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Parshas Ha’azinu (Shabbos Shuva) & Yom Kippur-פרשת האזינו-שבת שובה ויום כיפור

September 25, 2009 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah, Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  1 Comment

The gemarah in Rosh Hashana (Daf 17, Amud bais) states that there are three sefarim open on Rosh Hashana. One is the book of Tzadikim, who are judged right away for life. The second is the book of the Rasha, who is judged for death right away.  The third is the book of the beinoni, or the ‘in between person’, who is hovering between the book of life and the book of death. The Rambam, when quoting this gemarah, interprets this to mean that if the beinoni does teshuva then he’s written in the book of life and if not then he’s condemned to the book of death. Many acharonim (such as the Pnei Yeshua) question this Rambam. Why does the beinoni have to do teshuva? If his mitzvos and aveiros are equal let him do another mitzvah so he can tip the scale to the good side! The beinoni does not need to do teshuva; he needs to do mitzvos!

The answer, if truly internalized, can forever change our attitude toward teshuva.

There’s a gemarah in Yoma that brings down a story about Rav and a butcher. Rav was wronged by the butcher and the butcher was obligated to ask him mechila.  Erev Yom Kippur came but the butcher had still not come to ask mechila. So Rav went to the butcher shop to make himself available. The butcher did not react with contriteness, however, and angrily asked Rav what he was doing there.  As the butcher was lashing out at Rav, a bone flew off the butcher’s knife, and hit his neck, causing his immediate death.  This strange story prompts the question: why did Rav decide to go facilitate mechilah, instead of waiting for the butcher to come out of his own accord?

Rav Itzel M’pettiberger says that Rav got this middah from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Just as Hashem makes Himself available to us in these ten days of aseres yimei teshuva and he comes down to us to make Himself available for teshuva, so too Rav wanted to emulate this middah.  Because the butcher didn’t seize the moment and ask mechila he got a a terrible punishment.  When Hashem comes down to us Himself to be close to us, and we don’t do teshuva, we have much greater responsibility for not doing teshuvah. Like the butcher, we have no excuse, because Hashem comes personally to us.

Says Rav Itzel that’s the reason why a mitzvah doesn’t help a beinoni be inscribed into the book of life. The pasuk says ‘Dirshu Hashem  b’himatzoy kirahoo b’yoso karov’. The gemarah darshens on this that these are the ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipppur. During these days there’s a special revelation of Hashem and he extends his arms to us in this special time of aseres yemei teshuva. These days are days of opportunity. They’re days when Hashem is making Himself available for us to talk to him personally. If this is so and one does NOT do teshuva-that itself is such a big aveira that no other mitzvah can possibly outweigh it! Hashem is coming down to us and going out of his way to make it easier for us to do teshuva during these ten days and we don’t do teshuva?….there’s no bigger bizayon than that!

This Shabbos isShabbos Shuva. The Shabbos of the Aseres Ymei Teshuva is the pinnacle of the closeness we have with Hashem in this time, and is the height of the opportunity we have for teshuva. We need to seize this opportunity to make the most of our din and be judged as the tzadik we have inside of us.

גמר חתימה טובה

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Rosh Hashana 5770-ראש השנה תש”ע

September 17, 2009 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  2 Comments

The Tur in Hilchos Rosh Hashana quotes a Medrash that states: ‘how great is the nation of Israel….which other nation is like our nation? All other nations of the world dress in black, remain unshaven and let their nails grow when judgement day arrives. They’re in fear since they don’t know what the outcome of the judgment will be. However, when klal Yisroel has a day of judgment we shower, shave, cut our nails,and  dress in white; we eat, drink and are besimcha. Why? Because we are confident that Hashem will make a nes for us’.

The Malbim notes that the mikor for this medrash is a pasuk in Nechemia. In the times of Nechemia when klal Yisroel read from the Torah on Rosh Hashana they would start to cry. Nechemia said to them: ‘today is holy for Hashem your g-d. Do not cry and do not be sad. Go and eat fatty foods, drink something sweet and give food to those who are less fortunate because today is a holy day for your G-d. Don’t be sad because the love of Hashem is your strength’.

The Malbim explains the above, commenting that klal Yisrael were crying out of aimas hadin, fear of being judged, since they understood one essence of din, and they wanted to fast. Because of that Nechemia said to them ‘go eat’ and ‘don’t be sad’ (which was the opposite of what they wanted to do [fast and cry]). The Malbim then quotes the medrash that says klal Yisroel made the yom hadin into a yom tov and they had trust in Hashem that they would be zoche to a good din. Obviously, Nechemia is elucidating another essence of Rosh Hashana and din, which we don’t yet understand.

