In this week’s Parsha, we find a series of remarkable Mitzvos relating to Shemiras HaMikdash--guarding the Bais HaMikdash. To the unitiated, the concept of a frail human being watching or guarding the House of Hashem, the earthly Abode of the Creator of this World, a Building which is actually mechuvan, parallel, to the Bais HaMikdash Shel Ma’aleh, would seem superfluous and unnecessary. Yet, we find no less than two Mitzvos (a positive commandment and a negative commandment)--in our Parsha relating to its absolute necessity. The Sefer HaChinuch explains that watching or guarding something is a clear indication that the item has value to you. The vigilance and attention you give to a place or thing attaches special importance and significance to it. In the case of the Bais HaMikdash, it is actually Kohanim and Leviim who are given the noble task of providing the appropriate dignity and stateliness to the Holy Place. They are obviously unarmed, boasting not even a bow or arrow, but Chazal teach that if they were caught asleep on their job at night they would be corporally punished (Mesechta Middos 1,2).
There are practical and important lessons for us here.
Firstly, we know that our own Shuls are referred to by the Navi as a Mikdash Me’at--a form, a sample, a replica, of the Bais HaMikdash itself. It is our job to ensure that this Mikdash Me’at is accorded the Shemira--the honor, dignity and distinction it deserves. Does it have to be the janitor who picks up tissues or papers from the floor? Is it only the fanatical fellow who puts together papers strewn over the tables? Isn’t it very wrong to yell across the Shul to a friend even when it isn’t so full--or to telling a joke after davening? Guarding the Palace--being vigilant to safeguard its sanctity and to display its uniqueness and holiness--would seem to dictate otherwise. The person caught sleeping on the job was not given an automatic “second chance,” because a lapse in sanctity is a void in sanctity. We have a special relationship with Hashem, and a special place to especially forge that relationship. We should not allow ourselves to forfeit it to indiscretion, carelessness, and failure to appreciate and make the most of our opportunities. Could you imagine one of the Queen of England’s Honor Guard yawning in front of a huge crowd? Even if it only happened once, where do you think he would be the next day? We are honoring Royalty of an infinitely greater nature, and we are more significant and capable than any man with a rifle in his hand.
Secondly, let us consider how we treat our wallets, our jewelry, and our “special papers” like birth certificates, passports and the like. They are safely placed away in a specially-considered, or otherwise secure, place. No one is spilling coffee on them, and no one is leaving them in his car unattended, or at least carefully locked away. We should consider, in this vein, how our Shemira is for our spiritually valuable items. Do we leave our Tallis and Tefillin in our cars, or overnight in Shul, exposed to any character or situation? How do we treat our Seforim--are they spotted and stained, are the covers or bindings ripped or frayed from use--or from abuse? How do we pick up a Siddur or Chumash, and how and when do we put them away? Do we allow Seforim to be strewn about or interspersed with secular books or objects? A Shomer is responsible for the precious items he is entrusted with--he wouldn’t have been hired if he wasn’t capable of performing the job!
THE SAGES OF MUSSAR ON THE PARSHA When the people of Israel were encamped at Mount Sinai, Moshe appointed the Priesthood to Aaron. Even though Korach was jealous of Aaron’s status, he did not express his resentment at this time. He knew that Moshe, who had just succeeded to free the nation from slavery and give them the Torah, was in the heights of power and popularity. Therefore, anyone who spoke against Moshe would be quickly censured.
However, later - after the incident of "the spies" - the people changed their attitude towards Moshe. That is, they blamed Moshe for HaShem’s decree that everyone over twenty-one would die in the desert. When Korach sensed the people’s change of heart toward Moshe, he exploited the situation - and publicly challenged Moshe’s authority.
Moshe taught his people the path of life. They deviated from the path and found sore trouble. When death came upon them, they foolishly blamed Moshe, the father of our prophets. Yet, Moshe was completely blameless. Moreover, if not for the prayer of Moshe, they would have suffered complete annihilation for their utter breach of faith.
We see from this episode that blaming others for one’s own mistakes is one of the most common pitfalls of human nature. The generation that left Egypt is called the "Generation of Wisdom," because HaShem revealed Himself to them. Nevertheless, when they erred in their ways, even these people of stature did not take responsibility for their culpability.
Admitting that one is wrong is one of the most difficult challenges in life. However, the virtue of admitting a mistake gives birth to humility - the most precious of all character traits. May we have the moral courage to admit our mistakes and misdeeds. In turn, we will be blessed with peace, forgiveness, and many good friends. [Based on Da’as Torah of Rav Yerucham HaLevi and the Ramban]
Today: Ask forgiveness when you recognize that you acted inappropriately.
The back and forth banter about the summer is funny but I think we are down to crunch decision time and IY"H the plans will be finalized shortly L’tovah. I hope you are all well. Mazel tov to Hunter upon graduating and being the narrator in the play.Mazel tov to Hailey ( and Izzy ) for being the best little sisters of a graduate, in the whole school.
I think this week’s story is a mashal. It is quite a bizarre one but with a very strong message. One of the things Moshe tells the spies to find out, is whether there are trees in the land. Rashi comments that Moshe did not mean trees in the literal sense but rather he wanted them to find out if there were any live Tzadikim living in the land because a Tzadik brings merit to the place he/she is in and may be able to save the inhabitants, thus making it hard, even impossible to conquer Eretz Yisrael. There were many Tzadikim buried there (eg. In mearas hamachpela ), but deceased Tzadikim do not have the same power and influence as living ones ( as it turns out, there were no live Tzadikim there ).
The great Rabbi Suso hacohen ZT"L of Tunisia relates the following story:
A chasid, a tzadik, was travelling through a certain town. He approached some Jews in shul and asked them where he might find lodging - someone very frum and careful with kashrus etc. They directed him to a certain address where they assured him his expectations both comfort-wise and religion-wise would be met if not exceeded. The Chasid went to the house and in fact was greeted warmly and treated like royalty. He noted the care with which the meal was prepared and he ate the delicious food with relish and appreciation. He felt very comfortable and relaxed as he laid down in the luxurious bed the maid had made up for him.
His restful sleep was disturbed around midnight, by a strange noise. Opening his eyes a crack, he noticed through the slightly opened door, the host sitting by a lit candle, sharpening a huge knife. Every so often the man would test the sharpness of the knife by sliding it over his fingernail, and then return to sharpening it. The chasid sat up and opened the door and asked the host why he was so busy with this knife at that hour. The man replied calmly, " Oh this knife is for you". Something was not right here and a sudden fear crept into the heart of the chasid - he may be dealing here with a psychopath. He decided to try to be calm and talk his way out of whatever mess he was in. " I don’t understand ", he asked trying to mask the trembling in his voice, " the people who recommended your home to me couldn’t stop singing your praises - a G-D - fearing man who constantly does chesed for others - how could you contemplate spilling innocent blood - doing such a terrible sin ?"
The host continued sharpening, ignoring the question. The chasid tried a different tactic. "What could you possibly gain by killing me - I am a poor man, I have almost nothing !"
The host remained silent as he continued to focus on the knife. Once again the chasid tried reason. " You know you’ll never get away with this murder. Those people in shul know where I went and when I disappear, they will suspect you and find my body !"
The host finally seemed satisfied with the sharpness of the knife. He looked kindly at his guest and said, " Righteous and Holy Rebbe, please don’t think of me as a murderer. You insult me when you think that I would kill you for your money. Why would such a great and holy man such as yourself spend his last minutes in this world trangressing the terrible sin of being ’ Choshaid Bikshairim ’ ( being suspicious of the innocent ) when you could be judging me favorably ?" The chasid was speechless. He didn’t understand what was going on… The host continued. " Rebbe, you should know that it is true that I am a very good G-D - fearing man who only does good things to everyone. In fact my plan right now is to shecht you for the sake of Hashem and for the welfare of this entire town !" " You have to be joking ", the now panicked tzadik laughed uneasily.
