DVAR TORAH
"And the son of a Jewish woman, who was the son of an Egyptian man went out... and the son of the Jewish woman blasphemed the name of G-d and was brought before Moshe" [Vayikra 24:10-12]
The midrash asked, "From where did he go out?" Rabbi Berachya replied, " He went out from the preceding section of the Torah," the section that described the "lechem hapanim."
According to the midrash, the reason the blasphemer did what he did was because he was troubled by the mitzva of the "lechem hapanim [lit. the "showbreads"] - the loaves of bread which were put out in the Tabernacle from one Shabbat to the next, and then eaten by the Kohanim. "Why did the Kohen get week-old bread - this doesn't make sense!"
But why should that have led to his act of blasphemy? And what did the midrash want to teach us via this episode?
Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin explained that if the blasphemer had waited one week - he would have seen a miracle - the bread was not hard and stale but remained fresh for an entire week. If only he had waited a week - he would not have cursed G-d, and he would not have been put to death.
But he had no patience to wait. He had to know now! And if it did not make sense to him, then all of Judaism was useless -- and he committed the crime of blasphemy.
Sometimes, things only make sense with the passage of time. Sometimes it is a week, sometimes years, sometimes centuries -- but in the final analysis, we believe that G-d is true and righteous and "All of the G-d's actions are pure, for all His paths are just" [Devarim 32:4]. And THAT is the lesson of this midrash!
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HALACHA OF THE WEEK: Shaving during Sefirat HaOmer
According to the Shulchan Aruch, observing Sefirat HaOmer has two components. The first is the actual counting of the Omer, which should be done each night between Pesach and Shavuot.
However, the second component of Sefirat HaOmer is the period of mourning that we observe during this time. While there are many different customs related to exact dates on which we must mourn, during this period, we have accepted the custom not to perform weddings, not to dance or play live or recorded music, and not to get haircuts or shave.
Yet, on this final point, there is some debate among contemporary poskim regarding men who shave daily.
According to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, if not shaving would lead to significant problems in the business environment, a person can shave during Sefira [Igrot Moshe Choshen Mishpat 1:93].
According to Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Braun, it is permitted to shave on Fridays in preparation for Shabbat [Shearim Ha Mitzuyanim B'halacha 120 note 5].
According to Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, since the level of mourning during Sefira is analogous to the mourning period following shloshim (i.e., "yud bet chodesh), and because the honor due to Shabbat takes precedence over the mourning of Sefira [Taanit 26b], it is an obligation for those who regularly shave to shave for Shabbat during Sefira.
According to Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik and Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik, since a day-old beard for a person who shaves daily is considered unkempt ("k'dei she'yigaaru bo chavereirav"), a person can shave every day of Sefira. [Nefesh HaRav p. 191].
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