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Parshas Vaera-פרשת וארא

December 30, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

Chazal go through every single plague that Hashem brought upon the Egyptians and ponder why that specific makkah was brought. The list enumerates why every makkah was brought and how it, in essence, was middah k’negged middah.

The makkah of barad, states in the medrash, was because the Egyptians forced bnei Yisroel to plant vineyards, orchards, gardens and trees; Hashem therefore brought upon Mitzrayim the plaque of barad to destroy everything that they forced bnei Yisroel to build, allowing them no pleasure at all.

We all know, that one of the activities that the Egyptians forced the bnei Yisroel to do was to build the cities of Pisom and Ra’amses. They had bnei Yisroel build these cities on quicksand. Immediately after it was built, it collapsed. They made them build it over and over again. The evil Egyptians knew that there was no greater pain than not seeing their hard work and the fruits of their labor paying off; it was extremely demeaning. The Egyptians had immense pleasure in torturing the bnei Yisroel this way.

We learn from Pisom and Ra’amses that the impact of the slavery was felt when they completed a project and it was destroyed thereafter. If so, what was the middah k’neged middah in the plague of barad? The bnei Yisroel were the ones that planted the trees, the orchards and all the other fields-as the medrash stated. It would seem that the barad was harming the bnei Yisroel more than the Egyptians because they were the one who toiled on it?

A Rebbi of mine offers an answer with something that applies to all of us.

The P’shat is that human nature is such, that if someone works tirelessly they want to see results and accomplishments for all their efforts. But here, it was different. Because klal Yisroel knew that the makkos were going to help them; they understood that something great was going to happen and unfold before their eyes! They recognized that everything that was happening, and all that happened up until now, was only small talk. They understood that this was all part of a bigger picture. There was one small detail that inconvenienced them and that bothered them. Nevertheless, being that with each makkah they saw themselves getting closer and closer to redemption and to eretz Can’aan, this didn’t intimidate them in the slightest way. They were focused and understood that all these makkos were in essence moving them forward to their ultimate salvation, not allowing them to concentrate on the minor details. However, by Pisom and Ra’amses nothing had started yet so it was hard for them to have this realization as they didn’t see the yad Hashem up until now.

People go through life and have different scenarios play out before them. Some make a big deal, while others secure a big contract. Some lose investments and others get raises. There are many times when things don’t always look so great either. But if a person truly understands that everything Hashem does is in his best interest and that they’re in the best hands possible, then he knows that the future looks bright.

When the Brisker Rav got married his father in law bought him some real estate for him to have parnassah from.  Within a short period of time he lost all the properties. Upon realizing his loss, he took out a chovos halevavos and locked himself in his room for four hours.  Upon emerging from there he looked at his wife and says ‘until four hours ago I thought I was a rich man; now, I know that I’m a rich man.’

May we all be zoche to see the yad Hashem in our everyday dealings and to merit the coming of Moshiach b’karov.

(Search by: parsha; chumash; vaera; parshas vaera; brisker rav; barad; plagues in Egypt; middah k’neged middah; seeing the fruits of your labor; realizing everything is from Hashem; having complete faith in Hashem)

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Parshas Shemos-פרשת שמות

December 23, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

The Torah relates that Moshe ran away from Mitzrayim after he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. The reason being, that Dasan and Aviram found out and spread the gossip.  While in Midyan, Hashem appears to Moshe and tells him to return to Mitzrayim (4: 19) ‘for all the men who seek your life have died.’

The gemarah (nedarim 7b) says that we learn from this pasuk that a poor person is considered as if he is dead.  Since it says ‘for all the men who seek your life have died’, and we know that Dasan and Aviram were still alive; it must mean that they were poor and considered dead.

The Ran asks, from where does the gemarah know that Dasan and Aviram were aniyim. A poor person isn’t the only one considered a dead person, as we’ve learned, one who is afflicted with tzora’as is also considered to be dead. Perhaps Dasan and Aviram were not poor but had indeed contracted tzora’as? He answers that since the pasuk later (in devarim) clearly says that they were living amongst bnei Yisroel, it must be that they were poor. For had they developed tzora’as they would’ve been isolated from bnei Yisroel. The Ran asks a bit farther, and ponders, is it possible that they were inflicted with tzora’as in Mitzrayim and were healed by matan Torah? He then answers that it cant be so due to the fact that the tzora’as would have returned once they faithfully sinned by the chet h‘egel (as all who sinned and had previously gotten healed had their illnesses returned to them).