The host got up and started to move closer to the chasid’s bed. " Let me explain ", he matter-of-factly said. " I have been inviting guests into my home for 40 years. Never have I been priviledged to host a tzadik of your stature. Now could you imagine that in our local cemetary, we do not have even one tzadik buried there. We don’t have anyone to represent us with our prayers and supplications to Hashem. But now after all this time, after having noted your holy and righteous behavior, I knew that I had finally found a real tzadik to be buried in our cemetary. I am doing this for the good of the entire community and I’m sure to be remembered for this good deed forever ". He smiled compassionately as he lifted the knife and stepped closer to the terrorized and petrified tzadik …
The very strange story ends here. R’ Vallach uses the story to show, by extreme example perhaps, the ironic way with which we treat our tzadikim and elders. While they are alive we , at best, don’t think about them and at worst we critisize or even ridicule them. But when they pass on to the next world, we honor them to no end. How poignant is the everyday occurance of people who when their parent was alive, couldn’t be bothered with them, or worse, but then after the parent dies they will make sure to say kaddish religiously for the honor of the parent. Let’s all make sure that we appreciate our Rabbis, parents and others while they are alive. Need I say more ?
May we all merit to enjoy and learn from each other until 120. Have a wonderful Shabbos y’all. I love you all.
The Torah tells us that the spies delivered a negative report about Eretz Yisrael. They prefaced their statement with positive words, "We arrived at the Land and indeed it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit." Then they said, "But the people that dwell in the Land are powerful, the cities are greatly fortified, and we also saw the offspring of the giant."
Although they started with a favorable description of the Land, they subsequently conveyed the enormous challenge of conquering the powerful nations that inhabited the Land.
Yet, we might respond that they were not at fault because they accurately reported the truth. After all, they realistically described both the good points and the bad points.
Yehoshua and Calev saw the same things that the other spies saw. However, they saw it through the lens of steadfast trust in HaShem. Therefore, they said, "The Land that we passed through is very, very good. If HaShem desires us, He will bring us to this Land and give it to us, a Land that flows with milk and honey."
In general, every one sees the same things and collects the same data. The difference lies in how we process the information. Whether we emphasize the good or bad reflects our life’s perspective.
Yehoshua and Calev had supreme confidence in HaShem’s assurance that Eretz Yisrael was a precious - and attainable - gift. Therefore, their view of the Land was colored with optimism, faith, and enthusiasm.
May we view all of life through the lens of unwavering trust in HaShem’s love, compassion, and kindness. In turn, HaShem will bless us with joy, success, and fulfillment.
TODAY: Focus on the good that you receive and fill your heart with gratitude and love of HaShem.
When the spies returned from Eretz Canaan, they described the land in less than glowing terms. "We arrived in the land. . . and indeed it flows with milk and honey. . . however, the natives are mighty, the cities are fortified. . . the land devours its inhabitants and all those who reside there are giants" (Bamidbar 13, 27-32). Being that they wanted to paint a dismal picture, for what reason did they preface their tirade with, "indeed it flows with milk and honey?" Rashi explains that a falsehood which does not contain at least a minimal amount of truth cannot endure. Therefore, the spies purposely mentioned something true about the Promised Land, so that the rest of their lies would be believed.
Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash) adds, Chazal say that sheker does not have the ability to stand. Because sheker is not a reality, it cannot become a reality. It might take ten, twenty, or even thirty years before the lie is proven false, but eventually the truth will become clear. Sheker’s only chance of survival is if it props itself up with a truth. Hence, the various ideologies that have surfaced throughout the world are all based upon some aspect of truth. For example, communism was founded to ensure social justice; a truthful concept. However, we are all witness to the terrible oppressiveness and deceit that were the hallmark of communism in Russia and other countries. The sheker feeds off of the truth on which it was founded. Chazal tell us that Moshiach will arrive in a generation that is either completely righteous or completely wicked. We can understand why a completely righteous generation should merit Moshiach, but why would Moshiach reveal himself to a generation which is full of deceit? Rav Yeruchom Levovitz explains that in a generation which there is not even an iota of truth, the skeker will automatically be proven false and eradicated, thereby heralding Moshiach’s arrival. To a certain extent this concept has become a reality in our days. In the past few generations there has been a large increase in the amount of Jewish People that have found their way back to their roots; a veritable "Teshuva Movement." The falseness that abounds today is almost palpable, and at a certain point it simply exposes itself, and underneath, people have found the truth shining in all its brilliance. The Torah is what gives the Jewish People their immortality, because it is the very word of Hashem - the eternal truth.
Our Sages tell us that as long as we are in this physical existence it’s impossible for a person to imagine the splendor of Gan Eden. Although, this is true, wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a conceptual image to give us a glimpse of the inestimable quantum of reward?
After Moshe instructed Aaron to light the menorah, the Torah writes: "And Aaron did as Hashem commanded Moshe" (Bamidbar 8:20). This verse extols the praise of Aaron - that he did not deviate from the instructions that Moshe gave him.
Given that the lighting of the menorah was not particularly challenging, nor did it entail any monetary expenditure on the part of Aaron - this comment needs clarification. What is the significance of the Torah praising Aaron for performing the relatively easy act that Hashem commanded him to do? Would we think that Aaron, the Cohen Gadol, would do anything else other than meticulously fulfill the Divine Will?
Every day of his life, Aaron HaCohen immersed himself in Torah, Mitzvoth, and character perfection until his entire being was sanctified to Hashem. We might have assumed that for a man of Aaron’s stature, following simple orders would not earn him much credit. This verse reveals just the opposite: Hashem praised, valued, and rewarded Aaron greatly, even for this seemingly relatively minor effort of not deviating from the specifications of the commandment.
We can understand from here, how great, then, is the reward for the performance of a Mitzvah that does require an expenditure of money or toil. The magnitude of reward increases exponentially with the level of difficulty required to perform the Mitzvah. If even the most infinitesimal quantum of difficulty amplifies the rewards - then - how much more so, does an intense effort yield an incalculable abundance of reward.
Now that Hashem has revealed His formula of reward, we can apply this quantum of reward distribution to each and every Mitzvah that we do - from the easiest to the most difficult. The Mitzvos that we perform guarantee us a glorious, unending, and eternal reward.
[Based on the Ohr RaShaz, of Rabbi Simcha Zissel]
TODAY: Realize that the reward for reading this short essay is worth more than all the riches of this world.
I hope you are all well and it's fun to see all the chit chat about our summer plans I"YH. I am actually writing this on Tuesday because of Chaya Binah's wedding this Thursday BSH'Tova. Another good lesson from R' Vallach:
About 200 years ago, a reknowned community leader passed away in Vienna - R' Shimshon Wortheimer Z"L. He was a wealthy banker, a great supporter of Torah learning and activist and donor to all kinds of charity. He was greatly missed in the Jewish world after his passing.
Not long after, R' Chaim of Sanz sat with his chassidim and said, " Let me tell you what happenned in the heavenly court when R' Shimshon was judged."
" The first thing the court asked him was to describe his normal daily schedule. R' Shimshon narrated to them his routine. ' I got up in the morning and went to shul to daven after which I returned home to eat breakfast. After eating, I had a hot cup of coffee with a cigar and read the paper - being so heavily involved in the financial world, it was important for me to know what was going on in the world. When I finished, I benched and went to the bank where I worked until lunchtime. I came home for lunch, ate, benched and took a nap or rest. I awoke refreshed and would be greeted by those in charge of charity and others who would come for help of all kinds. I would be listening to their needs and writing cheques for a few hours. It would then be time for Mincha when I would go to shul to daven Mincha, participate in a shiur and daven Maariv. I attended another shiur after Maariv before returning home to eat dinner and play a game of chess to clear my mind before saying Shma and going to bed.' The court heard this and decided to award R' Shimshon a ticket to Gan Eden. Two angels were then assigned to escort him there."
