Close To Torah

One of the most famous of all lines in the Torah was uttered by Bilaam’s mouth in this week’s Parsha: “Mah Tovu O’Halecha Yaakov, Miskinosecha Yisrael, how beautiful are the tents of Yaakov, the dwelling places of Israel (Bamidbar 24:5).” What was he referring to?

The Gemara (Bava Basra 60a) states that Bilaam was praising the Jews for their tznius, private and modest way in which their tents were pitched. Their tent doors each faced away from one another so that each person could maintain their privacy. The Gemara in Sanhendrin (105b) states that Bilaam was cursing them that they should not have Shuls. What is being stated here?

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l (1895-1986) states that these two ideas are one and the same. Bilaam saw the strength of the Jewish home and stated that this being the case they had no need for public Shuls. In truth however there are two aspects of Chinuch, one inside the house and the other outside. It is so important for the child to be educated and shown the meaningful and enjoyable ways of the Torah inside the home. It is also important for the child to be in a positive atmosphere of good influences and healthy friends. Education takes place in and out of the home in a safe Torah environment.

I believe that these two points are hinted in the verse itself. “How great are your tents,” refers to the private homes of the Jews, the Mikdash Mi’at. “Your dwelling places,” refers to the public Shuls of the Jews. We strive to provide the greatest and warmest atmosphere in both. The Jewish home is a safe and secure place where Jewish Neshamos are nurtured and shown the truth and beauty of Torah. The Jewish Shul is the place that one connects with fellow Ovdei Hashem to inspire one another to grow.

פרשת חקת – The Rock

by Binyomin Radner

פרק כ’ פסוק י”ב – “ויאמר ה’ אל משה ואל אהרן יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני לעיני בני ישראל לכן לא תביאו את הקהל הזה אל הארץ אשר נתתי להם

משה and אהרן are taken to task for failing to sanctify G-d in the midst of the Jewish nation and are therefore denied the privilege of leading them into the Promised Land.

The פסוק is rather cryptic both in its wording of the incident with the rock  at מי מריבה, and in what precisely the sin of משה and אהרן entailed. The commentators discuss this issue at length and the אור החיים alone explores no less than ten varying possible explanations as to what exactly transpired at מי מריבה.

רש”י explains that משה was commanded to speak to the rock and thereby release water for the Jewish people to drink. Yet משה deviated and struck the rock with his staff instead of speaking to it. This was because the rock did not react after being spoken to, as it was the wrong rock. משה figured that perhaps he should hit the rock first in order to achieve the desired effect as was the case with the rock in פרשת בשלח. If only משה had spoken to the rock as instructed, the people would have said, “If a rock which does not speak nor hear and does not need sustenance, yet still dutifully fulfills the command of G-d, we certainly should do likewise.” This potential response would have caused a קידוש ה’.

רמב”ן takes issue with the approach of רש”י on several fronts:

ה’ commanded משה to take the staff in his hand first and then to approach the rock. The implication is that he should, in fact, hit the rock. For if he was to merely speak to the rock to release water, what role would the staff play other than to be used to hit the rock?

Furthermore, the fact that sufficient water for an entire nation could be released from the rock is a tremendous miracle in and of itself. The act of striking the rock does not detract from the miraculous nature of water being produced from an inanimate object, let alone in such a large quantity so as to provide water for a nation of millions of people . Accordingly, the קידוש ה’ of such a supernatural event is the same regardless of the method of communication with the rock.

Additionally, the Pasuk in דברים פרק ל”ו פסוק נ”א  refers to the incident at מי מריבה with  ”אשר מעלתם בי”. Why should משה hitting the rock be called an act of מעילה (which is deriving personal benefit from הקדש?)

Thus, רמב”ן (as well as רבינו חננאל and the רא”ש) explain that the wrongdoing of משה and אהרן was not in the action of striking the rock, but in their choice of words,  ”המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים”. “From this rock will we produce water”?! They should have said “יוציא” “He” – that ה’ will produce the water. This incorrect wording could possibly have lent credence to the false notion that משה and אהרן were the ones who produced the water from the work, and not just ה’. That perhaps it was something of a team effort.  Hence, the קידוש ה’ was lacking. This is also why it was called מעילה since they derived personal benefit from an act of G-d by seemingly crediting themselves with the miracle instead of completely crediting G-d with it.