However, the achronim ask that the mishna in nega’im states that any siman of tzora’as that a person received prior to matan Torah would not be m’tameh. So even though they were mitzorahem, they would be allowed to dwell amongst the bnei Yisroel! We are therefore back to our original question of how did the gemarah know that they were indeed poor and were not inflicted with tzora’as?

Rav Chaim Shmuelovitz, Zt”l answers with a very profound insight.

It was simple to the Ran that Dasan and Aviram did not have tzora’as. His reason is because a mitzorah before matan Torah had no obligation to sit isolated outside the camp. The whole concept of ‘badad yaysheiv’ didn’t exist, because we had not yet received the Torah! The whole reason why a mitzorah is counted as if he is dead is because of the underlying factor in which all four people (a poor person, mitzorah, childless couple and blind person) share a common thread. All four do not have the ability to share with others. A mitzorah is isolated, a childless couple has no one to give to, and a blind man and pauper depend on others and don’t have the ability to share/give with others. The purpose of someone’s life is to share with others. When a person is stripped of that ability, we consider them to be dead.

We see here an important yesod. When a person has the ability to give, we clearly see how he is defined. He is a living being; a giving person; someone who others can rely on and depend on, in the time of need. Should a person have the ability to give and chooses not to, he has lost his title as a ‘living being’ and is considered to be counted amongst the dead. Bnei Yisroel has this special middah of giving and it’s something that most of us can see everyday. We should all be zoche to be counted as a living human being and to always be in the position of giving and we hope and pray that the more we give the more Hashem will give and may we be zoche for Him to ‘give’ us and bring us Moshiach b’karov.

(Search by: parsha; chumash; torah; shemos; parshas shemos; rav chaim shmuelovitz; ran; nedarim; mitzorah; poor person is considered dead; mishna in nega’im; having the ability to give; choosing to give to others; sharing with others; having others count on you; others depending on you)

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Parshas Vayechi-פרשת ויחי

December 16, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

As Yaakov is nearing the end of his life, he asks Yosef to swear to him that he will take his body out of Mitzrayim and bury him in the Me’aras Hamachpela. The gemarah (Sota 36b) asks what the reason was that Yosef had to swear to his father that he would do as he requested. The gemarah answers that when Yosef came out of jail and stood before Pharaoh, he spoke to him in all seventy languages. However, after conversing with Pharaoh in loshon kodesh Pharaoh was unable to communicate back with him because that was the only language he did not understand. At that point Pharaoh made Yosef swear to him that he would never to reveal this information to anyone.

When it came time to bury Yaakov, in eretz Cana’an, Yosef went to Pharaoh and told him he is leaving, to go bury his father. When he was asked why he didn’t just bury Yaakov in Mitzrayim he responded that he had sworn to his father that he would take his remains and bury them in eretz Cana’an. Pharaoh asked him why he didn’t just break the promise and bury his father here; after all he wasn’t alive anymore. Yosef answered that if he breaks this promise that he made to his father he would also have to break the promise or ‘secret’ that he made to Pharaoh about him not understanding loshon hakodesh. It was only then that Pharaoh allowed him to leave and fulfill his father’s request.

Let us analyze this conversation for a minute: Is this how one talks to the king, by threatening that if he makes him break his promise than he will ‘get him back’ by breaking their promise? Was Yosef black-mailing Pharaoh? How can this be explained, there must be a deeper understanding here?

The Steipler Gaon Zt”l answers, and says, Chas V’Shalom, Yosef was not threatening Pharaoh at all! What he was saying to him was that my word is as good as gold. He explained to Pharaoh, that he valued his word tremendously and that he took his spoken words very seriously. If Pharaoh was now going to make him go against his own word and cheapen it, even once, his whole chashivus towards keeping his word would be shattered. He will have lost respect for what he says and what he values. Ultimately, that may cause him to utter their secret and break a promise they had made, because he may not consider it so important anymore. The reason being that once a person does something just one time, they break the barriers. When a person does an aveira for the first time, he loses the sensitivity for it. As we know, the gemarah in kiddushin states that when a person does an aveira over time it becomes ‘permissible’ to him. Permissible? How can that be, it’s an aveira? The answer is that it becomes ‘in his eyes’ as if it’s allowed. Why? Because he has lost all respect for it. He loses the significance for it and allows it to be ‘permitted’ to him.

There is a famous story with the Chofetz Chaim that we have mentioned in the past but that brings out this point.

The Chofetz Chaim once walked out of a shul (outside of Radin) and he saw a Jew being mechalel Shabbos. He sat there and he cried for a full hour. The next Shabbos, he walked out of the same shul and saw another Jew being mechalel Shabbos.  He cried for an hour and a half. His talmidim asked him, Rebbi - why did you cry longer than you did last week? The Chofetz Chaim responded that when he saw the second yid being mechalel Shabbos, he cried for forty five minutes and he felt that it was enough. He then realized that he had cried shorter than the first time, and that he must have lost his sensitivity to chilul Shabbos! He therefore cried for another forty five minutes for that loss.

