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Parshas Ki Savo-פרשת כי תבוא

August 26, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

When Moshe was ready to give the brochos and the klalos, the Torah says that he divided the shevatim between two mountains. Six shevatim stood on Har Grizim, where the brochos were given while the others stood on Har Aival, where the klalos were given. The Mishna in Sota states that there was actually a whole sequence. Some shevatim went up on one mountain, others went to the second mountain while the Levi’im stood in middle. They turned towards Har Grizim each time a bracha was mentioned and to Har Aival when a klala was declared.

While it is important for every person to know that when they perform a mitzvah it brings bracha and when one, chas v’shalom, commits an aveira it brings klalos; but what was the reason for the out of the ordinary way to present these two important ideas? What would be wrong with gathering klal Yisroel in the one big area and giving over these commandments?  There has to be some significance in the fact that this was not only presented in such a fashion but also by the feet of these two mountains? What noteworthy role did these mountains play?

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, Zt”l, answers with an important lesson for us all to take to heart.

These two mountains, Har Grizim and Har Aival, were side by side, in Shevet Ephraim’s portion of Eretz Yisroel. Har Grizim was located on the south side, next to Shechem. It had stunning landscaping, beautifully grown grass and many types of foods grew on it; it was full and prosperous with an abundance of flora. On the other hand, Har Aival was located adjacent to that, towards the northern side of Ephraim’s portion. It was empty and barren. Nothing grew on this mountain and it seemed to be void of any plant life. These two mountains, which stood side by side, presented the most striking visualization of beracha and klala. They are both being nourished by the same soil, the same water and the same wind. Yet, Har Aival was barren of all shrubbery while Har Grizim was full of lush vegetation, all the way up the mountain. We see that beracha and klala are not dependent on external appearances; they lie within a person’s heart. Brocha and Klala lie within a person’s craving and interest in the Ribono Shel Olam.

Says Rav Hirsch, the Torah wants to take us to a place where we can see tremendous brocha and klala; to teach us an eternal lesson. We shouldn’t think that brocha and klala are based upon our production. The Torah considers a person blessed by the simple fact that he has the strongest desire and will to do the right thing. As humans, we all fall and stumble. We may not be the person we had intended to be (or can be), but if we have the motivation, the will, and the desire, we will persevere and are considered blessed.

Rabbeinu Yona brings down a parable to this. There were two individuals who were arrested for forging money. They were both brought to trial and were convicted. One man gets a ten year sentence while the other gets a twenty year sentence, for the exact same conviction. The person who was hit with the twenty year sentence responds, ‘Why did I get twenty years, if we both committed the same crime and all he got was ten years?’ The judge answered him ‘because the counterfeiting machine that committed the crime was found in your basement.’

If a person has the will (the machine) and the attitude of wanting to do, then it works in his favor (for good or for bad). If a person has no feelings or thoughts to do well, then he is not blessed. A person must remember that what appears to be a blessing externally isn’t so; it is what’s inside that counts and what makes each of us considered blessed.

As we get closer and closer to the Yom Hadin we should all be zoche to have the right motives and the desire to yearn to do what’s right ; by doing so that should allow us to be considered blessed by Hashem and help our accounts lean more towards the mitzvos side when we are getting judged on Rosh Hashana.

(Search by: parsha; chumash; ki savo; parshas ki savo; rav Samson Raphael Hirsch; rabbeinu yona; har grizim; har aival; external blessing; yom hadin; rosh hashna; forging money; beracha is not based upon external looks; being blessed; having desires; strong motives makes you blessed)

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Parshas Ki Seitzei-פרשת כי תצא

August 19, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

One of the many do’s and don’ts that are discussed in this weeks parsha is the issur of allowing an Amonite and Moabite to join our holy nation. The pasuk says ‘lo yavo Amoni u’Moavi b’khal Hashem…’ even after ten generations. The question is why not? Continues the pasuk that they didn’t extend their hands and welcome us into their land when we were leaving Egypt and secondly, the fact that they hired Bilam, the rasha, to curse us.

The Ramban seems to note that the Torah’s perspective of hakaras hatov is so great that if a nation lacks the understanding to be maker tov and not reciprocate the kindness that they received, years earlier from their forefather Lot, the Torah does not allow them to ever join up with klal Yisroel. Why not? Because hakaras hatov is one of the traits of a person who is a shomer Torah and mitzvos and someone who recognizes the constant kindness they receive.

