Daily Chumash Summaries

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Forty Years Later

Moshe called all of the Jews and reminded them of everything they witnessed that G-d did in Egypt to Pharaoh, his servants and all of his land, ie. the great trials, signs and wonders.

However, continues Moshe, until that day, G-d did not give them a "heart to know", "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" - i.e until then G-d did not have them recognize all of these acts of G-d to make them cleave to Him.

On the day that Moshe gave the Torah scroll to the Kohanim, the other Israelites protested, saying that this would make the Kohanim claim that the Torah was only given to them and not to the rest of the nation. This made Moshe happy as it showed him that that day they clove to and desired G-d.

Moshe relates how he led them through the desert for forty years during which time neither their clothes nor their shoes wore out.

They did not eat bread or drink wine during that time so that they would know that G-d is their G-d.

Moshe reminds them of how they fought and won against Sichon the king of Cheshbon and Og the king of Bashan and warns them not to let this honor make them haughty and thus rebel against G-d.

It takes forty years for a student to grasp their teacher's mind and wisdom of his studies. Thus while they were always expected to keep Torah, only now, after forty years would G-d be strict with them regarding their observance of the Torah.

Moshe relates how they took this land of Sichon and Og and gave it as an inheritance to the tribes of Reuven, Gad and half of the tribe of Menashe.

Moshe concludes that they must observe and fulfill all of the words of Torah so that they will succeed in everything they do.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Blessings and Curses

Blessings

Moshe tells the Israelites that G-d will cause their enemies who rise up against them to be beaten. These enemies will come to attack them from one direction but as is typical for those who flee from fear, will scatter in all directions.

G-d will bless them in the land of Israel, as well as all of their granaries and all of their endeavors.

Moshe now goes on to outline some blessings that G-d will grant to them if they follow G-d’s commandments, namely that:

G-d will establish them as His holy people as He swore to them which will lead to everyone in the world seeing that G-d’s name is called upon them and they will fear Israel.

He will give them a surplus of children, livestock and vegetation. He will give them rain in the right time and bless everything that they do. The Israelites will lend to many nations but not need to borrow.

He will set them at the “head and not at the tail”, “only at the top… not .. at the bottom”.

Moshe concludes this section with a reminder to them not to deviate from G-d’s commandments, following and worshiping idols.

Curses

Moshe now outlines a series of curses which are to befall Israel if they fail to obey G-d:

They are to be cursed in the city and in the field.

These curses will affect their food, children, vegetation and their livestock’s progeny.

They are to be cursed when they come and go.

G-d will send them curses regarding shortages, panic and turmoil in any of their endeavors until they are destroyed by these and they quickly vanish, due to having forsaken G-d.

G-d will make pestilence cleave to them until it banishes them from the land of Israel.

G-d will strike them with various diseases including: consumption, an illness with fever (קַּדַּחַת), a more intensely feverish illness (דַּלֶּקֶת) and an illness that causes an unquenchable thirst due to the heating up of the body (חַרְחֻר).

G-d will send hostile armies to attack them as well as diseases of the field, through an easternly wind which leads the grain to pale and turn yellow.

All of these above curses will lead them to perish on their own.

The curses given over at Mount Sinai were said by Moshe from the mouth of G-d. By contrast, the curses mentioned here (taking place at Mount Ebal) were said by Moshe himself (through divine inspiration but not “from the mount of G-d”). We can see this through the fact that the curses here are said in the third person (eg. to “obey the Lord your G-d” (Devarim 28:15) whereas at Mount Sinai it was said in the first person (eg. “But if you will not listen to me” (see Vayikra 26:14).

Moshe says the curses here in singular form (as if being told to one person) so as to make them milder than their corresponding curses at Mount Sinai.

As an example, the first curse said at Mount Sinai, regarding there being a drought in the world, likening the skies to iron (which doesn’t sweat) and their earth to copper (which does sweat – thus causing the fruit to rot from the moistness of the earth) their skies like iron and earth like copper (see Vayikra 26:19).

By contrast, in this section, Moshe tells them that their skies will be like copper and their earth like iron, indicating that while there won’t be a downpour of rain, there won’t be a consuming drought all over the earth, nor will the fruits on earth rot. It is still a curse however since regardless of this, the earth will not produce fruit.

G-d will turn the rain of their land into “powder and dust”, meaning there will be rain, but it won’t be sufficient enough even for the dust to settle. And then a wind will come and cause the dust to blow and cover the sprouting vegetation which is still moist from the small amount of rain, causing a layer of mud to form and then dry up on the vegetation which will then rot.