The Rebbe continued. " There was another man waiting to be judged that day. He too was a rich banker who had died that day. Initially upon entering the awesome court of ultimate truth, he trembled in fear because in his lifetime he had not kept the mitzvos at all and now he saw was payback time. However as he witnessed the trial of R' Shimshon, he calmed down a bit - he thought he might have a defense. The court asked him to describe his daily routine. ' My routine was very similar to the man whom you just sent to Gan Eden - in fact about three quarters of his day was identical to mine. I too awoke in the morning; granted I didn't daven but I did eat breakfast and then enjoyed my coffee, cigar and newspaper. Granted too that I did not bench afterward, but I too went to the bank to work until going home for lunch, albeit without benching, and then I took a nap. I did not entertain charity requests but did after my nap go to my favorite social club to be with my friends. I did not go to shul to daven or learn like my predecessor but like him I came home for dinner, a game of chess and finally to go to bed.' The court did not take long to decide - gehenom. The man was incredulous. ' Do you mean to tell me that the man before me got into Gan Eden ONLY because of the davening, Torah and mitzvos that he did - doesn't spending a wholesome hardworking day count for anything ?' The court spokesman answered ' no, in fact he is getting rewarded for the full 24 hours of his day.' The man asked, ' so why then don't I get credit for at least the part of my day that was identical to his - probably about three quarters ?' The spokesman answered him with a mashal : If someone buys grain from a farmer, he is willing to but even the residue, the chaff, that comes along with it because that is how grain is sold - it is all part of the package as long as he is getting the grain. But if someone would try to sell him the chaff only, without the grain he most certainly would not buy it. If a person goes about his daily mundane affairs SO THAT he can maintain a good Torah lifestyle, raise his children properly in the ways of Torah and reserve time for learning Torah and doing as much chesed as he is capable of, then all of the hours that he puts into his work and eating and sleeping etc. are considered part of the good package - but working and eating and resting without the nucleus and purpose being Torah, does not deserve any reward.' " The Rebbe knew that he had struck a cord with his chassidim. R' Vallach relates this story to the description in the parsha of the Menorah which was made out of solid gold from top to bottom - ALL of its elements even the base was one sight of pure gold - even that which is generally considered the lower, less 'holy' part, is also part of the one holy unit of man when connected to the top - the Torah. I think this message can also be related to the short description of how the people got their daily manna and prepared it in various ways. They too had the opportunity, as we do, to do the mundane things humans do, but to do them in the context of their holy activities thus elevating them to be counted as holy too.
May we all approach our lives in this way and thus merit entrance into Gan Eden after 120 years. Have a wonderful Shabbos. We can't wait to see you all soon I"YH. I love you all, 'd'
As we approach the first Shabbos away from Shavuos, we note that the Parshas HaShavua is Parshas Naso. Among other mitzvos, the Parsha contains some enormous lessons on why and how to control the Yetzer Hora, and the kinds of brachos we should look to give and to receive. We would like here to only point to the fact that this Parsha is almost always read on the Shabbos after Shavuos, and that it is the longest Parsha in the Torah. Part of the reason it is the longest Parsha is that each of the 12 Nesseim’s private donations to the Mishkan is separately detailed, notwithstanding that the donation are otherwise fully identical in object, kind and amount. Chazal (at length in Bamidbar Rabba on these Pesukim) teach that this individualized detail was not done so that we can simply stay more attached to Yom Tov by reading more and more Pesukim of Torah right after Shavuos (although this, in and of itself, would be a sufficient reason). Rather, the Medrash teaches that behind the otherwise identical and seemingly (Chas V’Shalom) repetitive Pesukim is a lesson for eternity--that they all looked the same, but that they were all very different, because each Nassi had his own Kavanos, his personal thoughts, when he brought his korban.
We can derive a very important lesson from this relating to the study of Torah itself. While many people may appear to learn similar Torah topics, as they may be among the tens of thousands who study the Parsha with Rashi weekly, or who the thousands who learn two Halachos of Shmiras HaLashon every day, or part of the 15 people attending a local Daf Yomi shiur, there really is a difference between each and every one of them, because the manner of study of no two are the same.
Shlomo HaMelech, the wisest of all men, teaches us in the last, ultimate, chapter of Mishlei, known to us as Aishes Chayil, that the key, perhaps concomitantly most elusive and elevating, element of Torah study, the aspect that brings one to the height of service, is "Chayil", valor or strength, in Torah learning. We must put our efforts, our strengths, our wherewithal into Torah study in no less measure than into our business goals, monetary objectives and anything else in life that is very important to us. It is no coincidence (as we know, there is never a "coincidence", and there never can be one) that the Gematria of Chayil is equal to 48, symbolizing the need to strive for all 48 Ways we briefly alluded to yesterday. Moreover, the number 48 (Mem Ches) spells Moach, indicating the necessity of seriously putting all of one’s mind to attaining Torah knowledge and practice. Chazal teach that "Torah weakens the strength of a person". In truth, most activity weakens a person, whose soul is housed in flesh and blood. If something is to weaken a person, it is certainly much more preferred that it be Torah then...
The Chofetz Chaim (Chomas HaDas, Chapter 4) teaches us that there is a common mistake made by many, and he explains with a mashal. A man took a serious fall into a deep pit, suffered severe bruises and injuries, and could barely breathe. Sincere passersby hurriedly lowered themselves into the pit, and began trying all kinds of methods to bandage the wounds with the little that they had. A doctor, hearing the commotion climbed into the pit. Assessing the situation, he exclaimed "This man does not need bandages now--he can barely breathe! Give me room!" After reviving him, the doctor was able to bring him out of danger, and the man successfully recovered. The Chofetz Chaim taught--we, too, are in the deep pit of Galus--and we desperately need help. But bandages simply will not do, for we must first get to the breathing--and our breath is Torah. (See Avos 6:6, 7) We must, as the doctor, recognize and emphasize its absolute need to be the first and vital step of our cure. And the more, and the harder, the breathing is worked at, the quicker and better, the cure.
One can help his breathing in many ways--putting in the effort and taking the precautionary steps necessary to better concentrate when studying, finding the time to accomplish, one step at a time, that which one otherwise planned or would plan for retirement, getting involved in community Torah study projects, and spending good money to support Torah study. Let us do our part. For us, discretion is not the better part of valor. Torah is!
The Midrash relates that one Friday night a certain woman attended a public lecture given by Rabbi Meir. By the time she returned home her candles were extinguished. "Where have you been?" her husband demanded. She replied that she had been to the class of Rabbi Meir. "You are not permitted to enter my house until you spit in the face of Rabbi Meir," insisted her foolish husband.
Elijah the Prophet informed Rabbi Meir that the woman was banned from her house. Rabbi Meir went to synagogue. When the woman came to pray, Rabbi Meir made himself yawn. He told the women that he was suffering from an ailment that could be cured if she would spit in his eye seven times. After she reluctantly complied, he told her, "Go tell your husband, ’You told me to spit once, whereas, I spit seven times."
Rabbi Meir’s students were appalled, "Rabbi, the honor of the Torah has been disgraced. If you would have given the word, we would have forced him to take his wife back."
Rabbi Meir responded, "The honor of Rabbi Meir should not exceed the honor of Hashem. If Hashem allows his Holy name to be dissolved in the waters of the Sota (Bamidbar 5:23) - in order to make peace between husband and wife - all the more so should I lower my honor in order to make peace between husband and wife."
