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<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]<BR> In Memory of
Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=890083609-10082007> The Holiday
in Parshat Re'ay & "simchat
yom-tov": </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=890083609-10082007>
[an additional on chapter 13 shiur follows this
shiur]</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=890083609-10082007> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> There's a short sentence in
Parshat Re'ay, that appears to be 'misplaced' – for it commands us to 'remember
our slavery in Egypt' specifically on the holiday of Shavuot! [See Devarim
16:12]<BR> Would it not have made more sense to include this commandment
together with the laws of Passover?<BR> In the following shiur, we'll
explain how this 'misplaced pasuk' is precisely where it belongs, by considering
its connection to a mega-theme of the Bible (and Sefer
Devarim).<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> As you were probably aware,
the Torah 'repeats' the holidays towards the end of Parshat Re'ay (see
16:1-17). In that section, we find three distinct 'parshiot';
corresponding to Pesach (16:1-8), Shavuot (16:9-12), and Succot
(16:13-17).<BR>[In Chutz la'aretz, this section is the Torah reading for 8th day
of Passover, 2nd Day of Shavuot, and Shmini Atzeret!] </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Even though these laws seem to be pretty much
a repeat (or summary) of the laws of the holidays recorded earlier in Chumash
(see Shmot 23:14-17, Vayikra 23, and Bamidbar 28-29), this unit adds (and
emphasizes) an additional element - the need to celebrate these three
'pilgrimage holidays' at "ha'makom asher yivchar Hashem" [the site that God will
choose]. <BR>[See 16:2,6,7,11,15 & 17! - In our previous shiur, we
explained how this was congruent with theme of "ha'makom asher yivchar Hashem"
that began back at the beginning of Parshat Re'ay.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> However, there is another "chidush"
[something new] in this section, i.e. the commandment of "simcha" (see 16:11
& 16:14-15) – i.e. to rejoice before God. Yet for some reason, this
commandment is mentioned specifically in regard to Shavuot and Succot (and not
in regard to Pesach). <BR> To explain why, we must take a closer look
at how the Torah words this commandment 'to rejoice'. In doing so, we will
arrive at a deeper understanding why the Torah tell us immediately afterward 'to
remember'. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SIMCHAT YOM TOV – FOR WHOM?<BR> Let's begin
our study with the laws of Shavuot in Parshat Re'ay. Note how the opening
psukim describe what appears to be a very simple agricultural holiday, thanking
God for the seasonal grain harvest.<BR>"Count seven weeks; from the time the
sickle is first put to the standing corn, you shall begin to count seven weeks.
<BR>And you shall keep the 'feast of weeks' unto Hashem your Lord – by the
measure of the freewill-offering of thy hand, which you shall give as Hashem has
blessed you."
(16:9-10)<BR> <BR>
This commandment to keep "Shavuot" is followed by the special mitzvah to rejoice
on that holiday. As you read these psukim, pay careful attention to WHO is
commanded to be happy:<BR>And you shall REJOICE before HASHEM... you & your
son & your daughter & your man-servant, & your maid-servant, &
the Levite that is within your gates, & the stranger, & the orphan
& the widow, that are in your midst - in the place which Hashem shall choose
to cause His name to dwell there. And your shall remember that you were
once a slave in Egypt..." (see 16:11-12)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Two obvious questions arise :<BR>1) Why
doesn't the Torah just tell us that EVERYONE must be happy? [Why such a
lengthy list of people?] <BR>2) What is the purpose of the 'additional'
commandment to remember that we were once slaves in Egypt? Wasn't that the
purpose of the holiday of Passover, celebrated only six week
earlier!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Furthermore, when the Torah continues with
the laws of Succot, we find a similar commandment to REJOICE on that holiday as
well, followed by an almost identical lengthy list of people who need to be
happy (see 16:14)! Yet for some reason, this 'mitzvah to rejoice' is only
recorded by Shavuot and Succot, but not by Pesach. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The answers to these questions (as you
probably guessed) are inter-related, and relate to the purpose of these two
harvest holidays – Shavuot, when we thank God for our grain harvest; and Succot
– when we thank God for our fruit harvest.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>LAND OWNERS & HAPPINESS<BR> Take a look
once again at the list of the people who the Torah commands to rejoice, noting
how just about all of them do not own land. The Levite by the Torah's
decree (see 18:1), the stranger due to his social predicament, the orphan and
widow due to a family tragedy.<BR> Note how this list looks more like a
roster of those who are NOT happy at this time of the year – as everyone around
them are gathering their wealth (while own nothing). <BR> In
other words, the land owner will be very happy during this time of year - even
if the Torah didn't command him to be happy; while the other people in the
Torah's list will not be happy (more likely jealous), commandment or not!