G-d will cause them to be defeated by their enemy, as the Israelites will come at them from one direction but then flee from them in seven directions.

G-d will cause it so that others will see the Israelites as an example of what other nations tremble in fear were such plagues to happen to them.

Such plagues alluded to above are:

Their corpse will be food for all birds and beasts which no one will frighten away.

G-d will strike them with:

* “Boils of Egypt”. This was a very severe lesion which was moist on the inside and dry on the outside (see gemara Bechoros 41a)

* Hemmorrhoids

* Wet boils

* Boils as dry as shards – which they will not be able to be cured from.

* Insanity

* Blindness

* Bewilderment – which Rashi translates to mean a “clogging of the heart”, or in old french as “estordison” which means “staggering, stunning, astounding”

They will grope around like a blind man during the day and be unsuccessful in their endeavors. Everything they do will be experienced as controversy for them.

Other men will be intimate with the women the men get engaged to.

They will build houses but not live in them. They will plant vineyards but not live till the vineyard’s fourth year to be able to redeem and eat its fruits.

One’s ox will be slaughtered in front of him but he will not be able to eat from it.

One’s donkey will be taken from him right in front of him and not returned to him.

One’s flock will be given to their enemies and he will have no savior.

They will witness their children being given over to another people, and they will look longingly at their children but they will be powerless to have them return.

A people who is unknown to them will eat the fruit of their soil which they (the Israelites) worked for.

They will be only “wronged and crushed all the days”.

They will go insane from the vision they will witness.

G-d will strike them with a horrible and incurable skin eruption on their knees and legs which will eventually cover them from the sole of their foot to the top of their head.

G-d will lead them and the king they appointed for themselves to a nation unknown to them or their fathers where they will serve other gods made of wood and stone.

Whoever sees them will be astonished by them and they will be talked about as an example of terrible trouble befalling a person.

They will plant a lot of seeds in the field yet the locusts will consume it so they will gather only a little.

They will plant and work vineyards yet these shall be devoured by worms and thus they will not be able to drink wine or gather grapes from these vineyards.

They will have olive trees throughout their land however they will shed their fruit and thus they will not be able to use the oil from these olives for anointing.

They will have children who become captives and thus the parents won’t really “have” them.

The cicadas will cause all of their trees and fruit to become destitute.

The stranger among them will rise higher and higher while they (the Israelites) will descend lower and lower. This stranger will lend to the Israelites but not the Israelites to them. This stranger will be “at the head” while the Israelites will be “at the tail”.

Moshe tells them that the reason for these curses is because they didn’t obey G-d and that these will be as a sign and wonder for them and their progeny forever. That since they did not serve G-d with happiness and joy when they had good things, they will serve their enemies who G-d will send against them when they are in famine, thirst, destitution and lacking all until they are destroyed by Him.

G-d will bring to them a brazen nation that does not respect their elderly or show favor to the young. This nation will come from from far away, from the “end of the earth”. The Israelites won’t recognize their language. This nation will swoop down suddenly and successfully.

These enemies will consume all of what is produced from their livestock and soil (including all of their grain, wine and oil) to the point that it destroys the Israelites.

These enemies will besiege the Jews to the point that they are totally conquered. During this siege, the Jews will experience desperation and the distress of famine to the point that they will be driven to eat their own children’s flesh.

Even those who are “tender and delicate” from having led a pampered life and thus are usually repulsed by anything repugnant, will be driven by hunger to have his own childrens’ flesh appear appetizing to him and/or this usually delicate person will become so cruel due to his hunger that he will reach a point where he will begrudge his remaining children of sharing in any of this flesh that he is eating. This will be the case as nothing will remain from this siege that would be inflicted upon the Jews.

The most tender and delicate of Jewish women who is so delicate that she usually wouldn’t step on the ground, will end up eating her husband and own children (both her grown up and younger children) in secret one by one without sharing with anyone else.

Moshe continues to warn that if they fail to observe and fulfill G-d’s Torah. G-d will bring horrible and unique plagues and unyielding sicknesses upon them and their children. G-d will inflict them with all of those diseases which G-d inflicted upon the Egyptians which the Israelites feared happening to them.

G-d will also bring every disease and plague upon them that is not written in the Torah to destroy them.

Instead of being as “numerous as the stars of heaven”, they will remain few in number due to their disobeying G-d.