Although there was an alternative solution (as the students suggested) Rav Meir preferred to solve the problem by degrading himself. Rav Meir reasoned that the Sota procedure did not necessarily require the erasure of the Divine name. Rather, Hashem chose that method because - in His boundless compassion - He is willing to disgrace Himself in order to bring peace between husband and wife. Yet, if peace could have been achieved without disgrace - why did Hashem command us to erase His name?
When someone loves something, he does not delegate it to others to perform on his behalf. Rather, he himself pursues it. Hashem’s love of kindness bestirs His willingness to dissolve His name in order to make peace. May, we learn, as Rabbi Meir did, to cherish peace so dearly - that we are even ready to make great sacrifices for the sake of peace. [Based on Lev Eliyahu, Rav Elya Lopian]
First and foremost, thanks to H for reminding me that today is National EGG Day, second only in importance to Groundhogs Day. Tempting as it may be to speak about our oval friends, I will not, but seriously I will say that eggs play a huge role in many aspects of halacha ( much moreso than groundhogs ) so we as good Jews, can thank Hashem very much for the egg. I hope this finds you all well if not too partied out from the festivities of the day - anyways its time to get serious.
Amongst the many interesting items in this parsha, is the parsha of the Sotah - the errant woman. It is a very complicated set of halachos and concepts, but it segways into a short but powerful story that I have long wanted to tell. Rashi comments that the word Sotah stems from Stiah or veering off the path of Tznius. I know that this is a very touchy subject - I am not intending to preach here, just to provide food for thought. Rav Vallach tells :
Next to the grave of the Tzaddik Rav Yehuda Ben Atar lies the gravesight of the holy Tzadekes Suleka. Suleka was a beautiful young Jewish girl in Morocco around 1820. A young muslim man who lived in the neighborhood was stricken by her beauty and wanted her. His problem was that muslim men of course could not marry Jewish women. He devised a simple yet evil plan - all he had to do was spread a rumor that she had secretly converted to islam - once that was accepted as fact by the local authorities, it would be illegal for her to be Jewish anymore. Her life would be impossible as a Jew and he would be able to take her as a wife. He put his plan to action. Of course she denied it emphatically but all of her protests fell on deaf ears - the islamic justice system gave her two choices - return to the true peace-loving religion of islam or hang in the public square. Suleka replied without hesitation and with absolute committment, I have never converted to islam - I was born a Jew and I will die a Jew. The court was not sympathetic - she was thrown into a cold jail cell to rot while the judgement was sent to the King of Morocco for his stamp of approval. When the papers were presented to the King, the prince was in the room. He was intrigued by the case of the young beauty with the strong convictions and he decided to visit her in prison. Even in the filthy condition of the cell and in her tattered clothing, Suleka was a sight for sore eyes. The prince immediately fell in love with her. Desperate oly soul to her to save her life so that he could have her, he promised her that if she would only convert to islam, she would become the princess and eventually the queen. Her life would be the envy of women the world over - wealth, luxury and power, and a loving husband - she may have turned down the conversion option before but everyone has their price - surely she would not turn him down. To his great surprise and chagrin, she declared to him that none of what he promised was even close to being equal to her faith in the true Hashem and H-S holy Torah. Nothing could make her become a traitor to Hashem and to her people. The prince left the prison flustered and angry and did not protest when his father signed the papers sentencing Suleka to death.
Suleka was defiant yet calm and at peace with her fate as she was lead out to the city square and the gallows the next day. She was ready to die AL KIDDUSH HASHEM. The prince was waiting for her on the platform. One last time he pleaded with her to save her life emphasizing to her how happy she could be if she would only convert. She smiled and declared that she was already happy with her life. The prince gave up and signalled to the executioner to get on with the job. The hangman said to Suleka that she was entitled by law to one last request. She looked out at the crowd - her family and the rest of the Jewish community cowering in the far corner of the square, sobbing and praying for perhaps a last minute miracle, and the blood-lusting muslims laughing and hooting and cheering on the hangman. Everyone was quiet when Suleka made her final request - pins. She repeated her request when the hangman did not understand - sewing pins. No one could imagine what she would do with them as they were brought out to her. She took the pins, stepped over to the noose and stuck the pins through her dress into her legs so that her clothes would not fly loosely and expose her legs as she dangled in death. In this way, amidst the shock and absolute silence of the crowd, did the young and beautiful Suleka return her pure and holy soul to her maker.
I have been thinking alot about this story for a long time - not only because of the Kiddush Hashem aspect of it but moreso about the Tznius aspect. However, beside it being very late, I think it would be more meaningful for all if I just allowed you to think freely about this yourselves. For all of us, especially the women, regardless of the level of Tznius we are holding in, I have no doubt that Tznius is important in our lives, for our families and ourselves, and it is not limited to clothing but in fact is incredibly deep and far-reaching. My bracha to us all tonight is that we should all in our own ways hold up Suleka as a role model.
I wish you all a wonderful, joyous and holy Shabbos.
I hope you are all well and happy. Again I had an incredibly busy week and have not had enough time to talk to you all as much as I like - please forgive me and allow me once again to be a part of your Shabbos table and discussion. I don't know if I will get a chance next week to write you because of Shavuos, so this is more geared to Shavuos than the parsha. So that the parsha won't be offended, my challenge to us all is to create or find a connection from this message to Bamidbar. Anyway, first I'll tell you a story from R' Vallach and then my own explanation as to why it is relevant to Shavuos.
A true story. A brother and sister, close in age, had reached the age of 'freedom'. Young secular Israelis, eager to explore the world, went off backpacking to India ( I hear that at any given time there are around 40,000 Israelis in India touring and backpacking ). Once there, they split up. In her travels, the girl visited a temple headed by a charismatic guru, where they practiced some form of idol/inner-self worship. She became enamored by the guru and the peaceful, soft description of life in the ashram. She decided to stay there and become one of them. Her brother in his journeys, 'chanced' upon a "bayis Yehudi" - a Jewish house (similar to the one that was recently massacred in Mumbai). It was in this unlikely place that this young Israeli boy heard a lecturer from the group "Arachim" and first came to know about his own religion and heritage. In India he began to wear tfillin, keep Shabbos and learn Torah. After a few months, he returned to Israel a new person, a ba'al teshuvah in the fullest sense.
His sister however, stayed on at the ashram, an avid follower of her guru. Her brother, having come to know the truth about being a Jew, was desparate to try and get his sister freed from the empty, idol-worshipping lifestyle she had chosen. He saved up for a few months until he had enough to offer his sister a trip home, hoping that just getting away from her environment might cool her off from her infatuation with the cult. He offerred her the ticket to come home to at least visit their parents. He only attached one condition - that she attend at least one "Arachim" lecture in their hometown of Haifa ( He scheduled the ticket for the same time as a particularly good speaker was coming to Haifa ). She agreed and came home to visit. The brother's plan however, did not work out. Her enthusiasm for the cult did not wane at all and she was very annoyed at the lecture she was forced to attend. After waiting over an hour for the lecturer to show up, the organizer announced that the lecturer called from the road that his car had broken down and that it would be impossible for him to make it. The organizer did not want the audience to go emptyhanded, so unprepared, he learned with them the gemarah he had learned that morning. The subject was how Jewish law treats a lost object and our responsibilities vis-a-vis returning them to their rightful owners. She tried listening just to be courteous but was very bored - she chalked it up to 'payment' for the trip. The visit ended uneventfully - she returned to the ashram in India and her brother enrolled in a yeshiva.
