In this week’s parsha there is the incident of the slav (this is a type of bird).  There was a group amongthe Jews that wanted meat, and they came to Moshe and complained that they did not have any.  HaShem sent them these birds that lasted them for a month.  There was a plague that came and many of the Bnei Yisroel died.  Why were the Jews punished for this?  Certainly a person is allowed to eat meat (as it was kosher) if one desires it?  There is no aveira to want to have things that we enjoy (if it is not a sin).  The food that they had been eating was the Manna, the Torah describes how wonderful it was, this was food that fell from the sky.  We are told that it could even take on the flavor of anything that the eater wanted.  The problem here was that they aroused the desire in themselves for something.  If a person has a desire and can satisfy it legally he is entitled to.  It is not proper for us though, to seek out new desires that we do not naturally have simply in order to fulfil it.

In this week’s Parsha we learn the laws of the Sotah (wife suspected of unfaithfulness) and the Nazir (one who reaches for a higher level of holiness by abstaining from wine and other items).  The Sages ask why are the two topics next to each other?  Because someone who sees a Sotah should become a Nazir.  This is because Sotah is caused by a certain “lightheadedness” that can be induced by drinking wine, so therefore one should hold back.  When someone sees something that has an effect (the woman in disgrace, strengthens one’s resolve to be good) we must do an action to keep that effect with us.  Additionally if we have a concern that we are not so strong in a certain area we should take steps to improve ourselves, by setting additional boundaries.  Let us all learn from everything that we see and let it have the appropriate effect on us.

Shavuos is the holiday which commemorates HaShem giving us the Torah.  Based on a posuk describing Bnai Yisroel’s approach to Mt Sinai (where the Torah was given) our Sages tell us the way to best acquire the Torah.  Firstly one must leave the disinterested, uncaring approach towards life and the Torah that one may have (the name of the town which the Jews left from was Refidim the word means loosely, uncaring).  Next, one must make themselves like a desert (where the Torah was given) and realize that there is nothing else as important as the Torah.  Lastly one must become part of a group where he can grow in his Torah and worship of HaShem (the singular version of the word encamped is used although referring to millions of people).  Let us merit to be true recipients of the Torah this Shavuos and as we pass through this time, come out on the other end as better Jews, and better people.

In the week’s parsha we learn about the travel formations of the Jews in the desert.  The Mishkan (Tabernacle, traveling Temple) was placed in the center of the camp.  The wording in the posuk is “among the camp”.  In the Garden of Eden the Tree of Life has the same wording used (besoch) meaning the center.  This is because in the Mishkan was the Tablets containing the Ten Commandments which symbolize the Torah.  The Torah is our Tree of Life and it is available to us all.  It is placed squarely in the center so that all have equal access to it.  Let’s take advantage of our close proximity to the greatest gift HaShem has ever given the Torah and let us take our share in it.

There is a prohibition against lending money with interest.  Why are we not allowed to do so?  The reason is of course because HaShem commanded us in His Torah.  However we can learn to other things if we have a reason.  HaShem wants us to do chesed (good deeds, kindness to others) with each other, when we lend with interest we are taking a kind action for another and putting in a little something for ourselves.  We are to do good deeds for each with no personal gain.  Let us try to bear this in mind when we are doing something nice for someone else.  Let us not try to make sure there is something in it for me, we can do something only for the other.

HaShem fed the Jews manna in the desert.  The Torah tells us that whether someone collected a lot of manna or a little when they got home they had the same amount which was one omer (a measurement).  This is because HaShem determines the amount of sustenance that a person will have.  A person can spend more or less effort and time getting that preordained amount but he will always wind up with the same thing.  We should try to internalize this concept and remember that all we have comes from HaShem.

The posuk discussing the laws pertaining to slaves says that the Jewish Nation are to be slaves to HaShem.  Immediately following that is a prohibition against idol worship.  If someone is a slave to a human king and was commanded to do something that he may find uncomfortable about it in front of other people, he would certainly not hesitate to do it, because he would not want the king to be angry at him.  We must be the same way in our service of G-d, He is the Most High King and we can not refrain due to others.  There is a mishna in Pirkei Avos that says a similar idea and tells us to be bold as a leopard to serve HaShem.  This means that even when others may tease us for it, we should ignore them and do what HaShem wants.

In this week’s Parsha we discuss the laws of someone who became so poor that he sold himself as a slave.  One of the laws is that his family or those close to him can redeem him, the posuk continues by saying that if he has no family… he will be able to redeem himself with his own money.  We can learn from this an important lesson for ourselves who are not being sold as slaves.  A person can “sell himself” to the yetzer horah, meaning that he can be so given over to his own drives and desires that he is enslaved to his passions, there is no greater slave than this.  Even still his family or those close to him can save him from his slavery by praying for him, and trying to bring him around.  At times that will not work, but never should we lose hope, he himself will redeem himself  HaShem tells us, through reaching the realization.  Then the assistance from HaShem that He gives to all people that are trying to become closer to Him.

The Gemara records an incident where one of the Amoraim (scholars of the Gemara) visited the Afterlife and returned.  His colleagues asked him what he had seen.  He replied that he had seen an upside down world.  There are various explanations that have been given to explain this statement of his.  One way to learn it is as follows:  There are old people who had come in and were referred to as young, and young people who are considered old.  This would be a person who filled his days with Torah and mitzvos although he died at a young age, he is considered old to his many accomplishments, each day of his is like a year.  An old person who squandered his life and did not have many mitzvos and did not learn much Torah would be like an infant.  Let us try to utilize the most precious gift of life and fill all our days with as much Torah and mitzvos as we are able.

There is a mitzva in the Torah to help someone reload their donkey if it’s load falls off.  This mitzva is said referring to an enemy.  Since there is an aveira to hate someone, this cannot be talking about someone that is hated on a personal level.  It must be talking about one of those few people that there is a mitzva to hate.  The Torah wants to be sure that even though you are hating this person because you are supposed to, there is no tinge of personal animosity.  Therefore we are commanded to help him which is something we would do for a friend, and we will only hate him as we are commanded not for personal reasons.