<BR> And this is exactly what the Torah is talking about!
<BR> Unlike our original assumption, the Torah does not
command everyone in this list to be happy; rather it commands the land owner to
share his natural happiness with the 'have-nots'. <BR>
Surely he must rejoice by thanking God for his harvest, but he accomplishes this
by sharing his produce with the downtrodden, helping them rejoice at this
special time of the year.<BR> This interpretation also
explains why this mitzvah of "simcha" is recorded in regard to Shavuot and
Succot – which are both seasonal harvest holidays, and not on Pesach – when the
harvest is just beginning, and its outcome remains in doubt<BR>[This does not
imply that there is not a mitzvah of "simcha" on Pesach, rather its application
by providing for the needy does not apply in realm of agriculture (harvest
produce), as it does on Shavuot & Succot .] </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>REMEMBER YOU WERE ONCE A 'HAVE-NOT'!<BR> This
interpretation also neatly explains why the Torah reminds us to remember that we
were once slaves in Egypt, specifically after this commandment to rejoice with
the downtrodden on Shavuot. Recall once again the juxtaposition of these
two commandments:<BR>"... REJOICE before HASHEM... you & your son & your
daughter & your man-servant, & your maid-servant, & the Levite that
is within your gates, & the stranger, & the orphan & the
widow, that are in your midst....<BR> ** Remember that you were once a
slave in Egypt!" </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> This 'reminder' to - remember
you were once a slave – should not be understood as an additional commandment,
but rather as a 'statement of motivation'. In other words, to make sure
that we fulfill the Torah's commandment that we share our happiness with the
needy, the Torah reminds us that once the entire nation of Israel was in the
position of the 'downtrodden' under Egyptian bondage. That difficult
experience should be remembered to sensitize our feelings toward the poor, and
hence motivate our commitment to follow God's command to share our rejoicing on
Shavuot and Succot with the 'have-nots'.<BR> In fact, that may
have been the very reason why God put is through that difficult period of
"shiabud mitzraim" – enslavement in Egypt- in order to sensitize our national
character, to ensure our constant awareness to care for social
justice.<BR> <BR>THE SAME PHRASE THROUGHOUT SEFER
DEVARIM<BR> To support our interpretation that to 'remember you were once a
slave in Egypt' should be understood as a 'statement of motivation' (and not a
separate mitzvah). Let's examine how this identical phrase is used
numerous times in Sefer Devarim, and always in this same context, i.e. as a
motivator to follow commandments relating to social justice.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>EVED IVRI <BR> Previously in Parshat Re'ay, in
regard to the laws of how to free an "eved ivri" [a Hebrew servant], we find
this exact same phrase:<BR>"If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be
sold to you, he shall serve you six years; and in the seventh year thou shall
let him go free. And when our let him go free – don't let him go empty; You
shall furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor,
and out of thy winepress; of that which Hashem has blessed you...<BR>** Remember
that you were once a bondman in the land of Egypt, and Hashem redeemed
you..." (see 15:12-15)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Clearly, in this context, this
phrase serves as a 'motivator' to keep the previous commandment (and not as a
commandment in itself). [Note how most all of chapter 15 relates to social
justice.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>IN PARSHAT KI-TEZE<BR> Later on in Sefer
Devarim, we find numerous mitzvot relating to social justice, and especially in
chapter 24. We bring two examples where this phrase is used once again as
a 'motivator':<BR>"Do not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy,
whether he be your brother or a stranger in your land... In the same day thou
shalt give him his hire....<BR>Do not pervert the justice due to the stranger,
or to the orphan; nor take the widow's raiment to pledge. <BR>Remember that you
were once a bondman in Egypt..."<BR> (see
24:14-18)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Only a few psukim later, when the Torah
discusses the laws of "leket" & "shikcha", we find this phrase once