Not long after that, one of the boys in the yeshiva came running into the bais medrash to tell our young ba'al teshuvah that he had a visitor waiting outside. He was shocked to see his sister, "what are you doing here", he asked showing his joy at seeing her. "I need you to find me a school like this one for girls - I too want to come back to the Torah", she said sheepishly. "What happenned", he asked afraid that something traumatic may have happenned to her. She explained that she was fine but this is what happenned." A few days ago, I was walking with the guru in the streets of a holy hindu city. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks - he noticed an obviously stuffed purse that some tourist must have dropped. He picked it up and found in it lots of cash and also a passport. Without hesitation, he put the purse in his own knapsack. I asked him what he intended to do with the purse - after all, with the passport he could easily return it to the police or the appropriate consulate.( She expected this man who constantly preached love and peace toward others, a man who wouldn't hurt a fly and who had great respect for all living things, to surely make the effort to return the purse to its owner.) The answer I got was a bunch of doubletalk about karma and how it was meant to be that he should be the one to find such a treasure and use it for the good of the temple and congregation and how the purse will be spiritually elevated…blah blah blah. At that moment I recalled that boring lecture which I 'accidentally' heard in Haifa - how the Torah respects each individual's property rights and how the finder of a lost object has the responsibility to watch the object until the owner comes for it (not in all cases, but certainly in this case where the passport was there). The truth suddenly became so clear, the contrast in the honesty of the approach was so stark - I knew I had to come home and join your way." R' Vallach brings this story to illustrate "Na'aseh Vinishmah" - the signifigance of saying "we will do" before "we will hear". The sister discovered that any guru can sell a religion which doesn't demand any REAL commitment to the ideals preached, but the Torah is selling actual responsibility and adherance to truth.
I B"EZH drew another thought from the story if you'll indulge me another minute. Why am I telling you a story of hashgacha pratis now, before Shavuos? I learned a gemara this morning that made me decide to tell this kind of story. In brief, the gemara says that (despite the fact that they said "Na'aseh Vinishmah") the original acceptance of the Torah by the Jewish people at Har Sinai was somewhat coerced and therefore was to some degree, incomplete. The complete acceptance of the Torah did not take place until some 800 years later during the story of Purim. Rashi explains that out of the love of the miracle that happenned to them at that time, they fully accepted the Torah.But there were so many other miracles in the years preceeding the Purim story - why did they not generate this special reaction?
The reason I think is, that the Purim story was the first and second generations after the exile. There were people there who experienced the actual exile ( I think I am factually at least close ). Before the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed, miracles were daily occurances in Israel. From the days of the desert all the way to the destruction, the Schinah was amongst the people for all to see. After the destruction, it looked like Hashem was hiding. The generation of Purim made an awesome discovery through the 'miracle' of their story. When they read the narrative and put it all together they realized that just because we were no longer worthy of the Bais Hamikdash, did not mean that Hashem stopped loving us. They thought that the miracles had stopped forever but found out that they never stopped at all - we just need to improve our ability to find them. Their affirmation that Hashem's love for the Jewish people IS forever, and H-S commitment to them IS forever, is what inspired them to complete their absolute commitment to Hashem and H-S Torah.
Hashgacha Pratis stories are like the Purim story - when you see how it all unfolds and how everything fits into place, you realize that Hashem loves us and watches over us always. So you've read this story and I hope you read more Hashgacha Pratis stories for yourselves and for the kids. Each story adds inspiration in your life, an inspiration which naturally leads to greater commitment and closeness to Hashem and the Torah.
I wish you all a wonderful Shabbos Bamidbar which always falls out the week before Shavuos and I wish you all an inspirational as well as delicious Yom Tov. I love you all, 'd'
"The sons of Yosef, the sons of Efraim, their
offspring...counted 40,500."(Bamidbar 1:33)
The midrash
explains the exact wording of the verse. The repetition of the word "sons" comes
to teach us that only the sons of Yosef, Efraim and Menashe were counted
amongst the Tribes of Israel. Yosef himself wasn`t considered a Tribe because
he didn`t participate in carrying the coffin of Yaakov to Chevron. Yaakov
didn`t include Yosef in respect to his position as the Ruler of Egypt. The
other sons of Yaakov plus the 2 sons of Yosef did the carrying, and were given
the future reward of each being considered a separate Tribe.
Rabbi Simcha Zissel learns a strong message from
this Chazal. Yosef would have loved to participate in the Mitzvah of carrying
his father. However his position didn`t allow it. It wasn`t any fault of his
own. We see that no matter how good the excuse , we don`t get the benefit of a
Mitzvah if we don`t do it.
Rashi explains, "Im bechokosai teileichu" (If you walk in my chukim) as an exhortation to toil in the study of Torah. Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash) asks why the Torah refers to Torah study in the form of walking - "teileichu." Shouldn’t the Torah have written, "Im bechukosai tilmidu" - if you study my chukim? He explains that the study of Torah is unique since it is always possible to delve deeper and deeper into its wisdom. The more one toils over a ma’amer Chazal, the more insightful it becomes. Moreover, as one grows older, the very same statement that he might have already studied in his youth can take on a whole new meaning. As one continues to age and become wiser, he will be amazed when he once again studies the same passage and perceives newfound profundity within the Torah’s timeless words. It is for this reason that Hashem termed the toil of Torah as "walking", for one can constantly tread deeper and deeper into the Torah, all the while gaining greater clarity of its infinite wisdom. In parshas Achrei Mos (Vayikra 18, 4) the Torah writes a similar pasuk. "And you should guard my statutes to walk in them." Rashi explains that one should not say, "I have already studied the Torah and therefore I will now go study the wisdom of the nations." For if one constantly "walks" and delves deeper into the wisdom of the Torah, he will never claim that he has already concluded with Torah study. Even with regard to chukim the Torah writes that one should "walk" and toil. Though we cannot understand the reason for these mitzvos in their entirety, there are aspects that we can comprehend. The more we apply ourselves, the more we will succeed in tapping into the vast wisdom contained within each word of the Torah.
I’ve got 2 liters of wine with about 8 kilos of meat in a stew recipe that I
do, boiling out the alcohol on the kitchen stove. I found out that the cheap
wine I bought for cooking was Otzer Beit Din and therefore we hold that it has
kedushas Shevius and therefore I can’t use it for cooking. Woe is me as I cried
as I had my 14 year old pour the special expensive wine that I bought for Sheva
bruchos into the stew, as I couldn’t bear to do it. Lichvod Shabbas Kodesh.
That was yesterday. Today, grilled up many kilos of whole fish and my son in law
and daughter are making the chulent and shnitzel. - Cooking for 30 plus adults
but not so many children. -
The wedding ? history - It was really super. You know a person by his
friends. This new Chasan of mine has great friends.
These parshios are so full of messages of love and closeness with Hashem and with our fellow Jews, it makes it difficult to choose what to tell you. B’EzH I am making the right choice.
The gemara (Kiddushin 20) links the parsha of B’har by telling a story of downfall. Briefly, a man cannot withstand the admittedly formidable challenge of the Shmittah year and does business with the produce of his field during that year. He gets punished for his lack of faith and eventually loses all his money. Finally to sustain himself, he has to sell himself as a slave and finally allows himself to be sold as a servant in a idol worshipping temple. To stoop so low as to daily serve the needs of the pagans, one would think that the Torah would tell us to castigate and ex-communicate and shun this man, but ’au contraire’, the Torah commands us as a community and as individuals to do what it takes to redeem him from this servitude to pagans, and return him into the bossom of the Jewish community.
