vitality. On the surface it might seem that any particular limb or aspect of the body is in a state of suspended animation. It must not be allowed to remain so for long, and should again be stimulated into activity and vitality.
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The Rebbe Rayatz, the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe lived in an apartment on the 3rd floor of Chabad headquarters, 770 Eastern Parkway. His son in law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the 7th Lubavitcher Rebbe would join him there for holiday meals. After the Rebbe Rayatz passed away (in 1950), the Rebbe continued for many years to eat his holiday meals in the apartment with guests, leaving of course, the Rebbe Rayatz’s chair vacant.

Once during a Shavuos meal the Rebbe said that if people would really understand what it meant to be in the presence of the Rebbe Rayatz (even after he had passed away) for Rosh Hashanna, not one minyan (a prayer quoram of 10) would be left in any synagogue in the world because they would all come here to pray, to 770.
One of the guests (who was a regular there for Shavuos) asked the Rebbe, maybe I should start coming on Rosh Hashanna instead of Shavuos?
If only people knew, the Rebbe answered him, what it is like to be in the presence of the Rebbe for the ‘Giving of the Torah’ (that we celebrate on Shavuos), there would not be a minyan left in any synagogue also for the Giving of the Torah…

Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

Please also read my weekly Shabbat Law, below.

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For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.

FROM THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org

Specifically, for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists, and more,
click to Re'eh

one sample:

Ascent Lights

A Change in Perspective

By Shaul Yosef Leiter

"If the journey is too great for you and you can not carry it, because the place ('hamakom') is too far".

Rabbi Moshe Alshich teaches: when a person desires something, no effort he makes to reach his goal is considered difficult. On the other hand, when forced to do something against his will, even the smallest action is like a heavy weight.

To continue, click here.

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For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the our weekly Kabbalah magazine

Here is a smaple from this week's:

KOL Magazine, Vol. 8, No.45

This Shabbat, the first after Tisha B'Av, is special; it is know as the Shabbat of Consolation (Nachamu).
Our lead article--by highly regarded author-translator Simcha H. Benyosef -- delineates the spiritual dimensions of a wide variety of preparations for Shabbat, before the holy day arrives each week.
Next is our most frequently asked question, appropriate to look at again in these days following the yahrzeit of the holy Ari.
The third is about the not-so-well known holiday that falls this week, when the single Jewish women used to dance and sing together in the fields.

Sample article:

Mezuzah - the Arrow of Life

By Alexander Poltorak

The mezuzah is one of the few mitzvot for which the Torah states its reward. In this case, the reward is long life for oneself and one's children:

"And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts [mezuzot] of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be prolonged upon the land which G-d swore to give to your fathers for as long as the heavens are above the earth." (Deut. 11:20-21)

According to the Talmud commentary of Tosafot (Menahot 44a) and the Shulchan Aruch (Yorah Deah 284) the main function of the mezuzah is to protect the house from evil. Because of this attribute, the mezuzah has been called "the coat of arms in the knighthood of G-d."1 To begin to understand the mechanism of this effect of the mezuzah, we must first delve into the concept of evil itself.

[To continue, click here]