Parshat Bamidbar and Shavuot 5784 By Rabbi Baruch Taub

good evening everybody sound is on yeah can you hear me we hear you we see you okay good very good same to you um I have a remind me at the end of our discussion learning here I have just a little something on yusim that I want to share with you okay uh parar we're starting a new safer so I want to I have three pieces here the first is an oldie but goody we have done this in the past it is from rakov ketki and it it's a classic uh piece on uh the structure of B Israel the the formation of B Israel in the midbar and um about uh is about Jewish Unity so let's see what he says says he spoke to mosha on the second year two years after they came out of so now you we're going to make a um take a census of Ben Israel the second year out of writes this this census it's the order he's doing it in the order of the tribes shimu God is after Ru and shim it was done this way in order to set up the flags of Israel every tribe every shav had its own unique flag what was on the flag is actually Aus in whether it was a symbol or something else here's my question hell the moment we left the Jewish people went out in order we went out with a high hand and furthermore we went out armed B is they didn't go out as slaves we went out with our heads held high not like run away from their Master Ella we we left Egypt as a free Nation so here's my question R asks why does the Torah wait why did wait why did mosha wait to wait a full year to set up the flag system to set up the tribes according to their flags and to and to host their why wait an entire year right this is the second year from me that we now set up the flag formation in the M right why wait a year that's rak's question strange very strange Ella he says but I want to tell you it's not strange at all what's the flags what are the flags all about the the idea of flags flags create um dissension they create differences right um anybody that's gone to camp and remembers the flags of and color War right Flags or you don't have to go that far back just look at the United Nations right Flags you know are not a unifying force they are a dividing Force right everyone is under their flag you know I just saw Beautiful video today about 80 times so many people sent it to me about umu howu and one of the one of the moments in that video was they took down I didn't even see what it was a Palestinian flag a Jordanian flag and they put up the our flag right uh in the harabi every every tribe every shavid had their own Insignia their own mark on the flag it was it was right potentially potentially divisive the the drawings that were on theel right whatever whatever they were against the right shave for shave this pointed to the fact that every tribe had its own uh character Direction personality task in in CLA isra the purpose of One Tribe of one shav was not the same as as another shav it comes out that the flags G they create dissension they create mlus right Ella but now a year later there was a focal point in the very center of M is the Mish was now built in the middle of M is and all the excuse me all of the tribes were encamped around the Mish that's not there's not gonna the flags are not going to create a sense of of of per of Separation right everybody has their own unique role but there's no there's no why because everyone is standing around the mishkan the mishkan is our focal point everything we do is based on the the unifying force of the Mish this is like similar to a human being the ears were created for to hear and the eyes to see would you think that there should be a difference of opinion between them the eyes are going to argue with the feet and the ears Etc the same thing with it's one body one body with multiple organs that have multiple tasks but they all work in tandem since everybody was facing was encircled around one Central Point so there's no fear that there's going to be as long as the Mish was not up yet there was not a spiritual cental address right so everybody was on their own but once the Mish was built we don't have to worry about the the individuality of each tribe and each flag so therefore the Torah says after the first mon the first month of the second year Mish the Mish was was was put up at that point he then we engaged in the flag we were given the flags right of the second month in the second year now we can give be give give out the the flags okay we are all very different but we need a unifying a unifying force right sometimes it's not the government right as we all know right now let's hope that there will be a unifying force very soon in our current situation the second piece is from R hutner and the and uh this is a very lengthy piece as you see I have just two chapters here Olive and lumon one and 30 so it's a very major piece from rutner but I've I've taken out one kernel from it which I think will um will help us a little bit quotes the we're standing before SH now it's all it's going to be sh soon when we recall the events of the revelation of M har what took place on har receiving the Torah so the Torah says guard yourself guard your soul very much I'm warning you that you shouldn't forget lest you forget all of the things that you see he's talking about should never leave you and you should tell it over to your children and your grandchildren day upon which you stood in front of Theon at now the difference of opinion how to understand this P ran he the of the ran love according to the ran this is one of the 63 mitv right in fact it's one of the 365 negative Commandments not to forget not to forget love not to forget the event of M now everybody else disagrees with him right he actually brings this in his purish on the r forz the RAM does not count remembering har the events of har is a Mitzvah and at the end of R writes a saer called the MIT that the rabbi forgot right talking about the rambam and one of the mitas that he counts that the ran that the r ramban counts that the rambam did not count is remembering the events