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Dear  Naaleh Friend,

This week we feature a Naaleh Torah class on Parshat Bahaalotcha. The class, 
Levite Leverage Parshat Behaloscha is from Mrs. Shira Smile's series  Living the Parsha 5773.  In this class (shiur) on Parshat Behaloscha, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the Levites inauguration to the service of the Mishkan.  To view this class please click on the image below.


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Shabbat Shalom!

-Ashley Klapper and the Naaleh Crew
For Tehillim list please click here to view our Refuah Shleima page
Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles
Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein  
Bnei Yisroel were poised to enter Eretz Yisroel.  They were tired of a diet of manna and wanted real food like they ate in Egypt. The Torah tells us that suddenly, "They became as complainers...."  Were these legitimate complaints, or were they merely excuses for their real discontent?  Why are the people described as becoming "as complainers?" Further, who initiated the complaints, the  erev rav /mixed multitude, or the elders? Finally, why were they punished right away?  
According to Rashi, the people were looking for a pretext to distance themselves from Hashem. Hashem's motivation was always for their good, whether it was to speed their arrival into Israel by consolidating the journey, or by giving them the perfect food to eat. If it was the elders who initiated the complaints, their punishment had been waiting in the wings since Har Sinai. There they ate and drank in flagrant haughtiness, disregarding the sanctity of the experience. The current complaining displayed a similar haughtiness, and therefore Hashem punished them right away. Further, as the  Ohel Moshe writes, more was expected of the leaders than of the rest of the people, although they only thought these complaints  and only Hashem heard them. Therefore they were punished without delay.  
Rabbi Ezrachi notes that it is probable that both the elite of the nation and the mixed multitude complained. While the elders used the complaints to mask their real reason, to distance themselves from Hashem, the mixed multitude needed no reason. They would never be satisfied with anything. Rabbi D. Ochyan notes that when someone has everything he develops a sense of entitlement. Then, if he lacks one thing, he complains, since he has come to believe he deserves everything. With this mindset, we believe  bishvili nivra haolam /the world was created just for me while we neglect to counterbalance it with v'onochi afar vaefer /and I am but dust and ashes. Both messages are valid. Each person is important, but it is also important to know one's place and that there are always people greater than oneself.  
The  Sifsei Chaim  explains that Hashem gave us the Torah specifically in the wilderness where we would be dependent on Him for everything so that we would learn and practice humility and accept the yoke of heaven. Citing the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Friedlander z"l notes that our sojourn in the desert can be likened to the fetus in its mother's womb where all its needs are provided for. It was hard to be totally dependent on Hashem, as human beings have a drive toward independence. Hashem therefore answered the complaints of Bnei Yisroel about the heavenly manna by raining down copious amounts of  slav /pheasants. The  Sifsei Chaim  notes that while Hashem controlled the amount of manna each person gathered, each person could gather as much  slav  as he wanted. As the  Leavdecha Be'emet notes, people resent authority. Sometimes they rationalize by ignoring the authority and then claiming they were ignorant of the requirement.  It says in the Haggadah, " Boruch HaMakom boruch Hu / Blessed is the Omnipresent One Blessed is He," The  Sifsei Chaim  explains that  HaMakom  is the way we express God's name in relation to the world, while  Hu  represents the God Who is beyond our understanding. The elders, in spite of all the miracles, glory and kindness they witnessed still felt entitlement. They recognized  HaMakom  but refused to acknowledge the  Hu . Therefore they died.  
But some people, writes Rabbi Ezrachi, need no reason to complain. It is their very nature to constantly find fault. How we view the world will determine our state of happiness, writes Rabbi Feuer quoting Rav Hutner z"l. We have the ability to train ourselves toward positivity. If we teach ourselves to bless people and even bless things regularly, we will flex the muscles of our positive outlook. It is in this vein that the custom has developed to ask for blessings from a  baal simcha . Since joy overflows from him and he owns it, he has the power to share his joy by bestowing blessings on others.
We can banish that negative thought, writes S. Yosef, but since nature abhors a vacuum, we must replace the negative thought with a positive one, most effectively, a positive present affirmation. While each of us has both positive and negative in our lives, we undoubtedly find Hashem's kindnesses to us far outweigh the challenges He has given us.  
Both the  Shem Mishmuel  and the  Baal Shem Tov  compare our need for spiritual growth to a child's learning to walk. The child may think the parent is abandoning him, not realizing that the distance is forcing him to build up his muscles an grow. Similarly, Hashem appeared to be distancing Himself from Bnei Yisroel by moving the  Aron Kodesh  from the center of the camp to the front, forcing Bnei Yisroel to move forward.  
Life itself begins with great inspiration only to reach a stage of letdown writes Rabbi A. Tatz. But that is when the work, growth and achievement really take place, as the effort is extended to counter the inertia. The Torah demands that we experience Hashem in all circumstances, writes Rabbi S. Grosbard.    
Contemplating the  chasadim  Hashem has bestowed upon us generates love for Him. Who is the truly rich person? One who appreciates all that Hashem does for him. The complaints of the people, notes Rabbi Fryman  z"l, was symptomatic of the lack of love for and trust in Hashem. They did not think there was a reason Hashem subjected them to a tiring three day journey, for example. In this life, we should be content with our lot in all things physical, but we should continue to strive for more in the spiritual realm. As Rabbi Meislish says, Hashem gives each of us exactly what we need to fulfill our mission. When we focus on the gifts Hashem has given us rather than on what we are lacking we can attain true happiness.
There is a disagreement between the Rambam and the Ramban concerning whether the mitzvah of prayer is a Torah or a Rabbinic commandment. It's not explicitly spelled out in the Torah that one must pray three times a day as it does clearly state that one must eat matzot or put on tefilin . The Rambam in Mishne Torah writes that there's a positive commandment to pray daily as it says, " V'avadata l'Hashem Elokeichem , you shall serve Hashem ." We interpret this to mean prayer which is service of the heart as it says, " U'levodo b'chol levavchem- And you shall serve Him with all your heart."  According to the Rambam there is a positive commandment which Hashem gave us through Moshe to pray every day. The number of times we must pray daily and the precise words are not mandated by the Torah. One needs to pray at least once a day because one needs Hashem's mercy. This is applicable to both men and women. Although it is a daily mitzvah, prayer is not a mitzvat asei she'hazman grama  ( dependent on time).  
The Ramban disagrees with the Rambam. He writes that the mitzvah to pray daily is only a Rabbinic ordinance. The Torah obligation  is only during times of trouble. This is based on the verse, " Batzor hatzor eschem b'haroso b'chatzotzrot- When your enemies attack, blow the trumpets." Trumpets were a part of prayer in ancient times when songs of prayer were accompanied with musical instruments.
Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik pointed out that the interpretation of the Rambam is not very different from the Ramban. The Rambam agrees with the Ramban that the purpose of prayer is to reach out to Hashem in times of crisis. We all have profound needs which are referred to as bakashot. These are the requests which we ask of the Almighty in our prayers. The Rambam maintains that the human being is by definition always in crisis. We always have needs which are critical such as health, food, clothing, sustenance, shelter, and peace. We cannot take anything for granted. A person's situation can change in an instant. Crisis can strike at any time. Hashem has given every one of us so much in order to exist. We are in crisis if we lose any of it. The fact that the Almighty lets us live and sustains us so that all is under control means he's taking us out of a situation of crisis.  According to Chassidic teachings without Hashem's involvement, the world could revert to tohu -chaos, but Hashem ordained seder -order and continues to sustain it. All levels of creations continually receive existence from Hashem who involves himself in our daily lives. We are continuously being saved from crisis and from imminent annihilation. Therefore, says the Rambam, we must speak to the Almighty daily and thank him for our past and present gifts while beseeching Him to continue to share His munificence.
In summary, the Torah mandate of tefilah according to the Rambam is a daily mitzvah while according to the Ramban it only applies in a time of crisis. On the Rabbinic level, the Anshei kneseth hagedolah  (Men of the Great Assembly) instituted that every Jew must pray three times daily.  Let us merit that all our prayers be mindful and potent and may they always be answered for the good.  

