Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English Parshas Naso – 9 Sivan 5784
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Naso – 9 Sivan 5784
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
Secretariat Email: bosto...@gmail.com
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All of Israel is going through a very difficult time, both in our Eretz Yisroel as well as the Diaspora. Words and acts of hatred against Klal Yisroel, which do not seem to make any logical sense. The Gemara (Yevamos 79a) states that there are three indicators that signal one is a member of Klal Yisroel. The first is that they are mericiful, the second is that they are timid and the third is that they perform acts of lovingkindness. The Gemara concludes that anyone who possesses these three traits is worthy to adhere to the nation of Yisroel.
The Aruch HaShulchan (Orach Chaim 112:4) cites the Tur (113) who says in the name of his brother Rebbeinu Yechiel that the Ashkenazic Chassidim would count the number of words in each blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei. The first blessing (Avos) has 42 words. The second blessing (Gevuros) has 51 words (either משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם orמשיב הרוח ומוריד הטל). The third blessing of Kedushas HaShem has 14 words. The fourth blessing 17 words. Followed by 15, 20, 17, 27, 30, 20, 24, 29, 42, 24, 20, 35, 34, 86, and the 19th blessing (Shalom) has 61 words. If we add up all of these words we get 613 total words, which is the equivalent of the 613 Biblical Mitzvos
If we look closer at the final Bracha, “Place peace, goodness and blessing, life, grace, kindness and mercy upon us and upon all Yisroel your people. Bless us, our father, all of us at once with the illumination of your face. Because in the illumination of your face, You, Hashem Elokeinu, gave us the Torah of life and love of Kindness and Tzedaka and blessing mercy and life and peace. And may it be good in your eyes to bless your people Yisroel at all times and at every hour with your peace. Baruch Ata Hashem, who blesses his people Yisroel with peace.
If in the beginning of the blessing we are requesting ‘peace’, ‘kindness’ and ‘mercy’, why do we say at the end that we already received ‘peace’, ‘kindness’ and ‘mercy’. The Talmud Yerushalmi (Kiddushin Chapter 4) regarding why the Gibeonites are forbidden to come into the congregation of Yisroel. Rebbe Ami in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi explains based on the Pasuk in Yehoshua “And Yehoshua made them that day hewers of trees and drawers of water for the congregation” (Yehoshua 9:27). Although they were accepted as ‘converts’ in regards that we allowed them to live in Eretz Yisroel, a Yisroel was not permitted to marry the Givonim they way we are permitted to marry other Geyrim.
It was not Yehoshua, but Dovid HaMelech that decided that we were permitted to use their wood and their water for both personal use and for use on the Mizbayach, but it was prohibited to intermarry with them. There was a famine in Eretz Yisroel for three years and Dovid HaMelech attributed the famine to the three sins of Avodah Zara, Giluy Arayos, and Shfichus Damim as well as a fourth sin of pledging money to Tzedakah publicly but not fulfilling their Tzedaka pledges. Dovid investigated but could not find members of Klal Yisroel that pledged money to Tzedakah and did not fulfill their pledges. He consulted with the Urim V’Tumim and discovered that it was the Givonim that were taking revenge on the House of Shaul. They could not be placated nor would they accept monetary remediation. Dovid declared that since this group of Givonim were not merciful, were not timid and were not performing acts of kindness, they had no place in Klal Yisroel.
When we received the Torah, we received the means to acquire the character traits of being merciful, timid and performers of acts of Chessed. We find this highlighted in Parshas Naso when it says that one of the tribal princes brought their offering for the dedication of the Mishkan each day, rather than all of the tribal princes bringing their respective offerings all together on one day. Each individual is important simply because they have these three character traits. In the blessing of ‘Sim Shalom’ we ask that the traits of ‘timidness’, ‘mercy’ and ‘kindness’ that we were endowed with at Har Sinai should continue and they should never cease, in order that we should be able to fulfill our Service of Hashem for the sake of Heaven and merit that our eyes should behold the return of Tzion with the coming of the Goel Tzedek, speedily in our days.
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