Parsha in 2

What is a true leader? Rashi explains the reason why at certain times when the Jewish people sent messengers to other nations to achieve peace, we credit Moshe Rabainu and other times we credit the Jewish people. Moshe and the Jewish people are interchangeable; they are one. A true leader/Nasie is not one that does things for the public, but rather is someone whose essence is the people. Therefore, everything he does and everything that they have and need comes from the leader.

לקו״ש לג-ב

Aron HaCohen’s mind is weakened because he’s not part of the inauguration process of the Mishkan. Hashem says “I swear by your life that your lighting the menorah will be even greater”. What really bothered Aron was that it appeared that leaders gather only at a special time to bring gifts and encouragement- meaning that this is only directed for great people that are about to embark on a great service of Hashem. However, his concern was about the Jew that’s not so great or not as involved in serving Hashem. Therefore, Hashem tells him that every time you sincerely reach out to a Jew, you will light his fire and bring all the energy and encouragement as if it’s being inaugurated for the first time.

לקו״ש י״ח-א

The purpose of Matan Torah was to draw down the holiness of Hashem into this physical world. Moshe Rabaynu appears to the Jewish people and he tells them three things. First, that Hashem chooses them as a special nation. Second, that they are ministers in charge of the reality around them; representing serving Hashem through the physical mundane world by harnessing and elevating everything for holiness- the actual purpose of Mathan Torah. The third thing is that they are a holy nation, represented by designating time every day to do Torah and mitzvahs.

לקו״ש י״ח-ג

There are three ways to give Tzedakah, corresponding to three approaches to serving Hashem. In the first way it’s about the giver-to train him to be giving. Here we tell the person to give up to 20%. The second level is when somebody approaches you for help. Now it’s about the receiver. Therefore, you must push yourself and give him even more than 20%. The third level, says the Alte Rebbe in Tanya, is that if someone is trying to correct/heal his soul, then he should be willing to give everything away. If you’re willing to give everything for the health of your body, then of course you should be willing to give everything away for the health of your soul. So too it is with serving Hashem. There is the basic level of trying to correct yourself, becoming a better person in a very systematic limited way. There’s a second level where you push yourself to go out of your comfort zone to help somebody else. Finally, there’s a third level where you completely change your life and devote yourself 100% to Hashem.

לקו״ש כז-ג

The ultimate reason of being on this world is to make a difference and to change the world. Our Parsha talks about somebody who is struggling with the mitzvah of Shmitah, asking how will he have food to eat if he doesn’t plow? Or somebody being sold as a slave to a non-Jew, questioning if he still has to keep the mitzvahs. Yet the name of the Parsha is Behar-“ mountain”- representing the mountain of Sinai where the Torah- something beyond the world- was given. The truth is that the entire purpose of Torah is to live in a reality where you could fail, yet where Torah gives you the power to overcome. Lag B’Omer is going to be this Sunday and Reb Shimon bar Yochai offers the same message; that although Torah is so important, ultimately it’s about reaching out to somebody else who doesn’t learn yet- to overcome any challenges and to encourage him to learn as well.

לקו״ש יז-ג

When the Torah mentions Shulamis Bas Divri, it says that she was not perfect in the area of Tznius, however, all the other women were perfect in that area, and therefore, that’s a praise for the Jewish people. The question arises that since Torah never speaks negatively, even about an unkosher animal, why would the Torah say something negative about her? The answer is that through mentioning her, it brings an extra awareness to the sensitivity of Tznius- which actually turns out to be a praise for her. Regarding Tshuva done out of love, the Alter Rebbi explains that this type of Tshuva is inspired by the distance one feels from G-d due to one’s sins, and the desire to love Him, which actually causes one to then do mitzvos. This ‘about face’ actually transforms all one’s sins to mitzvahs- turning the negative into a positive.

לקו״ש לז-ב