Dvar Torah Re’eh 2009 5769

We are told to give Tzedakah to the poor, but the Torah adds a peculiar directive. It says: VELO YERA LEVAVCHA BETITCHA LO, “…and your heart should not be grieved when you give him…”(Deut. 15,10) He is doing a Mitzvah; how can he be grieved?

Who is considered poor? A poor person in the days of the Talmud was one who had less than 200 Zuz. The Talmud Yerushalmi relates the following story. One of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi’s students had a few coins less than that amount and was thus considered a poor person. Hence when the Rabbi would tithe he would give him the tithe designated to be given to the poor. The student’s colleagues were envious of him and they gave him as Tzedakah the few coins he lacked to complete the 200 Zuz so that he would not be eligible for the tithe.

When the Rabbi got wind of this he said that they performed an evil- minded Mitzvah. Although they gave Tzedakah it was for the wrong purpose. If a person gives charity grudgingly and out of envy he may be performing a Mitzvah but it is not as the Torah intended him to do. That is why the Torah says. “your heart should not be grieved when you give.”

Dvar Torah Parshat Re’eh 2008 5768 דבר תורה פרשת ראה תשס”ח

The latter part of Re’eh describes the three festivals during which the Jew was to go on Aliyat Haregal, to make a pilgrimage to the Bet Hamikdash. An added element is stipulated. The Torah tells us VESAMACHTA LIFNE HASHEM ELOKECHA, “And you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d…” (Deut. 16,11) The Torah does not stop with that command but enumerates with whom you should rejoice. It mentions your son, your daughter, your man-servant, and your maid-servant, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.
The Rambam makes it more emphatic. He says that one who locks the gate to his yard and eats with his children and his wife and does not feed the poor and the destitute, this is not the rejoicing of a Mitzvah but the rejoicing of his stomach.

A person has to share his good welfare and gifts from Hashem with the less fortunate. In this day and age it is not too common to invite the poor into your house on the holidays because they are not necessarily wandering around in the streets at the time of our meals. There are, however, numerous charities and various opportunities through which we can help the poor and the needy to enjoy the holidays as we do.

We are instructed to rejoice on the holidays but we are obliged to see that the less fortunate are also rejoicing. Otherwise, our rejoicing is not the joy of a Mitzvah.

Dvar Torah Re’eh 7 2007 – 5767 דבר תורה ראה

The Torah warns that sacrifices were not to be offered everywhere once the Jews come into the Land of Israel. Once they are settled in the land and a central place is chosen for the seat of worship then no one is permitted any longer to offer any Korban except in the designated place. The way the Torah puts it is: LESHICHNO TIDRESHU UVATA SHAMA, “you shall seek Him out in His place and you shall come there.” (Deut. 12,5)

The words “and you shall come there” seem somewhat superfluous. Someone gave a unique interpretation of this passage. He said that what is implied here is that if a person desires to seek out Hashem and get closer to Him and in good faith would like to live a true Jewish life, if he will seek out Hashem, then he will reach there, meaning he will attain his goal and succeed in his search. All one has to do is seek and make an effort and he will find success.

This principle holds true in all of life. People set goals for themselves. They make resolutions but often fail. Their failure is due to not making the proper effort. If one really wants to reach a certain objective, he must be persistent and seek honestly. He should not give up too soon when the going gets rough. He should persist and seek to reach his target. Only then will he “come there”.

Dvar Torah Re’eh 6

According to the Torah the farmer had to offer a number of tithes after he harvested his field. One of these tithes is known as Ma’aser Sheni, the “Second Tenth”. This tithe had to be given on certain years and consisted of a tenth of the produce left after the Teruma and the first Ma’aser were given to the Kohen and Levi respectively. The second Ma’aser was to be taken by the farmer to Yerushalayim and eaten there. We read in our Portion this week that if the way is too far and it is too heavy a burden to carry: KI YIRCHAK MIMCHA HAMAKOM, “… because the ‘place’ is too distant from you … “(Deut. 14,24) then you can exchange it for money and bring the money and spend it for food in Yerushalayim. The Alshich, a 16th century popular scholar, points out that the term for “place” is HAMAKOM which is also used to refer to Hashem. Unfortunately, he says, for many people when they are blessed with wealth and with riches, then HAMAKOM, Hashem becomes more and more distant and performance of Mitzvot becomes a burden. A person should be ready to perform Mitzvot and be close to Hashem when he is in need and also when he is blessed and is not in need but has the benefits of Hashem’s good fortune.

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Dvar Torah Re’eh 5

The Torah commands not to drink blood in the following terms: RAK CHAZAK LEVILTI ACHOL HADAM … AL HA’ARETZ TISHPECHENU KAMAYIM, “Only be strong not to eat the blood … you shall pour it onto the ground like water.” (Deut. 12,23-24) Two questions are posed by these verses. First, why use the words “be strong”? Isn’t drinking blood a despicable thought? Why must we be told to be strong not to drink it? Secondly, why tell us to spill it on the ground like water? Why like water? Why not tell us just to spill it out?Our Sages tell us: “How do I know that, “One should not say, ‘I hate to eat Chazir flesh’ but rather one should say, ‘I would love to eat it but what can I do when our Father in Heaven forbids it’.”Similarly with blood one should be strong and refuse to eat it, not because it is despicable but rather because it is commanded to us. Spill it like water. Although water is something that everyone drinks, blood should be spilled on the ground even though it is something that one can drink. This is the attitude we should take with all Mitzvot. We perform them, not because it makes sense or it is the normal thing, but rather because it is Hashem’s will .

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