The רמב”ם in שמונה פרקים פרק ד’ offers yet another explanation that the sin of משה was that he acted with anger when he said to the Jewish nation “שמעו נא המורים” (Listen here rebels.) This caused a חילול ה’ since משה was the chosen emissary of G-d, and the people thought that G-d was angry with them as well, which was not the case.

In light of the attacks which the רמב”ן lodges at the approach of רש”י, perhaps we could have a better understanding of רש”י with the words of the כלי יקר:

The כלי יקר explains that the staff under discussion here that משה was to hold in his hand while speaking to the rock was actually the staff of אהרן. The staff of אהרן was dry wood which contained no moist nor water whatsoever, and yet  still  had sprouted flowers and almonds, which is impossible without water. This occurred because ה’ performed a miracle causing the staff to produce water which in turn produced the flowers and the almonds. Thus, משה was to display the staff to the Jewish people in order to demonstrate that just as ה’ can produce water from a staff, so can He produce water from a stone. Furthermore, whereas משה is commanded to speak to the rock the פסוק does not  inform us  at all of  what he is supposed to say to the rock. But on a closer look, the פסוק states “ודברתם אל הסלע ונתן מימיו”. The basic meaning is that “You should speak to the rock, and then it will give water.” However, the כלי יקר explains that these two words “ונתן מימיו” were the actual words that he was  to say to the rock. Meaning, he should say to the rock, “Just as the staff produced water by the command of G-d, so too should you (the rock) produce water by the command of G-d.”

This is alluded to by virtue of the fact that the גימטריא (numerical equivalent) of  סלע  (rock) = 170 which   is the same as that of עץ (staff). The rock was supposed  to learn from the staff to produce water by G-d’s command. משה however,then proceeded to strike the rock not with the staff of אהרן but with his own staff. This was a great sin due to the history of the staff’s involvement in many of the miracles. Some would scorn that the miracles were performed by the staff of משה with the powers of witchcraft contained inside that staff. Now that water was produced from the rock only after being struck by the same staff of משה  ,the misconception that the miracles were all performed with witchcraft of his staff was further intensified. This caused a חילול ה’ as it reopened the possibility for the scorners to credit the staff for all of the miracles instead of ה’ who really performed them.

The כלי יקר concludes that there is a deeper lesson  hinted to us as well. Earlier in פרשת בשלח, ה’ commanded משה to strike the rock to produce the water, and later on in פרשת חקת not to strike, but to speak to the rock to produce water. At the first time, the Jewish nation had just previously left Egypt and was yet young. Now in פרשת חקת the Jewish nation  was older, had experienced matan torah, and was more developed. This teaches us that when a child is young, corporal punishment can be effective and helpful in the child’s development. However, once the child matures into adolescence, only verbal rebuke is the proper חינוך.

Furthermore, the Jewish nation was to learn from this that they ought to  follow in the ways of ה’ without “corporal punishment”. Meaning, without all of the punishments that were given to them throughout their journey in the desert, they should be able to dutifully follow in the ways of  Hashem without coercion or threats, but out of free will. Since the rock was struck instead of spoken to, this message was prevented from being fully internalized by the Jewish people.

R’ Moshe Feinstein Zt’l in the Darash Moshe adds that there is another lesson hinted to us here as well:

Certainly there is no real difference between hitting the rock or talking to it. The miracle is the same just  like the  רמב”ן explained above. Hence, Moshe was commanded specifically  to speak to the rock even though rocks do not hear or understand. This is to teach us that Torah should be taught even to those who who do not at first  fully grasp it, and  eventually with the accurate  effort and toil, they too will reach the point where they are able to understand it .  R’ Moshe writes furthermore that one should not give up on teaching his children even if it seems at first like they do not understand. Rather, he should teach them repeatedly  until they do understand. Just as the stone did not understand but still fulfilled the command of G-d, so too and certainly to people who do not understand in the beginning but can eventually, with effort, reach the point where they can understand the words of Torah.

