Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.
Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.
Ki Tetsei 5785
Shoftim 5785
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Shoftim 5785
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YouParsha Shoftim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpRDK9ZKau0Do Miitary Exemptions
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This week, we read Parsha Shoftim Deuteronomy 16:18 - 19:20. The Jewish way of war is discussed. Jews were to approach a city and offer the inhabitants three choices:
1) Leave!
2) Become vassal servants to us.
3) Get killed in war. (If 2 or 3 are unfavorable, reconsider option 1.)
Even during the fighting, the Jews were not to surround a city, but leave an escape route for people to flee. Jews were also forbidden from destroying the land they attacked. No "scorched earth policies" were allowed. One of my favorite mitzvahs is in this week's Parsha; A soldier must include a shovel in his pack. Perhaps, he would need to go to the bathroom and need to dig a hole to cover his waste. How many armies were decimated over the millennia because they went to the bathroom in their drinking water!
The concept of war still exists within each individual. Chasidus describes a war between our inclination towards G’dliness, the yetzer tov and our inclination towards the mundane and profane, the yetzer hora. The two are at constant odds. Each one is constantly trying to rid the body of the other, never succeeding. In approaching our yetzer hora, we should realize that we are to give it three options. None of those options is to peacefully coexist, it is impossible. The torah tells us, "When one rises, the other will fall. When the other rises, the first one will fall."
One need not feel downcast because they can never totally vanquish the yetzer hora. It is not expected of us. Those who do rid themselves of the yetzer hora are totally righteous tzadikim and are indeed, few in number. Most tzadikim are born tzadikim. What is expected of us is to try, not a lot, but a little bit at every opportunity. Judaism is unique in that there is no one level of perfection. Each individual has their personal goal to achieve. The nuance is that it is not the achievement but the achieving.
The Shpoler Zaida once commented that this war would be much easier if the yetzer hora was in a book and the Torah was in our hearts. Since, however, the Torah is in a book that sits on a shelf and the yetzer hora is in our hearts, what does the Almighty expect?! The Almighty promised the Jewish people, "I will fight your wars," even this war. The Almighty requests that we just make the initial effort.
The Parsha of Shoftim is read at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul. Elul is called the month of accounts. Before the end of every fiscal year, it is proper for the proprietor to check the books and inventory to determine what areas need improving. Before Rosh Hoshana, it is imperative we check over our past year. Where we need to improve in our prayers, Torah learning, charity, and our desire to become closer to Hashem must all be considered.
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A Professor once came to the Rebbe. He had been told by a religious colleague that the Rebbe was a scientist of the utmost magnitude. Determined to disprove this belief, the man entered the Rebbe's room armed with many difficult questions.
After about an hour, the man emerged from the Rebbe's room, visibly shaken. Those around him asked him to describe his encounter. He related that that the Rebbe was comfortable in all matters of science and could converse even in those subjects that "I am most expert". "But," the man continued, "He lacks in one area. When the conversation came to matters of faith, the Rebbe accepted everything without question, just like an old grandmother."
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