Moshe warned the nation that the Promised Land would be given to them on the condition that they remain faithful to G-d, and that they not follow the ways of the earlier inhabitants who had all been idolaters. They were instructed upon entering the land, to totally destroy all the idols and altars from the earlier inhabitants, so that no memory of them whatsoever remain. Even the names of the idols were to be destroyed. Instead of their proper names they should be referred to by derogatory nicknames.
Although this may seem to be somewhat extreme, the Torah recognizes the powerful lure of alien forms of worship. In order to prevent one from being attracted to heresy it is not enough to present philosophical arguments or even hard evidence. A person must be psychologically repelled from it too. This can only be accomplished by viewing idolatry as a total non-entity or as something ridiculous.
Because of the severity of idolatry, the Torah is extremely harsh in dealing with a person who tries to entice others to serve idolatry. Although he may not have been successful in his efforts, this person is put to death to serve as a deterrent to others. Similarly, if a city in Israel is enticed to follow idolatry, the people are all put to death and the city is destroyed. Even the homes and belongings are burnt. The city may not be rebuilt, and the rubble stands as a warning to others.
The people were also instructed regarding the sacrificial order. Service of G-d differs from that of idolatry. Sacrifices could only be brought to the place that G-d designated for them to be brought. Once the Temple was built, people could not offer sacrifices wherever they wanted. Likewise, sacred foods could only be eaten in the area of the Temple.
The Torah cautions the Jew not to be callous to his fellow’s needs and to open his hand generously to offer assistance to those in need. We must understand that G-d divided the wealth of the world disproportionately for this very purpose, to allow some people to help others. The money one gives to the poor was not meant for the donor to keep; it was merely entrusted to him to allocate to others. This is the meaning of the word tzedakah, which literally means justice, meaning that one gives that which is justly meant to belong to the poor.
However, the Torah also instructs us to be sensitive to the needs of the individual. The obligation to help is expressed as lending the poor. Even if one knows that the recipient cannot repay a loan, it should still be “lent” to him in order to preserve his dignity. True tzedakah assists the benefactor as much as it does the recipient.
“You shall surely tithe…” (Deut. 14:22)
The Talmud explains this message to mean that when one tithes his income, he will rewarded with wealth. Ben Ish Chai compares this to a nursing mother. As long as she suckles her child, her milk supply is replenished and even increases. Once she weans her child, though, her milk supply dries up. Similarly, as long as one gives charity he will be granted more money in order for him to further his good deeds. However, when one ceases to give, he is no longer deserving of G-d’s good will.
Reb Yaakov Yosef Herman’s business was on the brink of bankruptcy, and he only had a few hundred dollars left to his name. He figured that he couldn’t do too much with that money anyway, so he donated the entire sum to a yeshiva in Israel. Shortly afterward his business slump recovered and he became even more successful.
Did You Know..
There is an obligation to rejoice during Chol HaMoed, the intermediate days of Pesach and Succos. One should drink some wine each day of the holiday to fulfill this obligation. It is also preferable to eat meat for the same reason. The obligation to rejoice also precludes planning a wedding during the holiday, since the joy of the holiday would be overshadowed by the joy of the wedding.
Incidentally it is also customary not to plan a wedding between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, as the joy will interfere with the feelings of awe for the judgment during these days.