again:<BR>"When you reap thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in
the field, thou shalt not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for
the orphan, and for the widow ....<BR>When you beat your olive-tree, do not go
over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, for the orphan and
widow.<BR>When you gather the grapes of thy vineyard, do not glean it, it shall
be for the stranger, for the orphan and widow.<BR>Remember that you were once a
bondman in Egypt..."<BR> (see 24:19-22)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!<BR>
Based on these examples, we can bring one final (and thematically significant)
proof from Sefer Devarim – and this time from the Ten
Commandments!<BR> Recall how the Fourth Commandment - to keep
Shabbat - is worded differently in Sefer Devarim. Not only is the opening
word "shamor" instead of "zachor", but the very reason for keeping Shabbat is
different. According the Commandment in Shmot, the reason for resting on
Shabbat is to remember that God created the Heavens & Earth in seven days;
while the reason to rest in the Sefer Devarim version is to allow your workers a
day of rest!<BR> As you read this Commandment, note how we
find our 'phrase', and how once again it is employed as a 'motivator' – to
ensure that we keep this commandment:<BR>"Observe the sabbath day, to keep it
holy...<BR>You shall not do any work, you, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor
thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant...<BR>nor the stranger that is within thy
gates; in order that your man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as
you!<BR>Remember that you were once a bondman in Egypt and the LORD thy God
brought you out..." (see 5:11-14)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> We are commanded to rest on
Shabbat, in order that our workers can rest – followed by the 'motivator':
Remember you were once a slave in Egypt – and there, your bosses never gave you
a day of rest!<BR> <BR> Based on these
numerous examples, the meaning of the phrase 'Remember you were once a slave in
Egypt' is very clear in Sefer Devarim. It consistently serves as a
'motivator' to encourage us to keep a rather wide range of laws, but all
relating to social justice – and our need to be sensitive to the needs of
others. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A MEGA-THEME <BR> Let's return for a minute
the concluding lines of the mitzvah to keep Shabbat in Sefer Devarim. Even
though it is commonly understood that the reason for Shabbat in Devarim is to
remember the Exodus ("zecher l'yetziat Mitzraim"), a careful reading of its
final lines leads us to slightly different conclusion:<BR>"Observe the sabbath
day, to keep it holy ... You shall not do any manner of work... in order
that your servant and maid-servant may rest as well as you. Remember that
you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and God brought you out with a mighty
hand and an outstretched arm; THEREFORE God commanded you to keep the sabbath
day " (5:11-14)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Note how the purpose of Shabbat, according to
this commandment, is NOT to remember the Exodus, but rather to allow your
workers a day rest! This commandment, as we explained above, is followed
by the 'motivator' – Remember you were once a slave in Egypt. In other
words - when you were slaves in Egypt, you masters never gave you a day of
rest. Now that you have become God's special nation, be sure give your
servants the kindness that you wished your masters had given
you.<BR> However, immediately after this 'motivator'
statement, we find an additional comment, which explains HOW God brought us out
of Egypt (see again the quote above). It appears that the Torah wants us
to remember (on Shabbat) not only that we were once slaves in Egypt, but also
HOW God took us out of Egypt.<BR> In the context of giving our
workers a day of rest, it makes sense that we must remember our 'slavery in
Egypt', but why must we also remember that God took us out? Is this simply
an expression of gratitude, or does this comment serve as a 'motivator' as
well? If so, what is its meaning?<BR> To answer this
question, we must return to our discussion of the purpose of "brit bein
ha'btarim" (see related shiurim on Parshat Lech Lecha, Sefer Shmot, and the
Haggada), and the reason why God forecasted Am Yisrael's 'bondage in a foreign
land' at the same time when he chose Avraham Avinu to become the forefather of
His special nation. <BR> In those shiurim, we explained
