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Parshas Tazria/Hachodesh-פרשת תזריע/החודש

March 31, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

There’s a well known medrash that states the following story: There was once a peddler who arrived into a busy marketplace. He incited a commotion by yelling out, ‘who wants to purchase the ’sam hachaim’, the medicine of life?” Everyone came running over to see what this peddler had to offer.  As the crowd gathered around the peddler, he opened up his tehillim and read out loud the pasuk: ‘Mi ha’ish haChofetz Chaim ohev yamim liros tov; nitzor l’shoncha m’rah….. Loosely translated to mean which man wishes life and wants to see good old days? Watch your tongue from speaking evil…….Rav Yanai,  who was in the marketplace when this all occurred,  said that his whole life he didn’t understand the meaning of this pasuk until this peddler came along and enlightened him!

The obvious question is what did this peddler teach Rav Yanai that he didn’t already know?

Rav Issur Zalman Meltzer, Zt”l, answers beautifully.

Imagine yourself walking down the street and you see something that doesn’t belong to you. You are compelled to steal it but you don’t. True, you didn’t commit an aveira for not stealing it, but at the same time you didn’t collect a zechus. For a person to receive a zechus, to acquire nutrients for ones olam haba, you have to do a mitzvah properly. Rav Yanai understood from this peddler that if one is careful and watches what comes out of his mouth he is actually attaining zechusim for one’s self for not doing something. Zechusim that will give a person sustenance to live off in olam haba.

The pasuk says that someone who is inflicted with tzora’as has to sit outside of the camps and call out to anyone that passes by ‘I am tamei, I am tamei’. The Chofetz Chaim bring a gemarah that states not only does this person call out and let the people passing know that he is tamei but he also asks them to daven on his behalf. He asks why this person needs to ask others to daven for him. What do his teffilohs lack that others have? Answers the Chofetz Chaim because a mouth that was used to speak devarim rah is now affected. The mouth is the conduit used to daven to Hashem, his lines of communications are now full of static.

The Pshat here is that it’s not just that we don’t get an aveira, but in actuality we are accomplishing something great. What are we accomplishing? The fact that the Torah and tefillah that comes out of our mouths is being connected on a crisp pure line.

We should all merit to watch our mouths and to keep them clean as to we can continue davening in a beautiful fashion for Hashem to bring Moshiach speedily in our days!

(Search by: tazria; chofetz chaim; rav issur zalman Meltzer; watching hpw you speak; npt saying loshon hara; keeping ones mouth clean; tzora’as; attaining zechusim while not doing aveiros)

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Parshas Shemini-פרשת שמיני

March 24, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

“And Moshe said, “This is the thing that Hashem has commanded; do [it], and the glory of the Lord will appear to you.” (Vayikro 9; 6)

From the pasuk it is not clear what exactly Moshe was commanding klal Yisroel to do. The Ohr Hachaim hakadosh brings down a Toras Kohanim that interprets the instruction to mean that Moshe spoke to klal Yisroel and told them as follows: ‘remove the yetzer hara from your hearts and everyone shall to be united to serve Hashem; we have to commit ourselves to serve Hashem united as one and if we accomplish this then Hashem will dwell amongst us.’

It seems that Moshe was inculcating into klal Yisroel and warning them that they need to be elevated to a higher level prior to inaugurating the Mishkan. However, it’s still not clear why, right now, he was telling them this. Why did Moshe feel it necessary to give them this chizuk, or warning, now, that they need to serve Hashem on a loftier level?

If we look later in the parsha (10; 4) after the untimely death of Nadav and Avihu, Moshe tells Mishael and Eltzafan to go in to the Mishkan to retrieve their cousin’s bodies. The Toras Kohanim notes that from here we see that kohanim can’t be metameh to a corpse. Yet, there are obvious questions with this. Firstly, we clearly have a pasuk later (21; 1) that states a kohen can’t be metameh to a dead person. If so then this pasuk seems superfluous. Secondly, we know that only the kohen gadol can’t be metameh to anyone but a kohen hedyot can be metameh to his seven relatives (mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter and wife). In this instance the deceased were they’re brothers, why couldn’t Elazar and Issomor be metameh to them?

The Da’as Zekainim answers that the pasuk that says that the kohanim may be metameh to their relatives is talking about on a regular mundane day. But, on the day that they were anointed and received the kedusha of being kohanim, they could not be metameh to anyone. The reason was because on that day they had the status of a kohen gadol! The day was so holy for them that they had special and unique sets of guidelines they needed to follow to ensure that they started off their new way of life correctly.

