The Mai HaShiloach[1] writes that one could spend his entire life in this parsha, for the richness of avoda contained here can truly inspire us forever. The Piaseczner in Derech HaMelech[2] points out that the menora is really about avoda and how to enflame Yisrael [with inspiration]. Thus the Priests are commanded to light the seven branched menora, and Rashi[3] comments that it must be lit so that the flame rises upwards by itself. In the past we have learned that we are the flame. Are we also the menora itself?

The Chidushai HaRim[1] points out that since Naso always comes right after we receive the Tora on Shavuot, it is especially blessed with abundant divrei Tora. We will explore the special status of the nazir, whose abstinence from wine and haircuts raises the crucial issue about the Tora attitude towards asceticism. This point is discussed regarding the law that the nazir must offer a sin offering upon the cessation of his nazarite vow. The question is, why? As we will see that the commentators differ radically on this point.

Rashi[2] quotes the rabbinic position that the sin offering is brought to expiate the sin of refraining from wine. Ramban[3] on the other hand sees the nazir’s sin in his return to his former life-style after having reached a higher spiritual level. He quotes the verse that compares the nazir to the Prophet, which is obviously positive.[4] The Rambam[5] sees this question as being entirely dependent upon the nazir’s intent. If one frivolously vows to be a nazir, he is evil, but if he does so out of sincere religious devotion, he is praised and compared to a prophet. The Netziv[6] points out that there are actually two types of nazirim. The first type is someone who takes the vow in order to dedicate himself to spirituality and get closer to HaShem and even strives to receive Ruach HaKodesh. This type of nazir is also prohibited from coming in contact with the dead, as he must remain happy to serve HaShem on a high level, since happiness is a prerequisite for Ruach HaKodesh. This is the type of nazir who is praised and compared to a prophet. The second type is someone who takes the vows as a last ditch effort to overcome their adulterous urges, after all else has failed. He is allowed to come in contact with the dead, since this leads to great fear of G-d, which is exactly what he needs. While in light of his horrific moral situation he is doing what he needs to do to protect himself from sin, this is nonetheless a disaster that should have been avoided, and he should have been able to control himself with less drastic measures. The Kli Yakar[7]also agrees that the nazir should have found less severe ways to control his evil inclination. Furthermore, his very vow may arouse his yezer hara even more. The fact that he did become ritually impure, necessitating the sin offering is in itself proof that he was not fit for the status of nazir. He furthermore sinned by serving HaShem with asceticism instead of joy.

Parshat Bamidbar is always read before Shavuot, just as the Torah was given in the desert. We may ask what is significant about the desert experience. The Mai HaShiloach writes that the desert is a place of snakes, scorpions and thirst, and yet Am Yisrael entered the desert to show that even in such a wild and seemingly ownerless place Hashem is present and there is potential for holiness that must be actualized. Therefore, continues Rav Leibele Eiger, the desert teaches us that there is nothing in the world that exists outside the divine realm. The Mai HaShiloach further points out that the book of Bamidbar is filled with stories of great people who fall, for no one can rest upon their laurels and be too sure of themselves. Again, the desert seems to break down all of our assumptions about reality and truth.

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd raged when he testified to discredit and delegitimize the State of Israel, at the UN, aired on YouTube. He adamatly denied the Jews their only homeland, where they’ve been a steady presence since 1300 BCE, amid proof of their monarchy, culture, ethics, morality, and religion, established by 1000 BCE.

Waters comes by his biases naturally. He is from the England that blamed the Jews for the Black Plague and expelled them for 350 years; the England that established and then violated the British Mandate in capitulation to Arab pressure; the England that turned thousands of Jewish immigrants away from Palestine to their death; the England that the Manchester Guardian paper chastised for doing nothing to advance partition, and wrote, “has turned heavily against the Jews who cannot arm or train their soldiers as the Arabs have been able to do in the states bordering Palestine.”* Add to this, the Archbishop of Canterbury who welcomed oppressive Sharia to compromise English law.

Scheduled to speak on April 30^th in support of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) of Israel at Manhattan’s 92St Y, financially supported by the UJA Federation, Waters then cancelled. Did he or the Y fold to opposition, or is this a sign of conscience? Will this four-flusher actually reconsider his position that Israel is to blame for the stagnated peace process – and much more?

