The essence of the mitzvah is in
verses 22-23:

You shall tithe the entire crop of
your planting, the produce of the field, on a yearly basis. You shall eat it
before HaShem, your God, in the place that He will choose to rest His name- the
tithe of your grain, your wine and your oil. And the firstborn of your cattle
and your flocks, so that you will learn to fear HaShem, your God, all the days.

Abravanel asks:

What is the point of the owner’s
separation of this tithe from the other produce when he himself will ultimately
partake of it?

Abravanel answers:

This mitzvah is of immense value.
When you separate the tithe and bring it to Jerusalem to eat it there in order
to fulfill the mitzvah, before God, you will learn to fear God.

Alshikh asks:

How can eating, drinking and
rejoicing teach people to be God fearing?

Alshikh answers:

Perhaps God commanded them to take a
tithe of all of their possessions to Jerusalem to deter them from repudiating
the source of their bounty and that they should realize that wealth did not
originate with the power of their own hands. It was as if they were giving the
king his portion. This portion is “holy to God” and from the table of the Most
High.

Nechama Leibowitz points out that you
eat from Maaser Sheni “before God.” You are in the presence of God and you
should stand in awe of Him.

Something as mundane as eating is
taken to a totally different level when it is brought to the Temple in
Jerusalem. When one goes through the process of tithing their possessions,
bringing them up to Jerusalem and eating them there, they find spirituality
that would not have been found if they stayed at home.

One one hand, there are a lot of
visitors to Jerusalem today who choose to find spirituality by doing tzedaka
and chesed projects with those who are less fortunate. This is similar to
Maaser Ani (the Tithe for the Poor) which is given on the third and sixth
years. On the other hand, we learn from Maaser Sheni that there is also a value
in coming to Jerusalem to seek out God and strengthen our own spirituality by
studying Torah, walking the streets or enjoying a good meal.

In Parsha Re’eh, the ultimate spot where the Beit HaMikdash (Temple)
will be built is hinted to many times such as in Dvarim 12:5: “At the place that HaShem, your God, chooses from all your tribes
to set His Presence there, will you seek His Presence and come there.”

Was the Beit HaMikdash in the
territory of Binyamin or Yehuda or was it located in neutral territory that
belongs to all of Am Yisrael (the entire Jewish nation)?

The Talmud, Yoma 12a teaches:

The Tanna Kamm (first Tanna in the
Mishna) maintains that Jerusalem was not apportioned among the tribes. However,
Rabbi Yehuda maintains that Jerusalem was apportioned among the tribes.

According to the Tanna Kamma, Jerusalem
was designated as the Temple city and all the tribes retained rights therein.

The Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim 126:8)
explains that initially Jerusalem was apportioned among the tribes as at the
time, the site of the Beit HaMikdash was unknown. Once Jerusalem was designated
as the Temple city, equal access was granted to all of the tribes. However, the
original owners of property in Jerusalem (members of the tribes of Yehuda and
Binyamin) retained titles to their properties. The rest of Israel only received
the right to use these properties when they traveled to Jerusalem.

The Gemara asks: Which parts of the
Temple complex were in the portion of Yehuda?

The Temple Mount, the chambers
(lishkot) and the courtyards (azarot) were in the portion of Yehuda.

Which parts were in the portion of
the tribe of Binyamin?

The antechamber (ulam), the
sanctuary (heichal), and the Kodesh HaKodashim were in the portion of Binyamin.

A strip of land projected from the
portion of Yehuda and extended into the portion of Binyamin and on it the altar
was erected. Binyamin the tzadik (righteous) was pained by it each day. As it
says in Moshe’s blessing to the tribe of Binyamin (Dvarim 33:12): “He agonizes
over it all day long.” Therefore Binyamin became host to the presence of God.
As it says (Dvarim 33:12) “And between his (Binyamin’s) shoulders does He (God)
rest.”

Rashi points out that the Holy Ark
(upon which the Shechina, the Divine Presence rested) was located in Binyamin’s
portion.