We learn from this that there are special segulos and a chashivus [and appreciation] that a person has to have and understand when he embarks on a new spiritual journey. Just like the kohanim hedyotim on the day they received their chinuch had the status of a kohen gadol so too a person who starts on a path has to assume he will be traveling there for a while. One must realize the importance of starting off properly. Chinuch is the concept of a new beginning…..just as we see by the kohanim.

As a person embarks on a new journey the first step he takes has to be with the right foot. We must ensure that the beginnings are started appropriately. Similar to the kohen who was elevated to the status of a kohen gadol on the day of his embarkment into the kehuna, klal Yisroel had to understand that the first day of doing the avodah in the Mishkan would be setting the tone for the future days of service in the Mishkan. They needed the extra warning to make sure everything was done properly and with purity. They had to rid themselves of all bad thoughts and all evil. This first day had to be special so the remaining days would stay good. If the first day would be poor who knows what the future would have brought……

Whether a person is raising children, starting a new seder, buying a new house, opening a new business, etc…-one must make sure that their first actions are solid. Before one starts, they should stop for a moment and realize they are about to lay the foundation of their future down and they must make sure it’s strong and firm. The entire future will be based on this basis and one has to be able to lean on it as a source of support. For if not, who knows what may become of the journey…

(Search by: shemini; da’as zekainim; Ohr Hachaim hakadosh; kohanim being metameh to corpses; embarking on a new journey; toras kohanim; the untimely death of nadav and avihu;starting a new chapter of ones life properly)

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Parshas Tzav/Zachar-פרשת צו ופרשת זכור

March 17, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah, Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

The minhag on Purim is that during the reading of the megilah, certain parts are read with a sad and cheerless tune; the same tune that is used when we read Megilas Eicha. Amongst them are ‘v’kaylim m’kaylim shonim’ and ‘asher heglah m’yerushalaim im yichunya melech yehuda’…..

On the surface we can comprehend the second pasuk since it depicts the beginning of the galus. The first pasuk, however, does not. If this is so, then why do we read it in that tune? The gemarah answers that it is also associated with the galus, since the pasuk is referring to the kaylim of the Bais Hamikdash.  Achashveirosh had the audacity to use the vessels of the Bais Hamikdash for his personal pleasure; we therefore read those words in the niggun of Eicha.

They say over, that in the spirit of Purim, someone asked the Satmar Rebbe why we lain these pasukim in Eicha tune? The answer given was that we wanted to ensure that the litvaks would be happy on Purim. He asked further, if so, why don’t we lein the whole megilah in that tune? He answered; ‘We don’t want things to get out of control.’ Although there are those yichidim that bring their milk crates and crocs to megilah reading for those few pasukim that we read in the tune of Eicha, this custom has yet to be universally accepted : - )

Rav Hutner, Zt”l, in the Pachad Yitzchok, asks a striking question. The pasuk earlier says ‘v’es yikar tiferes gedulaso’ which chazal learn from there, that Achashveirosh himself wore the bigdei kehuna. Based on what we said earlier, shouldn’t these words also be read in the tune of Eicha?

The Ba’alei Mussar answer with an interesting thought.  At the party, the bigdei kehuna were only worn by Achashveirosh; he stood up and tried to make himself grand by looking like the Kohen Gadol. On the other hand, the kaylim were not only used by Achashveirosh, they were also used by all of klal Yisroel. True, it was very painful to see Achashveirosh wearing the begadim. But, the ramifications of this aveirah was much more severe, with the fact that the yidden themselves were coerced into using the holy kaylim of the Bais Hamikdash. A goy can do an aveira and a yid can do a similar aveira. But the collateral damage is different because a gentile is not empowered with a level of holiness and destiny as that of a yid.

