KORACH NUMBERS XVI – XVIII

The rebellion of the princes of our people against Moshe and Aharon is the focus of our weekly reading. Revolutions are usually spearheaded by those who fail to achieve leadership notwithstanding that they consider themselves fit and worthy of it. The one who leads this uprising is Korach, a cousin of Moshe, who also belongs to the tribe of Levi, to whom the labors of the cult had been entrusted. Korach manifeststhat too much power has been concentrated in the hands of two brothers.

The Chachamim believe that Korach wasa man of great fortune who now craves the recognition of society and seeks the political power of a leader. Korach gathers a group of about two hundred and fifty people, many of whom belong to the tribe of the firstborn Reuven, who defy the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. According to Ibn Ezra, we are facing a rebellion that took place at the time (after the episode of the Egel hazahav, the “Golden Calf”) when the firstborn were replaced for religious service by the tribe of Levi. To eliminate the thesis that this was a personal decision by Moshe, the Divine acceptance of sacrifices was used as a test. Korach andhis people prepare sacrifices, just as they used to do by being the firstborn.

According to the Midrash, Korach questions Moshe about a Talit shekulo techelet, which is a Talit made entirely of the blue thread requiredby the Torah only for the corners of a garment, according to the final chapter of the previous reading concerning Tsitsit. Korach’s question is, does this Talit that it is entirely blue, require an additional Techelet yarn?  Moshe’s answer is yes. Korach reacts ironically, by giving an argument from which it follows that no additional blue thread is necessary. Korach argues: if a single thread serves to comply with the law, it stands to reason that a Talit made exclusively with that blue thread, complies with the spirit of that same law.

Following this line of reasoning, Korach asks if a house containing many copies of the Torah   requires a Mezuzah on the door lintel. (The Mezuzah is a parchment that contains two specific paragraphs from the Torah).  Moshe’s answer to the need for a Mezuzah is also affirmative. Korach’s apparent intention istodemonstrate that Moshe’s authority isself-imposed and that the Laws he enacts are not of Divine origin because they lack all logic.

A different Midrash introduces us to Korach as a defender of the widow and the orphan. Korach raises the following case: when a widow and her two daughters set out to plow their only batch of land, Moshe warns them: “it should not be plowed with an ox and an ass together”. At the time of planting they are told that “two types of seeds cannot be sown”. At the time of harvest, they are reminded that “you cannot cut the fruits from the corners of the field, nor can you collect the forgotten”. When it came time to store the grains they were required to “set aside Terumah for the Kohen and tithe for the Levi.” 

Desperate, due to all the above demands, the widow sold the field and bought two sheep to dress with its wool. When the sheep gave birth, Aharon appearedrequesting the firstborn of the animals. At the time of shearing, Aharon demanded the first wools. The widow couldn’t take it anymore and decided to sacrifice the sheep. Aharon again appeared, demanding that the shoulders, jaws and stomach of the animal belonged to him. In such a case, the widow replied, let it all go to the sanctuary. Since a word-promise with reference to Hekdesh, items that belong to the sanctuary, amounts to a contractual action in other cases, Aharon took the whole animal, leaving the widow heartbroken.  

In our text of the Torah not all of the above details appear and, therefore, seem to be the fruit of the imagination of our Chachamim, according to Korach. What is the teaching of this Midrash? Our sages see in the Korach rebellion the prototype of Machloket she´enah leshem shamayim, a dispute that does not come from a genuine difference of opinion.

For our Chachamim, Korach is motivated by very personal reasons and only uses dialectics, takes advantage of the extreme case of a widow and her orphans, to discredit Moshe in order to provoke his dismissal. This would create a void that would give Korach the chance to come to power. It is the style of demagogues who pretend to defend the rights of the less fortunate for the sake of justice, but what they seek is the benefit of their own interest, their individual harvest. When they come to power, they forget their promises and only deliver abuse and outrage.

Assuming, like the Midrash, that the reasons that propelled Korach intoconfrontation were not altruistic, can the behavior of Moshe and Aharon be justified in the case of the widow in particular? Of course, we are talking about an exaggerated and therefore unrepresentative case. However, at least one important lesson can be inferred. In various chapters the Torah demands we develop special sensitivityfor the Ani, the poor, and for the Ger, the foreigner, who resides in our midst.

