Page 388 - BAMIDBAR
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Similarly, one who pursues a life of Torah, sacrificing himself for it, is
exempt from the authority of the Yetzer Hara.
Rabbi Akiva understood that there are no half-way measures in learning
Torah. Therefore, he exiled himself for twenty-four years in order to learn
Torah diligently. He merited teaching many disciples, all in the zechut of
Rachel, his wife, who sacrificed everything for the sake of his Torah
study.
In contrast, Korach had divided loyalties. He was one of the Ark-bearers,
yet he felt he was worthy of leading the nation in place of Moshe and
Aharon. He ridiculed the mitzvot of tzitzit and mezuzah and asserted that
the mitzvot were valid only in Eretz Yisrael. His half-hearted service of
Hashem led to him disputing Moshe’s authority, which was ultimately the
cause of his downfall.
A person should strive to serve Hashem to perfection. This will enable
him to elevate his physicality. In that case, even after he dies, his
neshamah will be intimately connected with his body, as our Chachamim
teach that the lips of the tzaddikim move in the grave when their Torah
teachings are being learned.
In general, deep analysis into a sugya helps a person understand it better.
How could it be that the more Shlomo Hamelech probed into the mitzvah
of parah adumah, the more distant it became to him? And why did
Hashem give us a mitzvah that is beyond our understanding?
Nachum Ish Gamzu decreed suffering upon himself, in retribution for
delaying in providing a poor man with food, thereby causing his death.
Why did Nachum feel this was a fitting punishment, and how could “This is the teaching regarding a man if he will
Hashem comply with his request?
die in a tent: Anything that enters the tent and
Nachum was accustomed to act above the laws of nature. Therefore, anything that is in the tent shall be
Hashem agreed that his atonement, too, should be above nature. He contaminated for seven days. Any open vessel
realized that everything which transpires is from Heaven and is, therefore,
good. He should have understood that this pauper’s arrival was also that has no cover fastened to it is contaminated.
Heaven-ordained. When a person acts in a supernatural manner, Hashem The pure person shall sprinkle upon the
behaves likewise with him. In-depth study of the parah adumah,which is bamidbar 13 contaminated person on the third day and on # 26347-EYAL-6