of har those who disagree with him and they do not count this as I said one of the 63 this don't forget don't ever forget of this is it is a warning tah not to forget Torah not to forget the Torah we learn it's not about the the place where Torah was given it's a it's a that is dealing with you know um the things that you see we're talking about Tor we're talking about Torah itself it's not talking about the the moment the impact of it's talking about what we got and the ran in his even though he he brings it as a Mitzvah but he asks a question he ask a question on himself he asked a question I hold this is this p is talking about mitvah to remember the event of har but he asks from aor Kor says T anyone who teaches his son's son his grandchild Torah it is accredited to him as if that Torah that the child receives was received actually on Mount Si from Mount Si right teach your grandchild Torah it's you Rec the fact that your child is it's as if your child your grandchild is receiving that Torah from AR Shar how do we know that because the PK says you should teach them your son and to the sons of your sons right next to that is the day where you stood before God so it comes out that this he's asking on himself how can I say that this the other PK is talking about the Mitzvah to remember har when you see that really it's not it's talking about teaching Torah to your children right and it it's a reminder that we'll be like it'll be credited as if we were at our answers his own question it's true this about teaching your son your grandson Torah and and it's as if it's accredited as if it took place on Hari it's talking about the Torah that was given at AR it is talking about the Torah that's given at AR not the event of har but I have a problem says himself why does he bring this from an obvious m this is mission right we're in the season of now right so the mishna says anyone who forgets one thing that he learned from his learning it's accredited his life is in danger how do we know that from what POS our original P that the ran says is talking about the event of har but if someone forgets the Torah right he's gonna go against this all the things that you saw so why didn't the raban bring this mishna right why not right so he writes it comes out if someone God is learning forgot it you can forget something right you can't remember something but it's about it's the the the words of the gor are very important took it out of his heart T it's talking about the Torah itself not the event right why didn't the r this B bring this B because it's it's talking about something else talking about something else entirely right talking about CL a Torah and I'm talking about not the Torah itself so what am I talking about what is the ran what is the ran referring to so the final paragraph let's go back this that says guard yourself that you shouldn't for things that you this is the in it's talking about remembering the event of and he takes issue with every other Rabbi that holds that this PK is talking about remembering Torah remember the Torah we learned remember forget one thing let's get to the bottom line what's the bottom line might be a little confusing but there's two things going on here one thing is not to forget the Torah that was given but there's something else that's talking about the what about what is thean thinking about what's he thinking about what is he what's on his mind what's the Mitzvah it's not remembering Torah that's that's a general concept that we're obligated to remember Torah maybe it's you can say it's inclusive in the midst of learning Torah so what is the ran talking about it is the the renewal the sense of renewal of freshness of Matan Tor the the atmosphere in which the Torah was given at har was with a tremendous P Torah a reverence the Torah it was a a lightning thunder and lightning it was a moment and a tremendous emotional moment for it was right and that that comes from the heart right giving over Torah from the heart Torah if if we lack the ability to give over Torah it's because it's not in the heart anymore and that's what's missing so what is he saying the Torah that was given on Hari that's one thing but we're talking about something else we're talking about the event of har which which was endowed with a sense of covered and and excitement and emotional enthusiasm that's what we're supposed to we're supposed to remember this is Rev hutner actually raran Lin I think we might have said a few years ago said it a little bit differently RAR Lin was actually a tment of rev hutner you know raar Lin from from the G that R of gion was the son-in-law of RA but before he became the son-in-law of Salvation he learned 10 years by Rev hoodner and he said that it's put it in different words he said maybe maybe it's a little more understandable he said the experience of har the experience of Torah that's the Mitzvah to remember the experience of har that we have to sense that we're feeling it as if we're there right now so when you teach a second generation Torah is as if he received it on har because you come from a past generation you're closer to AR the grandfather the grandmother is closer to Har so when that grandmother Grand father are teaching to their grandchildren it's as if he receives it from AR they're going back another generation back to areni it's a kind of that the emotional the emotional impact of the moment okay final piece on page two is from ra alter the um G rashash of G that we've started to bring a few of his pieces here and he brings a thought a couple of thoughts here about shivu different kinds of thoughts so let's start he starts with um he starts with uh something from from the end of the right we have everybody knows at the end of one of the songs we sing in is and goes through who knows one who knows two Etc at the end describes all of the special um number issues of the spirituality of Cl Isel one is God two is the the two tablets of the Torah three and four but here's my question who knows to the two