Binyamin was the permanent host of
the Shechina. Even before the Beit HaMikdash was built, the Shechina always
resided in the territory of Binaymin. The Talmud, Zevachim 118b points out that
the Shechina rested in different Sanctuaries before the Beit Hamikdash in
Jerusalem: Shilo, Nov & Givon. All were located in the tribe of Binyamin.

May we merit to see the rebuilding
of the Beit HaMikdash in Yerushalayim!

 Celebrating 16 years in Israel

Parsha Re’eh has many references to settling the Land of Israel
including:

When HaShem, your God has brought you to the Land that you are coming to
inherit… (Dvarim 11:29)

For you shall pass across the Yarden to come to inherit the Land that
HaShem, your God, is giving you; you will inherit it and will dwell in it.  (Dvarim 11:31)

These are the statutes and the laws that you will guard to fulfill in
the Land that HaShem, God of your forefathers, has given you, to inherit, all
the years that you are alive on the earth. (Dvarim 12:1)

When you cross the Yarden and settle in the Land that HaShem, your God,
is apportioning to you, and He has granted you peace from all your enemies
around, and you will live secure. (Dvarim 12:10)

We are also taught:

You shall walk after HaShem, your God… (Dvarim 13:5)

Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon asks in the midrash, Vayikra Raba 25:3: Is
it possible for a human being to “walk after God”?

At the beginning of the creation, God engaged in planting as it says in
Breisheet 2:8, “HaShem, God
planted a garden eastward (mikedem) in Eden.” Mikedem also means first.
Similarly, when you, Israel, enter the Land, engage in planting first, as it is
written in Vayikra 19:23, “When you come into the Land, and shall have planted
all manner of trees for food…” 

There is a story about Rabbi Adin
Steinsaltz zt”l, who passed away this week. He always felt that he wasn’t doing
enough, even though he wrote many books, including a commentary on the entire
Talmud. He gave many lectures and wrote countless articles over the years, yet
he still felt that it was not enough.

What Rabbi Steinsaltz really wanted
to do was to leave this world a small tree that would grow. In his garden,
years ago, he planted two cypress trees. One was stolen and the other one was
small, its head was cut off. Rabbi Steinsaltz had mercy on it and took the head
and reattached it with duct tape to the stump that was still fresh. Then he just
gave it a chance to grow and hoped that the fracture would heal. Today this
tree is almost three meters tall!

Out of all the amazing things that
Rabbi Steinsaltz did in his lifetime, planting a small tree that would grow
into a tall tree (even if it was a little chopped) was extremely important to
him and made him feel fulfilled.

May we all have the opportunity of emulate God and plant trees in
Israel. 

In Parshat Re’eh we are told not to worship idols
and when we worship God it has to be in “The Place” that God selects as we see
in Dvarim 12:5-7:

Rather at “HaMakom”, “The Place” that HaShem, your
God chooses from all your tribes to set his Presence there, will you seek His
Presence and come there. You are to bring there your burnt offerings (olot) and
your sacred offerings (zvachim), and your tithes (maasrot) and the elevation of
your hands (trumot) and your pledges (nedarim) and your donations (nedivot) and
the firstborn (bechorot) of your cattle and your flocks. You are to eat there
before HaShem, your God and you will be happy with the sum of your handiwork,
you and your households as has blessed you, HaShem, your God.

Where is “The Place”?

Chizkuni points out that the name of “The Place” was
not listed since the Shechina, Divine Presence rested in a few places such as
Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, Givon and finally “Beit Olamim”, the eternal home, the
Temple Mount.

The Kotel, the Western Wall, which was a retaining
wall is not listed there as it is not “The Place.”

Unfortunately, many leaders, most recently, Yair
Lapid, Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs have
made statements leading the public to believe that the Kotel is our holiest
site when in fact our holiest site is the Temple Mount.

Immediately after Tisha B’Av, Lapid said that “Jews
have visitation rights at the Temple Mount and that Muslims have freedom to
worship at the site. A Jew who wants to pray can do so at the Western Wall, the
holiest place for the Jews.”

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a similar
statement eight years ago on August 4, 2013 when the Barcelona soccer players
visited Israel: “You just visited the holiest site for the Jewish people, the
Western Wall.”