There’s a story brought down about Rav Shach Zt”l. When Rav Shach was in his mid 90’s he was very weak. He was so weak that he even cancelled an important chinuch atzmei meeting and didn’t attend it. He asked the members of his house not to let anyone in so he could rest a little in order to allow him to regain some of his strength. As soon as he lay down he was notified that Rav Simcha Kook’s mother was niftar and the family was sitting shiva. He immediately decided right then and there that he needs to go and be menachem avel the family. He was asked why he was troubling himself at such a weak stage in his life. He answered that when he was a bachur in yeshiva there was a person who was a bit disturbed and he would hang out all day at the home of the Brisker Rav. The Brisker Rav tended to his needs and took care of him. One day, Rebbetzin Kook came over to the Rav and said ‘let me take care of him for a while’, seeing it was occupying the Rav’s time to which the Rav acquiesced. Rav Shach ended off that being that she took this ‘burden’ off the Rav’s plate, it freed up the precious time of the Rav Thru this, Rav Shach was able to enjoy time with and benefit tremendously from the Rav. Rav Shach felt that due to the hakaras hatov that he owed her he had to go immediately to be menachem avel her family.

We see from this story a tremendous lesson. Hakaras hatov is not a chiyuv; but the Torah expects a person to have hakaras hatov when we benefit from something or someone else. The Torah goes so far as to say that someone who isn’t maker tov and ignores their past encounters with chessed not only can’t they ever become part of an illustrious nation but they also don’t belong here either. Bein adam l’chaveiro is one of the hardest things to perfect. Now that Elul is upon us, we can all at least try to start by recognizing the goodness in our everyday activities and hopefully that will lead us to recognize the ultimate chessed and kindness Hashem will show us when he returns us to Yerushalaim bimheira v’yameinu Amen.

(Search by: parsha; chumash; parshas ki seitzei; ki seitzey; torah; rav shach; ramban; hakaras hatov; rebbetzin kook; ammonite; Moabite; not allowing amoni to marry yid; Lot; traveling out of Egypt)

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Parshas Shoftim-פרשת שופטים

August 11, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

תכין לך הדרך ושלשת את גבול ארצך…והי-ה לנוס שמה כל רצח (יט, ג)

You should prepare a way and divide your surroundings into three portions…and it should be for a person who kills accidentally to run there.

The above pasuk is talking about someone who accidentally kills another person; he should have a safe place to run, to where the relatives of the deceased can’t avenge the death of their family member.  The pasuk elaborates on the subject and makes a point to say that the roads should have signs to tell one exactly where to go if needed.

There’s a story brought down from the Chofetz Chaim:

There were once two people that came to the city of Radin, where the Chofetz Chaim lived, to collect money. One person came to collect for mosdos hatorah and for chesed organizations and the second man came to collect for secular organizations. The latter went around and after two or three days left the town with bundles of money. In the meantime, the first meshulach was having a very difficult time collecting and found himself there a little longer than he had originally intended. He was getting anxious and nervous and decided to go to talk with the Chofetz Chaim.

He approached the Chofetz Chaim and told him what was bothering him. The Chofetz Chaim told him the following…..in this weeks parsha it says by the arei miklat that there should be signs that say exactly where they are located and it should be simple for one to get there.  But when klal Yisroel is being oleh regel, there weren’t any signs with directions to the Beis Hamikdash.  Why not? Why by the arei miklat was there exact instructions/directions and none at all to show klal Yisroel how to get to the Beis Hamikdash?

The Chofetz Chaim answered as follows - an arei miklat was the intended destination of a murderer. The Torah didn’t want a murderer conversing with people. Hashem didn’t want him talking to people. Not for a drink, not for a ride, not even for directions!  He should have absolutely no need to talk to anyone. We make it so simple that he doesn’t have to ask anyone were to go, what to do or even utter a word.  On the other hand by oleh regel, it’s the exact opposite.  We want him to converse and to ask people directions and to meet people and to make a ‘roshem‘, an impression, on others to also go to the Beis Hamikdash. We want people to say…”Oh…where are you going…to the Beis Hamikdash? Wow…Let’s also go and bring a Korban.” So in order for this to occur the Torah didn’t post any signs as to how to get to the Har Habayis.

Said the Chofetz Chaim, that the secular collector who came and left within two days with money….he is like an arei miklat.  He came; he was here for two or three days, and left. Hashem didn’t want him to be around and to be mashpia on others with his krumeh svarah’s. Hashem didn’t want him trying to “recruit” people to follow in his secular and foolish ways. It could be he was trying to sell us on his religious movements and trying to turn us towards the “other side”. But you are different, Hashem wants you around.  He wants people to ask you, to see you-to get to know you. Maybe you can have a hashpa’ah on them, who knows?