At the edge of a cemetary in Tiberias, is the grave of a man named Mendel Shuv (a.k.a. Veider). Here is his story. He grew up in a fine home in Hungary. In his teen years he was a very bright rabbinical prospect learning in one of the yeshivos. He truly was excelling at his studies, but he did have one flaw - he was over-confident and overly ambitious. After receiving his Smicha, he was anxious to fulfill his life long dream of becoming a Rabbi of a community, a leader. But perhaps because of his youth or perhaps because his arrogance and self-interest showed in his behavior and manner, he got rejected by every prospective community for whom he tried out. Anger welled up inside him to the point where he suddenly burst; he threw away all of his life as a Jew and converted to catholicism. He, consumed by feelings of rage and revenge, was determined to raise himself to the heights of the catholic church hierarchy where he would be able to make major trouble for the Jews. He studied at the seminary diligently and rose to the rank of cardinal. Now his demonic plan could really begin. Anti-semitism in the 1930’s in Europe was quite open and Hungary was no different. "Iron Cross" groups were all over the country attacking Jews, burning Jewish businesses, spreading libels etc. Cardinal Mendel Shuv, from his now very powerful and influential position, gave speeches of encouragement and justification to these young anti-semites and tremendously increased the suffering of the Jews in Hungary. Then, World War 2 started. The Iron Cross remained strong even before Hitler took over Hungary, but the cardinal himself began to feel insecure. The nazis would look for all Jews, even converted cardinals. His paranoia grew with each passing day and with the news of how Jews were being rounded up and sent to be murdered. Finally one night he had a horrific nightmare. It was all driving him insane.
One morning he broke free - he snuck out of his plush church office, changed out of his robes, and knocked on the door of the Skulener Rebbe Z"TL ( a man famous for his kindness and generosity especially to orpans, widows, the poor and displaced). "I want to return to Judaism" the tormented looking man told the Rebbe, "I am Mendel Shuv."
Mendel spent a lot of time with the Rebbe. The Rebbe did not toture him per se but in no uncertain terms, made Mendel understand the enormity of his sins. Not only did he inflict great suffering on Hungary’s Jews for a number of years, but the consequences of his deeds were still hurting the Jews. Mendel’s contrition and sorrow knew no bounds and he spent the rest of his lifedavening and doing the most heartfelt of T’shuvas. Near the end of his life he moved to Eretz Yisrael, to Tiberias, where he continued his life of brokenhearted T’shuva and was buried there - a true Ba’al T’shuva.
In one of his conversations with his mentor, the Skulener Rebbe, who had sternly but gently helped him turn his life around, asked him, " R’ Mendel, you did what you did - you slammed the door on Judaism, you became a complete apostate, converted to a religion that has persecuted us for 1500 years and rose in their ranks to a priest and finally a cardinal. But why didn’t you go all the way - why did you never change your name from Mendel Shuv ?" I’ll tell you Rebbe, he said with tears running down his cheeks, " I kept the name ’Shuv’ because I always knew deep in my heart that I would return( ’shuv’ in Hebrew means to return )."
This is what we see from this story in the parsha. It may look like someone has sunk to the lowest depths, working for pagans, even becoming almost the pagan high priest, but we are still commanded to try and bring them back, to lend a hand and redeem them. Even more important and poignant for us is the other side of the coin. If the terrible ’cardinal Shuv’ always had this deep inner knowledge that he could never close the door completely on Yiddishkeit, that he was not ’lost’, certainly we, regarding anything that we do which is not good, should never consider ourselves ’lost’. We should never think that we cannot change ( e.g. I’ll never be able to conquer my desire to speak loshon hora or I’ll never be a learner ). The Jewish neshama within us is very powerful and is always ready to return to its source - Hashem.
I hope this was a good story and important message of love and hope as we approach our annual acceptance of the Torah. Have a wonderful Shabbos everyone. I love you all, ’d’
In this week’s Parsha we find the great Mitzvah of “VeLo Sonu Ish Es Amiso” (Vayikra 25:17)...each of you shall not aggrieve his fellow. Chazal (Bava Metzia 58B) teach that this Pasuk refers specifically to causing pain with words--Ono’as Devorim. The Mishna and Gemara (ibid.) elaborate on the prohibition against Ono’as Devorim and further details are brought LeHalacha in Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, Chapter 428, which is dedicated to this topic.
The Power of Words, a sefer by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, Shlita is dedicated to improvement--and mastery--of this crucial Mitzvas Bain Odom LeChaveiro, which so much impacts on our Bain Odom LeMakom, as well. Indeed, the Pasuk cited above actually continues “VeYoraisa MaiElokecha--and you shall fear Hashem”--for in properly fulfilling this Mitzvah, one demonstrates that he fears Hashem Who sees, knows, and understands our thoughts and actions. Accordingly, we provide below many salient points gleaned from this wonderful sefer, which are indeed “suitable for framing”--and which certainly should be reviewed from time to time--and especially when you well know that you are about to have a challenging encounter. We present the points by number, for ease of reference.
1. The Chazon Ish wrote, “Even if what you say will cause someone pain or discomfort for only a brief moment, it is a violation of this Torah commandment.” 2. Be aware of what the consequences of what your words will be. Any time your words will cause someone pain it constitutes Ono’as Devorim. 3. Some people can suffer again and again for years because of insulting remarks people have made to them. 4. One of the easiest ways to make enemies is to insult people. 5. Someone who studies Torah has a greater obligation than others to avoid all forms of Ono’as Devorim. Failure to do so will cause others to learn from his negative example, and could even cause people to have negative feelings about Torah study in general. 6. Any statement that disparages the appearance of another person is considered Ono’as Devorim. 7. It is forbidden to say or do things to scare other people. 8. The laws of Ono’as Devorim are based in the subjective response of the person you are talking to. Even if many other people don’t mind a certain statement, if the person you say it to will be distressed, upset, angry or offended, it is forbidden. 9. Don’t disparage the Torah thoughts of others. If you want to disagree, do so in a polite manner. 10. Don’t insult someone for being different from you in personality, thought, background, habits, etc. 11. It is Ono’as Devorim to say things to a person which would imply that he is not normal. 12. Needlessly saying things to cause someone worry is Ono’as Devorim. 13. When you have conflicting interests with someone, master the art of finding peaceful solutions. Find the basic needs of both parties and try to find ways that the needs of both parties can be met. 14. Statements made in a sarcastic tone of voice constitute Ono’as Devorim, even though the words themselves might sound Kosher. 15. Asking people personal questions about matters they would prefer not to discuss causes them discomfort and is Ono’as Devorim. 16. It is counterproductive to say to someone, “If I told you once, I told you a thousand times...” 17. Avoid saying, “You don’t understand,” when you are discussing ideas with others. 18. If you see that a person is very tired or in an especially irritable mood, be very careful with what you say to him. 19. People who are very perceptive and notice all kinds of details about personality and character of others must be careful to use this gift as a tool to help--not to hurt--others. 20. It is easy for married couples to cause each other much emotional pain by insulting one another. Even if two people disagree or are disappointed with each other, they should still speak to each other with respect. 21. Anger does not give you permission to violate the prohibition against Ono’as Devorim. 22. Humor at someone else’s expense is Ono’as Devorim. 23. Accepting other people and their differences is one of the keys to observing this Mitzvah. 24. When you have internalized the awareness that people are created BeTzelem Elokim--in the image of Hashem--you will experience great respect for each person you encounter. 25. When you communicate with others, be aware of your goal. Most insults and derogatory comments are counterproductive and will not help you achieve your goal. 26. The more difficult it is to refrain from insulting someone, the greater the reward. 27. Whenever you refrain from saying anything that would be Ono’as Devorim, feel the joy of fulfilling a Mitzvah. 28. You are what you say. By transgressing the laws of Ono’as Devorim you are lowering your own spiritual level. 29. Any time that someone hurts your feelings in some way, view it as a learning experience to teach yourself to be more sensitive to causing others distress with words. 30. Imagine standing before Hashem after 120 years and being confronted with all of your Ono’as Devorim statements. 31. “It’s your fault for taking offense.” If someone will feel pain because of what you say, you have an obligation to avoid saying it and you cannot blame the other person for feeling hurt. 32. “I hope that this doesn’t offend you, but...” Starting off with this statement does not render your Ono’as Devorim permissible. 33. When you want to influence someone to do something, always try to motivate him with an approach that will be based on his needs, wants, and personality. 34. There are many statements that if said with a smile will not cause a person distress--even though they might if a person were to say the words with a serious expression on his face. 35. There are always ways of disagreeing with someone that show a basic respect for him even though you disagree with what he said. 36. The laws of Ono’as Devorim apply even to parents when they speak to their children. 37. The laws of Ono’as Devorim apply even to small children. Insulting a young child or frightening him as a joke is forbidden. 38. If someone is angry, it is an act of kindness to calm him down. Be careful not to say things that would be Ono’as Devorim to someone who is presently angry. 39. When you speak to a stranger, you might not be aware of his particular sensitivities and therefore might cause him pain unintentionally. Note the facial reactions of the people you speak to. 40. When you see someone insulting another person, have the courage to say something to stop him. 41. Be willing to make a public commitment to your family and friends that you will be careful with Ono’as Devorim. 42. Statements that can easily be Ono’as Devorim: “I heard Lashon Hora bout you” “Everybody knows” “Do you remember me?” “Why aren’t you married yet?” “You don’t care” “You don’t understand” “You should have asked me” “Talk it into yourself” “Keep your mouth...” “Get lost” “I don’t care” “So what?!” “I see that you are nervous” “I never do that...”