If you log on to the website “Tourist Israel” the
first words that you will find are: “The Western Wall or the ‘Wailing Wall,’ is
the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website did get it
right and does not try to hide anything. Their site says straight out: “The
Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where the two Jewish Temples were located, is the
holiest site in Judaism. Called Haram Al Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) by
Muslims, the site contains the al-Aqsa Mosque, which is considered the third
holiest site in Islam, the iconic Dome of the Rock and many other small
structures.”

The site continues: “After Jerusalem’s reunification
in 1967, Israel chose to uphold the existing status quo on the Temple Mount.
Out of respect for Muslim sensibilities, it allowed the Islamic Waqf to
continue to administer the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Non-Muslims
(Israelis and tourists) are allowed to visit the Temple Mount at fixed times
but do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque itself. They visit other parts of the site
and usually walk around the large open spaces. In addition, Jews and other
non-Mulsims are not permitted to pray on the Temple Mount.”

On the one hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is
saying that the Temple Mount is our holiest site yet on the other hand, out of
respect for Muslim sensibilities Jews are not permitted to pray there.

Why are so many people, including our leaders
getting it wrong?

In order to deflect the Jews from wanting to pray on
the Temple Mount, in 1967 the Kotel was built up into a holy site and tourist
attraction. However, for our leaders to say that the Kotel is our holiest site
is deception by those who know better but prefer to try to avoid conflict.

In Parshat Re’eh, Dvarim 13:2-4 we
are commanded:

If a prophet arises among you or a
dreamer of a dream, and he gives you an omen or a miracle, and the omen or the
miracle happens-the one he told you about- saying, “Let us go after other gods
that you do not know, and let us serve them.” Do not listen to the words of
that prophet or the dreamer of the dream, because HaShem, your God is testing
you to know whether you love HaShem, your God, wholeheartedly and with your entire
beings.

Why do we need to be warned not to
follow false prophets? Isn’t it obvious?

If we look at the accounts in
Melachim I, Chapter 22 and throughout the Book of Yirmiyahu, we actually find
that false prophets were a real problem. They even tried to trick the real
prophets.

In Melachim I, we read about Achav,
King of Israel. He did not like the true prophets Eliyahu HaNavi and Michayahu
ben Yimla as they spoke the truth about Achav’s downfall. Achav actually
requested that Michayahu give a good prophecy, even if it meant changing God’s
prophecy and lying. Since Michayahu would only tell the truth, Achav preferred
to jail him and accept the prophecy of the false prophet Tzidkiyahu ben K’nana
who “prophecied” that Achav would win the war. Of course, the prophecies of
Eliyahu and Michayahu came true. If Achav had listened to the true prophets and
sincerely repented, their prophecies would have been cancelled.

Throughout Yirmiyahu’s life, there
were false prophets who tried to show him up including four who were
specifically mentioned by name. The first, Chananya ben Azor prophesied to King
Tzidkiyahu (not related to the false prophets named Tzidkiyahu) that he would
win the war (and just like in the story of King Achav, he didn’t). Two other
false prophets were Achav ben Kulya (not related to King Achav) and Tzidkiyahu
ben Maasiya. The last false prophet who was mentioned by name was Shmaya
HaNachlami.

In a few cases, Yirmiyahu himself
wasn’t sure if these “prophets” were true prophets or false prophets. One
example is in Yirmiyahu 14:13-14:

Then I (Yirmiyahu) said, “Alas My
Lord HaShem/Elokim. Behold, the false prophets say to them, ‘You will not see a
sword, and famine will not befall you; for I will present you a true peace in
this place.’” But God said to me, “These prophets prophecy falsehood in My
Name. I did not send them nor command them nor speak to them. A false vision,
divination, emptiness and the deception of their heart are they prophesying to
you.

Michayahu was jailed by King Achav
for presenting a true prophecy in the Book of Melachim and Yirmiyahu was jailed
by King Tzidkiyahu for declaring that Jerusalem would be destroyed. In both
cases, the kings thought that if they would silence the prophet then his
prophecies would disappear. Unfortunately, Yirmiyahu’s prophecy came true and
the King of Babylonia attacked the Land of Israel.