There’s a valuable lesson that one can learn. Do we really realize how much our own everyday mundane actions can have an impact on others? People are often mistaken and they say, “It’s not a big deal” or “it’s only just one time”. However, all you need is “one time” and then, like the flip of a switch; you can change someone’s life.   We must realize that as humans ALL of our actions are being watched, for good or for bad; be it a neighbor, chavrusa, colleague, boss or partner.

It’s important to keep this in mind as we just began ELUL, a time when we need all of our actions to be for the good and to help us tip the scale, for the good.  We must always be aware that what we do can change a person’s life for the better at any given moment.

(Search By: parsha; chumash; shoftim; parshas shoftim; making a roshem; an everlasting impression; chofetz chaim; arei miklat; collecting money; ones actions being watched; having an impression on someone else; being oleh regel; elul; meshulach; killing by mistake)

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Parshas Re’eh-פרשת ראה

August 5, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

This weeks parsha discusses the mitzvah of tzedakah. It states that when someone will approach you and ask for tzedakah, you should give him. The pasuk concludes with a beracha ‘because of this mitzvah of tzedakah Hashem will bless you with all your endeavors and with anything that comes in contact with your hand.’

The gemarah in kesuvos (49) says that beis din may force a person to give tzedakah, just as they can force a person to do any mitzvah stated in the Torah.

There’s a rule that Tosfos brings down, quoting a gemarah in Chulin, which says any mitzvah that it states the reward for fulfilling it, beis din can not force a person to do that mitzvah. Tosfos asks, that by the mitzvah of tzedakah, it states the reward for one who gives tzedakah. The pasuk clearly says that a person who gives tzedakah will have the hand of Hashem as his ‘partner’ in his dealings. So how can the gemarah say that beis din can force a person to give tzedakah?

The Avnei Miluim (siman 71) quotes from the sefer Ha’ikrim as follows.

The beginning of the aforementioned pasuk says ‘you shall give him money (tzedakah) but when you do so, do not give it with a heavy heart’. What is the reason for this? The pasuk ends off and says ‘because of this mitzvah of tzedakah Hashem will bless you with all your endeavors and with anything that comes in contact with your hand.’ The simple p’shat is that it’s referring to the giving of the tzedakah. When a person gives tzedakah he becomes the recipient of this beracha. Explains the sefer Ha’ikrim, the pasuk is advising us, that a person will only receive this beracha if he gives tzedakah in the proper way that the Torah says. First the Torah says one should give tzedakah. Then it says ‘give it with an open heart’. If one gives tzedakah with an open heart, then he will be zoche to this special beracha of Hashem’s partnership.

Says the Avnei Miluim, this is p’shat in the gemarah. If beis din is forcing him to give tzedakah then he is not giving it in the proper method that the Torah asks us to give it. It is therefore not considered as if the Torah states its reward and tosfos question is answered.

Which one of us would not want this incredible and special beracha of Hashems partnership in our business?  One should look at the way and the mode he give tzedakah to someone who stretched out his hand to them. Do we sigh and think to ourselves ‘again?’ Or do we smile and give the person money and say ‘have a wonderful day’. It’s something we should be conscious of, if we want to be the beneficiary of such a beracha.

I heard a nice anecdote from a young man who comes from a wealthy family. He believes that the reason his father was blessed with wealth was because his Rebbe told him, that when he gives tzedakah he shouldn’t give with a heavy heart. He should always try to give a little more than he planned on giving. If you can only afford to give $100….give a drop more, maybe $120…by doing so and giving a little more than you can afford, you will feel it and will help you give tzedakah in the approach that the Torah wants everyone to give; in order to be the receiver of such a special beracha.

May we all be zoche to be diligent in the manner that we give tzedakah so that we all become beneficiaries of the beracha of ‘yivarechicha Hashem elokecha b’chal ma’asecha u’vichal mishlach yadecha’.

(Search by: parsha; re’eh; parshas re’eh; chumash; torah; avnei nezer; sefer ha’ikrim; tzedakah; giving to others; giving in the right mannerism; the beracha of tzedakah; having Hashem as a business partner; feeling the giving of tzedakah; giving tzedakah; the mitzvah of tzedakah; kesuvos; chulin)

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