Israel and The Sin of Expulsion

by Moshe Burt
The Haftorah for our Parsha begins:
“Nachamu, Nachamu Ami yomar Elokeichem” — “Comfort, comfort my people — says your G’d.” (Yishaiya, 40:1)
This sentiment seems to be silent, but yet a theme of Parsha Va’etchanan.
In the beginning of Parsha, Moshe Rabbeinu recalls for the B’nai Yisrael how he entreated Hashem for permission […]

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by Moshe Burt
A number of years ago, Rav Aba Wagensberg spoke out in a shiur that Sefer Devarim represents Moshe Rabbeinu’s Mussar to B’nai Yisrael as the time of his death drew near.
He explained that near the end of Sefer BaMidbar, we began to see indications, via the story of Zelafchad’s daughters, as well as […]

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by, Moshe Burt
Parsha Masei opens by recapping the events of B’nai Yisrael from Yetziyat Mitzrayim (leaving Egypt), through K’riyat Yam Suf (crossing the Reed Sea) as well as their travels in Bamidbar (in the desert) over the 40 years so that the Am Yisrael will recall the trials and, hopefully, actuate the lessons learned. […]

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by Moshe Burt
Parshat Matos opens:
“And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes and to the B’nai Yisrael saying: This is the thing which Hashem has commanded. When a man vows a vow unto Hashem, or swears an oath to bind with a bond (upon) his soul, he shall not break his word; […]

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by Moshe Burt
We learned in Parsha Balak that Bila’am’s scheme to seduce Jewish men to avodah zora by way of immorality (co-habitation) resulted in a plague which killed 24,000 Jewish men until Pinchas’ act brought the plague to a halt. However, Bamidbar, Perek 25, posuk 4 and 5 read;
And Hashem, said to Moshe: Take all […]

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by Moshe Burt
Sefer Shem Mishmuel, translated to English by Rabbi Zvi Belovski (page 347), relates that:
While journeying to meet …Balak, with the intention of cursing the …Jewish nation, …Bila’am had difficulties with his donkey. The animal kept stopping [or straying off of the path], frightened by an angel that Bila’am was unable to see. […]

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by Moshe Burt
The Midrash Says, by Rabbi Moshe Weissman writes regarding Parsha Chukas (Sefer Bamidbar, pages 245-247):
There are numerous examples of chukim…. Since thet contain apparently contradictory elements, they are liable to be ridiculed by a rational thinker. The Torah advises the Jew to tell himself, It’s a chok; I have no right […]

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by Moshe Burt
Parsha Korach may seem to the reader to be a logical continuation of Parsha Shelach as it would seem very much that Korach and his attempted power grab is a logical after-affect, a consequence of the denial of Eretz Yisrael by 10 of the 12 miraglim (spies).
In fact, Yehuda Nachshoni’s “Studies in […]

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by Moshe Burt
In observing the evolution of Israel’s political governmental scene today, this author’s memories harken back to one Yom Nora’im (High Holidays) the late-1980s in Philadelphia, in the years just prior to becoming Ba’al Teshuva.
The conservative synagogue attended for Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur had a practice of bringing in a young JTS (Jewish […]

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by Moshe Burt
Commentators discussing our Parsha speak about the reasons for the separate section delineated by the inverted “nuns”:
“When the Aron (the Ark) would journey, Moshe said, ‘Arise Hashem, and let your foes be scattered, let those who hate you flee from before you.’ And when it rested, he would say, ‘Reside tranquilly, O, Hashem, […]

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