And so it shall be that G-d will cause others to rejoice over His destroying them (though He Himself will not rejoice as He does not rejoice over the downfall of the wicked). They will rejoice the way He rejoiced in doing good for them and increasing their numbers (because in regards to bestowing goodness to the righteous, G-d does personally rejoice). They will be uprooted from the land that G-d gave to them (i.e. Israel).

G-d will scatter them amongst the nations all across the globe where they will pay customs and taxes to idolatrous priests.

They will not be calm or find rest amongst these nations. They will be fearful and trembling, hope for a salvation which will never come, and be depressed.

Their life will hang in suspense due to uncertainty as one who is totally dependent upon the marketplace and shopkeeper for his sustenance. This contrasts with how when they lived in the land of Israel and every person had their own field to depend upon.

Rashi explains the difference between relying upon the marketplace vs. the shopkeeper – both of which promote uneasiness as the consumer is reliant upon the market or shop’s supply or lack thereof. Relying upon the shopkeeper is worse however since at least in the marketplace one could buy goods that could last for a while and stock up, whereas with a shopkeeper like a baker for example, this is not the case.

Their troubles will continuously intensify, such that in the morning they will bemoan it not being the evening prior and in the evening, they will bemoan it not being earlier that day.

G-d will return them to Egypt in ships of captivity and they will wish to be sold as slaves and handmaidens however no one will want to purse them for this but rather death and destruction will be decreed upon them instead.

This section concludes with a reiteration that these words are in regards to the covenant G-d made with Israel to accept the Torah with a curse and oath at Mount Sinai.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Blessings and Curses

Before Moshe passed away, he blessed eleven of the tribes and each of these blessings had a related curse attached to it, as if an admonishment to them. As if to say, if they do the will of G-d, they will be blessed, and if not, they shall be cursed.

Shimon was the only tribe who wasn't worthy of receiving an individual blessing/curse because of the incident at Shittim where a leader of tribe of Shimon had illicit relations with a Midianite princess.

Moshe told the nation that when they cross the Jordan, six of the tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim: Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Yissaschar, Yosef and Binyamin and then the six other tribes (Reuven, Gad, Asher, Zevulun, Dan and Naftali) are to stand on Mount Ebal and the Kohanim and Levites would stand below in the middle of the two mountains.

The Levites below would alternate between phrasing various ordinances as blessings or as curses, facing Mount Gerizim when phrased as a blessing and facing Mount Ebal when phrased as a curse. After each blessing or curse, all of the 12 tribes would respond "Amen!"

The curses are said first, followed by their corresponding blessings and relate to the following ordinances:

* Making graven or molten images

* Disrespecting parents

* Moving back one's neighbor's landmark and thus stealing their land.

* Misguiding a figurative "blind" person, i.e knowingly giving an ignorant or inexperienced person bad advice.

* Perverting the judgement of a convert, orphan or widow

* Having intimate relations with one's father's wife

* Having intimate relations with an animal

* Having intimate relations with one's sister, paternal or maternal

* Having intimate relations with one's mother in law

* Causing harm to someone through slander, or alternatively striking someone in secret

* Taking a bribe to put an innocent person to death

And then finally, Moshe gives a general blessing/curse regarding not upholding the Torah, which included observing the entire Torah.

If they obey all of G-d's commandments, G-d will place them above all the other nations and those other nations will attach themselves to Israel.

They will be blessed in both the city and field - the offspring from their cattle and sheep.

And their fruits (or alternatively, liquids which are strained through baskets), and dry goods (which would not flow through such a basket) will be blessed.

Moshe concludes this aliya with a blessing for them that they should be blessed when they leave the world to be as free from sin as when they entered the world.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Stones from the Jordan River

Moshe and the elders command the nation to keep all of G-d's commandments always.

Moshe now instructs them that when they come to cross the Jordan into Israel, they must take 12 huge stones out from the Jordan river and plaster them with lime and write upon them the words of Torah.

They are then take another set of 12 stones, also plastered with lime, and use those to build an altar on Mount Ebal. They may not hold any iron upon these stones.

Upon this altar they are to slaughter peace offerings and eat them there and rejoice before G-d.

The words of Torah must be written very clearly, in 70 languages upon these stones.

These second set of stones were eventually taken and set up at Gilgal, which was their first stop in Israel.

Then Moshe and the Levites tell the nation to Listen! And that every day should be for them as if they were entering anew into a convenant with G-d.

Moses and the Levitic priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Pay attention and listen, O Israel! This day, you have become a people to the Lord, your God".

