Critical Texts, Critically Read | Rabbi Shmuel Gordin | May 26 2026

We're going to do something a little different this morning and that I'm going to put you to work as well. So, uh, all right. What I what I want to do is I want to take a look. We're we're at a point in the Torah which is really a very very critical moment. the first footsteps of Jewish history really begin because we leave Hari and we've become a nation through the process of Matan Torah and before that Mits in other words those are the two pillars that have established us and the Torah chronicles our departure from Hari and you have to understand the if you look carefully at at how it's described there's a majestic dimension to it. You're really hoping that this is going to turn out all right. And unfortunately, in that generation, it doesn't. But down the line, look, we're still here. So, there was some success. But now, we're going to take a look at three sections of the text before Matan Torah, before departure, and one after. And the three before are very different from the one that's after. Take a look for a moment if you will at the first first section on page one. Now what I want you to do is I want you to read that section to yourselves in Hebrew or in English and I want you to tell me what are the obvious questions that emerge when you look at that section because to critically read text the first thing you have to do is ask what's the issue? What are the problems? >> [snorts] >> The English continues on the second page as well. Okay. All right. Any before we before we go further, what is it that is born in this section? What event? What sheni? Correct. Okay. So looking at the way in which pesak sheni is established. What are are the potential questions that you have? >> Why are they doing it on the day before? Why didn't they >> Good question. Why didn't they come before? All right. That's That's interesting. What else? >> Why? What? >> I can't hear. You have to have >> Why did it happen only? >> Why did it happen? Okay. Why did it happen only the second time? Because perhaps there were they didn't have the first one was before Matanto. So, right. Right. how long you >> Oh, okay. So, when you're in contact with the dead, you're for seven days. >> 14. >> Okay. >> Why would they? >> Okay. It does not say It does not say um No, it does not say that. Uh this is >> over here. >> Uh this says >> yeah maybe the English translation problems spoke to the first >> Yeah, the English we'll see that the English is a problem on a number of places. Okay. All right. I I didn't I I really usually I usually I critique it. I didn't have time this time. >> Why is it both and >> what? Why isn't Okay. All right. I still think that there are two very much much more significant questions. >> Why is there to be >> number one? Right. Why is there a pesak sheni to begin with? Why is it that aes decides that when it comes to this particular ritual on this particular yamto you you have a makeup date? you have an opportunity to to to to have it to have a second and and understand this is unique. There's no sukos sheni if you're too sick to sit in the suka. There's no yipper sheni. Thank god there's no this is it. This is the one place where says if you can't do it now you have a chance to do it later. >> Okay. Yes. All right. That's because they complained. Which brings up the second question. Uh yeah, >> asked for it. >> Because they asked for it. Okay. Now that brings up the second question. If Pesak Sheni was supposed to be in existence, it's a mitzvah. Why did God wait until they asked for it? Why didn't Barak who weaved Pesak Sheni into the tapestry of Halo right from the onset in Matan Turra say you know if you can't do the first Pesak you'll have an opportunity to do the second why does he wait until now and why does he do it only as a response to the people's asking >> maybe it's built into it maybe that if they wouldn't have asked we might not have >> okay so that that in okay so she says if they wouldn't have asked they wouldn't have wouldn't have come that in itself is problematic isn't it in other words is Hashem saying I just woke up to this >> no all right so Hashem is so if this is if this is going to be a law perpetuated down the years why wasn't it given at matan tora at were at hari why wasn't it given at that time >> not the only events that happen like that >> we'll get to that okay Very good. Very good. But know there is one other event that's very much like this. Okay. So let's let's start let's start with why didn't Hashem weave it in in the first place? >> Is it the same or is it a 614? >> Uh it's one of the 613. It's it's basically basic and and what it is, by the way, is that you can participate in the Pesak sacrifice, but you don't have to keep all the laws of Pesak at that point and it's only a one-day event. All right, so now let's stop for a minute. Number one, why does God wait and not weave this in? So, Kazal says something very interesting. Kazal say it is to give credit to the people who are asking. In other