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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                                                 The pasuk states, “If a man will die in a tent.” Chazal expound that a
 delaying in providing a poor man with food, thereby causing his death.                                              person is obligated to “kill himself” in the tent of Torah. Regarding
 Why did Nachum feel this was a fitting punishment, and how could  “This is the teaching regarding a man if he will  Yaakov, the pasuk states, “Yaakov was a wholesome man, abiding in
 Hashem comply with his request?                                                                                     tents.” The letters of the word  (wholesome) can be transposed to spell
                   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         (dead). Yaakov “killed himself “in the tent of Torah.
 Hashem agreed that his atonement, too, should be above nature. He  contaminated for seven days. Any open vessel     There is no halfway mark when it comes to Torah study. Torah must be
 realized that everything which transpires is from Heaven and is, therefore,                                         learned comprehensively and completely. The Rambam teaches that as
 good. He should have understood that this pauper’s arrival was also  that has no cover fastened to it is contaminated.  long as a person breathes, he is obligated to study Torah. Just as there is
 Heaven-ordained. When a person acts in a supernatural manner, Hashem  The pure person shall sprinkle upon the       no concept of a half-dead person, so too, sacrifice for the sake of Torah
 behaves likewise with him. In-depth study of the parah adumah,which is  bamidbar  13  contaminated person on the third day and on  must be complete. The Yetzer Hara has no control over the dead.              #                                                               26347-EYAL-6BOOKS - 26347-Bamidbar-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-08-19 | 13:48:25 | SR:-- | Black   26347-EYAL-6BOOKS
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