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The author can be reached at benradner@gmail.com.

The sin of Moshe hitting the rock is beyond our comprehension, however, the commentators express numerous lessons that can be learned from the event. Interestingly, the hitting of the rock is seen by Chazal to refer to Moshe acting as the teacher and the rock being the student. Once again, it is important not to attribute sins to Moshe, but the commentators shed light on important educational outlooks based on this episode.

The Ohr HaChaim lists off ten opinions as to what Moshe did wrong. Each one is a most relevant lesson to us both in the classroom, at home, and in our personal relationships.

1- Rashi: “Hashem told Moshe to speak to the rock, but he hit it.” We must always bear in mind that properly speaking to someone will accomplish more than physical contact.

2- Ibn Ezra: “Moshe did not have the right concentration when he hit the rock because he was distracted by the nation’s bickering and complaining that they were thirsty.” An educator must always remain calm and focused. No actions should be taken from a place of confusion. If the educator is frazzled, it is better not to act at all and wait until one calms down.

3- Ibn Ezra: “He was only supposed to hit the rock once, because that constituted speaking to it, but he hit it twice.” Sometimes a “potch” may be necessary, but it must be exact. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe zt”l says from his Rebbe, Rabbi Elya Lopian zt”l, that hitting a child is not a punishment of pain, but rather it is a light tap of love that expresses that the parent expects more from the child and the present behavior is not acceptable.

4- Ibn Ezra: “the Jews should have sung a song of thanks to Hashem.” Our Chinuch revolves around teaching our children to praise Hashem and to recognize His Guiding Hand and Eternal Kindness.

5- Ibn Ezra: “Moshe called the Jews ‘rebels’”. Educators must be so careful not to label children as failures. A child who is called a name by his Rebbe can be scarred for life. I dealt with the sweetest student who once confided in me that he thought of himself as a liar because that was a name that he was once called by a teacher who had falsely accused him of doing something. It took months for me to show him that he was truly a good person with middos, honesty, and so much to offer.

6- Rambam: “Moshe got angry leading the Jews to think that Hashem was angry at them as well, which was not the case.” This is powerful, as educators, we represent the Torah and Hashem and our children associate the feelings that we produce in them to be emanating from Hashem. This is a sobering wakeup call for how we interact and communicate with them.

7- Rabbeinu Chananel: “Moshe made it sound as if he and Aharon were bringing out the water and not Hashem.” We must educate our children to see the Hand of Hashem in everything.

8-R”M Kohen: “Moshe made it sound like it was impossible for Hashem to make water come from the rock.” Hashem is all capable and can do anything.

9- R”Y Albo (Ikrim): “Moshe and Aharon should have brought the Jews water before they even had to complain that they lacked it. And when the Jews did complain this showed their lack of Bitachon in Hashem.” The educator must be in tune with the needs of the students and he must instill in them a deep belief in Hashem.

10- Maaseh Hashem: The Jews and Moshe were arguing and Moshe threw his stick onto the rock in anger.” There is no room for anger in an educational setting, ever. I always tell my students, “you can get angry, or you can solve the problem, but you can’t do both.” If someone feels angry, that is okay, but there is never a time to express anger. It is fire that destroys relationships.

Once again, it must be stressed that Moshe is called by the dear title of ‘Rabbainu, our teacher’, because he was the master pedagogue of the Jews. The commentators are expressing a sin that Moshe did that was the minutest fraction of the above listed transgressions, and Hashem was extra strict on Moshe. May we learn to be effective, thoughtful, and warm educators who instill Ahavas HaTorah and Yiras Shamayim in our students and families.

Korach separated himself from the nation in order to claim a right to the priesthood (Rashi 16:1) The M’eam L’oez explains that when someone speaks gossip about another, the venomous slander can be accepted by the listener even if what is being said isn’t true.