words wants to give honor to these people who are asking. He therefore holds back this law which should have been woven in from the start until they'll ask and that's when he'll give it. Now that's a sort of wow that's that's interesting. He does it another time. The other time is as you said benlud benos come and they ask why why can't why can't we inherit if our father didn't and and bos and and kadesh Moshe says I'll wait please let me ask and he comes back with the answer concerning inheritance >> why is it different >> because there Moshe did not know the answer here it was not even in his belong because if nobody asked until these people ask, >> right? But again, he doesn't know the answer. In other words, they're coming and they're saying, "What can we do? Why do we have?" So, but there's what's fascinating and the Torah has tells you things very often very elliptically. You have to you have to look at it carefully. There is s excellent. There is similar language between those two events. In this case, what do what do they say? lor and what did say >> the same language l why will we miss out that's what it means [ __ ] don't look at the English [ __ ] means why will we be diminished why will we be diminished by not having this opportunity so now we can begin to understand let's these people both here and below merit having a section of the Torah written because of them. Right? That's interesting. That's fascinating. It's got to be something special. It is the the what what connects the two and answers our question is these individuals saw participation as an opportunity, not as a burden. And they saw it as an opportunity and they saw it as an opportunity. If lost, it was a loss to them. >> It's not like Yes. >> Is there a difference between there was an inherent problem here? The problem arose. >> Correct. But well who hadn't died if we hold that they were Tommy M because of they >> well all right that whether they were tommy mace because of not it's again that's med we don't know that from the text itself but you're you're making a good point in other words in the case of manos love it's an inherent problem in the here it is too in other words if if I can't do this what's my option Right. So, all right. Two more comments and then I'll go on. >> This um pes carbon pes is an enjoyable thing. Like why would somebody want the opportunity to fast another time? Like that's >> what what about sitting in the suk? What >> has an opportunity unless you're on a diet, but you want to partake in the in the barbecue? >> There's a reason. There's a deeper reason. You're you're hitting on it, but I'm going to go f step further. One more comment. Yes. the those who are feeling experience for the first time and that's >> very good. Excellent. Excellent. So what you're saying is these these are really foundational experiences both here and in the case of Manoslhood because they're pillars on which the and so we'll come back to that in just a moment but let's now first focus on why they merited having a section of the to written after them and I believe it's because of the very simple message and that is you should see mitzvot as an opportunity which if lost is a lost you and we don't right what do we do all right the easiest example is all right if you don't say tanoon what is it it's a celebration right we we're not saying tanon maybe we should feel the loss of not being able to say taran you know in other words yeah we're doing it for a good reason we're doing it for happy reasoning >> a mitzvah and not saying >> no tankon's not mitzvah in and of itself but I'm giving you an example of how we should view right very good how we should view when it comes to shaakos for example right how do we give sha manas today most of us many of us we give saddaka somebody else gives for us we we we let get you know a variety of different groups um we give one basket and that when I first moved to Englewood salah I used to get wow Wow. Was unbelievable. It It [clears throat] diminished as time went on and I got cards. All right. I got cards. You know, we're we're this was donated. I Now, please understand that's very beautiful and that's suck. But there's something that we're missing when we don't have our children around us and making the shaos baskets and all of the things that that used to be part of the of the mitzvah. We're sort of we're sorting setting aside. So I I don't I'm not telling you not to do I'm not telling you how to do it, but I'm saying how do we view these mitzvot? How do we view these opportunities? Are they opportunities to that we should do in the most fil fashion or are they opportunities that we should really spend time with and recognize and rejoice in? Yes. When you ask the question, the first thing that came to mind is people including myself say, you know what, I'm not going to wash. >> Very good. Okay. Excellent. There's a perfect example. All right. Thank you. Thank you. That's a perfect example. All of us are guilty of it. I'm not going to wash so I won't have to bench. All