from the teachings of the Rebbe on the Torah portion
“And every offering of all the holy things...which they bring to the kohen, shall be his,” states the Torah in this week’s portion, Naso.
“This refers to bikurim (first fruits),” explains Rashi, the great Torah commentator.
The very first fruits to ripen are to be brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and given to the kohen (priest), as his due.
Agricultural produce does not grow by itself. In order to produce those fruits a Jew must toil countless hours painstakingly plowing, sowing and tending his fields. Yet instead of enjoying for himself the first tangible results of his labor, the Torah demands that they be brought to Jerusalem and presented to a total stranger!
We learn from this that the very first and best of whatever a person possesses should be used for the purpose of tzedaka (charity).
Many people don’t find it too difficult to accept this principle when it comes to supporting religious institutions. They give willingly when asked to contribute to a synagogue or yeshiva.
But a strange thing occurs when it comes to giving tzedaka to a needy individual: “Why should I part with my hard-earned money to support him?” the Evil Inclination prompts us.
“Why should his needs come before mine? Why must I part with the very best? Is not second best good enough? Better I should take care of myself first, and only afterward help others with whatever is left over.”
We learn, however, from the mitzva of bikurim, that such is not the Jewish way. We are commanded to give the first fruits to the kohen, an individual, for his own personal use. Only after this is done are we permitted to derive benefit from the blessings G-d has given us.
Significantly, the Torah commands us to bring the first fruits to the Holy Temple, “the house of the L-rd your G-d” in Jerusalem before presenting them to the kohen. A Jew must first understand that whatever wealth is granted him from Above is not truly his, despite the labor he may have invested to amass it.
When a Jew realizes that everything, in reality, belongs to G-d, the protests of the Evil Inclination are silenced, and it is far easier to part with the “first fruits” of one’s earnings even for another individual.
Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
By Rabbi Mendel Rubin
At some point in our lives, all of us learn that the heart that is pumping inside our bodies does not exactly like the famous red heart symbol that appears on decorations, media messages.
While technically the heart symbol may be anatomically inaccurate, there may still be something we can learn from it. After all, the saintly Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chassidism, taught that one can learn a lesson from everything we see or hear.
Here’s my take on the matter, a lesson that I think we can learn. The heart symbol has two protrusions, two curves that may appear separate or distinct. Yet, as they draw down, they come closer together, until they meet at a common shared essential point, that core where we are (or become) one.
This is hopefully true of a couple, or any good friendship. It is also true of a nation. We have so many ways in which we might think we are different, areas where we might think we are separate. That is natural, and even healthy, as long as when it comes down to it, we share that same unifying point, that inner core soul connection that we all share.
We can take this idea a step further with regard to ahavat Yisroel, love of a fellow Jew, as taught by the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, and his grandson, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the third Chabad Rebbe. In the 32nd chapter of his magnum opus, the Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman lays out his vision of ahavat Yisroel – one where we focus on the unifying point at the bottom of the heart symbol. Rabbi Menachem Mendel, known as the Tzemach Tzedek, sees love as because of the two protruding curves.
Taking these ideas to a practical level, the heart symbol can teach us to respect, appreciate, and feel deeply connected to our fellow Jews, even when there is legitimate disagreement. Such disagreement should only be a springboard to show our love for one another. How to do so is for you to determine...