One of the things that Korach claimed against Moshe was that he was guilty of stealing his wife. Even at first glance this sounds ludicrous. In order to continue, we will need to have some background knowledge: Moshe was a reincarnation of Hevel and Korach was a reincarnation Kayin. In the incident regarding the two brothers Kayin became jealous of his brothers offering being accepted while his wasn’t. This caused him to kill his sibling in cold blood.

We will not elaborate in depth being that it is beyond the scope of our subject. In order to procreate the world, each of them was born with a twin sister. These two girls went up to heaven. They then came back to earth many years later when Yisro and Pharaoh were walking in the fields of Egypt. After finding them they decided to take them in as their adopted children. Pharaoh named his daughter Basyah, while Yisro named his daughter Tzipporah. Tzipporah was the original wife of Hevel, and later became the wife of Moshe.

Korach claimed that since he as Kayin killed Hevel, he should have to marry his brothers wife through yibum. Therefore he claimed that Tzipporah was really his rightful wife through the Torah. It is quite obvious that if someone murders his brother the wife would not be interested in marriage; and chalitzah would be performed. In addition, the laws of marriage from one life do not apply to reincarnations! This is the extent to where gossip can lead people to.

However, Hashem gives everyone an opportunity to rectify their errors. Kayin was not an exception. The Rambam says in the laws of repentance that in order for a person to fully repent he must be in the same situation he was in when he sinned and overcome it. The reasoning for Kayin’s jealousy stemmed from offerings to Hashem. Korach was envious of Moshe and Aharon that they received priesthood and the right to bring the sacrificial offerings. We see from here that the incidents were related. They also happened to be standing on the same ground as they did in the beginning of time. The Mishnah in Avos lists ten things that were created twighlight erev shabbos. Among them was the mouth of the earth. When Hashem punished Kayin for his sin he said “cursed are you from the earth that opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother” (Beraishis 4:11).
In our Parsha when Korach is swallowed up, the same terminology is used: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their houses, and all of their property”(Bamidbar 16:32). Korach failed in his chance to rectify his wrongdoing, and he became punished measure for measure. When Hashem asked Kayin about the sin he committed it says: “What have you done? The blood of your brother is screaming to me from the earth” (Beraishis 4:10). The midrash tells us that until this day you can hear Korach screaming beneath the mouth of the earth “Moshe is truthful, and his Torah is true”. Hashem aligned things to be set up exactly as they were in the beginning granting Kayin an opportunity to repent. When he failed his chance, he was punished with the same treatment he caused his brother. (Based on a shiur from R’ Z. Wallerstein)

The lessons to be learned from here are endless. The damage gossip can lead to is hard to fathom. Slander can damage a person in unimaginable ways. In addition we clearly see the most important lesson of all. Hashem gives us opportunities everyday. We are given the chance to rectify our wrongs, and set things straight. Every encounter should be seen as an opportunity. With the proper outlook we can really achieve true completeness.

Beyond the surface

A deeper look at Shabbos Zemiros:

Shalom Aleichem:  The Anaf Yosef quotes a question asked by the Yavetz: “Why do we say tzeschem leshalom your leaving should be in peace; shouldn’t they stay for the meal and add to their blessing”? He answers the question by saying we are afraid that maybe throughout the length of the meal something might occur that will cause them to leave in anger. Therefore we smartly send them before human error has the opportunity to enrage the heavenly guests.

Another two answers are given:  1) we are taking leave of the weekday angels, and welcoming the angels of shabbos. 2) The atmosphere at the shabbos table is so holy there is no room for angels. Rather Hashem himself manifests his presence among us. It is a special time for our father to spend time with his children. To be continued…….

Food for thought:

“Once the seeds of gossip are planted, there is no telling what will sprout up.”

The opening verse (16:1) states that “Korach the son of Yitzhar, the son of Kehus, the son of Levi took.” What did he take? Rashi gives numerous explanations. Additionally, Yaakov Aveinu’s name is omitted from this genealogical listing because he davened that he be absent. What is this all about, whether or not Yaakov is mentioned, he is still Korach’s great-grandfather?