Yosef was so concerned that if slipped once he would lose his sensitivity for what he says in the future. He therefore didn’t allow himself to break that barrier, even once, by responding how he did to Pharaoh!

May we all be zoche to be sensitive to the Torah’s values, and not to chas v’shalom lose our sensitivity towards any mitzvah-or our disgust towards an aveira- and in this zechus Hashem will keep his promise to our forefathers and return us to Eretz Yisroel, with Moshiach-quicker than we deserve-speedily in our days.

(Search by: chumash; parsha; parshas vayechi; vayechi; steipler; chofetz chaim; losing focus; keeping your word; yosefs promise to his father; yosef swearing to yaakov; losing sensitivity towards something; sota; burying yaakov in mearas hamachpela; yosefs honesty; yosefs secret with pharaoh; kiddushin)

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Parshas Vayigash-פרשת ויגש

December 9, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

Parshas Vayigash relates the climax to one of the most well known episodes in our illustrious history-the story of Yosef revealing himself to his brothers. After inquiring about the welfare of their father, he tells his brothers to bring Yaakov to Mitzrayim. Finally, after twenty two years, the moment arrives; Yosef harnesses his own chariot and travels to Goshen to meet his beloved father. The pasuk tells us that when he went to Goshen (46; 29) ‘He presented himself to him and he fell on his neck…‘ Rashi comments on this pasuk and says ‘Yosef presented himself to his father.’

Rashi’s explanation needs some elucidation.  It seems, upon reading his words, that Rashi is not adding anything to the pasuk. As the Ramban points out that Rashi seems to be repeating what the pasuk has already mentioned. Of course Yosef presented himself to his father as the pasuk itself continues and says, that he ‘fell on his neck’. What chiddush is Rashi adding?

Rav Chaim Shmuelovitz Zt”l, answers as follows:

Let us imagine what Yosef was feeling as he was approaching meeting his father after such a long separation. Yosef hadn’t seen his father for twenty two years. On one hand he was especially bound to his father, from the fact that he was the eldest son of Rochel. Yaakov was also his rebbi having taught him all that he learned in Yeshivas Shem v’Ever.

On the other hand, there was another reason that Yosef wanted to see his father. He understood the pain and suffering that his father endured over the last twenty two years of having ‘lost a son.’ To be united with his son again, after so many years, would bring supreme joy and happiness to him; it would be a moment of unparalleled exhilaration for Yaakov. Yaakov himself expressed this idea twice, later on in the parsha (45; 28 and 46; 30). It is to these two unrelated emotions that Rashi is alluding to. Yosef’s reasons for seeing his father was solely that ‘his father would see him’ and rejoice; and while traveling to see his father he concealed all of his personal emotions and excitement for that. He strictly traveled to his father with the purest of motives-‘to present himself to his father’-just as Rashi stresses-and for no other reason.

But why was this necessary? Why did he feel it important to cover up his emotions and excitements as a reason for going to meet his father?

The answer is, that being that such joy would satisfy his own needs he considered that, in essence, to be selfish. To meet Yaakov, for that reason as well, would mean that the mitzvah would no longer be performed with complete purity. His own self-satisfaction would have tarnished the act. It was this, which Yosef wanted to avoid by hiding his own emotions and acting solely for his father’s sake. It was this same middah that Yosef showed his brothers in Mitzrayim when acting harsh towards them. The reason for the harsh treatment says Rav Chaim, was to get his brothers to do teshuva and regret the fact that they sold him. His motives were solely for the sake of his brothers and not one iota of revenge found its way into Yosef’s heart.

We learn from Yosef’s actions how one should perform a mitzvah. Do we do things simply because we’re ‘going there anyways’ or because we have free time and we truly want to get a mitzvah? Many a time, we find ourselves in a position where we do a mitzvah with ulterior motives; because we too can benefit from it. But to do an act strictly for the sake of the mitzvah, without any self satisfaction, is what Yosef is teaching us.  Try taking someone out of your way when you’re in a rush. It might be extremely frustrating, but only the first time. Afterwards, when you realize the little time-the minutes- that you are losing in exchange for doing a mitzvah, it changes your approach to things. It is extra special to Hashem when you do a mitzvah bein adam l’chaveiro not because it seems ‘nice’, but simply because it is a mitzvah.