The same law of Pe´a, which requires the widow to refrain from collecting the harvest from the corner of the field, aims to allow the poor to benefit from the product of the field. The moral seems to be that the poor who require help from society cannot desist from participating in the Mitsvah from helping other poor people. There’s always someone poorer than one. The members of the tribe of Levi whowere the beneficiaries of Maaser, tithing, had to set aside a Terumah, a contribution to the Kohen.

There is a possibility, although remote, that in a house where there are numerous copies of the Torah, the Divine presence nevertheless not be felt. For example, there are those who study motivated by intellectual curiosity, which is a worthy endeavor by itself. There are those who are interested in the historical past of people and those who want to discover the origin of the social models by which we are governed. 

In the Jewish tradition there are different opinions about the relative importance of study and action. The decision in this case was in favor of study because it leads to action. (There is a very original interpretation of Netsiv about the affirmation of our ancestors of Naaseh venishma, which was their willingness to comply with the Torah even before they knew its contents. Netsiv says that in order to comply with the precepts of the Torah, some prior knowledge becomes indispensable. Naaseh venishma implies then that even after learning what is essential to comply with the Mitsvot, our ancestors affirmed their willingness to continue studying, because study itself is also a value, it is a Mitsvah).

The requirement to place the Mezuzah, which contains scrolls of the Torah, is due perhaps because, from the point of view of our sages, we must always be aware of Divine Providence, including at the very moment of study. We were also required to recite a Berachah before undertaking only the reading of the Torah to emphasizethat study is not an intellectual exercise, but to blend in with the Divine Wisdom and Will. Study is a religious activity, a very special expression of our faith in the Creator.

MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCE IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 5 POSITIVE MITSVOT AND 4 PROHIBITIONS

1. Numbers 18:4 Caring for the Temple
2. Numbers 18:3 Kohanim should not do Levite service and vice versa
3. Numbers 18:4, 22 Who is not Kohen cannot serve in the Temple
4. Numbers 18:5 Not to cease care for the Temple
5. Numbers 18:15 To redeem the firstborn son
6. Numbers 18:17 Do not redeem the firstborn of the domesticated animal
7. Numbers 18:23 The Service of the Levites in the Temple
8. Numbers 18:24 Set aside the first tithing for the Levites

396.    Numbers 18:26, 28 The Levites must give the Kohen a tithe of the tithing they receive

SHELAJ_NÚMEROS XIII – XV

El tema principal de nuestra lectura semanal se refiere a la expedición que Moshé envió a Canaán para examinar las posibilidades de conquistar esa tierra y para que le informen sobre su fauna y flora. Este episodio se convierte en una pieza angular de nuestro pasado histórico y ha dado origen a controversias y malentendidos. Para empezar, nuestros Jajamim argumentan que la idea de “espiar” la Tierra Prometida nace del seno del pueblo. Dios consiente a este plan, pero no es El quien lo promueve. Es obvio que el envío de la patrulla demuestra una falta de confianza en la promesa Divina de llevarlos exitosamente a Erets zavat jalav udevash, la tierra donde fluye la leche y la miel.

El informe de los “espías”, que representaban a las doce tribus, es positivo con referencia a la abundancia de vegetación y frutos. Pero es negativo en lo concerniente a la posibilidad de la conquista: las ciudades están fortificadas y sus habitantes tienen dimensiones gigantescas. La imagen literaria que utilizan los espías es dramática, al expresarse según el texto bíblico, Vanehí veeineinu kajagavim, vején hayinu beeineihem, que significa “y éramos a nuestros ojos como langostas (aparentemente en comparación al enorme tamaño de los habitantes de Canaán) y así lo éramos ante sus ojos”. Se debe destacar que se presenta también, un informe del grupo minoritario de los espías. 

Calev y Yehoshua, (la expedición estaba integrada por doce personas, una por tribu) sin negar la veracidad de la descripción del resto del grupo, concluyen su exposición afirmando que existía una posibilidad real de vencer a los cananeos. (La Torá también utiliza la palabra Edá, congregación, para referirse a los diez espías que traen el informe negativo. De esta manera se le da un equivalente numérico a la palabra Edá, que luego se utilizará para definir un Minyán, que es el quórum necesario en la congregación diez personas para un servicio religioso público. 

