 Torah Thoughts
This week we read a double Torah portion- "Matot"
(Numbers 30:2-32) and "Masei" (Numbers 33-36).
“Matot” contains 1 positive commandment (“do”)
and 1 negative commandment (“do not”) and 112 verses.
“Masei” contains 2 positive mitzvot and 4
negative mitzvot and 132 verses.
(Numbers 31:21-23) One of the concepts discussed in our
portion is the “koshering” of vessels. Not only must our food be
kosher, but our pots and dishes must be too. The flavor of non-kosher food is
prohibited just as the substance of the food is. By cooking kosher food in
vessels previously used for non-kosher food, the non-kosher flavor present in
the sides of the container is absorbed and the kosher food becomes
contaminated and forbidden.
A metal container may be “koshered” by removing the
non-kosher flavor absorbed in its walls. This is achieved by submitting it to
a similar heat process by which the non-kosher flavor was originally
absorbed.
If the non-kosher taste was absorbed by boiling
non-kosher food in the pot, the pot must have water boiled in it. The water
is discarded and the pot is now kosher.
A pan or skewer that was used directly over the heat
source without a liquid medium must be exposed to fire directly in order to
purge and destroy the forbidden flavor.
This concept is called “K’bol’o, kach polto”- just as
(the taste) is absorbed, so it is expelled.
In addition to being kashered, all vessels that
were acquired from a non-Jewish person (even a manufacturer) must be immersed
in a “mikve” (a pool of water used for ritual immersion). This process is
called “Tevilat Keilim”.
A most basic and vital human requirement, nutrition,
must be transformed into a spiritual experience. The substance of the food is
absorbed by our bodies and transformed into life-giving “fuel”. G-d in his
infinite kindness gave us the capacity for pleasure during ingestion by
providing flavor to the foods we eat. We must ensure that this gift is
enjoyed in a G-dly manner too.
The entire process of preparing our sustenance, from
the cooking to the serving, must be infused with holiness.
Thus the transformation of the mundane act of eating
into a profoundly spiritual process becomes a metaphor for the Jew’s mission
in this world.
The HAFTARA (excerpt from the prophets) that is
usually read with the Torah portion of Matos is also the one read on the
first Sabbath of three between the Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av (see
below.) It is the first of the three “Haftaros of Affliction”.
Jeremiah 1-2:3. The Prophet rebukes his wayward
people, warning them of the impending destruction. Jeremiah envisions a
cauldron bubbling on its northern side. Evil will be unleashed upon Israel
from the north. (Very relevant apropos current events in Israel!) Each of the enemies will
claim Jerusalem
as his own.
They will never succeed.
Our Haftara concludes on a positive note. G-d mentions
the love and devotion that the Jewish People expressed for Him in their
“youth”, during their “honeymoon”, when the Children of Israel faithfully
followed Him through an inhospitable wilderness.
Even in predicting their affliction, the prophet
comforts his people. Israel
is sacred to G-d and any enemy who harms them will be destroyed.
The HAFTARA (excerpt from the prophets) that is
read this week is the second of the three “Haftaros of Affliction”.
These are read on the three Sabbaths between the Seventeenth of Tammuz and
Tisha B’Av.
This week we read from Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4.
The rebuke which began in the section read last week is
continued. Jeremiah reminds the people of G-d’s beneficence during the Exodus
from Egypt, the sojourn in
the wilderness and their entry into the beautiful Land of Israel.
Despite all of G-d’s kindnesses, the people “contaminated” the Land by
indulging in abominable pagan practices. Even the spiritual and temporal
leaders and role-models ignored G-d. They replaced the “Source of living
waters” with the empty ambient culture-“broken cisterns which cannot retain
water (spiritual inspiration).” (2:13)
The people are warned of the impending exile. The
lowliest of nations will harass them. G-d tells them to turn to their idols,
their false ideologies in which they had put their trust, in their time of
distress.
An optimistic verse (3:4) is appended to the end
indicating a return of the Jewish People to recognizing G-d.
If only we spent a moment each day contemplating all
the kindnesses G-d performs for us, we would strengthen our relationship with
Him and put into perspective the peripherals on which we place so much
emphasis.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Baruch Price
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