May we all be zoche to perform mitzvohs solely for the sake of the mitzvah and without any ulterior motives, showing Hashem that we are yearning the day when we can once again perform the avodah in the Beis Hamikdash, strictly for His sake, in Yerushalayim.

(Search by: parsha; chumash; torah; vayigash; parshas vayigash; rav chaim Shmuelovitz; ulterior motives; doing a mitzvah solely for the sake of a mitzvah; yosefs lesson; Yaakov meeting Yosef; Yosef revealing himself to his brothers; climax in jewish history; Ramban; Yosef presenting himself to his father; performing a mitzvah without any self satisfaction)

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Parshas Mikeitz/Shabbos Chanuka-פרשת מקץ ושבת חנוכה

December 2, 2010 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

Our minhag during Chanukah is to add Al Hanisim into our tefillos and our bentching. In midst of the text of Al Hanisim we thank Hashem for ‘the wars’. In others words, we are thanking Hashem for putting us through the wars.

The question that is begging to be answered is, doesn’t this sound a bit bizarre? Why are we expressing gratitude to Hashem for putting us through wars? Wars aren’t pleasurable; no one wants a war. What chesed is there in fighting wars?

My Rosh Hayeshiva, Harav Chaim Zev Levitan Shlit“a, offers an answer in which he brings out a very important yesod. Human nature is such, that when a person is accustomed to their daily activities, it becomes second nature to them and they forget to have a true appreciation for what they do.  They simply forget that it is something special, like a treat. We get used to keeping Shabbos, performing Bris Milah, and learning Torah. All these things are what we do on a day to day basis; comes along the yevonim wanting to abolish these daily activities. All of a sudden we have to fight for it and we wage a war. Only once these activities were banned, did we realize how unique they are to us. It was through the war with the yevonim that we now have a greater appreciation for what we were doing. Until we were actually challenged with it-we didn’t have a full appreciation for these mitzvos. It is for this reason that we thank Hashem for waging war against the yevonim.

There’s a well known story, which is well worth repeating, that illustrates this point exactly.

Rav Shach Zt”l once related what he thought was the most inspiring story of mesiras nefesh that took place during the Holocaust.

In the town of Lodz, there was a Jewish Mafia that had a prominent presence and ran the town. None of its members were religious at all. They were all mechalel Shabbos, ate tarfus, and were constantly disgracing the Torah. When the Nazi’s, yimach shimum, took over the town they decided to start first with the head of this Jewish Mafia, as they felt threatened by his presence. As the Nazi’s entered the city they went straight to the bais medrash, took out all the sifrei Torah and began to unroll it next to an open sewage line. They rounded up a group of Jews and told them to stand on it and start digging mud from the sewer onto the sefer Torah. Those who chose not to comply were instantly shot by these merciless animals. They then brought the head of the Jewish Mafia over to the Sefer Torah and said ‘let’s go….grab a shovel’.  The head of the mafia looked at the Nazi’s and said absolutely not. They looked at him point blank and said, ‘This is an order; do it or we will shoot you’. The head of mafia looked them straight in their eyes and said ‘there’s no way I’m standing on my God’s Torah and humiliating it like this.’ He opened his shirt and shouted shoot me right here! And that’s exactly what happened; he was killed through a tremendous act of mesiras nefesh.

Said Rav Shach, here was a person who was constantly disgracing the Torah but when he was put to the test by someone who wanted to strip him of his ability to give kovod haTorah, he risked his life for it. People don’t always have an appreciation for what they stand for, until they’re put to the test.

As we’ve all heard over the years, Chanukah is a time for hischadshus-for new beginnings when we all try to start fresh. If we are challenged, take a look at ourselves and ask, in which area do I need to strengthen myself in? Let’s all try to start anew by making a small kabalah. Klal Yisroel was hit with a terrible tragedy this week with the untimely passing of Moshe Yehuda Zt”l ben Yaakov Hacohen Berkowitz. He was a person who would always push others to be mekabel something small towards perfecting themselves. Could there be a more appropriate time, then now, to do something concrete (which will also help his neshama have an aliyah)? By the miracle of Chanukah we realized our privilege of serving Hashem only after the yevonim tried to stop us from serving Him. With that, we now have a new attitude towards performing our avodos Hashem. Let’s not wait for another ‘reminder’.

(Search by: parsha; chumash; torah; chanuka; mikeitz; Shabbos Chanukah; Chanukah; parshas mikeitz; making kabalos; starting anew; yevonim; al hanisim; rav shach; jewish mafia story; Rabbi Levitan; being put to the test; getting challenged; appreciating what we do daily; mesiras nefesh; moshe berkowitz)

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