right. Right. In other words, I'll I'll eat misonos. I'll say an alam, but I don't want to have to sit and bench so I'm not going to. Come on now. Right. You're you're missing an opportunity. You're missing an opportunity. Not not something you should try to get out of. >> I I understand you saying the opportunity, but I think the whole thing it's more of a sincerity. >> Okay. >> When you look at sincerity, just like when you do truth, like you do it sincerely, it changes you and you judge differently. >> All right. I I understand what you're saying and sincer sincerity is certainly part of it but I think it's more in other words I think that you I'll give you another example what is the one minion it's quiz one weekday minion morning minion that is the largest year after year that's not you >> fast of the firstborn Right people, there are people who come to that minion to get out of time who would never have fasted in the first place. >> I don't know. They never would come to minion. >> Yeah, they would never. Sure. And they wouldn't come to me, right? So, so but they're coming that day. Why? Because we're getting out of something. We don't have this is a way to get out of it. So what these people did is they came to Moshe and they said, "We missed an opportunity and we're not going to stand and let that happen. Please tell us what we should do because this was an opportunity that was lost and it's not something that we're rejoicing we didn't have to do." Now why is why is this opportunity why is it only pes? So I think you were right. There are there are pivotal points in the cand calendar that mark pivotal points in our experience. Pesak the carbon pesak [snorts] was the first step towards Jewishness. Right? Carbon pesak was the first step we took towards our Jewish identity. And what was that first step? I've told you before. It's the same first step that we insist that a convert accept as the first step which is affiliation with the Jewish people. This is this is the first step and therefore these people were saying we we we don't want to miss out on that first step towards affiliation because again what do we ask a convert to do? The first thing we say to a convert, remember, it is not the don't do it because we don't want you. It's not don't do it because the mitzvos are hard. We according to the Gamorra, what we're supposed to start with is why would you want to become part of this nation that has been pushed from pillar to post throughout history and is hated so easily? Why would you want to do that? And if the person says, "No, I've looked into it and this is still something I want to do." Then you start teaching them. And and I've told you the story, I'm going to tell you again. This the f the a very very powerful experience for me to show me how wise kazal were is there was a a young woman who I taught and I was teaching her for conversion and something didn't sit right, but I couldn't tell what it was. something just didn't sit right. And then one night I got a phone call and she was in tears and she said, "I just saw a show on the Holocaust. I could never become part of a people the world could do that to." >> Wow. >> She did not say, "I can't become part of the world that could do it to the people. I couldn't I you know I our memories are going >> and I don't remember conversations from 40 years ago but that line I remember because it was power she said I can't become part of a people the world could do that to that's exactly what kazal are saying and that's what the carbon pesak is the carbon pesak is the first step towards our Jewish identity it's the the step when we affiliated with this nation and only by affiliating with the nation only by participating in Mitzim can we then arrive at hari it's the first step and there's a second step one more comment yes >> how would you want to be part of a nation that would do something to another nation I mean you have Americans who had the Oregon trail of tears like why would you want to be >> belong to the nation that would be victimizing other people they say that when people went to They said, "Thank God I'm the one being victimized rather than being" >> She, this person was basically saying, "I don't want to be a victim. I don't want to be a victim." And what we are saying is being Jewish unfortunately often means that you are a vict. Take a look at the world today. Take a look at the world today. >> Does it look like 19389? Maybe a little bit. I mean, who knows what's happening? I mean, there are there are candidates for office in America, in the United States of America, that are calling for the incarceration of Jew of Jews of Zion. We it's American Zionists. It's Jewish, right? And they are saying it outright. There's a candidate who has a swastika as a tattoo. There's a candidate who these are candidates for government that have been accepted. It's becoming mainstream. It's becoming mainstream. Right? Look at the the mayor mayor of New York New York. You know, everybody's upset he's not marching in the Israeli Day parade. Did you