The Art of Jewish Parenting:
Discipline  Part II
Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Herschel Reichman

Very early on we have to teach our children the concept of din (judgment) and chesed (kindness ) . If with chesed and love the word yes is very important, with din no is important. We have to teach our children that there are things we are obligated to do and things that we may not do. There's an assumption that a child will automatically imbibe the concept of limits, but in fact we need to teach him. Just as the laws of nature are natural so should the laws of the Torah become a part of our essence.  
There is a very interesting discussion mentioned in Rashi and the Midrash. When the Jews were given the Ten Commandments they heard the positive mitzvot and said, "Yes we will do them." When they heard the negative mitzvot, the Midrash discusses two conflicting views on how they responded. Either they said, "No we won't ever do these things." Or they said, "Yes we accept them," just as they responded to the positive commandments.  The question is what their attitude was. Was it a deeper commitment where the negative commandments were something against their very nature or was it a matter of accepting the law as Hashem commanded?
You cannot expect a child to identify with the law. For example, if you tell your child that he can only have one ice cream it will be hard for him to understand it. The first level of instruction is the concept of limits, of "I can't have everything I want," because that is what we are, limited human beings.
We have to learn this early on. There are limits and the reason is not important. If a higher authority created these limits I have to respect that. I must respect Hashem who created the limits of nature and all the limits contained in the Torah. I have to respect my parents who create limits too. Later on, over time, it's certainly possible to move deeper towards a more profound commitment where the child truly identifies with the limits and cannot violate them .   
Let us pray that we be successful in imparting to our children the ways of Hashem -the path of chesed and mishpat that Avraham Avinu passed down to his children and that every Jewish parent strives to teach his own children.   

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