Torah

In this week’s Torah portion, Behaalotcha, Moshe is commanded to craft two silver trumpets. These instruments serve as sacred heralds, proclaiming the movement of the camps, summoning the people or their leaders, and signaling the charge into battle. Yet their call extends far beyond the battlefield, resonating through moments of collective crisis and sacred service.

Trumpets in Times of Trial

Rabbi Akiva, in the Sifrei (Numbers 10:9), reflects on the trumpets’ role in times of war, but he probes deeper:

The text names only war. But what of the scourge of blight or the creeping decay of pestilence? What of a woman caught in the throes of childbirth, her cries unanswered, or a ship battered by the sea’s relentless fury? How do we know that the trumpets sound for these as well? The verse answers: In every distress that presses upon you, in each calamity that threatens the people, let the trumpets resound, a plea for divine mercy in the face of every trial.

The trumpets, then, are not merely for war but for any moment when the community stands at the edge of despair, seeking the Creator’s compassion. Their piercing notes cut through the chaos, uniting the people in a shared cry for deliverance.

A Call to Sacred Focus

In the Beit HaMikdash, the priests sounded the trumpets during the offering of sacrifices, as explained by the Sefer HaChinuch. This mitzvah carries profound purpose:

In the sacred moment of offering, the heart must turn fully to its task, for a stray thought can shatter its sanctity, rendering it void. The sacrifice demands a soul wholly present, its intention pure before the Sovereign of All, who ordained this act. So too in times of anguish, when the spirit cries out, it seeks the Creator’s mercy with fervent focus, pleading for deliverance from its trials.

Human beings, bound to the material world, often slumbers in distraction. Without a spark to awaken it, the soul remains dormant. The Sefer HaChinuch teaches that nothing stirs the spirit like the sound of music—and no instrument rivals the trumpets, whose commanding voice reigns supreme among all.

Clearing the Heart’s Chamber

The trumpets offer more than awakening. Their soaring notes sweep away the clutter of worldly cares, clearing the heart’s chamber. In that sacred hour, the mind clings solely to the act of the korbanot—the offerings that draw us near to the Divine. The Sefer HaChinuch concludes with a truth known to all who have listened closely:

To those who have leaned close, the ear attuned to the trumpets’ call or the shofar’s piercing wail, the truth is evident: with intention, these sounds kindle the soul’s deepest focus.

The trumpets, whether in the wilderness, the Temple, or moments of crisis, call us to transcend the mundane, to lift our hearts, and to stand fully present before the Creator.

The fourth of the Five Books of Moses opens with the words: “And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai…” (Numbers 1:1, וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי ) The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7) asks the question:  “Why was the Torah given in the desert of Sinai?  On this our Sages taught: The Torah was given accompanied with three things, with fire, with water, and in the desert. With fire, as it says, ‘Mount Sinai was all in smoke’ (Exodus 19:18). With water, as it says, ‘The heavens dripped, the clouds dripped water’ (Judges 5:4). With wilderness, as it says, ‘in the wilderness of Sinai.’  Just as these three things are free to all people, so are words of Torah free. This is to teach us that anyone can step up and learn Torah. It is available to one and all. The Midrash adds another idea of why the Torah was given in the desert: “Whoever does not make himself like a desert wilderness, unclaimed, cannot acquire Torah and its wisdom.”

The Greatness of Torah Study

The Torah’s setting in the wilderness shows its universal accessibility. Anyone can study, from a single verse to the depths of Talmud, without barriers. This is all the more so today, with extensive online libraries of Torah writings accessible to anyone and everyone. Yet, the Torah demands humility. Just like the desert wilderness is unclaimed territory, so must the person set aside his ego learning from all and sharing with all, as in Talmud’s chavruta study, where partners question and teach each other, fostering growth.

 

Begin Talmud Study This Week

The Midrash’s call to the availability of the Torah invites you to study any and every aspect of the Torah.  Start with wherever you are in your learning.

And Talmud study, with its complex debates and questions, embodies this challenge. Each page challenges us to listen, question, and grow, making this study the greatest pursuit.

If you would like help getting started in learning Talmud, contact me at https://yosefcornfeld.com

What draws you to Torah study, even when life pulls you elsewhere? In Parshat Bechukotai, the Torah promises: “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, you will be blessed with abundance and peace” (Leviticus 26:3, Im b’chukotai telechu). Rashi explains that “walking in My statutes” means toiling in Torah study. But how do we know when Torah has truly become part of us? A Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 35:1) offers a beautiful insight, quoting King David: “I considered my ways, and I turned my feet to Your testimonies” (Psalms 119:59, Chishavti derachai va’ashiva raglai el edoteicha).

King David’s Unexpected Journey

King David shares a profound lesson: each day, he planned to visit mundane places—a market or a friend’s home—but his feet led him to the synagogue or Beit Midrash (house of Torah study). Despite his intentions, Torah’s pull was irresistible, guiding him to spaces of spiritual growth. [*Edit: Added Beit Midrash definition for clarity.] The Torah became so ingrained in him that his steps naturally turned toward God’s wisdom.

This Midrash teaches that Torah study isn’t just a task—it’s a force that reshapes our priorities, like a compass pointing us to meaning.

The Power of Torah Study

King David’s story shows why Torah study is invaluable: it reorients our lives toward purpose. By studying a verse, a parsha, or a page of Talmud, we align our “feet” with God’s path, learning to live ethically and connect deeply with the Divine. The Talmud (Megillah 6b) reinforces this: “The words of Torah are only sustained by one who ‘kills himself’ over them”

Take a Step This Week

“Walking in His statutes” begins with small steps. This week, let your feet lead you to Torah: read Parshat Bechukotai, listen to a Torah lecture, or take a big step by exploring Talmud. Need guidance? Reach out to me for an online session to start your journey.

 

וישב יעקב …   Ya’akov was settled in the land of his father…”  We would expect some kind of “happily ever after” story from here, but that is far from the case. “These are the generations of Ya’akov…” We would expect there to be a listing of children, grandchildren, etc., like in every other place where this phrase is used in the Torah. Instead the only name mentioned is Yosef, 17 years old, and behaving like a kid, and bringing reports of his brother’s bad behavior to his father. Did Ya’akov scold him for it?

All we know is that Ya’akov loved Yosef more than all the other sons because he was like the “youngest child of his old age,” the one that everyone dotes on and spoils. And Ya’akov didn’t keep this love a secret. He made him a special striped garment. The brothers saw that Yosef was the favorite, and they hated him for it. They couldn’t even speak civilly to him. One thing led to another, and the brothers sold him to slavery in Egypt, which eventually led to the whole family going down to Egypt, and eventually becoming slaves there.

The Rabbis in the Gemara (Shabbat 10b) identify this favoritism of Ya’akov as the cause of the nation of Israel going into exile in Egypt. “A person should never distinguish one of his sons from among the other sons by giving him preferential treatment. As, due to the weight of two sela of fine wool that Ya’akov gave to Yosef, beyond what he gave the rest of his sons, in making him the striped coat, his brothers became jealous of him and the matter unfolded and our forefathers descended to Egypt.”

So even though there were many factors leading to our exile in Egypt, many different causes, the Sages focus in on this one act of Ya’akov giving Yosef a small gift that showed his favoritism that led down the road to disaster.