Chatzeiros: The New Math!

Division generates and multiplies negativity; while adding senseless love subtracts and eliminates our exile!

Preparation

The fifth book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, begins with Moses’ rebuke of the Jewish people. Moses has been told by G-d that he would not enter the Promised Land and that he would soon pass away. Moses took this opportunity to prepare the Israelites for their future in a new land as well as for the rest of their existence until the Messianic Age.

At the very beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Moses rebukes them subtly by mentioning the names of the places in which they deviated from G-d in during their sojourn in the desert.

Out of Order!

One such place was called Chatzeiros. In Chatzeiros Moses’ cousin Korach started a rebellion against Moses, claiming that he had arrogated unto himself and his brother Aaron the positions of greatness.

The next location identified with a major sin was called Di Zahav, which means, an abundance of gold, alluding to their use of gold for the construction and worship of the golden calf.

Commentators wonder as to why Moses referred first to the sin of Korach and then to the sin of the golden calf, which is not in chronological order. The sin of Korach happened after the sin of the golden calf.

A Break Away Movement

One answer to this question will become evident after a brief analysis of the difference between the two sins.

The rebellion of Korach represented the first time in Jewish history that a break away movement started that threatened the very unity of the Jewish nation.

To be sure, the sin of the golden calf, which preceded the rebellion of Korach, succeeded in tearing away a large group of sinners from the mainstream that remained loyal to the teachings of G-d. Yet, their transgression — as serious as it was — was not intended to create a schism within the Jewish community. Korach’s rebellion, however, was the first movement that was designed to create a separate system of leadership.

Connection to Chatzeiros

The Ba’al Shem Tov taught us that nothing happens by coincidence. Particularly, within Torah, there must be a reason why certain things are associated with certain places. The fact that Korach’s rebellion is indicated here by the name of the place in which it occurred — Chatzeiros — is an indication that the rebellion had something to do with the meaning of the word Chatzeiros.

A yard is called a chatzer in Hebrew. Chatzeiros is “yards” in the plural. In Talmudic parlance a yard is representative of one’s turf, one’s property. Before Korach’s rebellion, there was but one “yard” one community, one people. Korach introduced the notion that it is possible to exist as Jews with Chatzeiros, multiple structures, replete with division and discord.

Had Korach not rebelled against Moses and created the schism that had sown the seeds of dissonance within the Jewish community that has survived to this day, the sin of the golden calf could have been forgiven and forgotten by G-d. Because when there is unity among Jews, the recalcitrant elements will eventually recognize that they have strayed and they will surely return to the fold.

With the introduction of the notion that there are many “yards”, many political entities that divide us, people can always very easily institutionalize their aberrant behavior and say, “We can do whatever we want, because we belong to this other party. We are not bound by your laws.”

Thus, Moses was very careful to admonish the Jews who were going to start the new Jewish future by essentially hinting to them: “Whatever you do, don’t create multiple ‘yards’ and institutions that break away from the path of Torah! This is the path that has been transmitted to me directly from G-d, and I transmitted it to the next generation through my faithful disciple Joshua. If you will create these ‘yards,’ or multiple turfs, it will bring back and institutionalize the sin of the Golden Calf.”

On the Threshold of Tisha B’Av

As we stand on the threshold of Tisha B’av the day that our Temple was destroyed because of the sin of strife and needless enmity, the Torah reading of Devarim tells us what we have to do to remove the cause of our loss. We must see to it that there is one Jewish community. No matter what differences of opinion there exists in the Jewish community (some justified and some not), we have to recognize that there is only one G-d, one Torah and one indivisible Jewish nation. All three “entities” are inextricably bound to one another, as the Zohar declares: “There are three things that are knotted to each other: G-d, Torah and Israel.”

By strengthening the oneness of our people, we will simultaneously strengthen the oneness and integrity of our Torah and thereby strengthen our bond to the one G-d.

Senseless Love to Counter Senseless Hatred

With senseless hatred we lost the Temple and were driven into exile, where our spiritual fragmentation devolved into physical dispersion. This idea is in consonance with the Kabbalisitc notion that all spiritual phenomena are responsible for and ultimately devolve into physical phenomena.

With senseless, or boundless love, we will merit to see the fulfillment of the prophecies of how the fast of Tisha B’av will be transformed into a festival of rejoicing. At that time — let us hope that it will be this Tisha B’Av — we will see the rebuilding of the Temple and the ingathering and unification of all the Jewish people, both physically and spiritually.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Devarim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.