Moshe reiterates that they are to obey G-d and all of His commandments.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

The Nation of Israel and G-d's Relationship

Moshe instructs the nation that G-d's commandments should not be observed by route. Rather, they are to see them anew every day, as if they were given to them on that day.

G-d blesses them through a heavenly voice that just as they are observing the commandments now, they will be blessed to do so in the future. Rashi specifies this in regards to the mitzvah of Bikkurim, however it applies to all the commandments.

Moshe tells of how the Israelites chose and set apart G-d to worship and obey from all of the pagan gods. As did He choose them from amongst all of the other nations to be His treasure - to have them obey Him and be elevated above all the other nations as a holy people to G-d.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

The Year of the Tithes

The eve of Passover during the fourth year of the seven year Sabbatical (Shemitta) cycle is the time to remove all tithes that one has finished tithing in the third year from the house accompanied by a confession regarding properly disposing of them.

During the first and second years of the Shemitta cycle, two different types of tithes are separated: 1)Ma'aser Rishon (i.e the "first tithe") and 2)Ma'aser Sheni (i.e. the "second tithe"). During the third year however only the "first tithe" is separated and in lieu of the "second tithe", one must give a "tithe to the poor" (to be given to the stranger, the orphan and the widow).

Due to this difference between the third year and the first two, the third year is called the "year of the tithe".

The "tithe of the poor" given during the third year to the stranger, orphan and widow should be enough to satisfy them. The sages gave a minimum measurement for this of being no less than 1/2 of a kav* of wheat or 1 kav of barley. *Side note 1 kav=the volume of 24 eggs

After giving the necessary tithes, one is to declare that they have done so, stating each tithe they have given and that they gave them in the correct order. One is also to declare that he tithed in accordance with the way it has been commanded, and separated tithes from the correct species and from the old crop (and not the new crop). One is also to declare that they did not forget to bless G-d in fulfilling this mitzvah.

Scripture here also alludes to the idea that if one did not bring up the second tithes to Jerusalem during the first two years, he must bring it up during the third year.

The tither is also to declare that they did not eat any of their second tithes while in mourning*, while unclean, or while the tithe was unclean. Nor did they use the value of the tithe to make a coffin or shrouds for their close relative who passed away. *Side note: This is how the sages learned out that one is not allowed to eat the second tithe on the day of the passing of a close relative.

The second tithe was not brought to the Temple but rather eaten in Jerusalem. If however one redeemed this tithe, then the redemption money was to be brought to Jerusalem and buy food to be eaten in Jerusalem. All kinds of foods were allowed to be purchased however it was customary to purchase animals and sacrifice them as peace offering so that the tithe in a sense would be brought to the Temple.

The tither is to declare that they have rejoiced and caused others to be joyous in their tithing.

The tither then concludes with a plea to G-d to look down from His "holy dwelling from the heavens" and bless the Israelites and their Land as they have fulfilled what He commanded of them so now it is His turn to keep up his end of the deal (see Vayikra 26:3-4), which includes giving them the Land of Israel which He had promised to their forefathers.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple Podcasts

First Fruits

The chumash teaches us here that the commandment regarding “bringing the first fruits” (i.e bikurim) only applied once they both conquered the Land of Israel and divided it.

The obligation of bikurim only applies to fruits of the “seven species” for which the land of Israel is known for, namely: wheat, barely, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives and honey.

The way bikurim is carried out is that upon seeing a fig (for example) ripening in their field, they are to wrap a reed around it as a sign and declare that that is a “first fruit” (AKA “bikuirim“) and put these bikurim into a basket and bring it to the Temple.

One is then to approach the Kohen who is serving in that time and declare that you are not ungrateful for all that G-d has done for him by saying “I declare this day to the Lord, your God, that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us.”

This declaration needs only to be made once per year, even if one returns at other times that year to bring more first fruits.

Even if the Kohen at that time is not as wise or holy as the Kohanim of previous generations, one is still to address with the appropriate respect one should give to an agent of G-d as he is.

The Kohen is then to place his hand under the one who brought the bikurim‘s basket, whilst the owner holds on the rim of the basket above so that they can wave it together in front of the altar.

After waving the basket together, the owner of the bikurim takes the basket from the Kohen and raises his voice and calls out a remembrance of:

G-d’s kind deeds regarding how G-d saved Yaakov from Lavan when Lavan chased Yaakov and Lavan, as well as others, wanted to get rid of all the Jews. Instead, the Jews went from being only seventy in number when they dwelled in Egypt to becoming a great and numerous nation. Even though Lavan didn’t actually succeed in eradicating the Jews, G-d considered it as if he did in regards to judging him, as when it comes to the pagan nations, G-d judges the mere intention of performing an evil deed as if they carried it out.

