In this week’s Torah reading, we find the Mitzvah to set aside Arei Miklat / Cities of Refuge for those who murder unintentionally. R’ Avraham Yoffen z”l (1887-1970; Rosh Yeshiva of the Novardok Yeshiva in Bialystok, Poland; New York and Yerushalayim) observes:
The Torah surrounds a person with Mitzvot at every step of his life. We have Tefilin, Tzitzit, and Mezuzah, about which the Gemara (Menachot 43b) says, “One who is careful with them will not hurry to sin.” Beyond that, we read (Bemidbar 23:10), “Who has counted the dust of Yaakov”--there is no limit to the Mitzvot one can perform with “dust,” i.e., the agricultural laws that relate to the earth, the ashes of Parah Adumah, and the dirt in the Sotah-water. A businessperson, too, has many laws he must observe to ensure that his dealings are honest.
Sometimes, however, a person slips, or an avalanche of circumstances knocks him off of his regular spiritual level. At such times, his routine of Torah study and prayer is turned on its head, and the world becomes a dark place for him. Even then, however, the Torah does not abandon him, just as someone who kills accidentally is not abandoned to the hand of the avenger. Rather, he is given a place to run for safety, and not just any place. The Cities of Refuge were also the cities of the Levi’im, the servants of Hashem, where the murderer will be in an environment that will lift him back up.
R’ Yoffen adds: Every person has such “at-risk” moments, particularly during vacation periods, when he is away from his usual positive influences. Precisely in such times, a person must find ways to strengthen himself. (Ha’mussar Ve’ha’da’at)
“This is the thing that Hashem has commanded: ‘If a man takes a vow to Hashem or swears an oath to establish a prohibition upon himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth he shall do’.” (30:3)
R’ Yosef Shalom z”l (1630-1694; rabbi in Moravia) writes: R’ Eliyahu de Vidas (1518-1592; Eretz Yisrael) teaches in Reishit Chochmah that a thinking person should not make a vow to do or not do something for an extended period of time [for example, to Daven with a Minyan or learn a specific amount for an entire year], for the Yetzer Ha’ra will surely find ways to prevent him from fulfilling such a vow. Rather, if a person makes a vow, it should be for a short period of time--even a day or half a day. When he completes that vow, he can renew it for another short period.
R’ Yosef Shalom continues: In this vein, commentaries explain the Mishnah (Avot ch.1), “Say little and do a lot.” As soon as a person expresses a desire to do a good deed, the Yetzer Ha’ra hears and begins to scheme to stop him. But, if you say little, then you will be able to do a lot.
This, writes R’ Yosef Shalom, is the meaning of our verses as well: “This is the thing that Hashem has commanded”--this is His advice to you. “If a man takes a vow to Hashem or swears an oath to establish a prohibition upon himself”--the listing of “vow,” “oath,” and “prohibition” teaches that a person should make multiple small commitments, not one large commitment. Then, “he will not desecrate his word.” Why? Because “according to whatever comes from his mouth he shall do”--“he,” the Yetzer Ha’ra, hears what comes from one’s mouth and he, the Yetzer Ha’ra, begins “to do”--to scheme against your good intentions.
Alternatively, R’ Yosef Shalom writes, the verse may be alluding to another teaching of the Reishit Chochmah--that when a person expresses an intent to do a good deed, he creates an angel. However, that angel is incomplete until the good deed is finished. Therefore, do not fail to follow through on your word, for your word has already begun “to do.” (Yad Avi Shalom)
“Why do you dissuade the heart of Bnei Yisrael from crossing to the Land that Hashem has given them? This is what your fathers did, when I sent them from Kadesh-Barne’a to see the Land.” (32:7-8)
R’ Shlomo Alkabetz z”l (1505-1584; author of the Friday night hymn Lecha Dodi, among other works) asks: Why did Moshe mention the Spies? That generation had already been punished! Why not let bygones be bygones?
He answers: Moshe did not mean to say, “You are evil like the Spies.” Rather, he was telling the two tribes that wanted to remain on the East Bank of the Jordan, “Do not think that you will not influence others because you are a minority. Just ten men were able to influence the entire generation that preceded you to reject the Land.” (Perushei U’drushei R’ Shlomo Alkabetz)
“These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael . . . Moshe wrote their goings forth according to their journeys at the bidding of Hashem, and these are their journeys according to their goings forth.” (33:1-2)
R’ Moshe Shick z”l (1805-1879; a leading rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva in Hungary) writes: Commentaries offer several reasons for why the Torah lists all of the way stations where Bnei Yisrael camped over 40 years. Another reason may be to teach a person Mussar / the proper way to refine oneself.