Dado que todos los Meraglim, el vocablo que designa a los espías regresa con una apreciación objetiva y similar de la tierra y sus habitantes, la diferencia en sus conclusiones tiene que atribuirse a razones subjetivas que reflejan la disparidad del carácter de cada uno. El grupo de los diez que manifiesta Vanehí veeineinu kajagavim, que se consideran meros insectos en la presencia de un potencial enemigo, tienen la batalla perdida de antemano. Indudablemente la auto estima es, un factor determinante en muchas ocasiones. 

Es muy probable que la confianza en uno mismo sea una función de la fe en el Creador. La persona auténticamente religiosa considera que Dios está a su lado en todo momento y esta convicción se traduce en una sensación de seguridad y en una acción decidida que resulta, frecuentemente victoriosa. Calev y Yehoshua sienten la presencia de Dios, y saben que Sus promesas en relación con la tierra ancestral serán cumplidas. Los Jajamim ven en la inseguridad y cobardía de los Meraglim una demostración de la pobreza de su fe y de su falta de confianza en el cumplimiento de la promesa Divina.

Se hace necesario entonces cambiar el rumbo de la travesía por el desierto debido a las dudas de los líderes del pueblo, que ponen en evidencia una preparación insuficiente para la construcción de una nación. Sin la necesaria confianza en uno mismo, ¿cómo se puede ocupar una tierra y conquistar a los pueblos que viven en ciudades fortificadas, y luego enfrentar los enormes desafíos que el desarrollo de una nueva sociedad implica? 

Según Erich Fromm todos tememos a la libertad y más aún aquellos que nacen en la esclavitud egipcia en un ambiente que no permite asumir sus propias decisiones. Cuarenta años, en total, deambularán nuestros antepasados por las arenas del desierto, hasta que fallecen todos aquellos que habían alcanzado mayoría de edad en Egipto y por lo tanto habían crecido en una atmósfera de sumisión y servidumbre, lo que es incompatible con un mundo donde impera la libertad.

Hacia el final de nuestro texto nos encontramos con el episodio del Mekoshesh etsim, de una persona cortando leña en Shabat. Dios ordena la muerte del hombre en cuestión, respondiendo a la pregunta de Moshé. ¿Quién era esta persona? Algunos sostienen que era Tselofjad, cuyas hijas luego desean recibir su herencia, porque no tenían hermanos varones. Tal vez la razón por la que se omite el nombre de esta persona es para mostrar que ante la Ley no hay privilegiados. Todos tenemos que cumplir igualmente las Mitsvot. 

Las Mitsvot, su cumplimiento y consecuencias, no están circunscritas a Erets Israel (salvo aquellas que están relacionadas con la propia tierra). Las Mitsvot tienen su propia validez y vigencia, independientemente de la localidad geográfica. Aun en el desierto, que es un ambiente naturalmente hostil, las enseñanzas de la Torá tienen que ser cumplidas.

Con la ordenanza de colocar Tsitsit las franjas en las esquinas de las vestimentas, concluye nuestra lectura semanal. La colocación de los Tsitsit debe servir para que recordemos nuestras obligaciones religiosas, y se ubica inmediatamente después del relato de los Meraglim para evitar en el futuro este tipo de faltas. 

De acuerdo con nuestros Jajamim, únicamente aquellas vestimentas que tienen cuatro esquinas (según algunos para recordar que Dios gobierna los cuatro puntos cardinales de la tierra) requieren Tsitsit. Dado que la ropa que utilizamos en nuestros días carece de esta característica, portamos una vestimenta especial, Talit ketaná, para poder cumplir esta Mitsvá. Esa es también la razón por la cual nos colocamos un Talit (que es una especie de chal con cuatro esquinas donde se colocan los Tsitsit) durante la recitación de las plegarias.

El talit debe tener una dimensión suficiente que permita cubrir la mayor parte del cuerpo de un niño que ya puede andar por sí solo por la calle. El Talit y los Tsitsit pueden ser confeccionados de cualquier tela, aunque la Torá generalmente se refiere a la lana o al lino. En nuestra lectura se menciona Tejélet, que es un hilo azul como parte de los Tsitsit. Para la obtención de este color azul es necesaria la utilización de un molusco denominado Jilazón. Como no sabemos cómo identificar hoy en día a este molusco, nos abstenemos de incluir el hilo azul en los Tsitsit. 