The owner of the bikurim is also to recall how cruelly the Egyptians treated the Jews and the hard labor they imposed on us and how the Jews cried out to G-d and how G-d listened to them and saw their suffering and took them out of Egypt with a “strong hand” and “outstretched arm” and “great awe” and “signs and wonders”.

The owner of the bikkurim is also to recall how G-d brought the Jews to the Temple and how G-d gave them the Land of Israel a land “flowing with milk and honey”.

And then finally the owner of the bikurim is to declare how he is bringing his first fruits to G-d and he is to then repeat the waving ceremony that the Kohen had previously done.

The first fruit ceremony is only done during the “time of rejoicing”, i.e between Shavuos to Sukkos, which is when a person gathers their grain, fruit, wine and oil (over which they rejoice).

After Sukkos, first fruits are still brought to the temple but the declaration recounted above is not recited.

Levites are also obligated in the bringing of first fruits if they planted trees within their 48 cities.

Converts are also obligated in the bringing of the first fruits however they do not recite the declaration as one section involves saying “I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us” and these were not his “forefathers”.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

First Fruits

The chumash teaches us here that the commandment regarding "bringing the first fruits" (i.e bikurim) only applied once they both conquered the Land of Israel and divided it.

The obligation of bikurim only applies to fruits of the "seven species" for which the land of Israel is known for, namely: wheat, barely, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives and honey.

The way bikurim is carried out is that upon seeing a fig (for example) ripening in their field, they are to wrap a reed around it as a sign and declare that that is a "first fruit" (AKA "bikuirim") and put these bikurim into a basket and bring it to the Temple.

One is then to approach the Kohen who is serving in that time and declare that you are not ungrateful for all that G-d has done for him by saying "I declare this day to the Lord, your God, that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us."

This declaration needs only to be made once per year, even if one returns at other times that year to bring more first fruits.

Even if the Kohen at that time is not as wise or holy as the Kohanim of previous generations, one is still to address with the appropriate respect one should give to an agent of G-d as he is.

The Kohen is then to place his hand under the one who brought the bikurim's basket, whilst the owner holds on the rim of the basket above so that they can wave it together in front of the altar.

After waving the basket together, the owner of the bikurim takes the basket from the Kohen and raises his voice and calls out a remembrance of:

G-d's kind deeds regarding how G-d saved Yaakov from Lavan when Lavan chased Yaakov and Lavan, as well as others, wanted to get rid of all the Jews. Instead, the Jews went from being only seventy in number when they dwelled in Egypt to becoming a great and numerous nation. Even though Lavan didn't actually succeed in eradicating the Jews, G-d considered it as if he did in regards to judging him, as when it comes to the pagan nations, G-d judges the mere intention of performing an evil deed as if they carried it out.

The owner of the bikurim is also to recall how cruelly the Egyptians treated the Jews and the hard labor they imposed on us and how the Jews cried out to G-d and how G-d listened to them and saw their suffering and took them out of Egypt with a "strong hand" and "outstretched arm" and "great awe" and "signs and wonders".

The owner of the bikkurim is also to recall how G-d brought the Jews to the Temple and how G-d gave them the Land of Israel a land "flowing with milk and honey".

And then finally the owner of the bikurim is to declare how he is bringing his first fruits to G-d and he is to then repeat the waving ceremony that the Kohen had previously done.

The first fruit ceremony is only done during the "time of rejoicing", i.e between Shavuos to Sukkos, which is when a person gathers their grain, fruit, wine and oil (over which they rejoice).

After Sukkos, first fruits are still brought to the temple but the declaration recounted above is not recited.

Levites are also obligated in the bringing of first fruits if they planted trees within their 48 cities.

Converts are also obligated in the bringing of the first fruits however they do not recite the declaration as one section involves saying “I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us” and these were not his "forefathers".

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here  https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email [email protected]

Pay Workers on Time. Some Laws Relating to Judgements. Some Laws Relating to Harvesting. Lashes. Muzzling Animals. Levirite Marriage. Fines for Embarrassing Someone. Honesty in Commerce. Remember Amalek.

Pay Workers on Time.