R’ Shick explains: Life is a journey. Every day and every year is another way station. At all times there are two paths that a person can choose: a good path and a bad path. In truth, though, a person is biased by his desires and temptations, and whichever path he chooses, he will tell himself that it is the good one. Therefore, Pirkei Avot (2:1) teaches: “Which is the proper path that person should choose for himself? Whatever is a credit to himself and earns him the esteem of fellow men.” If a person wants to know if he really is on a good path, says R’ Shick, he needs to acknowledge that he is biased and cannot decide for himself. Rather, he should look at whether he is earning the esteem of his fellow men.
R’ Shick continues: It is not enough to consider this question in the moment. In addition, a person must look back and examine his past: was it good or bad?
In this light, R’ Shick writes, we can understand a reversal in the wording of our verse: “Moshe wrote Motza’aihem / their goings forth Le’mas’aihem / according to their journeys at the bidding of Hashem”--first their “goings forth” and then their “journeys”--“and these are Mas’aihem / their journeys Le’motza’aihem / according to their goings forth”--first their “journeys” and then their “goings forth.” When Moshe looked back, he could see that from the time he went forth into the world, all his journeys were at the bidding of Hashem. He could be very proud of his life’s journey. Not so Bnei Yisrael, who tested and tried Hashem time-and-time-again over their 40 years in the desert. Their “journeys,” the times when they did obey Hashem, needed to atone for their “goings forth,” their many rebellions in the Nation’s younger years. (Maharam Shick Al Ha’Torah)
Shabbat
“Hear D’var / the word of Hashem, House of Yaakov and all the families of the House of Yisrael.” (Yirmiyah 2:4--the first verse of this week’s Haftarah)
Midrash Aggadat Bereishit comments on this verse: Hashem says, “You neglected all of the Dibrot / Ten Commandments. Keep one Davar / thing (literally, ‘word’) and I will forgive you. What is that one thing? It is Shabbat, about which is says (Yeshayah 58:13), ‘Honor it . . . by refraining from Dabber davar / speaking words’.” [Until here from the Midrash]
R’ Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg shlita (Tolna Rebbe in Yerushalayim) asks: The quoted verse from Yeshayah does not refer to observing Shabbat in general. Rather, it refers to the prohibition on discussing mundane matters on Shabbat (see Shabbat 113a: “Your Dibbur / speech on Shabbat should be different from your Dibbur / speech on weekdays.”). Why is that one detail of Shabbat observance so important that observing it will bring about forgiveness for other sins?
This teaches, answers the Tolna Rebbe, that there is a special holiness to our speech on Shabbat. The Zohar refers to the mouth as “royalty.” This means, explains the Tolna Rebbe, that when we sanctify our mouths and do not speak improperly--rather, we speak words of Torah and prayer in holiness and purity--we influence our entire bodies and cause Hashem’s goodness to flow to them. This will cause us to observe all Mitzvot more fully, which allows us to be forgiven.
The foregoing idea, notes the Tolna Rebbe, connects this week’s Haftarah to our Parashah, which begins with the subject of not profaning one’s word. The concept of speech appears several other times in this Parashah, as well. This idea also is appropriate for this time of year, for we are taught that the Bet Hamikdash was destroyed because of the misuse of speech that resulted from senseless hatred, as in the well-known story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza (Gittin 55b). In that incident, speech was misused several times--first when Bar Kamtza was expelled from the party, again when the other guests failed to intervene, and a third time when Bar Kamtza informed (falsely) on the Jewish People.
The Tolna Rebbe concludes: Speech is what distinguishes man from animals, as we read (Bereishit 2:7), “Man became a living being,” which Onkelos translates: “Man became a speaking being.” Our obligation to be careful with our speech is that much greater on Shabbat. The Torah says regarding Shabbat (Shmot 23:12), “So that your ox and donkey may rest”--which teaches that a person is obligated to influence all of the lower forms of existence that he controls, including the animal soul within himself. Then his mouth will truly be royalty. (Chedveta D’ze’air Anpin: Matot 2)
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