We learn from here that the truth
can’t be silenced.

Every Shabbat and holiday, before
the Haftara is read, the reader makes two blessing which state “…God has chosen
good prophets and was pleased with their words that were uttered with truth…Blessed
are you HaShem, who chooses the Torah, Moshe, His servant; Israel, His nation;
and the prophets of truth and righteousness.”

May we be as courageous as the true
prophets to speak the truth and always stand up for justice.

Sponsored by Sharona and Josh Halickman in
honor of the upcoming marriage of Samantha Hollander and Sam Krieger

In Parshat Re’eh (Dvarim 16:14-17) we read:

V’samachta B’chagecha- Rejoice
during your festival- you and your son and your daughter, and your male slave
and your female slave, and the Levi and the convert and the orphan and the
widow who are in your city. Seven days are you to be festive for HaShem, your
God, in the place that HaShem chooses, for HaShem, your God will bless you in
all your produce and in all your endeavors; and you shall experience pure joy.
Three times a year are all your males to be seen in the presence of HaShem,
your God, in the place that He chooses- on the festival of the Matzot, the
festival of Shavuot and on the festival of Sukkot- and he shall not appear in
God’s presence empty handed. Everyone according to the gift appropriate to his
means, according to the blessing of HaShem, your God, that He gave you.

Since the wife is not mentioned
here, does that mean that she is not supposed to be happy on the holidays?

In the Talmud, Kidushin34b, Abaye
said: It is her husband that is duty bound to cause his wife to rejoice. This
implies that the wife herself incurs no obligation to rejoice.

How is this derived? Rashi says that
instead of reading the words “V’samachta B’chagecha”, “you are to rejoice on
your holiday” they should be read “V’seemachta B’chagecha”, “you shall cause
others to rejoice on your holiday” which means that the husband must cause the
wife to rejoice, but she is not obligated to rejoice herself. How does he make
her happy- by giving her food, drink and clothing made of linen.

Tosafot states that Rashi’s interpretation
only works when the Beit HaMikdash is not standing.

We learn in the Talmud, Masechet
Psachim 109a: The Rabbis taught in a Braita: A person is obligated to gladden
his children and members of his household on the festivals, as it is stated “V’samachta
B’chagecha.” With what does one gladden them- with wine. Rabbi Yehuda says: Men
with what is suitable for them and women with what is suitable for them. Men
are happy with wine and women in Babylonia are happy with colored clothing. Women
in the Land of Israel are happy with linen clothing. Rabbi Yehuda ben Betira
taught: When the Beit HaMikdash stands, happiness is with meat of an offering. But
now that the Beit HaMikdash does not stand, rejoicing is in drinking wine.

When the Beit HaMikdash stood, the
man would share the offering with his wife and in that way he would make her
happy. Now that there is no Beit HaMikdash, according to the Shulchan Aruch, he
must buy her new clothing and jewelry for the holiday (based on what they can
afford) at the very least he should buy her a new pair of shoes, hoping that it
will make her happy.

Although women do not have an
obligation to be happy on the Shalosh Regalim, their husbands have to do what they
can to make their wives happy as well as anyone else who he is sharing their
table.

This Shabbat and Sunday, we will
celebrate Rosh Chodesh Elul which means that the holidays are right around the
corner. We must ask ourselves what we can do to try to help those around us
have a happier holiday.

In Parshat Re’eh (Dvarim 11:31) we
read the famous words “For you shall pass across the Jordan to come to inherit
the land that HaShem, your God is giving you, you will inherit it and will
dwell in it.”

Rashi quoting Sifrei comments that
the miracles of the Jordan river (it miraculously split like the Red Sea so
that B’nai Yisrael could pass through) will be a symbol for you that you will
enter the land and take possession of it.

Just as God miraculously brought us
to the Land of Israel, so too will He take care of us while we are there.

As the new school year begins, we
look back on a summer where 6000 olim (new immigrants) arrived in Israel from
countries including Russia, France, The USA, Brazil and Belarus.