The answer expresses a most profound idea. Each family has talents and specialties. Parents grant certain natural temperaments and skills based on their creating and investing a part of themselves in their children. It is the power of a family’s vigor and capabilities. Korach utilized his great ancestral power and charisma and used it for the negative to gather followers for his rebellion against Hashem.

What did Korach take? He took his family powers with him. The verse reads, “Korach took, (his power of) Yitzhar, Kehus and Levi. This is why Yaakov wished to be omitted, he did not want Korach to take his sacred investment and use it against Moshe and Hashem.

On the flip side, one has the ability to connect with his family strengths. So much stress is given to the fact that we are descendants of Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov and Sarah, Rivka, Rachel and Leah. Their genes are embedded into our psyche and empowers us to become sincere servants of Hashem. We can ask ourselves when will our actions be in line with the goal of our illustrious grandparents who dedicated themselves whole-heartedly to the honor and closeness with Hashem.

One of the most challenging episodes in the Torah to understand is that of the Meraglim, the Spies. Let us begin with three basic questions.

1)     Hashem commanded Moshe to send spies in the first place, the first words of the Parsha say, “Send men to spy out (Viyasuru) the land,” why does Hashem seem to say that He never agreed to send them?

2)     Why are they called Meraglim, the first words of the Parsha command the Jews to send “Yeesurim, spies,” the word Meragel is only introduced in Devarim (1:24) when Moshe describes the fiasco.

3)     What did they do wrong in their report, they simply stated the facts of what they saw. This was their exact job? They reported that the land produced giants and was impenetrable.

The Kli Yakar sheds beautiful light on this entire matter with one answer that resolves and brings together everything. The difference between Yeesurim and Miraglim is the crux of the matter. Yeesurim are spies that seek out the Yeser, benefit and good, of the land that they are exploring. Meraglim are spies that are “Holchei Rachil, tale-bearers, who seek out the negative in everything. The root of the word Meraglim represents an evil gossiper who expresses only negativity and criticism.

So the explanation is:

1)     Hashem  agreed to send Yeesurim, an envoy that would seek out the good and benefit of the land, but they on their own volition became Meraglim, slanderers, this was exactly what they did wrong. Hence, the first command of the Parsha was never fulfilled and their negative envoy represented Klal Yisrael’s own negativity. The night they came back became the most tragic day of Jewish history, Tisha B’Av.

2)     They were told to be Yeesurim and look for the good, but they chose to be Meraglim and focus on the bad.

3)     Their job was to look at the benefits of the land, instead they made a slanderous report against Hashem and disheartened the entire nation. It thus ends up that there were 10 Meraglim who saw the bad and only two Yeesurim (Yehoshua and Kalev) who focused on the positive and were thus rewarded.

In life, we have a choice as to how we look at every situation and every person that we interact with. We can see the positive and uniqueness of people or we can become distracted by the negative. The difference in focus determines how much success and happiness we will experience.

Before Bnei Yisroel were about to enter Eretz Yisroel, they requested permission to send out spies. After asking Hashem, Moshe is told that if he so wishes, he can send spies for himself (Bamidbar 13:2).

Hashem had already promised to give them the land. There is no need to test G-d. If Hashem promises something, it is in our best interest. Bnei Yisroel had already been informed of the land’s praise. Hashem told Moshe that He is not going to make a decision, rather the choice is theirs.

Once they had made the decision to send out spies, Hashem caused a miracle, to insure their safety. The people of the land were inflicted with plague. The spies were witnesses to countless funerals. When they brought back their report they instilled fear within the people stating that it is a land which consumes its inhabitants (Bamidbar 13:32). They failed to realize that Hashem had orchestrated events in this way to ensure the spies remained undetected. Even though Hashem did not deem it necessary to send out the spies to begin with, he still oversaw their safety, enabling them to be successful in their mission. Their failure to see the positive virtues of the land had a catastrophic effect on the entire generation.

