Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 08:00:28 +0300 (IDT)
B"H

                                     "Path Markers"
                                         Naso:
                                By: Yaacov Silverstein
                           e@mail: hm16@popeye.cc.biu.ac.il
                       HomePage: http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~hm16/
                                       Year:  5760

This Years Parsha Series is prepared in the memory and merit of my
grandfathers: Rav Yitzchak Zev Ben Yisroel Mordechai Hakohen Solomon Z"L
              Rav Chaim Meir Ben Yakov Silverstein Z"L
                             *****^^^^^^^*****

This Dvar Torah is for Parshas Naso.
If I am not mistaken, in the Diaspora, it will be read next week.
In Israel, it will be read this week.
Since most of the subscribers are from the Diaspora, I may send the next
Parsha only in two weeks.  Those who live in Israel, please notify me,
maybe I could setup a separate list.

Chag Shavuous Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

Yaacov Silverstein.

Pasuk (5:20) "A man's holies shall be his, and what a man gives to a Kohen
shall be his."

When a Jew designates part of his possessions as a gift to the Kohen, such
as Terumah or Bekurim, the gift is his in the sense that he can decide to
give it to the Kohen that he wants to receive it.

Rashi on the Pasuk quotes a Gemarah in Berachos 63a, which states that
whoever gives the Kohen his due, will not suffer any loss.  Not only is he
guaranteed not to loose, he is also told "Lo Tehei", the gain shall be the
givers, for Hashem shall reward him.

Rav Mordechai Gifter explains that we are being told that not only will
Hashem compensate the person, but that a person who performs a Chesed(an
act of kindness), is not only a giver, but also a receiver.

Besides being obligated to help others, we are also obligated to emulate
Hashem's ways.  What is the Divine manner of Chesed?  Even when there is
no one to do Chesed to, Hashem desired to bestow Chesed, and thus created
the world as a means to do Chesed.  So to when a person gives his Terumah
to a Kohen, he should give it because of his own desire to do Chesed.

Even though today we don't give Terumah to an actual Kohen, we can still
accomplish acts of kindness by helping out others and by giving charity to
those that need it, even before they ask us.

The Sotah: The Kohen must also be careful:
-----------------------------------------
The adjoining Pasuk deals with a Sotah, Rashi explains that we see from
this that if a person withholds the Teruma to the Kohen, he will end up
having to go to the Kohen for a different reason, to bring him the Sotah(a
wayward wife).

A women who was suspected of infidelity to her husband, was brought to the
Beis Hamikdash. The Torah provides a miraculous process that would either
prove that she sinned and thus bring punishment upon her and the sinner,
or it would prove her innocent, and restore the trust and love to her
marriage.  The Kohen would make her drink a special mixture that would be
fatal if she was guilty.  Before he would give her the mixture to drink,
he would first uncover her hair.  Rashi states that we learn from this
Pasuk that a married woman's hair is to be covered, for here it was a
disgrace for the uncovering of her hair in public.  If we take a closer
look at the Pesukim, we see that there is a repetition of the phrase
"before Hashem."
It is mentioned once to state the location of the procedure (in the Beis
Hamikdash).  The second time is to tell us that the Kohen warns her so
that she should see the gravity of the situation, that she is standing
before Hashem.  Rav Henach Leibowitz explains two different opinions which
are brought down in the Midrash. One of them is that the whole process of
uncovering the immoral woman's hair may cause the Kohen to have improper
thoughts, thus the Torah is reminding the Kohen that he is standing before
Hashem.
One may ask, how is it possible that the Kohen standing in the Bais
Hamikdash would have improper thoughts?

He explains that this is the nature of the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination).
No one is free from it.  No matter what level of spirituality a person
attains, he must always be on guard.  Much of the advertisements we see
around us today, are based on the idea to try to get a person to buy a
product, because of a certain person in the advertisement.  All the media
is breaking down our spiritual defenses.  Even if we feel great disgust
for what we see in the streets, we still must be careful. Only by being
constantly on guard and trying our utmost, we will be assured of Heavenly
assistance to win this great spiritual challenge.

(Artscroll Chumash, Pirkei Torah, Musssar Ha Torah)


 I would like to thank my mother (S.M.F) for helping me out by looking over the first draft.

(The above Halacha is not Psak, it is there to try to help to increase
ones Torah awareness, for final Psak, please consult your : Local Reliable
Orthodox Rabbi.)


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