think he was going to march in the Israeli Day parade? Did you ever did it ever occur to you that this man was going to mark in the Israeli Day parade? He celebrates Nakba. He celebrates that event as a terrible event. Right. So, so this these are the people we're electing. >> They're electing. We're electing. All right. >> Jews are electing the >> And many of the Jews voted for him. Correct. Many of the Jews voted for him. So anyway, the first step to becoming part Jewish, his affiliation with the Jewish people. This was that recreation of that step. And is Baraku is saying no one should miss out on that first opportunity. No one should miss out on that first step. And that's why I believe there's a pesak sheni and not no other makeup date because the first step towards your Jewish identity every year you should be able to have it. We should you shouldn't lose it. All right. So that's the first that's the first section and we've we've spoken about now why why there's a peseni why these what why was it wait till they ask for it and and and the lessons that emerge from it are really powerful which is see your mitzvot as an opportunity next take a look at the next section and this is fascinating this is a section that speaks about the traveling in the desert and how Baraku ensured that that it happened the way he wanted. Right? So, it's the clouds of glory. Take a look at it quickly. And I'm going to start off by asking you a question almost rhetorical. Even if you haven't finished, here's my question. How many sentences if you were the author would it take you to tell what's being told here? >> Three, right? God God made a a cloud. The cloud got up. You go. Cloud set down. You stay. Period. Finish. What? What is it? If it was two days, they stayed here. If it was a long time, they went here. What is the Torah doing here? Why is it going over and over about something first of all that is only really historically based? It's not doesn't seem to be something that we're going to learn from. Right? That's one of the issues with the whole book of Amidar is it doesn't have many mitzvot. What am I learning from this? And what the Torah dedicates so much text to this one holiday you've got to tell everybody who's Jewish three times what to do. >> What? Say again. I'm sorry. >> You got to tell everybody three times what to do. >> Oh, all right. So, that's another question. That's but but I'm not asking that question now. [laughter] Very good. I'm asking this. Why are there other repetitions in the text? Each one of them has a reason. Each one of them has a reason. Yes. >> The verse appears again and again. >> That's correct. It repeats that one refrain. to emphasize. >> Okay. To emphasize >> because if you only say it one time. >> Okay. So to emphasize what? So one one answer >> they really were at Hashem. >> Right. One answer is >> they stayed in one place for 38 years. >> They were right. Good. >> Good to emphasize that they were at Hashem's and moved at Hashem's bidding. Is there something we're missing? What's the connection to Hashem's bidding on the cloud? >> The cloud. Okay. The cloud is what showed Hashem's bidding. In other words, when the cloud went up, they went. Cloud sit down. They say >> what is telling us >> that our travels across history >> are also at his bidding. Right? If this is these are the first steps that our nation takes and what we're being told is the decisions were made by a kadesh bar. You move now, you don't move now, you move now, you don't move now. Guess what? Those decisions are also partially or not completely being made by Akadesh Baraku today. And he has ways of telling us we don't have clouds of glory, but he tells us in other ways. We've just spoken of one of them, which is take a look at the world around you. When is it time to leave? When is it time to move? There there was a famous again I I have to apologize because I don't remember what stories I tell you and what I don't but there's a famous story of a of a an optometrist or an optician who was in uh Germany during the 1930s and again not clear if it's really true but what happened was he decided to make aliyah and he put a sign on his door he said to all of you who are nearsighted There's a doctor around the corner. To all of you who are farsighted, follow me. All right. Now, it it's easy for us to look back and say, "Why didn't they know? How didn't they know?" If there's anything we're learning about what's happening in the world now, it's how hard it is for us to admit what's happening. Right? Living in America, can you possibly believe that there would ever be a a holocaust, >> right? Right. I believe in it, too. I believe in it, too. That you just don't want to to admit Germany. Germany was the the pinnacle of of of of culture, of everything that this Right. This Yeah, that's right. They There were those who called, right? It's the This is our right now. So, think about it. So, that's what I think this section is telling us. Why does a Kesharu said spend so much time on this? Not just to tell us that