In Nefesh Hachaim, Rav Chaim Volozhin Zt”l, says that when a yid does an aveira in his mind the destruction he causes is worse than the destruction that the evil Titus caused the time he brought a zonah in the Kodesh Kodoshim .The Kodesh Kodoshim was the holiest place on earth and z’nus is one of the worst aveirous chamuros a person can ever transgress. How can we say that an aveira in your mind is worse?! This begs for an explanation…

In Parshas Ki Sisa, after Moshe Rabeinu witnesses the Cheg HaEgel, he smashed the Luchos. At the end of his life, this act is listed as one of the greatest feats. Why? What was the great ma’aleh that Moshe did when he broke the Luchos? Rav Moshe Feinstein Zt”l says that Moshe Rabeinu was teaching klal Yisroel that when they do aveiros-don’t think you’re just doing something dreadful to yourself. When a yid does an aveira it doesn’t just affect him, it wreaks havoc on the entire klal Yisroel. A small aveira of a Yid causes more damage that the appalling acts of a goy. This was the lesson Moshe was teaching klal Yisroel.

This is rationale why only the pasukim that describe the aveira of klal Yisroel is when we read it in the niggun of Eicha, because that is factual destruction. Being that klal Yisroel is empowered with their actions they have the ability to build or demolish; create or destroy. A misdeed of a goy cannot reach the heights of a yids aveira.

As we approach Purim we should realize that the opposite is true, we should not underestimate the power of Mitzvos. As we are giving Tzedakah or eating the Seudah on Purim, realize that we are doing the will of Hashem and it is influencing the entire world.

Wishing all my readers a Freilichen Purim and a happy and joyous Yom Tov!

(Search by: Purim; baalei mussar; rav hunter; your aveiros affecting the world; Rav Chaim Volozhin; Achashveirosh wearing the bigdei kehuna; klal yisroel using the kaylim of the bais hamikdash; Rav Moshe Feinstein; leining megilah like we lein Eicha)

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Parshas Vayikra-פרשת ויקרא

March 10, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

One of the people that are obligated to bring a korbon oshom is a witness who denies knowledge of a particular monetary dispute. He is then required to make a shavua (swear) that he lacks information on the matter. In an instance where the witness subsequently admits that he intentionally lied, he must bring a korbon oshom. When describing this korbon, the pasuk (5,1) states, ‘V’nefesh ki secheta v’shomoh kol olloh’, if a person will sin: if he accepted a demand for an oath.

Chazal (tosefta shavuos 3,3) offer an explanation of this pasuk in a different light which provides us with an important lesson. They translate the pasuk literally; ‘V’nefesh ki secheta’, if a person will sin, he will ultimately sin again. How? ‘v’shomoh kol olloh’, by hearing his call to testify and deny knowledge that can help resolve a dispute. Even if a person simply witnesses a sin being done, chazal attribute it to the fact that he was at some point lax and careless in that specific sin.

The Kli Yokor (Beraishis 4,7) explains the analogy told to Kayin, of an aveiroh “resting at the door” in a fascinating manner. The yetzer harah does not have the ability to penetrate the purity of man alone. He needs help. So he lurks as he waits for us to open a door for him. The moment he senses an opening, whether it’s an actual sin or a simple negligence in a specific mitzvah, he has found his point of entry. He can now get to work in his quest to destroy all respect and kavod that one may have for that mitzvah. And it all began with our inability to insulate ourselves properly. We let him in.

He explains that it is for this reason that chazal (berochos) compare the yetzer harah to a zevuv, a fly. A fly cannot bite or inflict pain on a human on his own. However if someone already has an open wound then the fly is capable of causing damage.

As we approach the yom tov of Purim, we are obligated to remember the cruelty of amalek. Interestingly, chazal (yalkut bishalach) also compare amalek to a fly. They attacked us when we were down. The moment they sensed that we were lackadaisical in our learning, they attacked and attempted to lure us to do the worst aveiros.

One can add a deeper dimension to this idea. No one is perfect. We all have flaws and shortcomings. We all trip, stumble and sometimes even fall. Yet we have to remember that our mistakes don’t define the people we truly are. We all possess a heart that desires growth and closeness to Hashem. We all want to do the right things. That desire truly defines who we are. We are members of a nation with a mission to glorify Hashems name and His Torah. The yetzer harah looms and waits for the opportunity to get inside of us. He attempts to poison our pure inner aspiration for greatness. He tries to convince us that our mistakes define who we really are. That can be the meaning of the yetzer harah resting at the door. He awaits an opening and then spreads his poisonous venom to our core. Recognizing and knowing his tactics are the first steps to successfully combating and overcoming his attacks.

May the Ribono Shel Olam give us all the strength we need to withstand his attempts of distorting our self-image and never forget what we truly represent.