En el siglo pasado, el Rabí de Radzín anunció haber identificado al molusco y procedió a incluir Tejélet en el Talit. Hasta el día de hoy, los Radziner jasidim incluyen Tejélet en sus Tsitsit. Según algunos comentaristas, el color azul nos hace recordar el color del mar, lo que a su vez hace alusión al color del cielo y, por inferencia, debe dirigir nuestra mirada hacia nuestro Padre Celestial. Según el autor del comentario Kelí Yakar, tal como el océano “azul” debe permanecer dentro de ciertos límites, ya que de otra manera puede ocasionar daños graves, igualmente el hombre debe actuar dentro de cierto marco para evitar posibles consecuencias trágicas.

Nuestros Jajamim le dieron una importancia especial al uso de los Tsitsit porque la Torá instruye Ureitem, porque ver y mirar los Tsitsit debe recordarnos nuestras obligaciones religiosas. (Debido a que la Torá insiste en que debemos mirar los Tsitsit, nuestros Jajamim concluyen que esta Mitsvá tiene vigencia únicamente cuando se pueden ver en forma natural, o sea cuando es de día. Dado que esta Mitsvá está circunscrita a un parámetro de tiempo, Shehazemán gueramá, las mujeres están eximidas de su cumplimiento). 

De esta manera, los Tsitsit se convierten en un símbolo que representa el cúmulo de todas las otras Mitsvot. En el Talmud hay unrelato sobre una persona que estaba a punto de tener una relación sexual ilícita, pero que desistió de ello cuando, al desvestirse, observó su propio Talit ketaná debajo de su camisa.

En la confección de los Tsitsit se utilizan cuatro hilos que se doblan (para formar ocho hilos) y a los que se les hacen cinco nudos. El valor numérico (Guematria) de la palabra Tsitsit es seiscientos. Si a este número de seiscientos, le añadimos el número de los hilos y de los nudos, llegamos a la cifra de seiscientos trece, que corresponde al número de Mitsvot que contiene la Torá. De este modo se establece, una vez más, la relación entre la Mitsvá de Tsitsit y el número total de Mitsvot que contiene la Torá.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 2 MITSVOT POSITIVAS Y 1 PROHIBICIÓN

1. Números 15:20 Separar jalá de toda masa y entregarla al Kohén
2. Números 15:38 Colocar tsitsit (flecos) en una vestimenta que se viste
3. Números 15:39 No desviarse hacia los pensamientos del corazón o lo que los ojos ven

SHELACH – NUMBERS XIII – XV

The main theme of our weekly reading concerns the expedition that Moshe sent to Canaan to examine the possibilities of conquering that land and to inform about its fauna and flora. This episode becomes an angular part of our historical past and has given rise to controversies and misunderstandings. To begin with, our Chahamim argue that the idea of “spying” on the Promised Land is born from within the people. God consents to this plan, but it is not He who promoted it. It is obvious that the sending of the patrol demonstrates a lack of confidence in the Divine promise to successfully take them to Erets zavat chalav udevash, the land where milk and honey flow.

The report of the “spies”, representing the twelve tribes, is positive with reference to the abundance of vegetation and fruits. But it is negative as far as the possibility of conquest is concerned: the cities are fortified and their inhabitants have gigantic dimensions. The literary image used by the spies is dramatic, expressing themselves according to the biblical text, Vanehi ve´eineinu kachagavim, vechen hayinu be´eineihem, which means, “and we were in our eyes like locusts (apparently compared to the huge size of the inhabitants of Canaan) and so we were before their eyes”. It should be noted that a minority report is also presented.

Calev and Yehoshu´a (the expedition consisted of twelve people, one per tribe) without denying the veracity of the description of the rest of the group, conclude their presentation stating that there was a real possibility of beating the Canaanites. (The Torah also uses the word Eda, a congregation, to refer to the ten spies who bring the negative report. In this way we give a numerical equivalent to the word Eda, which will then be used to define a Minyan, the quorum of tenpeoplerequired for a public religious service.

Since all the Meraglim, the word designating spies return with an objective and similar appreciation of the land and its inhabitants, the difference in their conclusions must be attributed to subjective reasons that reflect the disparity in their individual character. The group of the ten manifested by saying Vanehi ve´eineinu kachagavim, that they considered themselves mere insects in the presence of a potential enemy, and, therefore, lost the battkle beforehand. Undoubtedly, self-esteem is a determining factor on many occasions. 