they went at a kadesh bar who's bidding, but to tell us that we will always be going at a karesh's bidding and that we've got to try to find it. We've got to try to hear it. Right? For those of us who made aliyah, our feeling is he told us to make aliyah and we have the opportunity now. That's his bidding. That's what he wants. What can we understand for today based on the fact that they had it was unpredictable how many days they would spend sometimes be a long time sometimes overnight why the changes >> okay very good why question again I'm repeating because I should repeat every question because that's not being heard um that the fact is that you say that they it was unpredictable maybe because It's unpredictable. Right? In other words, maybe there there couldn't predict, right? There they didn't have the opportunity to to decide whether it was time, whether a Keshu was saying it was time. Who took that away from them? Unpredictable. But its unpredictability still exists. and and it's our and once it comes to us, it's our job to determine when it's time to do what or to go where. All right, one last comment. Very good. Could be right. The the the >> dis what? >> We're at the end of the 38 years now. >> Yeah. The distinction. Yeah. All right. Right. We're at the end of the 38 years. Right. And and who knows, right? The point is, as you say, yes, the short stays were perhaps symbolic of places that we had to be in only for a short time. The long stays were, but guess what? And this is the last message. What's the destination eventually? What's the destination? We're going to Erat Israel. And that has to be the destination in our minds and in our lives all the time. Okay. Next look at the last next section. This is the last section before matan Torah I want you to look at. All right. And here the English really misses out on one particular point I see immediately. I didn't read it carefully enough to see it. And that is when it says Hashem said to Moshe, saying, "Have two silver trumpets made." That's not what it says. It says, "Make for yourself two silver trumpets." So just put that in there as as the introduction. Okay, we're going to run out of time, so I want to I want to move. Um, similar to the last the last section, what is this teaching me? What is this? What? Why? I I assume there were a lot of different things that they had in the midbar that they used for daily daily things. The was one of them. When when we're going to go, we're going to blow a blast. You're going to know we're going to go. When we're not going to go, we're going to sit. What? Whatever it may be, right? What's going on here? >> Correction. >> Has to be orderly. Correct. It has to be But it's deeper. Look at the sounds and look at the sounds and how they are connected to what's happening. When you move, it's a chua. When you s get when you settle and you come together, it's a tequila, right? When it at when it's in battle, it's a trua. Right? What is happening here? What's happening is these sounds are meant to mirror our experience at that particular moment and the sounds themselves because what does the says you do sound them on your yourim as a prayer. That's what they are. They're not just sounds they are pray and and obviously what's the parallel today? The sounds on Roshashana. This is one of the sources for the sounds on because what is what is what does a kadesharus call Roshashana? Yom trua. Now you understand why because the trua is the broken sound of the chauffeur. And that's that's the element elemental experience of Roshashana. Now if you look carefully though it's fascinating as well. Take a look. It says third line the other people. Now what's strange about that phrase? >> It does. It should have said it should. In other words, why not you what what is it using? It's using the word the root >> verb the the root of tea for for trua why so the rabbis say this this is one of the places that tells you that whenever you blow a trua it has to start with a tea and end with a tea right because that's why it says it twice here right and what we're exper what we're saying is the this these sounds were not simply sounds were not just utilitarian sounds to keep order. They were to mirror the experience of the people at that time. >> They're not, >> right? Correct. They're throat. Correct. But nonetheless, today why why we don't have throat today and we use chauff. There are all sorts of potential answers. But but it's a good question. It's a good question. But nonetheless, we are learning from the sounds. We And you blow a trua when it when it sounds unsure, uncertain. You're going, you don't know where you're going. You blow a trua for sure when you're in the middle of war, in the middle of battle because of all that represents the the truer that you blow when you go that is preceded by a tequila. The truer you blow in a battle is not preceded by a tea. It's only only a trua. The tr the tea that you blow to celebrate your your events, [snorts] that's a trua. That's not a trua. That's a tea alone. So these