how God chose Avraham to establish 'model nation' (characterized by
"tzedek u'mishpat" /Breishit 18:18-19), that would bring the 'Name of God' to
mankind. Towards this purpose, God promised Avraham not only offspring and
a special land – but He also forecasted the need for his offspring to endure
decades of slavery followed by redemption – in order to become that
nation. We posited that one of the reasons for that 'slavery experience'
would be to 'sensitize' the nation – to encourage them to establish a nation
with a much higher moral and ethical standard (than
Egypt).<BR> <BR> If so, one could suggest
that the Torah mentions the Exodus in relation to Shabbat in order that we
remember WHY God took us out Egypt (and not simply that He took us
out).<BR> In this sense, our mention of the Exodus on Shabbat
serves not only as an expression of gratitude, but more so as a 'recognition of
destiny and purpose'. <BR>[This would be the deeper meaning of "zecher
le'yetziat mitzraim" that we mention in Kidush on Friday night. See
also Rashi on Shmot 13:8 ("ba'avur zeh"), where he explain to our children how
God took us out of Egypt in order that we eat matza (& keep all of His
mitzvot); in contrast to eating matza - because God took us out of
Egypt.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><BR> This mega-theme is congruent with Sefer Devarim, for
in the main speech, Moshe Rabeinu is teaching Bnei Yisrael the mtizvot that they
must keep once they enter the Land of Israel. As the overall purpose of
these mitzvot is to establish Am Yisrael as a nation representing God, it only
makes sense that we find this theme of 'remembering you were a slave in Egypt'
repeated so often. [See Devarim 4:5-8 and 26:16-19.]<BR>
<BR>A SIGNIFICANT CONTRADICTION<BR> This apparent contradiction in regard
to the reason for Shabbat between Shmot (to remember Creation) and Devarim (to
be kind to your workers) carries a very powerful message.<BR> By
intentionally 'contradicting itself', the Torah expects the reader to notice
this contradiction and contemplate why! In other words, why would the
Torah first provide a reason for Shabbat in the realm of one personal
relationship with God ("bein adam la'makom"), and in a later version of the Ten
Commandments provide a totally different reason in the realm of man's
relationship with his fellow man ("bein adam le'chaveiro").<BR> This
contradiction may be precisely the message! The simple recognition by man that
God created the heavens and earth is not enough. For that knowledge to
become meaningful, man must translate his intellectual understanding into the
realm of his daily actions, or in our case, to the realm of social
inter-action. In this manner, he not only shows God his belief in
Creation, but also his recognition of its purpose.<BR>[It should be noted that
these two 'complementing' reasons for Shabbat appear in Sefer Shmot itself (and
are not only a contradiction between Devarim and Shmot). See Shmot
23:9-12, noting the context on Shabbat within the laws of Parshat
Mishpatim.]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>BACK TO SHAVUOT<BR> With this background, we can return to the laws of
Shavuot in Parshat Re'ay. Recall how the first commandment is to rejoice
before God at the time of your grain harvest (see Devarim 16:9-11) – which was
followed immediately afterward by the commandment to rejoice together with those
who don't own their own land. <BR> Here were find a theme very
similar to what we found in regard to Shabbat. The Torah wants the farmer
to recognize that his harvest comes from God, but to formalize that intellectual
understanding, the Torah commands the farmer to take action. He must
rejoice in front of God by sharing his harvest with those who are needy - with
those who would otherwise be rather depressed during this time of the
agricultural year.<BR> We find a beautiful expression of this understanding
in Rashi's commentary to these psukim:<BR>"The Levite, stranger, orphan, and
widow: - My four against your four: your son, daughter, servant, and
maidservant. If you make My four happy, I [God] will make your four
happy." (See Rashi on 16:11.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>BACK TO SEFER SHMOT<BR> This concept, that our slavery in Egypt should
serve as a 'sensitizing experience' for all future generations of Am Yisrael,
finds a similar expression in Sefer Shmot – both at the beginning and end of a
full set of ethical laws within Parshat Mishpatim (see 22:19 thru 23:9).