Moshe teaches that we are not to withhold the wages of a Jewish hired worker who is poor or destitute (even a Jewish convert) or a "ger toshav" (lit. "resident alien").* This includes the hiring of animals or utensils. *Side note: There are different opinions as to who constitutes as a "ger toshav". Rashi defines it as being a non Jew who took upon themselves not to practice idolatry however they do eat animals that have not been ritually slaughtered. Others define such a person as being one who accepted upon themselves all of the seven Noachide commandments. A ger toshav is the only type of non Jew who is allowed to live in the land of Israel.

While the prohibition against withholding pay against any worker has been taught previously (see Vayikra 19:13), it is reiterated here regarding specifically a destitute person so as to teach that in so doing, one would transgress two negative commandments.

Rashi defines a "destitute person" as being one who longs for everything for he has nothing.

Rather one is to pay such a person on the day he is due before sunset, as he is poor and risked his life for this pay (for example he may have climbed up a ramp or suspended himself from a tree).

One is to be careful to pay such a worker on time, lest the worker cry out to G-d against them. Even if this worker did not cry out to G-d, G-d would still punish the employee for this, however punishment is meted out faster in the merit of one who cries out.

Some Laws Relating to Judgements

Sons are not to testify against their fathers causing them to be put to death, nor are fathers to testify against their sons causing them to be put to death.

Fathers and sons are not liable for the sins of each other, aside from in the case of minor children who may die at the hand of Heaven on account of the sins of their parents.

In Devraim 16:19, we were taught that we must not pervert justice for anyone, regardless of their economic standing. Here, scripture repeats this prohibition in regards to a poor person, to teach us that if one perverts justice for a poor person, one would be transgressing two negative commandments, and also, it is easier to pervert justice towards a poor person, and thus it warrants repeating.

If a widow defaults on a loan, one may not take her clothing as collateral at that time.

G-d asks the Israelites to remember that He took them out of slavery in Egypt on condition that they observe His commandments, even if it means that they will lose money in so doing.

Some Laws Relating to Harvesting

If after reaping one's harvest, one forgets to reap a sheaf in their field, they may not go back to retrieve it - rather it should be left to the stranger, orphan and widow to take. This applies even to sheaves which are still in the ground (i.e haven't been reaped).

One is allowed to go back and retrieve more than one sheaves which are bundled together (i.e. a stack or in other words a sheaf containing two se'ah), as this is not considered to be שִׁכְחָה.

This category of שִׁכְחָה, i.e. those sheaves which were unintentionally left behind and cannot be redeemed only applies to those sheaves which were left behind in back of him but not those which are in front of him. For more of an explanation of this, see Pe’ah 6:4.

Observing this commandment of leaving behind sheaves for the stranger, orphan and widow will bring a person blessings from G-d. Rashi points out that if such blessings will come to a person who leaves something for someone unintentionally, how much more so will a person be blessed who gives intentionally. Rashi also says that this verse teaches us that by implication, if a person drops a sela (a silver coin, equivalent to two shekalim) unintentionally and a poor person finds it, the one who dropped it will be blessed.

When one beats their olive tree to remove olives, they should not take all of olives they forget to take (in a similar manner mentioned above with regards to sheaves) with them, but rather some should be left behind for the convert, orphan and widow. This applies to any fruit tree, that one must leave a "corner" of the tree behind for the poor.

In harvesting one's vineyard, they are to leave behind the "young grapes" for the convert, orphan and widow. Young grapes are defined as those grapes which have neither "shoulder" nor "drops". What this means is that the way mature grape clusters come about is that smaller clusters grow on small branches of a main shoot and the upper clusters lean on one another as one would lean on someone's "shoulder" and the lowest clusters then hang down from the bunch resembling "drops".

Once again, G-d reminds the Israelites that they are to remember that they were slaves in Egypt and thus He is commanding them to keep these ordinances.

It is only natural that when people argue, they will be unable to resolve the issue on their own and will need to seek judgement. Rashi brings the example of Lot (i.e. his herdsmen) and Avraham, who due to a dispute ended up parting ways.

Lashes.

Lashes are sentenced to people who are found guilty of transgressing a negative commandment which is not mitigated by a positive commandment. An example of this would be in the case of someone found guilty of sending away a mother bird from it's young - which is a transgression, however it is mitigated by the positive commandment to do so before taking the eggs or young birds away (i.e. Shiluach HaKan).

An example of a negative commandment which is not mitigated by a positive commandment is the prohibition of muzzling an ox while it is threshing on grain, which scripture mentions after this discussion regarding lashes to point out this connection.

If in the case of the above mentioned argument, the judge indeed sentences the guilty party to lashes, the judge is to flog the guilty party while he is bent over - not while he is standing or sitting. Two thirds of his sentenced lashes are to be administered to the back part of his body, while one third is to be administered to the front part of his body.