When the people heard the negative reports they started to weep. They disregarded all the previous knowledge they possessed regarding the land. Their tears ran freely, without good reason. Hashem vowed that he would give them something to cry about. That night was the ninth of Av, and in the future would be the date of destruction for both temples. In addition, death was decreed on the generation.

A life lesson we can derive from here can be illustrated though a parable: A little girl was sitting on the floor observing her mother working on a needlepoint. Looking up she found it strange and even a bit ugly to see a series of twists, turns, and knots all bunched up together. She wondered what her mother was doing. Upon completing her project, the mother got up, and showed her daughter a work of art. The girl was astonished when she saw a masterpiece before her eyes.

Everything that happens in our lives, even the seemingly negative is in reality all positive and with our benefit in mind. Although we may not always see the outcome, or understand the reasoning behind day to day events, we must build up the trust and belief that whatever may come our way is truly for the best. Our lives are a tapestry, and Hashem is the artisan.

Beyond the surface

A deeper look at Shabbos Zemiros:

Shalom Aleichem: The tradition to sing “Shalom Aleichem” is based on a  Gemara Shabbos 119b says that on Friday night two angels escort a person from shul to their home. One angel is ‘good’, the other ‘evil’. Upon arrival if they find the candles lit, a set table, and the beds are made all in honor of the holy day; then the ‘good’ angel blesses the home saying: “May it be this way next shabbos as well”. The ‘evil’ angel is then forced to answer amen. If not, then the opposite takes place.  R’ Yaakov Emdan explains this is why we say “Malachei Hashalom” angels of peace. It is our hope that we will receive the blessing of the ‘good’ angel who will bring peace into our homes.   To be continued…….

Food for thought:

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

The Shlah HaKodosh teaches us that each Yom Tov ties in to the Parsha that is read during the week that it falls out. What does Parshas Beha’aloscha have to do with the Holiday of Kaballas HaTorah?

Going through all of the themes of the Parsha sheds beautiful insight regarding the importance and approach towards getting closer to Hashem and His Torah. The Parsha begins with the word, “Beha’aloscha, when you go up,” this is the theme of the entire Torah, personal growth and development. Life is seen as a great opportunity for upward growth and working towards becoming a self-motivated and high integrity person.

The Parsha begins by discussing the Menorah. My dear Rebbe, Rabbi Asher Zelig Rubenstein shlit”a always quotes Rashi who explains how Aharon lit the Menorah in the Mishkan. Aharon was to hold the flame onto the wick until the wick itself became aflame and was able to draw oil and stay lit on its own. This represents the two vital stages of learning Torah. First, we strive to connect to our Rebbe who teaches us Torah knowledge and skills, this is akin to Aharon HaKohen’s flame. The next stage is to take in the lessons and become a flame on our own, with our personal development and strengths. This is what brings light to the world.

The Leviim are singled out in our Parsha and given great honor. This teaches us that those that uphold and represent the Torah will be given great recognition and honor for their dedication. Torah brings greatness to all who embrace its study. On Shavuos one should understand that with a commitment and diligence, Torah knowledge and success can be ours!

Next comes the topic of Pesach Shaini, the make-up Pesach for those that missed it the first time around. The lesson is that it is never too late to connect to Hashem. Even if one was unclean or too distant in the past, the Torah teaches that one can always come back and connect with Hashem. There is one condition though to this and that is: “Lamah nigarah, why should we lose out and be inferior?!” The men that were unclean and far away asked for another chance with a clear expression of their interest and passion to get closer to Hashem. It is never too late to start for one who is passionate and excited to connect with Hashem.

The next topic is that of the Clouds of Glory and Fire that protected and guided the Jews in the desert. The beauty of the Torah is that when one listens to its message, we allow Hashem to guide our lives. Hashem is our great Father who loves and cares for us and only wants to see us succeed. Hashem wants to take care of us and He gave us the Torah with clear instructions that state: “for best results in life, use as follows…” This is what the actual word Torah means, “Moreh Derech, guide for life.”