That section of ethical laws begins with:<BR>"And a stranger shalt thou not
wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt. <BR>Do not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. Should afflict them in
any wise--for if they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their
cry...."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And concludes with:<BR>"Keep thee far from a false matter ....Do not take a
bribe...<BR>Do not oppress the stranger - for you know the soul [nefesh] of a
stranger, seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (see
23:7-9)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> This theme which he have discussed in Sefer Devarim had already
emerged when the Torah presented its first set of laws that followed the Ten
Commandments (in Parshat Mishpatim). <BR> <BR>BACK TO THE
FUTURE<BR> We will never know for sure exactly why God found it necessary
to put us through such a difficult bondage in Egypt. Was it in punishment
for the sins of our forefathers, or was it in preparation for the challenges of
our future?<BR> We may conjecture and ponder, but we trust
that God is just in all His ways (see Devarim 32:4-6).<BR>
However, based on our shiur, we do have a pretty good idea of how God wanted us
to learn from those negative experiences; and how our national suffering can
become the impetus for the improvement of our own
behavior.<BR> Similarly, we will never know for sure exactly
why God has brought upon us such calamity throughout the thousands of years of
our history, even in our own time. We may conjecture and ponder, but we
will never know for sure.<BR> But we can be pretty sure that
God would expect that we become sensitized by our experiences.
<BR> After the difficult events of the last month, we could
dedicate our energies in search of who's to blame, or to gloat in 'I told you
so', or to conjecture regarding God's deeper motives.<BR>
However, we can also take 'hint' from God that he would like us to improve
ourselves. To increase our sensitivity for those who are homeless, for
those in need of food, and for those in need of friends.<BR>
Over the last few weeks, we have seen the brightest side of our nation, in acts
of "chessed" [kindness] and "gevurah" [bravery]; as well its darker sides in the
neglect and corruption of its institutions, and the despair of those in
need.<BR> If we follow the lesson from Parshat Re'ay, we have
much to gain – if we can translate the understanding of our experiences into
actions of increased "chessed", "mishpat", and "tzedaka" in the months and years
to come. <BR> If not, we will only have ourselves to
blame.<BR> <BR>
shabbat shalom,<BR>
menachem </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> PARSHAT
RE’AY - Part Two</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Bad influences? Surely we should stay away
from them,<BR>but how do we identify them? In Parshat Reay, we find
an<BR>example of how the Torah deals with this problem, as Bnei<BR>Yisrael
prepare to enter the land.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>INTRODUCTION<BR> Our previous shiur on Parshat
Re'ay, discussed how<BR>"ha'makom asher yivchar Hashem" - emerged as its
primary<BR>topic. Even though this holds true for chapters 12 and
15,<BR>chapters 13 and 14 appear to form a digression from
this<BR>topic.<BR> To illustrate how the topic of 'bad
influences' is<BR>sandwiched with the topic of "ha'makom asher yivchar",
the<BR>following table summarizes the main topics of the Parsha:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>* HA'MAKOM ASHER YIVCHAR HASHEM<BR>12:1-19 - Establishing the Bet
ha'Mikdash as the national<BR>center<BR>12:20-28 - Permission for eating meat
outside of that center</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>* BAD INFLUENCES<BR>12:29-31 - Don't seek after the gods of the nations of
Canaan<BR>13:2-6 - Don't follow the instructions of a false
prophet<BR>13:7-12 - Don't follow a family member who may lead you
astray<BR>13:13-19 - Ir ha'nidachat - when an entire city goes
astray<BR>14:1-21 - Misc. dietary laws (what one cannot eat)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>* HA'MAKOM ASHER YIVCHAR HASHEM<BR>14:22-27 - Eating "maaser sheni" (there)
in years 1,2,4,& 5<BR>14:28-29 - Giving this "maaser" to the poor in years 3
& 6<BR>15:1-18 - The laws of "shmittah" for the 7th year<BR>15:19-23 -
Bringing the 'first born' to "ha'makom asher..."<BR>16:1-17 - Celebrating
the "shalosh regalim, ba'makom asher..."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>====</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> As you most probably have guessed by now, in our
shiur we<BR>will search for a theme that ties all of these
topics<BR>together.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>FOUR 'BAD EXAMPLES'<BR> To begin our shiur, we must
first explain why we<BR>categorized all of the topics in chapter 13 as
'bad<BR>influences'.<BR> Note how each topic relates to
a certain warning that<BR>'somebody else' will not lead you astray towards
following<BR>other gods.<BR> First we find a warning
against following the gods of<BR>your 'non-jewish' neighbors (12:29-31).
