I was glad to hear that you all had nice and happy times on Purim. I'm sure we all learned something from this great holiday of joy, chesed, love for our fellow Jews, bitachon and Kiddush Hashem. Juxtaposed to that is the terrible story in this week's parsha of the Eigel - the golden calf - at least according to some commentaries a sin more about Chillul Hashem than about idol worship. I just want to share with you a little bit about the paramount importance of making and living a life of Kiddush Hashem - bringing honor to Hashem's name through being a good Jew.                                                                               

 The Talmud Yerushalmi tells of Shimon ben Shetach, one of the only great Rabbis not killed in a very dark time of our history. He was very much in demand as a teacher because he was the Godol Hador and because most of the good teachers had been killed. Students flocked to learn from him but he had to turn them down because he had no time - he was also a farmer ( he needed to support his family too ) and was busy planting etc. The students decided to buy him a mule to help him get his work done faster so he would be able to find some time for teaching. They could only afford a "previously enjoyed" second hand mule which they bought for him. As they were preparing it for him, the mule excreted some waste but with it came out a huge gem. They ran to their rebbe and excitedly declared, " rebbe,you are rich - now you can afford to completely give up the farming and devote all  your time to learning and teaching Torah"! He replied, "do you think that Shimon ben Shetach is so anxious to be rich? Give it back to the Arab from whom you bought the mule." They protested that the halacha states that in this case they were not required to give it back (I'll explain the technicalities if you want to know). He answered them that that was true, but this was an opportunity to make a Kiddush Hashem. They returned the gem to the Arab and told him why. The Arab's response - blessed be the G-D of Shimon ben Shetach. Even in the face of the chance to legally keep the gem and accomplish so much learning and teaching of Torah for the rest of his life, he taught us that it is greater to bring honor to Hashem in front of one arab one time.                             

 

  R' Shmuel bar Susretai was in Rome. The princess lost one of her most precious jewels. An announcement was made throughout the city that whoever finds the jewel and returns it within 30 days would be richly rewarded but after 30 days searches would be conducted in every nook and cranny of the city and if the jewel would be found in anyone's possession, they would be put to death - even if they would willingly give it up. R' Shmuel found it after 2 weeks but did not return it. After the 30 days were over he took the Jewel and presented himself at the palace. The guards wisked him into the princess's quarters to give her the jewel and see if he should be executed. She asked R' Shmuel when he found it. He answered that he found it 2 weeks ago. "So why did you not bring it in right away," she asked. I did it this way because I didn't want you to think that a Jew only returns something for a reward and also I didn't want you to think that a Jew would only return it to save his life - I am returning it now when there is no reward and according to the announcement, I am risking my life to do so .The princess's response - blessed be the G-D of Shmuel bar Susretai. Kiddush Hashem is so important that it is worth even risking one's life for.                                            

 

These are of course extraordinary examples of great men and hopefully we are not going to be required to face such challenges, but let us all be reminded that Kiddush Hashem is just as potent and important within our small circles of friends and families and even (perhaps most of all) in complete privacy. One example - when you sit down to eat and you was, make a bracha of ' al netilas yadayim ', make a bracha ' hamotzi ', and after finishing, you bench, you haven't simply fulfilled some mitzvos of making brachos. You have done all those things because you (even ) subconciously say to yourself " this is what a Jew does because Hashem wants us to." You have declared, without anyone watching, that you are aquiecing to Hashem's wishes and that at least in this instance you have shown that H-S wishes are important - you have brought honor and glory to Hashem.                    

 

How "lucky" we are that we have so many simple ways of doing so many great things. Let's all be aware of the things we do and what they mean and BEZ"H they will spur us on to ever greater heights.                                                    Have a wonderful Shabbos. I love you all. 'd'