The number of lashes the guilty party is sentenced to is not given as an exact number, but rather as an approximation, for example one sentenced to forty lashes is sentenced "by a number of forty" which can be interpreted to mean 39 (i.e forty minus one).

The one administering the flogging should not give more than the prescribed number of lashes so as not to degrade the one being flogged.

Up until the flogging, the guilty party is referred to in scripture as being the "wicked one" however once he has been flogged, he is referred to as being "your brother."

One is forbidden from striking one's fellow man even apart from a court case.

Muzzling Animals

One is forbidden from muzzling any animal who is working*. Scripture specifically mentions an ox as this is a common animal in such a situation however it applies to any domesticated or wild animal, or fowl. Another reason an ox is mentioned here is to exclude a man, to who this rule does not apply.

*Scripture specifies that this applies to an animal while they are threshing, however Rashi interprets this to mean at any time, i.e when the animal is engaged in those activities which are like threshing in that it is done to a thing who's work (related to those things which grow from the ground) has not been completed (like tithes or challah). This is why people are excluded from this prohibition as work done by people does not fall into this category and includes such things as: milking, making cheese, churning milk to make butter (as milk does not grow from the ground), kneading, smoothing the surface of dough (as this is done after the work regarding challah is done) and separating dried dates or figs (as their work has been done in regards to tithing).

Levirite Marriage

If a married man dies without having had children, his oldest surviving brother is to marry his wife so that the dead brother's name will not be "blotted out from Israel". This is what is known as a Levirite Marriage. There are a few stipulations regarding this law:

* This law only applies to paternal brothers as inheritance of estates is passed down through families patrilineally and in a case when the surviving brother was not born after the other brother passed away.

* We are to make sure that the brother who passed away indeed did not have any children by researching this and seeing if we are able to find one of his children or grandchildren.

* This law also only applies in the case of a woman who is able to bear children (i.e who was not born sterile).

* If the man who passed away was sterile, his brother is excluded from this law, as in such a case, his name was already "blotted out" while he was alive due to his inability to have children.

The brother who marries the dead brother's wife inherits his brother's portion in addition to his own.

If the living brother doesn't want to marry his brother's surviving wife, then this woman shall go to the gate of the court and tell the elders in Hebrew that he doesn't consent to the Levirite marriage.

The elders are then to summon this brother in law and he is to say in Hebrew while standing up, "I do not wish to marry her".

The wife of the deceased man is then to approach her brother in law, remove his shoe and spit on the ground in front of him* and say, "So is done to the man who will not build the house of his brother." The wording of "will not" is specific and teaches that once a man decides not to perform the Levirite marriage, he is forbidden from doing so in the future.

*One might read this that she should spit in his face, however the Maskil LeDavid explains that Torah would not want to put them through something so degrading.

All who are standing there at that time are to then publicly proclaim this man as being "the one who's shoe was removed".

Fine for Embarrassing Someone

If men argue with one another, this will eventually lead to them fighting with one another physically as Sifrei taught, "Peace cannot come out of strife" (Sifrei 25:160) . If this happens, and the wife of one of the men comes to his rescue and grabs hold of the other man's male organ, she is to pay a monetary fine of the value of the embarrassment which is calculated based on the one who was embarrassed as well as the one who did the embarrassing. The more honored the one who did the embarrassing is, the lower the value of the embarrassment. This relative value of the fine being linked to the people involved is hinted at in scripture's figurative wording regarding her monetary payment in saying "you should cut off her palm". The way Rashi knows that this is a reference to monetary payment and not to be taken literally is that scripture concludes this verse by saying "your eye shall not show pity" which is similar to the wording used regarding Zomemim (see Devarim 19:21) who are false witnesses who are called out by newer witnesses who say that these first witnesses could not have seen the event as they were in another location at that time. The zomemeim are sentenced to whatever punishment they wanted the court to give to the defendant.

Honesty in Commerce

One is forbidden to carry two weights of different measures but which look the same which could cause a person to be dishonest in weighing things in buying and selling. This is forbidden even if a person were to use the weights in such a way that would cause them to overpay when buying or lose money while selling as this could lead either him or his neighbor to mistakenly use the weights to underpay or sell for too high a price.

If one does carry these two asymmetrical weights, this will result in them not having anything.

One may also not have in their home different kinds of measures. Rather one should have a "perfect and honest stone" and a "perfect and honest measure". This will result in one having much, and a long life in the land of Israel.

