Doesn't Make Sense

In this weeks parsha, Parshas Chukas, we are introduced to the laws regarding the para adumah, or the red heifer. The complex, seemingly strange ritual surrounding the process of killing and burning the para adumah include using various types of branches and wool to burn with the animal. The example of the para adumah is generally used as the classic chok, a commandment that transcends any understanding or logic that humans might attempt to attach to it.

In the Gemara, the para adumah is brought up in an interesting context. When giving the example of the person who most perfectly honored their parents, the Gemara presents a non-Jew named Dama ben Nessina. According to the Gemara, he was so dedicated to kibud av v'eim (honoring one's father and mother) that his refusal to wake his father from sleep caused him to lose a great fortune. The Gemara says that because of this high level in honoring his parents, Dama ben Nissa was rewarded by receiving a perfect, unblemished red heifer, which was purchased by his Jewish neighbors for a price that far exceeded any profit he would have made in the missed business deal.

The first Gerrer rebbe, the Chidushei HaRim, asks why Dama ben Nissa was rewarded by receiving a para adumah to sell to Jews. Surely the reward could have come in any form, as G-d is not limited, and the lost income could have been made up in any number of ways. The Chidushei HaRim explains that whenever the perfect example of Dama ben Nissa was shown, the malachim (angels) in shamayim (Heaven) began to criticize the Jewish people. They wondered how it could be that a non-Jew, who does not even have the requirement to fulfill the commandment of honoring his parents, could have achieved a higher perfection in the area than a Jew, who is required to observe the commandment. In response to this criticism from the malachim, G-d provided Dama ben Nissa with the red heifer, which was bought for a very high price by Jewish neighbors. The example showed that while the non-Jew Dama ben Nissa was prepared to sacrifice a large sum of money to honor his father (a commandment which is logical), the Jewish people are prepared to sacrifice an even larger amount of money to buy a para adumah, which is a mitzvah (commandment) that completely defies any human comprehension.

Shin & Tav: The End

Shin is for...

Shabbos: The Sabbath is the seventh day, a day of rest commanded by G-d in the Torah, starting at sundown Friday evening and ending the the appearance of three stars Saturday night. From start to finish, we are forbidden from doing activities contained within the "49 melachos", or 49 major categories of activity used to build the mishkon (tabernacle) in the wilderness. These acts include such things as cooking, lighting fires, putting out fires, carrying between a private and public domain, handling money, and putting the finishing touch on a project (which forbids the modern act of completing a circuit to use electricity).

Shofar: A shofar is a hallowed animal horn that is shaped, hardened, and then used during specific times of the year in services that are mean to awaken the soul to overpower the body and push for repentance.

Shavuos: Meaning "weeks" in English, Shavuos is the holiday celebrating Matan Torah, or the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Har Sinai. On the first night, men stay awake until the morning service, studying and learning all night in preparation for the spiritual re-deliverance of the Torah.

Shalom: Generally translated as "peace", the root of the word "shalom" means "whole", showing us that it is only when something is complete and at one with itself that there can be peace.



Tav is for...

Torah: The word "Torah" generally refers to the five books given to and/or written by Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses), but can refer to the entirety of Jewish literature, as all of the works are based on words in the Written or Oral Torah, and therefore truly contain within them whatever is expounded from them.

Tefillah: Tefillah is commonly thought of as prayer, but is truly much deeper. The Hebrew word "tefillah" is from a reflexive verb, meaning that the object of the action is the person doing the action. Tefillah, therefore, is a deep contemplation and process of thought meant to inspire, change, and arouse to action the person who is engaged in tefillah. In the three daily services in the synagogue, tefillah is done in a set order with set words from scripture dictated by ancient sages.

Teshuvah: Similar to the western idea of "repentance", teshuvah is the process by which we reflect on our deeds and resolve to return to the correct course of action.

Reish

Reish is for…

Rosh HaShana: Generally known as the “Jewish New Year,” Rosh HaShana is the time of renewal for people, animals, and legal contracts, and opens the ten day period of introspection and repentance ending on Yom Kippur.

Rav: A “rav” is a religious leader of a community who is able to give specific instruction and assistance with regard to issues of religious law. A “rebbe” is the spiritual leader of a Chasidic group, generally serving as more of a spiritual advisor than a legal authority, though many times a rebbe may also serve as the rav of his group. The term “rabbi” is a general term, usually not used in the more right-wing sectors of the Orthodox community, and can refer to any person who serves as a religious leader of a community, whether he has specific rabbinic ordination or not.

Rashi: A scholar and linguistics expert in 11th century France, Rashi wrote the first comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, and is the standard commentator on the Torah, with his work being an exhaustive compilation of ancient knowledge and modern understanding.

Kuf

Kuf is for…

Korban: Often translated into English as “sacrifice”, the root of the word korban means “near”, as the offering of a korban is meant to bring the person to introspection that will draw their desires and actions closer to their true essence, and thus closer to G-d.

Kiddushin: Kiddushin is the first of the two parts of a marriage ceremony. It takes place by the groom giving an object of value (today generally a ring) to the bride, and her accepting the item. Through this, the groom acquires the bride as set aside specifically for him.

Kaballah: The mystical teaching of Judaism meant to explain the details of the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds, kaballah is based on the intricacies of numerology, specific phrase and word usage, and underlying concepts of the text of the Torah.

Tzaddi

Tzaddi is for...

Tzedakah: Unlike the word “charity,” which is associated with giving something beyond what is required, “tzedakah” is rooted in the Hebrew word for righteousness, and is considered a great and necessary mitzvah (commandment) at all times.

Tzadik: A tzadik is a person who, after working on themselves and dedicating their avodah (holy work) to bring themselves to a higher level, is able to achieve continued awareness of the Divine presence in the world, and is therefore much more aware of the interactions of the Divine on the physical plane, using this to help his/her students or followers.

Peh

Peh is for…

Pesach: Pesach is the holiday that commemorates the exodus from Egypt. The first two nights (first night in Israel) focus around the retelling of the event during the seder, and the entire holiday is characterized by extra-strict regulations on kashrus (kosher laws) and chometz (levened bread), which cannot even be found anywhere inside Jewish property.

Pinteleh Yid: The pinteleh Yid is Yiddish, and refers to the smallest piece of a Jewish soul that remains connected to the Divine Source, no matter how far a person is removed from the path of Torah.

Peyos: Peyos are the sides of the head near the temple, where hair is left uncut (sometimes called “sidesurls”), and then styled in various ways, with various lengths, depending upon the religious group to which the wearer belongs.

Ayin

Ayin is for…

Ezras Nashim: Named after the place in the beis hamikdosh (temple) where the women congregated, the ezras nashim is the portion of the synagogue where the women sit during prayer.

Ezer Kenegdo: In Bereishis (Genesis 2:18), the role of a woman is listed as being an “ezer kenegdo,” or a strength that is set across from a man to balance him.

Ayin Hara: Known in English as the “evil eye,” the ayin hara is used to describe the process by which pride, jealousy, and showing off negatively impact the positive aspects of a person’s life.

Ivrit: Ivrit is the Hebrew word for “Hebrew,” and the root verb (avar) means “to cross over”.