Unable to compete with modernity and modern warfare, the Muslim Brotherhood devised the strategy of keeping their brethren isolated to win global support – this is apartheid. “To the vanquished go the spoils!” Did the Brits welcome back the vanquished Nazis or the Argentineans to the Falklands? Yet Israel has often returned captured land with the hope of peace, but jihadists cannot acknowledge Israel as a Jewish State.

The main mitzva that we read of in Parshat Behar is that of Shmita, the Sabbatical Year during which agricultural practices are severely limited in Eretz Yisrael and all of the fruits are endowed with an extra measurement of innate holiness. The Tora describes this as a reality in which the land will rest as a Shabbat to HaShem.[1] Is there an intrinsic connection between the temporal Sabbath and the spatial Land of Israel? We shall examine some of the insights of the current Slonimer Rebbe, the author of the Darchei Noam.[2]

According to the Rebbe there are two main spiritual qualities of Shabbat; it is both the day of the soul[3] and it is the source of blessings for the world.[4] We find that the Land of Israel also has these same two qualities, but not in exactly the same way. Whereas its quality of soulfulness is present at all times, its reality as the source of blessing is particularly potent during the Shmita year. Paradoxically while we generally find that HaShem's blessings come in response to our activity, on both Shabbat and Shmita, they are a result of our refraining from activity.

As is well known the period of Sefirat HaOmer between Pesach and Shavuot is marked as a time of semi-mourning due to the deaths of 24,000 of Rebbe Akiva's students who were punished for not being respectful to each other.[1] As is also known there are various customs regarding the actual timing of this morning period, which extends for 33 days out of the entire 49 days of the Sefira. Some begin on the second day of Pesach continuing to Lag B'Omer, (the 33^rd day) whereas others begin on Rosh Chodesh Iyyar and continue until Shavuot, but break for Lag B'Omer.[2] The first custom is the more common one, certainly in Eretz Yisrael, and it is t that custom we wish to address ourselves.

The Shem M'Shmuel[3] writes that the main counting is until Lag B'Omer. And why is that? This counting, which is essentially the countdown and preparation for Shavuot comes to purify the animal soul, one's nature and character traits in order to follow God even when one's consciousness is not clear and enlightened. Thus he explains that we begin counting on the second night of Pesach for there is no need to purify ourselves on the first day of Pesach when the lights of Redemption are so great that every Jew is completely annulled to God's will. However from the second day on that light begins to dim and we revert to restricted consciousness.[4] That is when we need to purify ourselves so that we will always be drawn to follow God's will, and this is the true preparation for receiving the Tora on Shavuot.

Well, I suppose that all friendships must come to an end sooner or later, Othello and Desdemona, Caesar and Brutus, but of this one I had nurtured higher hopes, mainly because both parties had so much in common and had mutually benefited from a very long association.

An Open Letter to the Members of the Teachers Union of Ireland:

In the words of Kevin O’Neill, “Kindliness combined with unique native wit and the courage to go and do business with the world have been the trademarks of the Irish character. The Irish have never been known, like so many other nations, to retire from the world, to withdraw, to hide.” Yet this is the process you have begun.

As the Teacher’s Union has relinquished its freedoms of thought, learning, research and growth in the interest of healing illusory Islamic wounds, are you aware that you are also a collaborator in the destruction of Ireland? While violent jihadists pursue the Koranic dictates to kill the unbelievers, stealth is facilely implemented within Europe and the Americas. Stealth, aka civilizational jihad, is a system of lies (taqiyyah), persuasion and incremental restrictions that the invading entity imposes on the host culture by claiming victimization. By insisting that words or expressions are offensive – the very vehicles of thought and ideas – freedom of speech is purloined and societies transformed.

By “ceasing all cultural and academic collaboration with Israel, including the exchange of scientists, students and academic personalities, and the cooperation in research programs,” you have taken a step backward in time to the 7^th century of Mohammed and the evil decrees set forth in their Koran. Perhaps you do bear a deep-seated desire to assist in the Islamic effort to destroy Israel with a fallacious “apartheid” label. Israel, the only Jewish homeland on the planet is, in point of fact, home to citizens of every race, religion, and national origin, yet no one addresses the Islamic regimes where Jews and Christians are either expelled, converted by force, enslaved or killed – or the communist regimes of China and Cuba where freedoms are considerably limited.