Scripture refers to anyone who acts fraudulently as being an "abomination to G-d".

Remember Amalek

Scripture tells us to remember what Amalek did while we were leaving Egypt.

This remembrance of Amalek is mentioned here rather than right after the account of Amalek's attack on the Israelites to teach us that if one is dishonest with weights and measures, this will lead to their being attacked by their enemies. The Amalekites engaged in sodomy which the gemara (Sanheidrin 55a-b) associates with the word humiliation.

Scripture recalls Amalek's attack of the Israelites as having "happened", which in Hebrew is  קָֽרְךָ֜. Rashi points out a few different things this word could be alluding to paralleling various related words with different meanings:

* On a simple level, the idea of chance/happenstance relates to the fact that the Israaelites didn't expect to be attacked.

* Alternatively, it is also related to the word semen (קֶרִי), as an allusion to the impurity of seminal emissions and pollution, hinting at the fact that the Amalekites would "pollute" the Israelites with homosexual relations.

* Another explanation is that קָֽרְךָ֜ is related to the word קור which means cold. To back up this explanation, Rashi references the one place in scripture that this word קור appears in which it is contrasted with the word hot (see Breishis 8:22 "קֹ֨ר וָחֹ֜ם"). This represents the idea that Amalek "cooled off" the other nations from waging war with the Israelites, who were too scared to fight them up until then. Rashi cites the Midrash Tanchuma (Tanchuma 9) who likens this to someone who jumps into a boiling hot bath, burning themselves but making it cooler for everyone else who jumps in after that.

Scripture goes on to describe how the Amalekites mutilated the Israelites by cutting off the circumcised organs of the male Israelites and threw them up in the air as a show of rebellion against G-d.

The tribe of Dan was especially vulnerable to being killed by the Amalekites for having committed idolatry during the Israelites' sojourn in the desert, and all of the Israelites were vulnerable to Amalek's attack due to their being thirsty and exhausted from traveling.

Scripture describes how Amalek didn't fear G-d.

Once we have "rest from our enemies" and have possesion of the land of Israel, we are instructed to "wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heaven." Rashi explains that this means that we are to not only wipe out all of their men, women and children (even babies), but their animals as well. Such that no animal should be recognized as belonging to an Amalekite.

Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

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First Year of Marriage. Collateral. Kidnappers. Tzara'as.

First Year of Marriage

Throughout the first year of a couple's marriage*, the husband is not to go out to the army, nor have anything to do with it. The army is to make no demands of him. For example, he may not supply them with water and food nor repair the roads for the army. Rather he is to stay home and spend the time making his wife happy. *Side note: This applies to any marriage other than a man re-marrying his ex-wife.

This differs from a man who returned from battle by the order of a Kohen because they 1)either built a house but did not yet dedicate it, 2)planted a vineyard and it is in the fruits' fourth year and he just began to redeem them and eat their value in Jerusalem, or 3) got engaged to a woman (eirusin) but did not yet marry her (nisuin), both of whom are obligated to supply water and food and/or repair the roads for the army.

Post Lending Collateral

If a creditor comes to court and demands collateral for a debt for which no security was previously required, he is not allowed to take collateral from things that are used in food preparation.

Kidnappers

If a man is warned not to kidnap yet does so anyways and was witnessed so doing, if the kidnapper treated his captive as a slave, he is to be killed.

Tzara'as

Moshe cautions the Israelites to be scrupulous in their observance of the laws regarding tzara'as as were instructed to them by the Levites including properly diagnosing those possibly afflicted as to whether they should quarantine or be declared clean. I.e - they are not to remove any signs of it by for example peeling off the skin, nor are they to cut off a "baheret" (i.e a type of tzara'as that is literally translated to mean a "bright spot").

To avoid being stricken with tzara'as, they are to remember what G-d did to Miriam and avoid speaking Lashon Hara.

Collateral

Moshe teaches them that anytime one lends anything to another, they are not to enter into the home of the one they lent to take their collateral. Rather they are to stay outside and the borrower is to bring the collateral to them.

If the borrower is poor, and the collateral he gave to the lender is an article of clothing worn at night, the lender is not to have this collateral with him while he sleeps, but rather he is to return it to the borrower by sunset so that the borrower can sleep in it. If it is an article of clothing worn during the day, the lender is to return it to the borrower for him to have during the day and then take it back at night.

The borrower will then bless the lender, and even if he doesn't, it will count for him as merit before G-d.

The borrower will then bless the lender and it will be counted as merit before G-d.