tablets that have hold that what's on the t two tablets Ten Commandments who knows right Ten [Applause] Commandments right the Ten Commandments that hold all of the Torah what why what do you need two for right what do you mention you have the have the 10 commandments on them so why do you have to mention the Ten Commandments think of something else that's number 10 right why or think of something else that's number two isn't it the same thing so he says no he says the importance of Ten Commandments we know Rashi actually brings inish learns out all of the 613 mites from these Ten Commandments right the is the place upon which the Torah was written so what what's the significance of dividing the two two separate things why have to you mention okay it's the place where the Torah is on and you mention that that's the Tor so why is it necessary to do that right so he says something beautiful learning Torah is not just an academic exercise we know that what's crucial here is upon what what Lu what tablet what heart what person what personality are you giving the Torah to if you don't create a Lu a tablet for our children for another Jew the Torah is not going to stick what's the Lu the Lu is Adam is the Jew write the words of the Torah on the of your heart the says if someone teaches a child what does he compared to it's like ink on Fresh paper because when you teach him as a young child the child is is clean he's fresh like a new piece of paper so you teach Tor to him at that early tender age the way God created him without without problems the Torah will stick so we say there's nothing like the rabbi say what we learn as young children it sticks with us right and and therefore there's a different there's two there's a different thing for the right the Ten Commandments that's the Torah itself but the that's the upon which the Torah has was given that you have to don't just say that the is the place where the Torah was written no there something very very important very crucial about the the of the upon which the Torah is being written it's no less important than the Torah that was written as well now he takes this d a little further we say every day we say in the morning the you gave me is pure every Jewish child is born with a pure soul and people who guard protect the child to see that the N remains in its Purity maintains its Purity the Lu the child maintains its Purity that the the paper should be fresh and new and clean this is the this is Mothers says what's the of women do not have so the says that they rais their children to go to to learn Torah that they wait for their husbands to come home from learning but not protect in other words this is a metaphor it's a metaphor that women's role is not just as a housekeeper it's creating an atmosphere at home for the children and for for her husband for everybody it's the home right to encourage the learning of her children waiting for them to come back mean is not just that they prepare the napsack in the lunch box and they walk the child out to his bus or her bus to wait for him when he comes back it is giving over the entire sense of spirituality to the child this is is what we say that the essential of to protect that clear that the paper should not be messed up that's up to the mother she's with the child at home the child is close to her and he acquires from her and from it is from his mother that he essentially gets his spirituality she wakes him up to wash her hands tells him stories ofik throughout the day she's constantly teaching him good because of the mother the child learns how to be a mench now I want to tell you something you know I'm just going to throw this in um you're not supposed to wash when you wash hands when you wash your hands for bread right you you're not allowed to talk everybody knows you're not allowed to talk until you say I'm Moi right right everybody knows that and nobody talks right we ask you another way in sh during ding during you're also not supposed to talk how come that when it comes to washing your hands for bread nobody talks but in sh right unfortunately a lot of people talk right so I once heard tongue and cheek somebody said to me you know why because who taught you how to wash your hands in the house who taught you how to wash your hands from your mother right and your mother taught you well who taught you how to not to talk in sh your father and he's talking in sh right the adults are talking in sure that's the difference right so here's the influence now now I'm not getting into a political correctness idea here about a woman in a career these mothers also have careers but women who have careers make it their business that that the to their primary responsibility is to create a a proper atmosphere at home right I'm not I'm not against a woman having a career the Torah is not against that but there's a primary focus that a woman has to have it and her and the career cannot sacrifice raising one's raising one's children right says he have a similar idea with that the said speak to only afterwards he told them to instruct the men first instruct the women afterwards instruct the men but the primary focus is motherhood is not fatherhood it's motherhood the primary focus of of guaranteeing a Jewish future is the mother not the father remember my Reby once asked us a question many many years ago if you were going to a new town and there's nothing there no school what would you do first what would you build first what would you do you know you have a Sho so what are you gonna do next so everybody said Yesa said no aak a girl school you have to first educate the women you educate the women then you'll have plenty of Yas then you'll have a mikah you'll have kosher food you'll have pizza shops you have kosher restaurants you'll have Forum stores you'll have everything but that's the first order of business yov they're the ones that prepare the the of the heart and they make sure that the page is fresh and clean so therefore they come first said to talk to then speak to