(Search by: vayikra; kli yakar; amalek; our mistakes don’t define who we are; the yetzer hara waits for an opening to get us to sin)

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Parshas Pekudai-פרשת פקודי

March 3, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

The Torah, in this week’s parsha, talks about the completion of the Mishkan and the priestly garments worn by the Kohanim; towards the end of the parsha it discusses how they finally erected the Mishkan.

The Mishkan and all the kaylim had to be anointed with oil. The pasukim (40; 13-15) discuss how Moshe presented Aaron his special clothing and how he brought Aaron’s children and dressed them and anointed them too. By the children it says (40; 15) that Moshe did so ‘just as he anointed their father’. The obvious question here is why did the Torah have to specify that they were anointed in the same manner as he anointed their father?

Secondly, our chazal say that the Mishkan was a kaparah for the chait h’egel.  The Medrash (in parshas vayahkel) says that klal Yisroel received a kaparah after they completed the assembling of the Mishkan from the fact that they gave to the Mishkan so willingly-just as they so willingly gave to the egel.

The Ramban points out that in vayakhel, prior to all the kaylim being built it says ‘vayas es….’ In pekudei however, after almost every kayli was assembled it says ‘ka’asher tzivah Hashem es Moshe’. Why does the Torah change the wording from the way it was written in parshas vayakhel?

Perhaps we can answer as follows. The building of the Mishkan, as we mentioned, was a kaparah for the egel. The tachlis of the Mishkan was to create a place for the shechina to dwell in our midst. This can only happen after the entire Mishkan was put together. The ma’aleh of the mishkan was only accomplished after they finished and completed every minute detail. By the egel, the pasuk says, ‘vayikuhail ha’am al Aharon’-they ganged up to do the aveira of the egel. So besides the actual egel there was another element; there was unity.

The Mishkan as a whole represented klal Yisroel. It united all of us. When klal Yisroel built the Mishkan one of the requirements were that they had to come together to do something positive. That was what the Mishkan represented; the unity of klal Yisroel. The Menorah represented the Torah; the Shulchan represented the people out there who were working-it was a project of the entire klal Yisroel and it represented every single person in klal Yisroel. The Torah was only able to say ‘ka’asher  tziva Hashem es moshe’ after they completed everything-because once it was built it represented bnei Yisroel as a nation that was doing a project-together-that would enhance the kovod of the presence of the shechina in their daily lives.

The Meshech Chochma asks what was the reason that the Torah specified ‘just as their father’. He says that Moshe really wanted his children to be kohanim and kings. But Hashem told him ‘you can’t come that close-your children will not be makriv and serve in the Bais Hamikdash.’ Says the Meshech Chochma, Aaron was a kohain; but being that Moshe wanted his children to be kohanim he nevertheless anointed Aaron’s children with the same desire and the same simcha that he anointed their father!

Perhaps we can say this was also somewhat of a kaparah of the chait h’egel. Maybe, as it was Aaron who participated in the egel, Moshe could now say- maybe my children could get the kehuna since Aaron should get punished? Says the Torah that Moshe anointed the children ‘just as their father…’ even though there was more of a reason for Moshe to hope his children will have a chance now-nevertheless he performed the anointing ‘just as their father’. The gadlus of Moshe was that he followed the commandments of Hashem without any personal involvement altering his outcome.

We can learn from here how one cannot allow their personal feelings to affect the way we serve Hashem.

There’s a powerful story about Reb Zundel Kroizer Shlit”a, that illustrates this point:

One early morning while he was en route to daven vasikin, as he has done daily for 75 years, he fell down and bruised himself up. His grandson-who was with-him picked him up and brought him back home to allow him  to catch his breath and drink some water, etc. He told him ‘zeidy, if we hurry up we may be able to still chap vasikin.’ Rav Zundel responded ‘I never chapped a minyan in my life!’ Besides the gadlus of someone davening vasikin for 75 years straight-one might think that it developed into part of his agenda. One would say ‘I’m a vasikin yid’ even if I come a little late one day. So I’ll serve Hashem a little differently today and tomorrow I’ll be back on schedule. Not Reb Zundel; he had absolutely no agenda, all he had on his mind was to serve Hashem because he was commanded to so-with no records to keep up with or personal feeling altering his decisions.

(Search by: pekudei; meshech chochma; reb zundel kroizer; serving Hashem without it affecting your personal feelings; Ramban; Aaron being anointed; anointing Aarons sons; mishkan forgiving us for the egel; egel; completing the Mishkan)

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