Then we are warned<BR>not to follow a charismatic leader (be he a 'prophet'
or<BR>'dreamer'), even if he performs a miracle, should he suggest<BR>that we
worship a different god (13:2-6). Afterward, we are<BR>warned against
following a family member or close friend who<BR>may secretly suggest that we
worship a different god.<BR>Finally, as a society, we are warned not to allow an
entire<BR>town to go astray; and if so, that entire town must
be<BR>destroyed.<BR> Note how we find examples of
influences from:<BR>a) society at large, i.e. our global community<BR>b) our
leaders, either religious or lay<BR>c) our family and close friends<BR>d) our
city, i.e. our local community</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> These laws are followed by a lengthy list of
dietary laws<BR>in 14:3-21. Note however that the reason for keeping
these<BR>laws is given both at the beginning and end of this unit, in<BR>14:2
and 14:21 - for you are an "am kadosh l'Hashem elokecha"<BR>- a designated
[holy] nation for your God - hence you must<BR>separate yourselves from
them.<BR> Even though the Torah does not explain HOW
these laws<BR>accomplish this goal, we know quite well from our daily
life<BR>how the laws of "kashrut" severely limit our cultural contact<BR>with
people of other religions. Therefore, we find yet<BR>another example of
how the laws of the Torah protect us from<BR>the influences of those who may
lead us towards following<BR>other gods.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> With this in mind, we must now consider the
connection<BR>between this unit of 'bad influences' and the primary topic
of<BR>"ha'makom asher yivchar Hashem".</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>INFLUENCES - GOOD & BAD<BR> When we consider
the purpose of "ha'makom asher yivchar<BR>Hashem", i.e. the establishment of the
city of Yerushalayim<BR>and the Bet ha'Mikdash as the nation's vibrant cultural
and<BR>religious center, we find yet another example of what will<BR>influence
the society of Am Yisrael, this time from the<BR>positive
aspect.<BR> In other words, Parshat Re'ay discusses all
types of<BR>influences that will shape the nature of society (as Bnei<BR>Yisrael
prepare to enter the land). First and foremost, by the<BR>establishment of
"ha'makom asher yivchar Hashem" and the<BR>requirement that every jew frequent
that site and eat his<BR>"maaser sheni" in Yerushalayim, we assure the
proper<BR>development of Am Yisrael as an "am kadosh
l'Hashem".<BR> By warning against bad influences, the
Torah attempts to<BR>make sure that the fabric of that society won't
crumble.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> In Parshat Shoftim, we will find additional
examples of<BR>what will provide a 'good influence' upon the nation.
The<BR>Torah will discuss the judicial system, the priesthood, and<BR>the
various other institutions of political leadership in<BR>their ideal form.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
Till
then,<BR>
shabbat
shalom<BR>
menachem</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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