Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Positive Lessons From The Sota

Dear friends,
Please forgive me, for not publishing last week. Here is the article for parshas Nasso. With Hashem's help, this week's will be out tomorrow.
Rabbi Yitzi
___

This week's parsha, Nasso, is always read just before or just after Shavuoth. This is a clear indication that there are lessons to be learned from here, for our national mission, which began on Shavuoth.

The parsha tells us the laws of the Sota, the Suspected Adulteress.

What lessons are we meant to learn from the Sota? What life changing possibilities are we to take from here?

In a way, we are the Sota. Let me explain.

When a husband is overtaken by a feeling of jealousy, and suspects his wife of straying... He then gives a warning... On Shavuoth, when we received the Ten Commandments, which is the marriage between Hashem and the Jewish people, He warned us, "Don't have other gods before me." Although most of us have not done something this extreme, we have done this on a more subtle level. As we live in this world, filled with pleasures, that we desire to be like them, or high society, and prevailing culture. We stray from who we are to experience things that pull us away from our relationship with Hashem.

After the warning, she does it again. As a nation, this has been our history over and over. Falling spiritually, despite the warnings.

He then brings her to the Temple, the holiest place. The Kohen writes a certain part of the Torah, our holiest writings, which contains Hashem's name, which is so holy, we may not erase it. However here Hashem instructs the Kohen to erase the writing with Hashem's name. Indicating how important the husband and wife relationship is to Hashem, He even allows His name to be erased to bring the couple back together. It is erased in the holiest water, taken from the Kiyor, which was made from the copper mirrors of women who used them to be close to their husbands in Egypt. In the water was earth, taken from the Mishkan, the holiest ground.

Then she drinks it. If she is indeed guilty this water will be bitter and fatal to her.

Because of this, the Kohen put her through a process that was exhausting, in the hope, that if she is indeed guilty, she would confess, and not have to drink the water and die. As a nation, we have experienced being thrown around from country to country, never resting too long on one spot.

If however, she maintains her innocence, the Kohen makes her take an oath that she did not defile herself, that if she did, she would die a horrible death because of the water, and that if she did not, the water will prove her innocence.

After administering the oath, he would erase the words into the water and she would drink it.

The Torah now tells us that if she was guilty, she would experience a horrible death. And if she is innocent the water will cleanse her of all suspicion, and even more, it will cause her to have better births.  Rashi explains, that if before her births were painful, now they would be relaxed...

When the Kohen administered the oath, he described in detail, what would happen if she was guilty. However, regarding if she was innocent, all it says, is that the water will cleanse her of suspicion, with no mention of the blessings of having better births. Only after she was proven innocent, does the Torah mention that, by the way, she will have better births. It is an outcome of drinking the water but not mentioned as part of the process.

This is similar to a Baal Teshuva, the one who returns to Hashem. We are taught that one who committed sins and then returned to Hashem wholeheartedly, his sins are turned into merits. Why? Because it was his sins that moved him to return. When he realized how far he has become, because of his transgressions, he became bitter. And this bitterness acted as a spring board, to his return. This doesn't work for someone who plans to sin and then return. You can't plan it. Only after a true return, does his transgressions turn to merits.

In some way each of us are the Baal Teshuva. We have an opportunity to get closer to Hashem, and when we do as a nation, He will forgive us, our past will be turned to merit, the bitter waters of this exile will turn sweet, and Moshiach will come, completing our national mission. May he come soon.

4 comments:

  1. Is so wonderful to be and feel close to G_d,
    I wonder why I ever look away, even momentarily.
    Focus in so key-
    Thanks for all you do
    Always praying for you and your family.
    Your loved.
    Hugs to all
    Martha

    ReplyDelete
  2. thank u for this post. May hashem bring you a miracle!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Maybe because this piece came late it was especially wonderful and applicable
    May you be Zoche to see the fulfillment of all your Tefillos L'tova ul'brocha!

    ReplyDelete