Many of these olim are children who
will now have to adjust to a new language a new culture and a new school
system.

Twelve years ago we were in their
shoes when Dov, age 4 1/2 started kindergarten in Jerusalem just two days after
making aliya.

Dov, now fluent in both Hebrew and
English is starting 12^th grade at Himmelfarb high school. Last
night, the school announced that they accepted many new olim from different
countries and they will be opening up special ulpan classes for those students
to help them catch up and acclimate.

As long as the new olim are made to
feel at home they will keep coming.

Packing up your entire life and
moving to a different part of the world is not easy. However, when one is made
to feel welcome when they arrive the absorption is made much easier.

May we do what we can to help those
who would like to make aliya as well as those who have already arrived in
Israel.

When God created the world, He did
not permit Adam and Eve to eat meat:

And God said, Behold I have given
you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all earth and every tree
in which is the fruit of a tree…to you it shall be for food. And to every beast
of the earth and to every fowl of the air…I have given every green herb for
food. (Breisheet 1:29-30)

In 1:28 God gave the blessing to be
fruitful and multiply and “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the
fowl of the air, and over every living thing that crawls upon the earth.”

Humans were told to have dominion
over the animals but not to slaughter them or eat them.

After the flood and the immoral behavior
that led up to it, the focus was on man refraining from killing other people
and respecting human life. Man was no longer on the high moral level that would
require him to forego the slaying of animals.

According to Rav Avraham Yitzchak
HaKohen Kook, the “heter” (dispensation) to eat meat is only temporary. When
the time is ripe, the latent aspiration for justice for the animal kingdom will
come out into the open.

In the desert, the only red meat
that was permitted was meat that was part of a sacrifice in the Mishkan
(Tabernacle). Once they arrived in the Land of Israel they were permitted to
eat meat as long as it was slaughtered properly.

Rav Kook points out that the path of
following the laws of kosher slaughter will eventually lead us back to
abstaining from eating meat.

Nehama Leibowitz deduces that once
we fulfill Yishayahu’s prophecy (which is well know from the famous Israeli
folk song) of “Lo yisa goy el goy cherev, lo yilmedu od milchama”, “Nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn the arts of
war anymore”, once humans stop killing each other, then we can expand man’s
compassion to the animal kingdom.

In the mean time, for those who do
eat meat, it should be slaughtered and eaten in a respectful manner. There are
a lot of disturbing phenomena in the Jewish community concerning meat and the
treatment of animals: Some slaughterhouses are Halachically kosher but the animals
are not treated properly.  It is
unacceptable to have chickens cooped up all day in horrible conditions waiting
for Kapparot to be performed on them. Overindulging on meat at “all you can eat”
buffets may be kosher, but not in the spirit of the law. A solution must be
found for the amount of meat that gets wasted at weddings. Ostentatious siyum
parties (which celebrate the completion of a tractate of the Talmud) at
restaurants during the nine days leading up to Tisha B’Av make a mockery of the
idea of refraining from meat and wine as a symbol of mourning for the
destruction of Jerusalem.

We have not reached the point where
we are on a high enough spiritual level for the entire Jewish community to be
required to return to vegetarianism. However, even those who do eat meat must show
respect for all creatures.

This week’s Haftarah from Yishayahu 54-55 is a lyrical
prophecy of what will happen in Messianic times. The words of the prophecy especially
ring true today.

Yishayahu 54:15-17 states: “Behold! They may well gather
together, but not by Me: whoever aggressively opposes you will fall for your
sake. Behold! I have created the smith who blows on charcoal flame and
withdraws a tool for his labor and I have created the destroyer to ruin. Any
weapon sharpened against you will not succeed and any tongue that shall rise
against you in judgment you shall condemn; this is the heritage of the servant
of God and their righteousness is from Me, the words of HaShem.”

According to Olam HaTanach’s commentary, since God created
the smith who creates weapons, He is also responsible for making sure that none
of these weapons succeed in destroying Israel. As well, any language that
is negative concerning Israel will not be recognized in court.

How familiar does this sound?