------------ As we all know, the Parsha is reminding us of this Mitzvah this particular week, at this particular point, and even at this particular juncture in our lives [this is what Hashgacha all about], because it is something for each and every one of us to work on in his own particular way. Let us each meet the challenge--and fulfill this great Mitzvah in a way that brings us a wonderful Nachas Ruach--which will bring along with it Nachas Ruach to others...and, in a magnificent way, to our Creator as well!
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In the first of this week’s two Parshios, Behar, we find one of the paradigm mitzvos given to us by Hashem in order to affirm and strengthen our Bitachon—trust--the mitzvah of Shmitta. We are incredibly commanded to let the source of our Parnassah lay fallow and open to all, and are, in turn, promised that we will be (according to the laws of nature, miraculously) sustained and actually will prosper until new crops begin to grow again in the eighth year (Vayikra 25:21). It is important, very important, for us to realize, however, that the mitzvah of Bitachon is not related only to the Sabbatical Year--or even to the strict requirement that we not work one day a week on Shabbos Kodesh. Rather, our Bitachon is built-up of even smaller building blocks, tangible to all on a very recurring basis.
Every day, we begin our morning prayers with the following words: “Elokai Neshama Shenasata Bi...--My Hashem, the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it, You fashioned it, You breathed it into me, You safeguard it within me, and eventually You will take it from me, and restore it to me in Time to Come. As long as the soul is within me, I gratefully thank You Hashem, my Hashem and the Hashem of my forefathers, Master of all works....” (Translated from The Complete Artscroll Siddur).
The thought conveyed by “Elokai Neshama” is an essential component of our Bitachon. It is Hashem, and not us, who owns--and is in charge of--our most, most, precious possession--our very life. Every breathing moment, every thought process, every act of communication, every Mitzvah that we perform, every step that we take, is a direct, absolute and tangible outright gift--a full and free grant from Hashem.
Is this too frightening, daunting, or even too intrusive for us to bear? Absolutely not! Quite to the contrary, writes the Chovos HaLevavos (at the beginning of the Sha’ar HaBitachon): “This brings Menuchas HaNefesh”--tranquility and peace of mind--to us, for we know and appreciate that there is no such thing as chance, no coincidence, no accidents of any kind, ever or at all. There is, succinctly stated, nothing that happens--whether perceived by us as good or as bad--without Hashem’s express direction. This, in turn, should eliminate all worry, for everything that Hashem does is out of infinite and unabated love--and for our utter, absolute, and complete benefit, as we recite in the Birchas HaMazon--She’bechal Yom V’yom Hu Haitiv, Hu Maitiv--every single day He did good, He does good, and He will do good to us....
Imagine that you had the best specialist in the world taking care of your situation--legal, medical, financial or otherwise. When the other side won a legal argument, when the medication did not work as expected, or when the stock market went down a bit, there would be a pause for concern, perhaps some rethinking and some jitters. Not so with Hashem, who is perfect, faultless and our eternal and omniscient Father. This peace of mind should stay with us in all circumstances.
With this awareness, HaRav Chaim Friedlander, Z’tl, (Sifsei Chaim, Middos V’Avodas Hashem volume I, page 587) writes that we can better understand the words of the Shelah HaKadosh (on the topic “Emes V’Emuna”). The Shelah teaches that prior to undertaking any act or item of accomplishment such as buying, selling, meeting with someone, etc. one should say “Ani Botayach BaShem--I believe in Hashem,” recognizing that the act and its outcome is totally in Hashem’s hands, and then relate it to the specific action or event in front of you. This recognition, appreciation, and actual statement, will have the added benefit of forging a greater bond between your infinite Father and you as his son, and will help to eliminate some of the worst human character traits possible--anger at people for what they have done or not done for you; jealousy of others who were successful in doing the same thing when you were not; and haughtiness and pride over your personal ingenuity and craftiness.
Rebbe Yisroel Salanter, Z’tl, in letters to his son on Bitachon (Ohr Yisroel, Letters 24-25), additionally advises him to draw upon the words of our Tefilos, and the words of Tehillim, to inspire and develop a full faith and trust that our very being--and our every being--is in Hashem’s great Hands. For example, we recite in Pesukei D’Zimra, “Ashrei SheKel Yaakov B’Ezro”--Praiseworthy is one whose hope is in Hashem--He is the Maker of Heaven and Earth, the sea and all that is in them, He safeguards truth forever.... In fact, once you take note, you will find that Pesukim relating to Bitachon abound--“Kavei El Hashem...” (Tehillim 27:14); “Einai Tomid El Hashem...” (Tehillim 25:15)....
Bitachon is such a crucial aspect of our existence. We must take the time out to recite Elokai Neshama with Kavannah every morning, to be fluent with a few Pesukim (from our davening or otherwise) relating to Bitachon which should calm us and put the actions and events of our life in Torah perspective, and follow the advice of the Shelah HaKadosh--start by saying the words “Ani Boteach Ba’Shem” in the everyday and the not-so everyday circumstances and occurrences that we face or that come our way--no--that Hashem brings our way!!
We provide pesukim you can focus on to improve your Bitachon by the following link -- http://tinyurl.com/58jueq Please take the time to especially attach yourself to one or more of these pesukim.
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I hope this finds you all well in all ways. We so look forward to these grand summer plans to materialize. Let's all work together to make it happen and B'EZ"H it will.
In this week's parsha we are commanded regarding the mitzva of counting of the Omer. One of the important lessons we can take out of this mitzva is its requirement for "temimos" - completeness or consistency, for example if you miss one day then you can no longer count the rest of the time with a bracha. I am not going to speak about the concept of perfection here. Briefly though, the Mishna in Kiddushin mysteriously states that he who does one Mitzva, automatically is eligible for olam haba. The Talmud Yerushalmi explains this to mean that whoever takes one Mitzva and keeps it to perfection all of his life, will be greatly rewarded… The Yerushalmi then makes a suggestion for which Mitzva would be a good choice to work on perfecting - Kibud Av v'Eim (honoring and/or fearing father and mother). In honor of Mother's Day (which lends itself to an infusion of spirituality) and of the many mothers who are reading this, I would like to tell two poignant stories that will hopefully enhance our understanding of the mitzva and will encourage and help all of us raise our children to perfect it. I also want to point out that I have personally witnessed this Mitzva being meticulously kept even after the passing of the parent - watching the total dedication of my good friend to never miss a kaddish…no fanfare, just a determined commitment to do a perfect job in raising his mother's neshama through the praising of Hashem in her memory.