Related to this, Rav Chaim Kamil, Zt”l asks a logical question. The pasuk in Amus says ‘im yituka shofar b’air v’haam lo yecherudu’. We see from here that when it comes to yom hadin there is a need for ‘aimas hadin’, fear of judgment. If this is so how can the medrash say that klal Yisroel should be joyous and confident in a good judgment on yom hadin?

The teretz he gives is something we should take with us into this Rosh Hashana, to clarify another dimension of din, which Nechemia also tried to teach us.

The main concept of Rosh Hashana is the coronation of Hashem as the melech and to be mekabel ol malchus shomayim.  We are crowning Hashem as the king of everything and proclaiming his oneness and omnipotence.  For this reason we don’t mention the word ‘chait’ on yom tov in our tefillos-because it’s not the avodas hayom. The avodas hayom is to crown Hashem our king.

But what is this concept of being mamlech Hashem? How does one do that?  The idea here is as follows: to be mamlech hashem is to designate Hashem as your god; amongst you and the entire world. Meaning, there is NOTHING that can and would happen to me unless Hashem wants it to. And that means NOTHING. This is the entire concept of Rosh Hashana: to have full bitachon that nothing can happen to us unless Hashem wants it to happen. And this zchus, of being mekabol ol malchus shomayim fully and happily, enables us to have bitachon and confidence that Hashem will switch our judgment from bad to good. Like the Nefesh haChaim says ‘when a person sets his heart that there is no one else but Hashem and that no one else has the strength to perform anything, ONLY Hashem who is the master of all strength, then Hashem helps him and is mevatel any other person’s koach and no one can harm him or do anything bad to him.’

There’s a famous story which, although many of you may have heard it, is worth repeating. When the Brisker Rav escaped the hands of the Nazi’s, y”m, he had to cross over a border.  The guards there were checking everyone carefully for their identification and papers. The Brisker Rav didn’t have any of his papers and he wasn’t sure what his fate would be. With no other option,  the Rav decided to walk straight through the regular line ,all the while saying and thinking and really believing ‘ain od milvado’. There’s nothing any Nazi can do to me because Hashem is the only power in the world and if he doesn’t want anyone to harm me then I won’t get harmed.  And that’s exactly what happened. The Rav walked right through the border without anyone stopping him or asking him any questions. Why? Because the Rav had real bitachon and believed that only Hashem could harm him and no one else.  He was mekabel ol malchus shomayim to its fullest.

This is the concept of malchus hashem on Rosh Hashana. We engrain in our hearts and minds ‘ain od milvado’- there is no one else but Hashem. It’s through this emunah and bitachon that we can have faith that Hashem will judge us l’tovah and eat and drink like a regular yom tov. Bitachon has the power to change the reality. Therefore, when klal Yisroel is mamlech and meyached Hashem, and remove from our mind any other force and power, Hashem removes all the bad decrees and turns them into good ones.

With this in mind I would like to wish all my readers a K’siva V’chasima Tova and a happy and healthy new year. We should all experience a year of parnasah, gezunt, hatzlacha, happiness and nachas from all of our families and friends and we should all merit seeing the ultimate redemption of Moshiach Tzidkeinu bekarov this year.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה

(Search by: rosh hashana; rav chaim kamil; being mamlech hashem; proclaiming hashem is our king; ain od milvado; avodas hayom of rosh hashana; brisker rav; malbim; amus; nechemia)

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Nitzavim Vayelech-פרשת נצבים וילך

September 11, 2009 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת
And now write for yourselves this shira….

The above pasuk is telling us about the mitzvah of one writing a sefer torah. If this is the case should it have not used the loshon that the Rambam uses (in hilchos sefer torah) of ‘Kisvu lachem torah sheyesh buh shira zu’? Why didn’t the torah specify the loshon of torah but rather use the loshon of shira?

Rav Shach offers a thought relevant to the upcoming Yom Tov:

The torah is coming to teach us that the torah itself is a shira…..a ’shiras chayeinu’. We learned the tochacha in parshas ki savo and in parsha bechukosei and we know the situation that we are in right now in golus. In truth, we find ourselves in a matzav that we’re not able to say shira until Moshiach comes. We don’t have the Kohanim or Levi’im, or the korbanos, etc…However, there is one shira that we do have which we are able to and obligated to not only hear but to sing, be it in any situation or at any given time in which we find ourselves- and that’s the Shiras HaTorah. The torah is our shira and it upholds a person and is mechazek a person on a day to day basis allowing him to be stronger and excel in his everyday life and prevents him from stumbling and from overcoming hard and difficult times.