In Israel,
day in and day out we see our enemies preparing all sorts of weapons to try to
destroy Israel.
After a missile has been launched from Gaza we even get a report on the news about if it was a “homemade” rocket or if it
was a fancier model purchased from abroad.

It is clear that God continues to protect Israel as many of the missiles end up landing in
Gaza itself, in open areas in Israel or are
intercepted by the Iron Dome.

We have also seen our enemies from all over the world speak
out against Israel,
taking the side of Hamas. Slowly but surely, many are starting to see the real
story, especially now that most of the international journalists have left Gaza
and can now speak the truth.

Reading this Haftarah and seeing what is going on in the
world today makes us feel like slowly but surely the prophecies are coming true
and we are moving in the direction towards the coming of the Mashiach. However,
the redemption is a very slow process. Although we may be on the way, we have
not yet arrived.

In Parshat Re’eh, Devarim 13:5 we are told: “You shall walk
after HaShem your God, fear Him, keep His commandments, obey His voice, serve
Him and cleave to him.”

Rashi comments: Embrace His ways, engage in kindness, bury
the dead and visit the sick just as God did.

In the Talmud, Sotah, 14a, Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said:
What is the meaning of “You shall walk after HaShem your God”? Is it possible
for a human being to follow the Divine Presence? It already says in the Torah
(Dvarim 4:24), “For HaShem your God is a consuming fire.” Rather, the mitzvah
to follow God means we should follow (emulate) the attributes of the Holy One
Blessed is He. Just as He clothes the naked, as it says (Breisheet 3:21) “And
HaShem God made for Adam and his wife skin garments and He clothed them”, you
too should clothe the naked. The Holy One Blessed is He visited the sick, as it
is written (Breisheet 18:1) “HaShem appeared to him (Avraham) in Elonei Mamre”
(on the third day after his circumcision) you too should visit the sick. The
Holy One Blessed is He, comforted mourners, as it is written (Breisheet 25:11):
“And it was after the death of Avraham that God blessed Yitzchak his son” (by
reciting the mourner’s blessing), you too shall comfort mourners. The Holy One
Blessed is He buried the dead, as it is written (Dvarim 34:6) “He buried him
(Moshe) in the valley”, you too shall bury your dead.

How is God being emulated in Israel today?

Just as God clothed the naked, we all have the
responsibility to make sure that everyone has clothing that they are
comfortable with. The way that this is accomplished is through second hand
clothing stores where the clothing is all donated and the prices are very
reasonable. Shoppers who may not have a lot of money can choose what they like,
pay a small fee and feel dignified during the entire process as opposed to
having to look for handouts. Some other bonuses that come along with these
stores: people who have too much clothing can feel good about themselves by
giving away clothing that they no longer need, the proceeds of the stores go to
charity and the stores are trendy enough that those who can afford to shop
elsewhere will shop there as well. One example is HaBoydem, a store in Talpiot, Jerusalem that
helps those who suffer from mental illness return to the workforce.

Just as God visited the sick, we must make sure that those
who are sick know that we care about them. Last year, when the war ended, we
delivered packages to the soldiers who were still in the hospital. One soldier
that we visited was Jordan Low, a lone soldier from Baltimore, MD who fought in the army with Golani. Jordan
suffered injuries from smoke inhalation after two rockets struck the building
in Northern Gaza that he was in. When we went
to see him in the intensive care unit, he said that he wanted to return to the
army as soon as possible. Now, a year later it was announced in the Yediot
Acharonot newspaper that Jordan Low has fully recovered and will be returning to
Golani (even though he technically could have been discharged early from the
army).

Unfortunately, sometimes funerals have to take place for
those who have no family to mourn for them. This especially happens to
Holocaust survivors who have no living family members. As soon as somebody
hears that a Holocaust survivor with no family is being buried, they post the
information on social media and total strangers show up to pay their last
respects to someone that they didn’t even know.

These are just some examples of the wonderful ways that
Israelis try to emulate God.

Each of us needs to make a conscious effort to not only fear
God, observe the mitzvot and pray, but to focus as well on engaging in acts of
loving kindness.