First, a true story about the Or Hachaim Hakadosh - R' Chaim ben Attar (1696 - 1743) ZT"L. R' Chaim was once on an ocean voyage. A terrible storm rose up and the ship capsized. Miraculously he survived by holding on to a plank of wood from the smashed boat. He washed up 3 days later on a lifeless beach. Parched from extreme thirst and starving, he profusely thanked Hashem and forced himself to get up and go inland to try and find help. By nightfall he found himself in a thick forest. Still spotting no people, he knew there were plenty of dangerous animals. He climbed up a tall tree and 'slept' there - frozen, hungry and terrified. As the sun came up he noticed some smoke in the distance. Carefully getting down from the tree, he wandered not too far before he noticed the cabin. He approached, knocked - no answer. The door was unlocked. He went in and called out - no one was home but there was food on the table. Assuming it abandoned, he ate some food and went to lay down on the bed in the corner - he fell asleep. Towards evening, the occupants returned home - a gang of robber/murderers returning from their daily plundering. ( I'm sure you are all thinking Goldilocks ). The men were not amused with this uninvited guest and immediately wanted to kill him. Their leader however, stopped them," let's eat and hear the guy out and then decide on his fate", he reasoned. R' Chaim told them the whole story from the shipwreck on, but the motley crew had blood on their minds - they sentenced him to death. Again the leader postponed the murder, "I want to speak with this man privately first," he demanded. He took R' Chaim outside, looked him in the eye and said,"Rebbe, do you recognize me?" R' Chaim, taken aback, took a closer look but could not remember this person. " I am your student from many years ago. My name is Ploni but the rav probably doesn't recognize me with a full beard." Now recalling the boy, he smiled but then asked seriously " what happenned to you my son that you have sunk to such lows?" Shamefaced he explained, " it all started when I was having huge fights with my parents. One day, in a burst of anger at them, I did a terrible sin and severed all my ties with them. I wandered around, got involved with bad people and eventually became the leader of this group of very bad men - my hands are overflowing with innocent blood. But upon seeing you today Rebbe, in this out of the way place, and upon hearing the extraordinary events which led you here, I am feeling emotional for the first time in years and my heart is smitten. I know I have done terrible things and have led a despicable life - can you show me the way to teshuvah - I will do anything you tell me but you must promise me that when I complete my task, I will be forgiven for all and will be allowed into Olam Haba. R' Chaim, the great talmudist and kabbalist answered with stern compassion, " Your teshuva is indeed going to be extremely difficult but I guarantee that if you follow it you will achieve atonement. First of all run away from this horrible gang and all other negative associates, immediately. Constantly do teshuva with all your heart and dedicate you entire life to Torah and Mitzvos. Observe all the laws meticulously, Shabbos, Yom Tov, etc. and do as many good and charitable deeds as possible. After you are a good solid Jew, go to a cave where snakes lay their eggs. Take an egg that is hatching, and take the baby snake and put it in a cylinder of steel and plug it up. Wear the cylinder around your neck and every morning and evening, you will feed your snake. When you have done this for seven years, unplug the cylinder and let the snake slide out." "But if I let it out he will bite and kill me!" protested Ploni. "That is true, agreed R' Chaim, "but that will be your ultimate atonement. Your entire slide into the abyss of moral depravity stemmed from your treatment of your parents. They raised you with love and endless devotion. They norished your soul as well as feeding and clothing you to the best of their abilities and yet you turned on them. Your snake which you fed and cared for for those seven years will also turn on you - that will be your just dessert - then you will have done a complete teshuva." Ploni, understanding the divine intervention of this whole episode, agreed to this teshuva program of his Rebbe. He led R' Chaim out of the forest to safety, kissed his hand and escaped to a far off place where he returned to the religion of his parents. He raised a snake in his breast for seven years and as instructed, freed it and watched it as it slithered out and opened its mouth…
Not long after that, Ploni came to R' Chaim in a dream and told him that he could rest assured that he had completed hhis task and was indeed at peace in Olam Haba.
One more short one
- R' Yeshua Basis, the rabbi of Tunis, every Friday night after shul, would stop by his mother's house to kiss her hand and receive a bracha from her (apparently this is a minhag traced to the Arizal). One wintry Friday night, heavy winds howled through Tunis as it rained torrentially. Trying to shield himself from the onslaught of this weather, he hurried as fast as he could to her home. When he got there, all was quiet - normally he would be hearing the clanging of dishes as the table was being set. He decided that his mother must have been tired and nodded off to sleep. Possibly, he reasoned, even the opening of the door might awaken her from what must be a much needed nap. He waited outside in the drenching rain for about an hour until he heard the pitter patter of his mother setting the table. Only then he came in with the utmost respect, completely soaked, and kissed her hand…
The seriousness and the beauty of the great Mitzva of Kibud Av va'Eim
You are wonderful children and I love you all 'd'
p.s. Well deserved Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers - May this letter serve to remind us all that truly everyday is Mother's day.
In this week’s Parsha, we find that a Pasuk relating to Tzedaka is suddenly placed among the Pesukim describing our Holidays, our Moadim, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not remove completely the corners of your field; as you reap and you shall not gather the gleanings of your harvest, for the poor and the proselyte shall you leave them, I am Hashem...” (Vayikra 23:22). Chazal cited by Rashi (ibid.) teach that this Pasuk juxtaposed among the Pesukim describing the Moadim, teaches us that anyone who gives proper charity is considered as if the Bais HaMikdash was built in his time, and he offered Karbanos there, as so much of the Moadim relate to the Bais HaMikdash, our coming there, and offering of sacrifices.
Shavuos is now only three weeks away. Since it is one of the Shalosh Regalim, it is a time that we travel to the Bais HaMikdash. It would appear that it is an extremely auspicious time for us to demonstrate how we desire to have the Bais HaMikdash back and bring karbanos as soon as possible. A superb way to demonstrate that desire is by taking the time now to give something extra, a special gift, now to Tzedaka in order to fulfill the words of our Chazal--and bring Karbanos in the Bais HaMikdash that you have built for yourself--while waiting!
“You shall guard (ushmartem) the Mitzvos and do them…” (Vayikra
22:31) What is meant by guarding the Mitzvos that isn’t included in doing
them?
The Chasam Sofer explains the word guard (ushmartem) to mean
anticipate. We find the same word by Yaakov. After Yosef told Yaakov about his
dreams, the Torah says Yaakov “shamar es hadavar.” He anticipated
seeing the dreams come true.
We are instructed in this verse in Parshas Emor not only to fulfill the
Mitzvos, but to anticipate them. We should long to have the opportunity to
fulfill as many Mitzvos as possible.
A story is told that the Chasam Sofer was on a journey with his Rebbe Rav
Nasan Adler. One of the horses pulling the carriage became ill and the driver
went to find another horse. Suddenly Rav Adler jumped out of the carriage and
started dancing from joy in the snow. To the puzzled Chasam Sofer Rav Adler
pointed to the carriage driver from afar. He was bringing an ox to help pull the
carriage along with the sick horse. That meant Rav Adler had the rare
opportunity to fulfill the Mitzvah not to ride in a carriage pulled by different
animals (kilyaim), Rav Adler was an individual who anticipated and longed
to fulfill all the Mitzvos.
The Maharsha in Gemora Makkos writes that the Almighty sends angels to take
us along the path we desire to follow. If we desire to do the Mitzvos certainly
the Almighty will send angels to bring us the opportunities.
Thank you again Rabbi Beryl Glaser.
So we are packing up for the Chatan's Ufraf in Yerushalayim. Yeshiva
Nisivos Aaron in the Beit Yisroel area will be host to the Ponak expanded clan.
Arriving from Ashdod and Bnie Brak, Haifa and of course Metzad. And its almost
Lag Be'Omer, and I can smell the music in the air. This week its the wedding and
next Shabbas is sheva bruchas by me.
Important Numbers