Self-confidence is likely a function of faith in the Creator. The authentically religious person considers that God is always at his side and this conviction gives him a sense of security and determination that leads to victory. Calev and Yehoshu´a feel God’s presence and know that His promises in relation to the ancestral land will be fulfilled. The Chachamim see in the insecurity and cowardice of the Meraglim a demonstration of their uncertain faith and lack of confidence in the fulfillment of the Divine Promise.

It becomes necessary to change the course of the desert crossing due to the doubts of the leaders of the people who show insufficient preparation for the building of a nation. Without the necessary self-confidence, how can one occupy a land and conquer the peoples who live in fortified cities, and then face the enormous challenges of building a new society?

According to Erich Fromm we fear freedom and especially those born into Egyptian slavery, an environment that did not permit making personal decisions. For forty years, in total, our ancestors will roam the desert sands, until the death of all those who had come of age in Egypt and, therefore, had grown up in an atmosphere of submission and servitude incompatible with a world where freedom of choice prevails.

Towards the end of our text, we find the episode of the Mekoshesh etsim, a person cutting firewood on Shabbat. God orders the death of the man in question, answering Moshe’s query. Some think that this man was none other than Tselofchad, whose daughters later wish to receive their inheritance, because there were no male siblings.

The fulfillment and consequences of the Mitsvot are not confined to Erets Israel (except for those related to the land itself). Mitsvot have their own value and validity, regardless of geographical location. Even in the desert, which is a naturally hostile environment, the teachings of the Torah must be fulfilled.

With the ordinance of placing Tsitsit stripes on the corners of clothing, we conclude our weekly reading. The placement of the Tsitsit should serve as a reminder of our religious obligations, and according to some it is located immediately after the episode of the Meraglim to prevent that his kind of episode be repeated in the future.

According to our Chachamim, only garments that have four corners (to remember that God rules over the four cardinal points of the earth) require Tsitsit. Since the clothes we wear nowadays lack this feature, we make special ones with this characteristic: Talit ketanah, to comply with this Mitsvah. This is also why we wear a Talit (a kind of shawl with four corners where the Tsitsit are placed) during the recitation of prayers.

The Talit must be large enough to cover most of the body of a child who can already walk alone on the street. Talit and Tsitsit can be made from any fabric, although the Torah usually refers to wool or linen. In our reading we mention Techelet, which is a blue thread as part of the Tsitsit. To obtain this blue color it is necessary to use a mollusk called Chilazon. Since we cannot identify this mollusk today, we refrain from including the blue thread in the Tsitsit.

A century ago, the Rabbi of Radzin announced that he had identified the mollusk and proceeded to include Techelet in the Talit. To this day, the Radziner chasidim include Techelet intheir Tsitsit. According to some commentators, the blue color reminds us of the color of the sea, which in turn alludes to the color of the sky and, by inference, moves us to direct our gaze towards our Heavenly Father. According to the author of Keli Yakar, just as the “blue” ocean must remain within certain limits, since otherwise it can cause serious harm, so man must act within a certain framework to avoid possible tragic consequences.

Our Chachamim gave special importance to the wearing of Tsitsit because the Torah instructs Ure´item, that seeing and looking at the Tsitsit must remind us of all our religious obligations. (Because the Torah insists that we must look at the Tsitsit, our Chachamim conclude that this Mitsvah takes effect only when they can be seen naturally, that is, during daylight. Since this Mitsvah is limited to a time parameter, Shehazeman gerama, women are exempt from its fulfillment). 

Tsitsit becomes a symbol that represents the cluster of all the Mitsvot. In the Talmud there is a story about a person who was about to have an illicit sexual relationship, but who gave up on it when, undressed, observed his own Talit ketanah, with its Tsitsit under his shirt.

Four threads are used in the making of Tsitsit that bend (to form eight threads) and are held by five knots. The numerical value (Gematria) of the word Tsitsit is six hundred. If to this number of six hundred, we add the number of threads and knots, we reach the figure of six hundred and thirteen, which corresponds to the number of Mitsvot contained in the Torah. This establishes, once again, the relationship between the Mitsvah of Tsitsit and the rest of Mitsvot contained in the Torah.

MITSVAH: TORAH ORDINANCES IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 2 POSITIVE MITSVOT AND 1 PROHIBITION

1. Numbers 15:20 Separate Challah from the dough and give it to a Kohen
2. Numbers 15:38 Place tsitsit (fringes) on a garment that is worn
3. Numbers 15:39 Do not deviate into the thoughts of the heart or what the eyes see