the men which of course is by why the B of movement was called the B of movement the the uh based upon this POS many Israel now going to skip to something else but it's it's all about preparation pre preparation which is the mother's role but now he wants to sayel the to be up to learn Torah all night before the prep before the receiving of the Torah to prepare ourselves for receiving the Torah listen the truth is Mothers they sleep very little at night they're up feeding the baby they're up late at night right many nights of the year and Torah to prepare the home for Torah one night a year he's asking us the Torah is asking us this Min is to stay up so how hard and how late the woman works at night at to for the for the sanctity of the home just to Simply keep things in order those those those every night of the year those are holy nights right but now but we need this night to stay up the night of sh to learn before before before night is a a Mitzvah that go a minut that goes back to H Antiquity and he wants to say a marshall to tell us how important it is if we if we go into sh without it makes a big difference than going into with it so listen to what he says the Alexander Reb he says a a guy was during the time of the he never went up once you know he supposed to go to the m to go to three times a year that's three times a year he never went but he was very much afraid of the the journey not easy you know today it's a lot easier right but it was hard right time had nowhere to stay whatever when he got older he thought you know he said one time I have to do it doesn't Jew should go through life and not get to see once get to see the B once he not a good there was very embarrassing for him every Jew went three times a year everyone knew the way they knew what was going on in the ask what's going how do I get there someone with an old man with a white beard every jewi child knows after all this embarrassment he thought he's GNA now see something that's going to be so overwhelming to him that it's going to remove all of the embarrassment and all the difficulty that he had for getting getting there right going to see something powerful and beautiful and romantic right what did he see he walking around Barefoot so that nothing should should should be between their their feet and the and the floor of the Mish the floor was full of blood from the they wereing animals they were fling animals butcher was like a major butcher right area Anar what am I seeing here saw a huge abar so what's the Marshall all about the musall is he didn't really prepare to come to the B of though she didn't prepare to come toan it's the preparation we'll appreciate Torah more if we spend a couple of very meaningful hours in advance of coming to sh to read theer Adas but to do some learning ourselves then we'll appreciate what we're going to get okay I I just want to say one thought on on yush S we just had one but just a fascinating fact um if you go to the enyclopedia actually we had a family simple last chabas a great nephew's Bar Mitzvah and the grandfather my brother-in-law who uh is was for many years one of the rash Cole of Baran University spoke of course it was his grandson's bar mitvah and he said over the following if you go to the encyclopedia tudas on yush and you'll see many things on Yim but one of the things that the encyclopedia will tell you is how how many times yush is mentioned in tanak right in different names and all the different names of yush okay Yim is mentioned 669 times in tan 669 times T now is there a significance to that number so he discovered a tremendous significance based on something that he read and saw the week before the bar mitzvah which I think you are familiar with to a certain extent there was a a a sir in England Sir Nicholas Winton No Sir Nicholas winon is of course you do right he died in 2015 he was a um a British stock broker and a humanitarian he helped resc rescue Jewish children hinder the uh you know the Kinder transport he came from Nazi Germany during the Holocaust he was born actually from German Jewish parents who had came to Britain in the early part the beginning of the 20th century he he did not really was not really identified with the Jew the organized Jewish Community but he was Jewish right so he saved children from Czechoslovakia during the World War so and he was honored late in years they had a tremendous uh I think there's a there's a video there's a film on it I urge you to to find it and look at it it was very moving moving and he received letters of thanks from all over the world of these children who he saved one letter by the way was from the G of Z the rabbi the Z who passed away a few years ago Rach took over for him riss was a l from London he was in he lived in London and he knew English and he wrote a letter in English this is the great Rob the of wrote a letter in English to Sir Winton thanking him but what's the point here how many children did this Jew this holy Jew Sir Nicholas George Winton how many Jewish children did he save 669 he do the math he saved 669 children of Jerusalem Jewish children and is mentioned 66 you know you can't make these things up has strange ways of giving us lessons but that's what I wanted to share with you so 669 times Y is mentioned in the Torah if you have an encyclopedia tmis or you have it online if you have take a look at it fascinating all the names of yush that are brought there we should see very soon I have seen today I I don't know about 80 times people sent me this this moving uh video that someone put together various moments of the taking of yush ending up with rev Gorn at the at the cotel so uh if you haven't seen it yet just Google it you'll get it and it's a very moving piece there are many many things going around so the waning hours of yush we should appreciate what we have and D to that he gives us the power and the ability through our learning of Torah and through the fighting of our holy to to have safety and Shalom all Isel have a wonderful evening