If one asks how can the torah be mechazek me just from learning it (or singing it)? We remind him of the chazal that says in Mitzrayim, Moshe rabeinu succeeded in allowing Pharoh one day off for bnei Yisroel from working.  Which day did he choose? Shabbos.  So everyone wonders what did bnei Yisroel do on Shabbos? How did they get through Shabbos and then go right back to work? So chazal say that they spent their Shabbos learning some scrolls of torah that they had.  On those scrolls it had stories from Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov and of the bris that Hashem made with Avraham that his children will go down to Mitzrayim and be slaves but they will leave with richush gadol after a certain amount of years. It was THAT bris that was mechazek klal Yisroel and strengthened them and kept them upbeat and strong waiting for the geulas Mitzrayim.

We’re holding now a week before Rosh Hashana. We should all be zoche to a good and positive yom hadin and we should all sing and become familiar with the shiras chayeinu which should ultimately be mechazek us and keep us strong and positive for the final and ultimate geulah of Moshiach Tzidkeinu bimheira viyameinu…..Amen.

(Search by: parsha; nitzavim; vayelech; nitzavim vayelech; chumash; parshas nitzavim vayelech; parshas vayelech: parshas nitzavim; rav shach; shiras hatorah; geulas mitzrayim; shiras chayeinu; saying shira to Hashem)

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Parshas Ki Savo-פרשת כי תבוא

September 4, 2009 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

In this week’s parsha, the Torah discusses the mitzvah of bikkurim, the bringing of the first-ripened fruits to the Beis Hamikdash.  The essence of Mitzvas Bikkurim is hakaras hatov. From the very first moment that the fruit’s blooming is noticed, the owner immediately separates the fruit, puts it in a basket, takes it to the Beis Hamikdash and says a special tefillah. Rashi, v’amarta eilav, says ’she-aincha kafuy tova’ - to show that you are not unappreciative. What do we see from this Rashi? Since one neglected his first opportunity to thank Hashem (even if he was to thank Hashem later on)-he is considered a kafuy tov. We’re expected to show hakaras hatov from the very first moment we see something “tov“. (Not that hashem needs our gratitude, but the gratitude hones our own middos.)

It’s interesting to note that we say in Mizmor Shir Chanukas Habayis—’Hashem elokai sheevata eilecha vatirpaeini’, that Dovid Hamelech is thanking Hashem for healing him on a previous sickness. This pasuk seems a bit misplaced. In this perek, Dovid Hamelech has begun to thank Hashem for receiving the plot of land and laying the foundation for the Beis Hamikdash and he is giving thanks to Hashem for this joyful opportunity. In midst of all this he starts thanking Hashem for healing him on a previous sickness. What’s the connection here? Why is he suddenly mentioning this in the midst of thanking Hashem for laying the foundation of the Beis Hamikdash?

Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, Zt”l, says that when a person receives a chesed from Hashem and then receives a subsequent chesed, say a year later, the only way he was able to receive that second chesed was because he had received the first one. Had it not been for the prior chesed of Hashem - he would have never been able to benefit from it and reach the place where he is standing today. So Dovid Hamelech thought it was very appropriate to thank Hashem for a previous chesed because he now had a newfound appreciation for the old chesed. A person should have the obligation and feel it a necessity to show his hakaras hatov immediately after receiving the chesed and chas vashalom, not to let it fade. One whose hakaras hatov fades is considered a kafui tov.

There’s a popular story with Rav Shach that shows the importance of how one should be maker tov: When Rav Shach was an old man, in his late years, there was an older woman who was nifteres. As soon as he found out ,he insisted on going to the levaya. It was a cold, winter rainy day. His students tried convincing him out of it but he insisted on making the trip. Why? Because when Rav Shach was a young bochur he learned in a place in which he had no relatives, no family and needless to say, no money. He had holes in his socks and in the winter it made him very cold. This particular lady heard about this young masmid with holes in his socks and offered to sew up the holes in his socks, in order, to keep him warm. So Rav Shach felt that altz hakaras hatov - he had to go.

When they arrived at the levaya it was still cold and rainy.  People offered Rav Shach their umbrella to stand under, but he refused.  People offered him to sit inside their car so he can at least rest his feet,  but he refused.  He wanted to stand out there in the cold rain. He stood there for the remainder of the levaya. Afterwards, they asked him what the reason was for his behavior. Why did he refuse everything they offered him, especially at his old age?

Rav Shach explained that he acted in this seemingly odd way in order for to re-live the experience and to remember the feelings of what it was to be cold; to remember how she helped him, and have the proper hakaras hatov.

We see here how important hakaras hatov is. Developing this middah is so crucial that one should relive the situation of need in order to have the true appreciation for the chesed and to be maker tov in the proper fashion.

(Search by: parsha; ki savo; parshas ki savo; chumash; hakaras hatov; bikurim; reb isser zalman; rav shach; not being a kafuy tov; thanking someone right away; not letting your obligation fade)

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