Next, Hashem taught the Jews the lesson regarding the Misonanim, the complainers. If one is focused on negativity, he or she will indeed be very miserable. Only one who is happy with his lot and appreciates the bounty that Hashem gives him will be happy.

In the end of the Parsha, Hashem tells Moshe to appoint 70 Elders to help lead the Jews. This is to show that we always need elders to turn to for advice and guidance and Hashem wants us to turn to Daas Torah in order to learn how to live life.

Finally, the Parsha ends with Moshe’s passionate plea for his sister Miriam to be healed and the Nation waiting seven days until she recovered. This signifies the great love and respect that one must have towards his fellow brothers and sisters. The Torah only rests on one who has Derech Eretz and compassion towards others.

There are so many lessons found in the Parsha that relate to Shavuos. May we merit a sweet and inspirational Yom Tov filled with growth in Torah and connection to our family and friends.

In the gifts that the Nesiim gave to the Mishkan they gave Ketores, the incense offering. Rashi brings down a perplexing Chazal that states that Ketores (קטרת) has the same numerical value as 613, which corresponds to the 613 Mitzvos. Rashi notes that this value is only reached when we switch the first letter of Ketores (ק) and place a Daled (ד) in its place. What is going on here?

The simple explanation is that in the 26 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, there are 13 pairs of letters forming the At Bash (את בש) break-down. This is Kabbalistically based and is brought down in Sefer HaYetzirah. The letters Daled and Kuf are paired together as one of those 13 matches. What remains to be understood is why these two letters are specifically related?

Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt”l tackles this question. He explains that there is a deep connection between the Daled which is 4 and the Kuf which is 100. There is a Rabbinical obligation to make 100 berachos each day. According to strict Torah law, only 4 berachos are MiD’Oreisah, however, the Rabbis saw the need to expand upon the Torah’s obligation to bring more meaning to life. The four Torah ones are: Birchas HaMazone, Birchas HaTorah, Hafrashas Maaser and a beracha for Tefillah. This is the connection of the number Daled (4) and the number Kuf (100). It signifies berachos D’Oreisah and D’Rabanan.

Rabbi Schwab continues by stating that there are four main reasons that we say berachos to begin with. They are Ahavas Hashem, Yiras Hashem, Serving Hashem and Connecting to Hashem.

The Nesiim wanted to dedicate the greatest gift to Hashem and so they brought Ketores. The Ketores was the most magnificent and powerful smelling spice. Chazal say that the brides did not have to put on perfume when the Ketores was being burned as the scent was so far reaching! The Ketores teaches us how to make berachos. We should sing the praises of Hashem and spread the inspiration throughout the world. When we thank Hashem this way, it draws our hearts closer to Him and enhances our performance of the 613 Mitzvos. The Nesiim wished to give gifts to inaugurate the Mishkan. They wanted to share their excitement with the world. That is why they brought Ketores and they taught us how to experience simcha and give thanks to Hashem!

Hashem told Moshe to count the Jews, “B’Mispar Sheimos, count their names (Bamidbar 1:2).” This language seems odd, counting implies numbers not individual names? Rabbi Shimshon Pincus zt”l tells us that this shows how dearly important we are to Hashem in two ways. A brick in the wall is only important because without it the wall will fall. The brick itself has no individual importance. Similarly, when Bnei Yisrael went to war with Midyan each tribe sent one thousand soldiers. Each soldier was only a number that added up to the necessary total amount of troops needed to win the battle. If one soldier is missing the army is lacking and is not yet an army.

When a family has ten children, each child is a world him or herself. Each child is not just important because they are a member of the total family of ten. Each one has a name not a number. On the other hand if a child is missing there is still a family because the family was not based on a specific total number.

When Hashem wanted a count of the Bnei Yisroel, the Torah says B’Mispar Sheimos. Bnei Yisroel have value in their sum total, which causes Hashem’s Shechina to shine forth. If even one is lacking, then Bnei Yisrael is not Bnei Yisrael and cannot be a resting place for Hashem’s Shechina. Even so, each individual is a treasure in their own right. Each one has their own “name.”