and now I'll take you one step further. This is the last paragraph or the last instruction that a kadesh bar gives to us before we leave hari. This is and and you sort of wonder this is this why is why is that perhaps because what's happening here is these these sounds represented the spark in us responding to difficulty responding to ease respond and we have to rise to the occasion over and over again and therefore what is Hashem saying I think but one of the thing it's possible I maybe I'm reaching a bit Hashem turns to Ben Israel and says okay everything's ready you got your mitzvah you got you got your instructions you know how to follow the cloud there's only one thing missing you your heart and your soul how are you going to and the katsos and their sounds signify or symbolize that spark that respond responds to all of these events and therefore Hashem is saying throw yourselves into it. Now, one last one last section and this is a very different section. Uh I think we're supposed to stop in a moment, so I'll make it fast. Take a look at this last section on page four. This is after the departure from Sinai and you'll see it's a very very different tone and a very different kind of event. the before and the after. Now, I'm going to ask you to do something. How many complaints, specific complaints, does Moshe bring at this point? And how many of them does God answer? What how many specific complaints does does Moshe bring? And how many does God address respond to? [snorts] Now this is a critical moment in Mosha's leadership. This is the time where he really loses it or threatens to lose it. He's he's talking now differently than he did even at the spies. All right. He starts off by saying, "Why you why are you treating me so bad? So So what are what are the three things? What are the things he he raises? One, >> why why have you put this burden on me?" Right? Is this what I bargain for? Is this Jewish leadership that I have to nurse this them as a a nursing father? Kavay would take that's one. Number two, I can't do it alone. Number three, where am I going to find meat for these people? All right, so you've got three objections. God responds to the last two. He says, "I'll get you 70 people to help you out. You won't do it alone. I'll get you the meat. That'll But what he doesn't respond to is Moshe's fundamental complaint. Is this what is this what Jewish leadership is? Is this what I have to do? I I thought it was just just giving a shar, you know, or or just uh teaching them the mitzvot. I have to deal with this. And a kadesh bar in his silence is what? Saying, guess what? [clears throat] Suck it up. That's what it is. >> By answering two and three, he's implicitly >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Exactly. He's basically saying, you got to realize this on your own. And it is, this is the definition of Jewish leadership. The definition of Jewish leadership is that you have to be the the source of comfort and the source of teaching and the source of of chastising and the source of complimenting. You you have to you have to you're going to be leading a people and it's not just giving a shir it's not just giving a sermon on Shabas morning. It's it's it's so much more. And I very often I talk to rabbis, young people who are going to become rabbis and I say to them, the most po important part of your rabbitic career will be the pastoral dimension of what you do. The most important, it's more important than the sermon, more important than the class. Are you there in the hospital when you need to be? Are you there, God forbid, at the funeral where you need to be? Are you there for the sima when you need to be laavil are you and that's what's happening here Moshe is being taught according to rev salvich this was a moment of crisis of leadership where he basically said is this what I bargain for and hashem said I'm not answering that okay we're gonna yes one last know that given. So if you also take it personally that here something >> oh very nice could be could be all right again that's medashic that it's given for mo because of Moshe or in like Miriam is the bear and one is Moshe maybe he's take but he is certainly taking it personally he is certainly this is you're getting a glimpse of a man who is taking it very very personally I don't want to do this I didn't think this is what I had to do all Right. And and any rabbi will tell you large congregations or small that there are moments in your career where you say did I have to do is this what I bargain for and you have to say yes and that's it. Last comment >> oh very good. All right. >> Could be. Could be. Yeah, she's bringing up the a an event that happens here that I did not mention because it would take us far a field. And that is Eldim who right? and and basically she's suggesting which is very good that that maybe it's all tying into Moshe's discontent and and we're being told that Moshe won't be the leader furthermore. Okay, we'll stop there everybody. Uh take a look uh and thank you very much. Have a good day.